Uploaded By: Bevo
Hole #11 (Taken 8/2009)
3 / 370ft. 4 / 570ft.
Par / Distance:
Hole #11 Fairway 2
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Reviews: 19
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Highbridge Gold
Pros: [The Complex]- There are presently 5 complete 18-hole courses, with 2 more still being constructed. I like the fact that the courses are designed to be at varying levels of difficulty (hardest-> Gold-Granite-Blueberry-Woodland-Chestnut <-easiest) so if you come and play them all you will have a well-rounded experience of both challenging Žskill-testers and more relaxing, fun rounds. Each course has different colored baskets that correspond to the course's name. The courses are set on an amazing piece of land that is huge and contains many natural features that are ideal for disc golf (open, woods, elevation, and ponds). The land is dedicated purely to disc golf and is so isolated that only disc golfers will be here, and chances are you will have these courses all to yourself. Huge props need to be given to the course designer for placing all the courses where they aren't on top of each other, each has its own character, and individual hole design is very creative and well-done. John, the owner, is very nice and loves to have people come and play. He works extremely hard on the courses and on the facility as a whole.
[The Course]- The Gold course is definitely a Gold Level course. The baskets for this one are the standard yellow band Discatchers. It consists of 18 challenging holes, a lot of it set on land that was a ball golf course. The biggest aspect that makes it harder is its length. There are 2 sets of tees (white-shorter, gold-super long), with the exception of only one tee on a few of the shorter holes. The white tees would still make it the hardest course at Highbridge, and the Gold tees are designed for those blessed with the really big arms. It is more wide open than Blueberry and Granite and the rough was not as thick, but there are still many spots where accuracy is necessary. This course is also more affected by wind as it is on the side of the ridge that faces the lake and it is more exposed to the elements due to being more open.
Some things I personally really liked about Gold: 1) there is a superb mix of alternating between open and wooded holes; 2) not being a long thrower I enjoyed that there were several shorter holes mixed in at just the right time providing for a great contrast from hole to hole; 3) there were a few pond water hazards as well as the unique island green of #16 surrounded by a moat; 4) it is not boring wide open long, but legit par 4/5 style where you have to strategically play your way down each fairway; 5) the views of the scenery are the best on the Gold course; and 6) though designed for gold level players it can still be enjoyable by intermediate players.
[The Course]- The Gold course is definitely a Gold Level course. The baskets for this one are the standard yellow band Discatchers. It consists of 18 challenging holes, a lot of it set on land that was a ball golf course. The biggest aspect that makes it harder is its length. There are 2 sets of tees (white-shorter, gold-super long), with the exception of only one tee on a few of the shorter holes. The white tees would still make it the hardest course at Highbridge, and the Gold tees are designed for those blessed with the really big arms. It is more wide open than Blueberry and Granite and the rough was not as thick, but there are still many spots where accuracy is necessary. This course is also more affected by wind as it is on the side of the ridge that faces the lake and it is more exposed to the elements due to being more open.
Some things I personally really liked about Gold: 1) there is a superb mix of alternating between open and wooded holes; 2) not being a long thrower I enjoyed that there were several shorter holes mixed in at just the right time providing for a great contrast from hole to hole; 3) there were a few pond water hazards as well as the unique island green of #16 surrounded by a moat; 4) it is not boring wide open long, but legit par 4/5 style where you have to strategically play your way down each fairway; 5) the views of the scenery are the best on the Gold course; and 6) though designed for gold level players it can still be enjoyable by intermediate players.
Cons: [The Course]- The only minor con (for me) was the day I played the wind was insanely gusty making it even harder (probably was the strongest wind I have ever played in) to the point that it took away from the total enjoyment just a bit. A worker said the wind often picks up quite a bit on summer afternoons.
Basically the only thing keeping this course from being a 5.0 for me is the lack of attention to amenities and lack of completion of the complex as a whole.
[The Complex]- Can be summed up in two words- trashy and incomplete. The land is beautiful but is littered with junk and trash and numerous unfinished projects. And then add on top the most important thing of trying to maintain 5 courses while building 2 more, but nature is easily overtaking things. John is fighting a losing battle with an unpaid staff of 2 that can't complete the things that are already here while simultaneously trying to build more stuff. Things appeared to be breaking faster than they could be fixed. The campground was trashy and smelled of raw sewage in several spots. The Honka House has a lot of potential but the pics of the outside don't tell the whole story- inside it is missing basics like drywall, outlet covers, lights, etc. and seems to be used as much for storage of junk as it is for housing guests.
Basically the only thing keeping this course from being a 5.0 for me is the lack of attention to amenities and lack of completion of the complex as a whole.
[The Complex]- Can be summed up in two words- trashy and incomplete. The land is beautiful but is littered with junk and trash and numerous unfinished projects. And then add on top the most important thing of trying to maintain 5 courses while building 2 more, but nature is easily overtaking things. John is fighting a losing battle with an unpaid staff of 2 that can't complete the things that are already here while simultaneously trying to build more stuff. Things appeared to be breaking faster than they could be fixed. The campground was trashy and smelled of raw sewage in several spots. The Honka House has a lot of potential but the pics of the outside don't tell the whole story- inside it is missing basics like drywall, outlet covers, lights, etc. and seems to be used as much for storage of junk as it is for housing guests.
Other Thoughts: [The Course]- The Gold course is designed to test the very best, and it definitely does. I think it is the most complete of all the courses at Highbridge. This is one course where you can rent a golf cart, but it is not really necessary. And John told us later that there is a bear den on one of the holes. (We joked later that it would have been nice to know that before hand and not afterwards!!!)
[The Complex]- If you like lots of holes and very rustic lodging then you will love it here. If you have high expectations of well-manicured courses and hotel-like lodging then prepare to be disappointed. John's mission is noble as he wants people of all ages to enjoy the outdoors and has plans to have 7 courses, as well as numerous other activities, but he does not seem concerned with creating a first-class disc golf facility. He dreams big, but appears to have bitten off more than he can chew. Highbridge needs manpower, but does not have the advantage of disc-golf loving locals or park workers that most other courses have. Other private courses don't either, but are usually only 1 course, not 7, and much easier to maintain!
[The Complex]- If you like lots of holes and very rustic lodging then you will love it here. If you have high expectations of well-manicured courses and hotel-like lodging then prepare to be disappointed. John's mission is noble as he wants people of all ages to enjoy the outdoors and has plans to have 7 courses, as well as numerous other activities, but he does not seem concerned with creating a first-class disc golf facility. He dreams big, but appears to have bitten off more than he can chew. Highbridge needs manpower, but does not have the advantage of disc-golf loving locals or park workers that most other courses have. Other private courses don't either, but are usually only 1 course, not 7, and much easier to maintain!
8 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Awesome and tough
Pros: This is another phenomenal course on the Highbridge property, a truly special place to play disc golf. Gold is the toughest complete course, and will challenge even the best players and make any player use every shot in their bag. There is lots of great elevation, and it is used extremely well to add challenge and interest, with some awesome downhill bombs and some tough uphill holes. There is a good mix of open and wooded terrain that keeps you on your toes and mixes it up enough that the course never gets repetitive.
This course makes you use just about every disc and every shot you carry, with left and right turning holes in good balance and turns that happen at all different points along fairways to make you think about your shot and do something different on just about every hole.
There are two sets of concrete tees on every hole, the extremely tough gold tees that will humble even seasoned pros, and the white tees that are tough for the rest of us and often totally change up the shot on the hole for some extra variety. I only got to play the golds, but I tried to take a look from every white tee, and it sure looks like they're worth a round too. There are decent signs on the gold tees with distance and layout for both pin positions on all the holes. The discatchers are in good shape and catch well.
This course makes you use just about every disc and every shot you carry, with left and right turning holes in good balance and turns that happen at all different points along fairways to make you think about your shot and do something different on just about every hole.
There are two sets of concrete tees on every hole, the extremely tough gold tees that will humble even seasoned pros, and the white tees that are tough for the rest of us and often totally change up the shot on the hole for some extra variety. I only got to play the golds, but I tried to take a look from every white tee, and it sure looks like they're worth a round too. There are decent signs on the gold tees with distance and layout for both pin positions on all the holes. The discatchers are in good shape and catch well.
Cons: I would like to have a little better signage here. If you want to play the white tees, you'll still have to go to all the gold tees to see the tee signs, and there isn't any distance marked for the white tees on the signs (though the scorecard remedies this). The signs also have no way of showing which pin position is in use, which means some long walks if you want to know before you throw.
There is some long grass rough in play on this course, which is never my favorite, it only wastes time and plastic without really adding strokes for errant shots.
There is some long grass rough in play on this course, which is never my favorite, it only wastes time and plastic without really adding strokes for errant shots.
Other Thoughts: This is a tough course that really isn't for beginners, even from the short tees. More experienced players will find themselves tested with a great mix of length, elevation, and strategically used trees and woods. This is a must play while you're at Highbridge, and certainly is a big part of what makes this place special.
11 of 12 people found this review helpful.
Long course with good challenge
Pros: This is a very long and challenging course that's well designed for distance players. It has a high par with many 4s and 5s, and it's even got a 1300+ foot hole that's a par 6. If you like to throw for distance, this is a great course. It has a good mix of hills and doglegs, but none of the fairways are narrow or demand very sharp turns. Technical players will probably still like it quite a bit but might prefer other Highbridge courses.
Cons: Most of the fairways on this one are pretty wide open with few trees, and the majority of baskets are way too far to hit from the tee box. That means that your accuracy is not challenged a whole lot. There are a couple water hazards to avoid, but the areas of long grass or dirt are obviously not anywhere near as deterring as they would be in ball golf. Trudging through the long grass does get tedious, especially if it's a wet day. There are also worse bugs on this course than the other Highbridge layouts due to many ponds and a swamp in the area of fairway13.
This course is a lot of walking and not much demand for accuracy aside from maybe holes 14 and 15, but it sure makes for a good chance to let your distance driver discs rip without much risk of losing them or going way over par, as you would on a more technical course. It's a good course to play as a scramble with teams of two.
This course is a lot of walking and not much demand for accuracy aside from maybe holes 14 and 15, but it sure makes for a good chance to let your distance driver discs rip without much risk of losing them or going way over par, as you would on a more technical course. It's a good course to play as a scramble with teams of two.
Other Thoughts: This is a good distance course to challenge DG players. Bring your sunscreen on a hot day or your swimsuit and sandals on a wet day. You will be looking for discs in the long grass, but the fairways are very wide. Unless you are very innacurate, you probably won't lose any discs into water or woods.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
What a wonderful beating! 
2-4 
9/4/2009 
12/10/2009
Review By: orcchmp Played: 24 Reviewed: 6 Exp: 4 Years
This review was updated on 7/7/2010
Pros: Gold has it all - elevation, woods, water, open, long, short, insanely long, etc, etc, etc. There are also some short tees to help you enjoy this course if you are a beginner. Concrete tees, professional design, remote location, scenic beauty, pay to play keeps the dirtbags out. Did I already say scenic beauty? Memories abound on this amazing design - from insanely long 700' wooded holes, 1300' downhill former golf holes, great use of long and drastic elevation/ridges of the HHSC hill, and some awesome gimmicky holes like the island green surrounded by water, elevated tees and greens - Gold truly is a phenominal course even if it beats you down again and again and again.
Cons: Not many. If anything, the super long hole kinda lacks character and any real challenge, it is wide open, downhill and just drive after drive after drive. More of the greens could be a bit more risky. Because the distance is so long hear, many pins are not visible, signage could better depict flight routes in relation to natural features.
Other Thoughts: Gold truly is an excellent course. Championship caliber and PDGA gold design for sure. It is a completely different experience from Blueberry (which is still the absolute best at Highbridge in my mind), but in a good way. All the courses at Highbridge are WONDERFUL compliments to one another, and you must play them all - MORE THAN ONCE!!
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Don't be fooled by the distance hype, this is balanced disc golf harmony! 5+ 5/26/2010 8/17/2009
Review By: superberry 
Played: 144 Reviewed: 88 Exp: 15.1 Years
This review was updated on 10/21/2010
Pros: There is a lot to be said about Gold. First as you hear all the time, you get some amazing distance. I'm not just talking about the 1300' hole, but 700'+ corridors through some wooded holes, and long wide open bombers that play across hills, uphill, and downhill. There are still more wooded holes here than on Granite, and the design is once again superb. Gold takes all the courses up a notch by mixing extreme elements of everything! What I mean is that you'll start out wide open on a 600' hole. halfway down the fairway you'll have to turn into the woods and thread the needle down a 300' corridor. Beside that, you'll realize that there is OB long grass or some pond in a blind location hidden off that neatly elevated tee you just flung from. This course is truly excellent and throwing well here really makes you feel like you've accomplished something. I threw 68 here and felt AWESOME during one round.
As discussed in other reviews (and see the pictures), there are quite a few signature holes that make great use of the old ball golf features like island greens and elevated tee boxes.
As discussed in other reviews (and see the pictures), there are quite a few signature holes that make great use of the old ball golf features like island greens and elevated tee boxes.
Cons: This course plays more open than blueberry (con) and will favor a big arm, but you still need accuracy (pro). I don't penalize the openness here as much as granite, because it is not as unbalanced on Gold. Same ole complaints about tee signs not being as good as they should for a disc golf complex, and not showing the pin position of the day.
Other Thoughts: Once again, you'll love that you made the trek out to play this course. After your warmup at Blueberry, come hit Gold and be prepared to bring it all. You'll love the land, course, and your whole experience. Once again, stay here all weekend and play every course more than once!
[Side note: you'll rarely hear me talk about how long a course took to play, how long it was, or how hilly it was. I actually seek out these grueling and extreme courses. I LIKE to get a workout while discin.]
UPDATE: In an attempt to quantitatively analyze my ratings and reviews I have come up with this spreadsheet. Highbridge Gold fairs better than I had initially rated it. I am bumping up from a 4.5 to a 5 as it is one of the Top 5 courses I have played.
http://spreadsheets.google.co...bVE&hl=en
This is a 5-disc course!! Not doubt about it, despite great tee signs, garbage cans, and other nice amenities, the design, terrain, topography, and setting is amazing. I am bumping my rating down to 4.5, simply to see other courses in the Top 10 on the front page. I think's it's only right to showcase more courses on the front page to new disc golfers visiting this great website. That's why I keep lobbying for a Top 25 to be displayed on the homepage.
[Side note: you'll rarely hear me talk about how long a course took to play, how long it was, or how hilly it was. I actually seek out these grueling and extreme courses. I LIKE to get a workout while discin.]
UPDATE: In an attempt to quantitatively analyze my ratings and reviews I have come up with this spreadsheet. Highbridge Gold fairs better than I had initially rated it. I am bumping up from a 4.5 to a 5 as it is one of the Top 5 courses I have played.
http://spreadsheets.google.co...bVE&hl=en
This is a 5-disc course!! Not doubt about it, despite great tee signs, garbage cans, and other nice amenities, the design, terrain, topography, and setting is amazing. I am bumping my rating down to 4.5, simply to see other courses in the Top 10 on the front page. I think's it's only right to showcase more courses on the front page to new disc golfers visiting this great website. That's why I keep lobbying for a Top 25 to be displayed on the homepage.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.
Championship course in Highbridge, WI
Pros: Very challenging course, but very fair. Lots of long holes, great mix of par 4s, 5s, and even a par 6. Beautiful vistas, and some interesting hole layouts.
The site has at least 4 other courses on it, so visiting this course ensures plenty of golf. It took 2 of us 4 hours to play the course, both because we didn't know the course and because of the yardage. This one will wear your legs out.
The baskets are color coded, signs were great, the course was in great shape. There's an island green on #16, which is a rarity. Overall, this is the single best course in terms of fair challenge and feeling like I was at a championship course that I've ever played. I enjoyed it the most of the courses at the Highbridge Hills location.
There were also decent scorecards on site.
The site has at least 4 other courses on it, so visiting this course ensures plenty of golf. It took 2 of us 4 hours to play the course, both because we didn't know the course and because of the yardage. This one will wear your legs out.
The baskets are color coded, signs were great, the course was in great shape. There's an island green on #16, which is a rarity. Overall, this is the single best course in terms of fair challenge and feeling like I was at a championship course that I've ever played. I enjoyed it the most of the courses at the Highbridge Hills location.
There were also decent scorecards on site.
Cons: Only a few complaints. First, there wasn't much water. The course is located all over a hill, so there isn't much opportunity for natural ponds. There's a few man-made small pools which provide hazards, but that's about it.
Second, there was some trash strewn about. For something of this quality, I had hoped to see more trash cans, and/or someone taking care of the course. It is a shame, because the course is really stellar otherwise.
Finally, it was occasionally hard to know where you needed to go next. The course (when we played it) was still fairly new, paths weren't very worn, and even with a scorecard it took some time to figure out where the next hole was. In short, if you've never played it before, this course is going to take most the afternoon to play.
Second, there was some trash strewn about. For something of this quality, I had hoped to see more trash cans, and/or someone taking care of the course. It is a shame, because the course is really stellar otherwise.
Finally, it was occasionally hard to know where you needed to go next. The course (when we played it) was still fairly new, paths weren't very worn, and even with a scorecard it took some time to figure out where the next hole was. In short, if you've never played it before, this course is going to take most the afternoon to play.
Other Thoughts: A friend and I wanted to finally play a "real" championship course, rather than the local courses that we had been playing. We took a DG trip to Highbridge Hills for a weekend, and boy did we get some exercise. This course was the "best" of the trip, for views, challenge, and overall feeling like we were playing something special. I can imagine better courses (more water, even more interesting holes), but this is certainly the top of the ones I've experienced.
We played 2 courses on Saturday and 2 on Sunday, and were dead tired on both days. Not only are the courses long (this one was +10000ft), but it is all up and down a low mountain, so you're really hiking. Don't come here expecting to get in 3 rounds of golf unless you're in shape and know the course.
We also found ourselves having to scout ahead on many holes. The holes are rarely straight, and there's a lot of trees. So you usually can't see the basket. Even with good signs, it still isn't enough to know what you're really trying to shoot for. So we spent even more time walking the hole, then walking back and playing. There wasn't anyone else in the entire area the day we played, not a single other person on the course, so we could afford to do this.
Was a very memorable trip, and if you're in the area, make sure to play this course. It is $10 to play all day at the site. While I appreciate DG being free in most parks, I have no problem paying for a park with this many courses of this caliber inside a beautiful region. It was worth flying 1000 miles just to play here for 2 full days.
We played 2 courses on Saturday and 2 on Sunday, and were dead tired on both days. Not only are the courses long (this one was +10000ft), but it is all up and down a low mountain, so you're really hiking. Don't come here expecting to get in 3 rounds of golf unless you're in shape and know the course.
We also found ourselves having to scout ahead on many holes. The holes are rarely straight, and there's a lot of trees. So you usually can't see the basket. Even with good signs, it still isn't enough to know what you're really trying to shoot for. So we spent even more time walking the hole, then walking back and playing. There wasn't anyone else in the entire area the day we played, not a single other person on the course, so we could afford to do this.
Was a very memorable trip, and if you're in the area, make sure to play this course. It is $10 to play all day at the site. While I appreciate DG being free in most parks, I have no problem paying for a park with this many courses of this caliber inside a beautiful region. It was worth flying 1000 miles just to play here for 2 full days.
15 of 17 people found this review helpful.
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