Beaver Dam, WI

Crystal Lake Park

3.165(based on 22 reviews)
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8 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 694 played 680 reviews
3.00 star(s)

The Best Course In Beaver Dam… Also, The Only Course In Beaver Dam

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 22, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.121 Rating) A park style course with two tees.
- HOLE VARIETY - The gameplay here is respectable in my opinion. Crystal Lake is a park style course with some nice terrain change on occasions. Players will need to weave around mature trees at times, throw a couple 400-foot bombs and avoid the water a couple times. To me the highlights are (14) and (18). (14) long tee is an eye-pleasing downshot over a small creek with a giant weeping willow dictating one's shot options. (18) is the biggest downshot on the course and has one massive tree left of the basket and it has a lake playing keep-away beyond. There are a few bland parkstyle plays, but overall it's a solid mix.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I scored this aspect roughly 60 percentile. The lake itself is clearly the driving force behind this number. The lake is in view on several holes and as noted above, it comes into play as well. The park was a joy to walk and explore. Several large older trees dot the landscape and there is rolling elevation change. The maintenance of the park was also good, but not polished to the level of some of the wealthy big city parks I've been to.
- BASIC AMENITIES - The blue banded Dynamic Veteran baskets caught well and looked good. The tees are concrete with 2 of them on each hole. Not the largest pads out there, but 4x10 concrete is way better than natural grass and dirt. I'd say the shorts are perfect for MA4s and beginners, while the backs are ideal for MA3s. Tee Signage is present, but needs an update, see cons. There were a few benches and the park has a porta-potty and shelters.
- QUICK PLAY - I was surprised I only logged 41 minutes. It generally flows well and I didn't make any substantial navigational blunders. There are only a couple bad spots to throw it into where searching will run-up the clock. I did throw the short layout, thus the back tees likely add another 10 minutes or so.

Cons:

Just a few minor blemishes.
- UNUSABLE TEES - Four of the back tees are not in acceptable condition. (10) long throws over a mini bluff, but the line was 98 percent blocked off by new tree growth. (13) long had near full blockage as well and required a weird blind far-left right-hooking shot that puts path walkers in peril. (15) long is playable, but in danger due to being inside the circle of (14s) basket and has no protection. (16) long is playable, but should not be used on busy days as basket (15) is 40 feet in front of the pad.
- WALK BACK TO THE CAR - Not a deal breaker, but I generally like to be within a couple hundred feet of the parking lot after tapping out on the last hole. Basket (18) is at least a 600-foot walk back to the parking lot.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - The tee signs need an update. They are the old school white signs with stickers behind plexiglass. Several look in sad shape, although they were all readable if I recall correctly. The tee signs are only present at the short pads. No course map or directional cues either. Print a map before coming here or have a navigation app handy.
- LACK OF ADVANCED CHALLENGE - MA1s and Pros will not be challenged from the back tees.

Other Thoughts:

Crystal Lake is a good course in my opinion. It will please the locals and attract disc golfers all across Dodge County to come play it. Considering that most course options in the county are small park niners, this is likely among the best in the area. Of the 3 courses I had hit on this morning, it was the only one worthy of a 30-minute drive. Anyways, a mid to strong 3.0 to me. With more investment and tweaking of a few things, I think a 3.5 is achievable on my ledger. Not elite enough to travel over an hour to go see to the regular player, (ie not a course bagger), but for those passing along US151 often, it's definitely a must play course. The place reminded me of three courses I've played in the region thus far, Winnebago Green, Adelaide, and Dineen. I'm sure there are more similar regional examples, as this is a fairly common set-up for Central and Southeast Wisconsin.
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3 1
Mhageman4
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.5 years 42 played 41 reviews
4.00 star(s)

18 holes with dual pads 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fun course with every shot being a little bit different.

An advanced player will use a variety of shots throughout.

Two tee off options on each hole with one set of tees a little farther but definitely more difficult which is great.

Some fun shots and great signage and baskets!

Cons:

Some of the course holes that play back and forth can get in each other's way if the course gets busy.

Other Thoughts:

Great course for beginners, but also challenging to get twos for your advanced players, especially from the alternative tee offs.
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6 0
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.5 years 221 played 209 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun and clean 18 holes in Beaver Dam 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 30, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

All in all, this was an enjoyable round of disc golf. I got the feeling that every hole here was better than the last (aka the most fun holes are at the end). That said, the first few holes weren't extraordinary, so don't get your hopes up.

The course is well maintained. Trash wasn't an issue, the grass is mowed, there were trash bins available directly at the parking lot, etc.

The course flows well. Despite there not being a published course map (as of now), navigation was pretty straight forward with the exception of having to cross the parking lot after #5.

The closing hole, #18, is a 400 foot downhill shot that overlooks the whole park and the lake. It was a great way to finish an overall satisfactory round.

I think this would be a great course to introduce beginners to the sport. There's no long rough or substantial water hazards and the holes are, for the most part, rather short.

There are two sets of tees, but I think most people who play here would agree that they don't add very much value (except for maybe 2 or 3 holes).

In terms of course equipment, concrete tees all always appreciated. Baskets are in fine shape. There are tee signs at every hole (except #15 was missing). A course map before hole #1 would be a great addition.

Cons:

Not too challenging. I would expect an advanced or pro level player to have at least as many 2s as they do 3 or 4s.

No bomb holes. The longest hole, from the long tees, comes in at exactly 400 feet (#11), and this hole is essentially wide open.

If there was a tournament here, I think a redesign could go a long way in making this a challenging and desirable course. The opportunity and landscape is definitely there, but the designer definitely leaned towards beginner friendly.

Other Thoughts:

All in all, it was a fun round and a great course to bag on an early spring day. Will I ever come back? No, probably not. That said, if I lived in Beaver Dam, this would be a great home course and a park I'd probably visit once a week. I think it was a great addition the to community and a great way to introduce players to our sport.
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5 0
smatthew854
Experience: 23.4 years 22 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Very nice course but not perfect 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 30, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well kept park with multiple tees for all but the last 4 holes. Several of the tees actually change the shot entirely with the difference in placement.
Though this is Crystal Lake disc golf course the lake never comes into play until maybe hole 18, and that's only a maybe. This is both a negative and a positive to this course.
The baskets are in good shape and catch well.
The tees are plenty long enough, something I've discovered recently is a problem at a lot of courses. A short tee really is a detriment to any course.
Signs up at the short tees are nice but nothing special and they don't always give the truest sense of the hole but do give you a good idea of what you are facing.
It is easy to navigate even the first time with only hole 15 causing trouble as there is no tee sign at all so I was unsure if there was another tee pad located anywhere.
Plenty of trash cans and well cleaned park.

Cons:

For some reason there is a 6 foot diameter blacktop circle around a number of baskets. This is quite annoying as it causes discs to skip away and can also scuff up and damage your discs. Its not on every hole and as such does not become a detriment to the course but is a negative.
Some of the multiple tees are simply a second tee 10 to 20 feet behind, really unnecessary as even then the shot is under 300ft in most cases. But still there are several tees where the second tee is welcomed as it does give the hole an entirely new feel.
There are a couple holes that run right next to the road and an errant shot could hit a passing car so you have to watch for that.
Fairly open shots throughout, not always a negative but not exactly a positive either.

Other Thoughts:

Not exactly a difficult course to play, but not simplistic either as a lower level player will find quite a bit of challenge in most of the holes.
Of the last 4 holes without a second tee holes 15 and 18 could easily have had a second tee installed, both would make for a completely different shot and add to this courses appeal.
In all worth the play and I will be going back.
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2 3
Baueezy
Experience: 14.6 years 71 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 11, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Clean park, has the feel of a real golf course. Ace hole opportunities, which may be a con for players desiring longer, more challenging holes. Mix of trees and open space, although the park was mostly open, but the occasional tree to have to bend around was challenging enough for us.Great scenery.

Cons:

Mostly short baskets, being pretty basic layout. It being a park does create the challenge of interfering with other peoples plans, and can be dangerous.

Other Thoughts:

Saw my first Ace on hole one!
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1 4
Spike Hyzer 23
Experience: 31.3 years 92 played 88 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Beginner's Paradise 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 21, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

There is some challenge to the pro tees and length on one hole (though it is a boring hole that you either can or can't reach and should never bogie). Not a huge amount of obstacles, but enough to make you shape a shot on occasion.

Cons:

It's a multi use park and there are people to contend with at times.
It won't offer much of a challenge, even from the pro tees, to anyone who can throw over 400.
The worst shot doubles was won with a -18 one year.
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7 0
Stardoggy
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.3 years 1038 played 214 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Scenic PnP 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Crystal Lake is a solid pitch n putt type course set in a beautiful, scenic park with some elevation and a little water. What it lacks in difficulty, it makes up for with fun factor.

Solid catching (albeit older) DGA baskets.

Two concrete tee pads on almost all holes (hole 9 is the only one with one),plenty long enough for most players. The shorts tees are great for beginners, as most are pretty straight forward shots, with most offering several lines to the basket.

Tee signs at every hole (at the shorts only), with distance and line.

Elevation comes into play on several holes, with a sledding hill shot on 18. Rollaway putts are possibly on a couple holes.

Cons:

This course isn't the biggest test of skill. Many holes are straight ahead shots without a lot of intrigue. While the course does have long tee pads, many of them solely add distance (and not all that much in many cases).

The baskets are held in place by a big mound of asphalt. Hate this. Not only is it an eyesore, but it has the potential to really chew up your discs.

It's a shame the water doesn't come into play more often. Just one complete water carry would be fantastic.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great place for a casual round, especially with beginners or kids. The park itself has picnic areas, playgrounds, sledding (winter, of course), a beach and plenty of space aside from the course for activities.

While this course won't challenge advanced players, having ace runs all day isn't always the worst thing, either.

The park is almost always well manicured and just wonderful looking. Worth a spin if you're close, for sure.
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6 0
Keithzilla
Experience: 20.4 years 65 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid, accessible course. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 2, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Great flow. You can almost lose yourself on this course. It seems to move seamlessly from hole to hole. No long walks between holes, No guessing where to go next.

- Very well maintained. My favorite thing about these park courses is that there's minimal vandalism. The course is respected by park users and players alike. older baskets still look brand new. The course is always mowed and looking pretty.

- Very easy navigation. Out-of-towners will appreciate how easy it is to find the next hole, on every hole. No need for a map.

- Ace runs! everyone loves a shot at an ace, and there's a plenty of them here.

- Baskets, 'crete pads, and signs. It's a full service course. The tee pads are well done, the baskets are Mach 3's with plenty of ching, and the signage is adequate and accurate.

- Nice location. Play a round, then go swim at the beach, then jog the exercise course, then go eat at one of the numerous eateries close by. This is a great place to bring the family.

- Competitive. This course has tournament written all over it. There's no real bottleneck holes, and a 90-degree penninsula out in the lake around hole 3-4 would make a temp-hole that even top pros would drool over.

- Loner-no-more. I think I've played this course alone maybe twice, and I frequent this course. There's always people playing it, and I've never been turned away if I want to join a group. The locals are quite friendly.

- Parking. There's a nice, big, central parking lot. I've never NOT been able to park here.

Cons:

- Bathroom access. There's 1 port-a-potty. Gotta pee? Find a tree. And in a busy park, hope you don't mind being watched.

- Repetitive. 8 or 9, maybe even 10 holes are all about the same. Straight mid range shot sets up a deuce more often than not. Not a ton of variety.

- No pets. I take my dog with me a LOT. This park does not allow pets. This is always a con in my mind.

- "Pro Tees" not so pro. For the most part, the Pro tees don't add any challenge to the holes. Most of them are the same shot, just 30-40 feet longer. To me, an alternate tee should add a new dynamic to the hole, such as an obstacle or a totally different shot angle.

- You might get wet. 18 is a downhill hole where most people will throw a driver. Sail your drive 10 feet long and you will be swimming to get your disc back.

Other Thoughts:

This was my first course played when I moved to the area, and my most frequently played since. It's a busy, fun course that anyone can enjoy in the middle of a very nice park. This is an ideal course for beginners, intermediate players, leagues, outings, and tournaments. It's the kind of course that you can play a quickie round or play all freaking day. This is a great "has it all" course.

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4 0
Awol
Experience: 21.4 years 22 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great beginner course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 3, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Variety of shots
- Some elevation changes to play with
- A little water in play
- The water from the old style well pump is *delicious*
- Tees are in good shape
- Frequent garbage cans make for a pretty clean course
- Well maintained

Cons:

- Pretty open for most holes
- More experienced players won't find it challenging
- Goose droppings are EVERYWHERE along the water. Sometimes the pro pads get a bit nasty. So watch where you step.

Other Thoughts:

A great beginner course. Nice and open while they learn the game. Scenic, nice breeze blows through on hot days. Trees that you have to skip around add a bit of variety, and the long lefty hole is a great spot to work on your forehand if you are normally a RHBH player.

Great course overall, but intermediate or advanced players might get bored.
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2 4
AH14203
Experience: 12.7 years 18 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Crystal Lake 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Fun to mix it up from the rec tees to the pro tees. some of the tees are long and test your skills others you need to place your shot. mix of hazzards also a practice putting basket. Great Tee pads

Cons:

hard to find the first hole if you havent played there. goose poop all over some tees

Other Thoughts:

Got an ace on 7 from pro tees, fun tees to play from and unload.
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1 7
Barren
Experience: 11 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Cystal Lake 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 2, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice rolling hills. Water isn't much of a factor in the holes but provides a nice atmosphere. Pro tees add quite a bit of distance to most holes. Lots of trash cans and recycling bins.

Cons:

Relatively short course but still plenty of fun. A little hard to navigate some of the holes.
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6 3
HeavyCritters
Experience: 25.5 years 714 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Short Holes, Nice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Concrete Recreational and Pro tees are a nice touch.
-Good obstacles, and good overall use of trees, water and landscape at Crystal Lake Park.
-Park is well maintained and the fairway grass was nice and short when played.
-Good hole signage
-Hole 18 is a fun hole to drain your bag of drivers and try to hit an ace (I birdied it).

Cons:

-Holes are a bit short, so you don't get to air out your drives a lot.
-Getting from Hole 1 to Tee 2 can be a bit challenging for first timers (same with Hole 9 to Tee 10).
-Even with Pro tees, the course was more of a beginners' course, which I guess isn't necessarily a con.

Other Thoughts:

Although it's a fairly short 18 hole course, I found it overall to be fun to play (I scored par over 18).

My 8 year old son loved the course because it was very challenging for him and he could still manage a par or two over 18 holes.

I will definitely be back to play in the coming months.
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11 0
koogs
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.2 years 134 played 20 reviews
3.00 star(s)

a nice course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 28, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

18 holes with 2 tee pads on most. Baskets, tee pads, and signage are all in good shape and the park seems to be well maintained. Baskets are well placed to take advantage of natural terrain, with some elevation in play on at least a half dozen holes, including an elevated tee on holes 10 (throwing through a hole in the brush) and 14, and a good sized drop on hole 18. Mature trees and smaller bushes are used nicely on a lot of the holes. There is a practice basket new this year. There is a porta-potty near the start (nasty, but I'm glad it was there).

Cons:

6 or 7 holes are basically wide open or with obstacles that only come into play if you make a pretty bad shot. As others have said, they could have worked the pond into the course a little more. I've played here at times when the goose-poop factor has been fairly high, but when I played it yesterday, it was very clean.
If there are others playing, keep your eyes and ears open for errant shots. Some fairways and walkways are within reach of other's throws.

Other Thoughts:

Whenever I think about playing here, I always think "It's not that challenging, but I haven't played there in a while." But afterwards, I always realize that I enjoyed it and I should play it more often.
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1 3
barrykatiejones
Experience: 8 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beaverdam WI 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 25, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Well mapped out, Course is kept up very well, Pro and rec. tees, varying range in difficulties.

Cons:

A lot of ppl seems your always waiting for or being waited on. Bugs can be bad. In rainy season parts of course will flood.

Other Thoughts:

Love this course its fun clean and close to home !
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1 7
djphilzy
Experience: 23 played 17 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Underwelming 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

It is a disc golf course.

Cons:

Just a back and fourth around a park almost no shade trees and negligible elevation. Also since fairways lack any separation you may bean someone in the head with your disc while attempting to play a round.

Other Thoughts:

Drive the extra half hour to a different course.
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8 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.8 years 1512 played 480 reviews
3.00 star(s)

It has a lake, but never is in play! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 2, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Very nice park, well maintained, picturesque, it has a lot of amenities and good for the disc golf course it rarely comes into play. There is a service road that comes into play and I am sure some people walk through it, but for the most part it is well seperated from other activities.

2) Nice concrete pads on every hole. Nice signs on every tee also. Baskets are in good condition still.

3) The Lake is a nice feature for the park . . . and the river flowing into the lake also adds to the overall feeling of this course.

4) Course has a fair amount of elevation change. You go up the first hole, throw over and across a slope on the second hole. Right down a hill on #3. The next few are fairly level and then another uphiller on #10, #16, #17. Then the finale is the big downhiller on #18. It is probably a 50' drop to the basket and is 280' long. You want to keep it low for fear of an updraft that takes your disc all the way out into the lake.

5) Trees are used very well to add some challenege and some obstacles also. There are a lot of mature Maples and some willows on this property which really are massive trees and need to be avoided.

6) Fairly beginner friendly park because of how short most of the rec tees are. It is also a good place to learn because there is almost no way you should lose a disc. That is always helpful when bringing new players to a course to try and learn.

7) Long tees offer a perfect distance difference on most holes. It maintains a few short (under 200') holes, adds quite a few between 200-300' and a 400'.

Cons:

1) They simply do not use the water on enough of the holes. They could tuck some more pins right up to the water instead of just running alongside. You should be forced to risk a disc in the water. As it is now you can throw a big hyzer away from the water to avoid the water.

2) Overall this course is fairly short. The challenge is more from tree placement than distance or water. Some of the trees may knock you down, and leave you with an upshot but you shouldn't take anything more than a par from the rec tees. The alternate tees on a few of the holes offer more challenging.9 holes are under 200' which is a negative because it isn't challenging enough. for the above average player.

3) Only 1 long hole (330') the next closest is 260' (from the rec tees). I don't like wide open long holes to begin with but there isn't a single section of this course that could really handle a longer hole without creating more problems with routing and safety.

4) Sign would be helpful to direct you from #5 to #6 I walked over to #8 before I realized where #6 was.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this is a scenic beginner friendly course. If you are an above average player you should be able to handle the long tees with no problem. I wish I had time to play the longs too, but I did look at how they would have played and it is a much better course from the longs.

As the others have said it is nice to have the lake and the river running into it on the property, but they should incorporate it more into the design.

UPDATE: This course is still one of my favorites and have played a couple of tourneys out here . . . short technical courses are where I shine and it has shown in some of my ratings from the tourneys. They are some of my better rated rounds ever.
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3 0
rusch_bag
Experience: 18.4 years 116 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beaver Dam 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I don't really feel like I need to review this course as the last couple reviews were very good, but I will give what I thought of it as well.

First of all, it is very easy to get to being right off of highway 33 and two turns off of 151. It is a perfect stop for me on my way home from where I go to school to home although I do not do that as much as I should.

Much like Plamann Park in Appleton, this course looks very nice. The grass is green, there is a pretty lake, the course is pretty clean, and it is just an overall pretty park. Every hole has very nice signs and just about every hole has multiple teepads. It is everything you would want a park to look like.

As for the golf, it is a fun little park with lots of birdies coming your way. I can say I have personally birdied every hole there on multiple occasions from the "pro" pads. Holes 1-5 are all on the short side, but are all on some little hills. Holes 6-9 are pretty much on flat ground with some trees in the way. 10 is a fun short hole from the top of a hill through a little gap into an open field followed by the 400' hole 11. Twelve is probably my favorite hole at the course being a fairway driver shot over a creek and around some trees. Thirteen through 17 are all shorter more technical type holes but still not hard by any means. Then you come to 18. I used to think this hole was the shit when my dad started taking me here when I was younger. Now it is a 260' all downhill hole with water behind the basket. It is just a lazy putter shot now. I have actually started playing across the lake the 7's basket I believe as it is more fun throwing across the lake from 18s pad.

Cons:

While they probably did what they could with the land, I really wish this course was longer. While normally I don't really think the course being wet is that big of a con, while yes it sucks, it is right next to a lake so it is expected and you have to take some bad with some good, but the lake only comes into play on one hole unless you have an absolutely horrible shot. Another little thing that bothered me was the signs are all on the shorts so I would have to walk up there to look at them and walk back as the longs are on the way to the shorts. Kind of annoying. Basically, it really just needs to be more difficult and less open.

Other Thoughts:

It is worth a play or more.
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7 0
tomjulio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.4 years 77 played 41 reviews
3.00 star(s)

it's so damn cute 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 2, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

-great signage
-basket/tee conditions immaculate
-pro tees that create challenging lines/distance
-super pretty location
-upkeep
-slight elevation changes
-a few signature holes
-a ripper hole or two

Cons:

-first 8 holes slightly repetitive
-on the short side
-not enough use of the great pond in play
-some of the basket placements could be better used

Other Thoughts:

Seems like Wisconsin has an abundance of 3 rated courses (IMHO) that are just on the verge of being better...this one actually took a small piece of land and did the best it could and we are rewarded with this nice little gem. A local park with a small lake and the majority of it set aside for disc golf. Bravo. A beautifully maintained course at that!

holes 1-8
First impressions are that this course is going to be your typical park course with a ton of 150-230 straight/tree hidden/rolling holes. The first eight are this way completely. It's playing the pro tees which will add an extra 50' and different lines that I highly suggest.

holes 9-10
Now the water starts to come into the picture. 9 not so much(could have been better utilized here), and with 10 it's just the small creek that slightly comes into play. The diff between the pro and am tee for 10 make this go from a throw away hole to a sig hole from an elevated hill through a tree tunnel. Cool looking hole.

hole 11
rip away. 330am, 400 pro. trees lining the right side.

holes 12-17
the backside here is where some of the am/pro tees are the same but the shots tend to be more guarded and technical. the fun factor increases slightly.

hole 18
perfect way to finish of this course. super elevated tee shot down to the basket near (not near enough) the waters edge. Could have more risk involved to this placement, then again this is a county course.

All in all another nice little 3.5 rated Wisconsin course. Not a destination course per say, but nice. You can make a day out of this course with a few others along the way quite easily. Once again must give props to the people responsible for getting this course into such a pretty and small public space. :)
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9 1
Texconsinite
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.8 years 138 played 79 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Water, Water Everywhere, and not a Drop In Play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 26, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The first thing that struck me about this course is what good shape all the baskets and tees are in. Dual raised concrete tees on (almost) every hole (3-4 holes use same tee for am & pro) with full color hole map, distance, and par at the short tee. The baskets are all solidly in the ground with 2 ft circular concrete base, which is very important in a park as prone to soggy conditions as this one is.

The whole course wraps around a big lake, in a sorotf low area with some hills and scattered trees surrounding it.

The Pro and Am tees give very different looks. The am tees are quite short, pretty wide open shots, on the whole, really not too interesting.
They really take many of the obstacles out of it.

The Pro tees significantly change things. They usually add more distance, and always add more difficulty, bringing terrain and obstacles into play. While the Ams are positioned to minimize challenge, the Pros try to maximize the difficulty.

The pro tees make reasonably good use of the scattered trees and hills by the sides of the lake. Even from the long tees, several holes are still ace runs, usually with a few trees to dodge. Several holes, even from the long tees, seem mostly open with not too much in the way of challenges.

This course does throw some obstacles at you, forcing you to bend some shots around in several directions, but with only scattered trees, these are mostly small potatoes. A few of the pins make creative use of hillsides to keep things tricky.

The main obstacle here is wind. Especially on the front few holes close to the parking lot, the wind is vicious, making the open lanes seem alot smaller.

This course has a few interesting long tees, including the three that bring the lake into play (I actually managed to land a disc in the water on one), and has a few interesting twists from elevation and trees, and the park is nice and well maintained. Also, the facilities are quite nice. Nothing too amazing here, though, on any counts.

Cons:

For a park that wraps around a giant lake, the lake has remarkably little impact on the course itself. Repositioning a few of the baskets a bit closer to the water would've made for several more interesting holes, and made better use of this park's unique location. What a waste.

This park's location in a low valley around a lake means its no surprise to find mud here in the spring, but its still quite unpleasant to be soaked to above the ankle by the end of your round. Fortunately, the tees pads are all still high and dry, but much of the rest of the course is just a giant puddle of varying depths.

Distance seems to be used as a crutch on a few too many holes here, as a substitute for more tunnel shots, blind shots, or water. As a result, many holes seem fairly open, and many holes would be considered "bomber" holes, especially on days without wind. If you prefer a more open type of course thats not very technical, to practice driving for Max D, this is your course. I prefer more trees and more technical holes, so this course gets lower marks for those reasons.

From the short tees, almost every hole is very forgettable, from the long tees many are still fairly so. From the long tees, this course is challenging and will force you to navigate around some obstacles, but I didn't find the holes especially fun or interesting, even from the long tees.

Looking around at this park, there are many unused areas where really cool lakeside holes could've gone, including out onto the long, thin peninsula? But as it currently stands, this is a decent course with good tee pads and signage, so a good place for a casual round, but don't expect anything amazing from it.

This is a hard course to rate, because certain aspects of it are very good, while others are merely passable.

Very good tee pads and signs
Passable course layout & use of available terrain
Poor Drainage, decent overall fun factor.

Overall, this is a Solid course, but I can't quite rank it Good, due to the awful drainage and just ok playing experience. I will probably return to this course eventually but many courses in the area offer a more fun experience IMO.

Other Thoughts:

Wear shorts, and water-resistant shoes on this course. Your pants will get soggy very quickly.

This course has no trash cans, so be ready to pack out your trash.

On hole 1, the Pro tee is closer to the parking lot, across the walking path from the short tee and hole hole sign.

Bring a least some heavier, more overstable discs to cut through the wind in this park, or be prepared to suffer on the front nine.

In evaluating which courses I ENJOY playing the most, this is not super high on my list. Though I admit that it is in a pretty park, well maintained, and has challenge (based on how i scored I suppose), and obstacles in play, including some water, I just didn't find this course that entertaining.

I'd go to Baraboo or UW-Whitewater before I went back here. both of those other courses are not as well maintained, with spotty signage and uneven dirt or rubber teepads, they are both more entertaining, IMO. And they both have better drainage that this muck hole.
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TornadoWolf
Experience: 24.7 years 2 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Short but sweet 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 17, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well marked holes, fluid play, located in an enjoyable park, pro tees

Cons:

Excessive goose droppings (what's that on my disc!?!), Holes length provided less challenge than most courses, DGA baskets

Other Thoughts:

This course reminds me of Baird Creek in Green Bay. It's the kind of course that is a fun way to practice mid-range and putt shots in a quick round, but offers little challenge in the overall round score. Good for a lunch run, or as in my case, a quick round on the way home from Madison. I'll definitely play it again
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