Beloit, WI

Dr. George W. Hilliard Park

2.285(based on 18 reviews)
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14 0
Tyler V
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 17.4 years 163 played 113 reviews
2.00 star(s)

A Beginner-Level Course That Maximizes Space In A Small Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 6, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Dr. George W. Hilliard Park in Beloit plays host to the oldest disc golf course in Wisconsin, a short 9-hole track across the park's modest 6 and a half acres. This short course is very accessible to new or young players with limited distance, making this a decent course to play while learning the basics of the game.

Location of Hilliard is on the southwest end of Beloit, within spitting distance of the state line. There are plenty of food and gas options in town, especially if you take the exit off I-39 or I-43 at route 81. For course baggers, there are plenty of courses in Rockford and Janesville collectively, leaving plenty of options for those like me who were traveling up I-39. For beer lovers that are visiting from the south, make sure to pick some New Glarus up before crossing back into Illinois.

Park Amenities are limited given the space to work with in the park. Other than disc golf, there is a nice pavilion that seems to get some good use, playground, and a bathroom with a drinking fountain outside (the fountain was not working during my visit). There's a sports complex next door, but that is not a park of the park but rather for the nearby Beloit College.

Course Equipment checks all the boxes that you'd want to see checked for a disc golf course. The baskets seem to be a mix of old models, but hey, there's 9 of them, so Hilliard as that going for it, which is nice. The tee signs have been upgraded from the original fiberglass to ones that have the hole number, par, distance, and very basic hole graphic. Each hole had a concrete tee pad, all of which were nice to throw from and didn't have any issues that I ran into.

Course Design is straight forward at Hilliard, given he limited space. Most shots will be straight while utilizing the more mature trees around the park to add obstacles to avoid. The course par is 30, which is generous, but more accessible to brand new or younger players.

Shot-Shaping isn't something you'll have to keep in mind for most of the holes here, but holes 3 and 4 do play close to a tree line, requiring left turning shots unless you choose to navigate tight gaps. Other than those two holes, lefties, righties, backhand or forehand favoring players will be able to choose what shot they want to throw on each hole without having a disadvantage.

Distances are consistent, ranging between 208 and 310 feet. Many players will not need a full bag to play this course; I took one look from my car and grabbed a putter and mid out of the bag, and had no regrets just using those two discs for a round. A mid and fairway should be enough for most people to reach each pin placement unless you hit a tree.

Difficulty are Hilliard is geared towards newer players given the general openness and shorter length of the course. Intermediate players will enjoy a low scoring round more than likely, while new and young players will find the course accessible and forgiving to trying new shots or not having as much arm speed to distance.

Cons:

Course Design is good considering the land available but is otherwise bland. Pretty much every shot is straight with little incentive to stray from whatever shot type is your go-to method of chucking plastic. The park is also one of the flattest pieces of land you will find anywhere, with no elevation challenges to be seen. Players with carts won't have issues at Hilliard unless you find a rogue tree root that I missed.

Course Equipment could also use an overhaul, mainly the baskets. The tee pads and signs are more than enough to get the job done, but just about all of the baskets are showing their ages and look to be past their intended life spans. New baskets would really elevate the quality of this course, as the current baskets look like they spent too much time with John Mulaney in late Fall of 2020. I had a few putts that were close to chaining out despite being very on target, and I can see how some other folks have had issues with missed putts that should have found the bucket.

Parking is limited to the street as there is no parking lot for the course. There seems to be enough space on the street where you won't be in the way of other park-goers or neighbors - just don't block any driveways.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, despite its age and condition, Hilliard makes for a fun, short round of golf. I had limited time to play here, but comfortably finished a round in under a half hour without rushing. Some folks mentioned the area seemed sketchy during their rounds, but I really don't think you're going to have safety concerns during a round here. Just be aware of surroundings and lock your doors like you should do anywhere anyways.

If you're a local and new to the game, this is a great course to get your feet wet. Otherwise, I'd recommend this course to mainly course baggers or those who like a little disc golf history considering this is the oldest course in Wisconsin.
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13 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.5 years 1165 played 745 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is set in a very small park in Beloit. It's basically disc golf exclusive except for the pavilion area which can get busy apparently. There are concrete tee pads on all 9 holes. Nothing special with these but nothing to knock either. These work just fine here. The baskets are very old Mach's I believe. They got the number plate on top minus most numbers. They are not in great shape and don't catch all that well to be honest. The tee signs are present on most holes. Basic hole diagram, par, hole # and distance. The course is free and was pretty clean and the grass was mowed. Course flow was pretty easy to follow.

Cons:

The whole set up here is showing it's age. The tee pads are fine but the pins and tee signs are in rough shape. As mentioned earlier it's not the best neighborhood but it's not the ghetto either. It's not that bad to deter you from a quick 20 minute round. Other than that not much to say about this tiny 9 hole.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely not worth any kind of trip out of your way to play. But if you happen to be here and can only play this or are strapped for time you can do way worse than this. It's an older city park 9 hole. Nothing special. The definition of reasonable.
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3 0
thejetmechanic
Experience: 17 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beloit 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 2, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I've played this course probably 25 times over the last year because me and my playing partner use either beloit or porter as a warmup course before we leave town on road trips.

Nothing exciting here, but also not a lot of negatives either.

*Tees, sinage, and baskets are all in good condition
*grounds are kept and free of trash
*Bathrooms available if they're unlocked
*easy layout to follow
*You can keep an eye on your vehicle from any hole on the course
*lots of chances to hit an ace if you can drive decently

Cons:

*no thrills, basic public park 9 hole.
*Sketchy neighborhood, but haven't had any issues thus far

Other Thoughts:

The last rating does have it spot on that this course is empty; but that is only true for weekdays. On the weekends it's the exact opposite. Usually there's a party going on in the pavillion, and the playground is full of children. There are also a lot of disc golfers here on the weekend.

Not an issue for me, just avoid going for big throws if you dont want to hit anyone.

This course is great for warming up or beginners.
Thank god for basket placements behind trees otherwise I probably wouldnt stop here
Don't go out of your way to play this place.
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6 0
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.5 years 221 played 209 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Textbook Example of "Reasonable" 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 1, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

George Hilliard Park in Beloit, WI is a very "reasonable" course. It's got the typical course equipment...tees, signs, and baskets. The equipment isn't the best, but just very average.

This course is pretty secluded from everything else. It's in a neighborhood park that has a playground, but I can't imagine it gets very much use. There wasn't a single person in sight while I played my casual round here. The layout is pretty intuitive. Chances are, you'll have the course to yourself.

Cons:

The area is a little sketchy. You have to park on the side of the road as there isn't a defined parking location.

The terrain is pretty bland. There are no elevation changes, no water, and no really wooded holes. It's set in a public park, so the feel is very urban. The signs are very bare-bones, just hole number and yardage.

Other Thoughts:

I don't know if there is very much more to say about this course. It's a quick place to hit if you're traveling on the I-39, but it's nothing memorable. I travel from Madison to Normal often, but I don't know if I'll be back to play this course again. It would be a great course if I lived in the neighborhood...but outside of that...it's just another course to add to the the list.
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1 4
huskerfan
Experience: 13.3 years 65 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beloit Disc golf 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 28, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I think this is one of the nicest 'park' courses around. Nice big trees, flows nice, easy to navigate.
Oldest course in Wisconsin!

Cons:

The original DGA Mk I are starting to show some wear.

Park is used by picnic'ers and #7 goes toward a pavilion.
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6 0
DoomDoomDoom
Experience: 13.4 years 14 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Short, open, simple 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 31, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Well thought out for the amount of space provided.
- Cement tees (always a plus)
- Descriptions of where the baskets were on tee signs (the ones still there, anyway)
- Beautiful park scenery tucked away in the city
- Restrooms!
- Practice basket
- A good novice/practice course.

Cons:

- Surrounded on most sides by fenced in areas, like a tennis court or residential property
- Since it's in a city park, there are a few benches, a shelter and a playground which could interfere with play if people are occupying them.
- Fairly simple, not many challenging opportunities
- High grass in some spots
- 9 hole

Other Thoughts:

This isn't a bad course, but it isn't by any means fantastic. There are some fair drives required here and there, along with a couple of bends around trees but the course won't be too much to handle for someone with a bit of experience.

The pin placement is nice for most holes, but going from tee to tee and figuring out which target can be a little confusing - most baskets aren't too clearly marked, however the tees have the hole number marked on the cement, which helps.

The tee signs which are still up are useful, but it would be nice if tee 1's sign was still marked - we got the practice basket confused with hole 1 (It also didn't help that the tee sign said 133 or so feet, which was written in marker. Kinda short for a hole, yeah?).

The baskets were in pretty decent condition, though I noticed a bit of rusting on the interior chains of basket 9. Being secured in the ground with cement is a nice touch, especially for a city park's course.

If you're in the area and looking for a new place to go through, it won't hurt to check the place out and get a nice feel for how you're progressing - It's a simple course that doesn't demand much, so for more experienced players, this course should be a breeze. Just be careful of anyone in the shelter/playground area. And lock your car doors, the neighborhood seems a bit shady.
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2 1
Chris89
Experience: 16.3 years 6 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Good Practice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 17, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great for beginners. My mom and dad want to learn to play and this is a great course for them. Its also a good course for anyone just wanting to have fun and is in the area.

Cons:

The layout is confusing but after you play it once its easy to remember. If there is a lot of people at the park in the pavilion I would recommend not playing very aggressive.

Other Thoughts:

Good small course in town. Wouldn't recommend traveling to play it but if you live in the area and want to practice its a nice course.
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5 0
gassal01
Experience: 17.4 years 23 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 30, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course has a lot of big trees and is very well maintained. I did not see any trash. The only times I have played this course. There has been no one else in the park, which is nice because you can play a couple of rounds in about in hour. This is what I would consider a practice course. I had just gotten some new discs and wanted to mess around with them. This course is the place to do that.

Baskets are in relatively good shape and all the tee pads are great.

Cons:

Not a very long or difficult course. This is not a course for someone who wants to be challenged but is like a said, a great practice course.

Tee Signs are in rough shape. The first time I play. I had a hard time figuring where to go after I was done with one hole.

Other Thoughts:

Would have never stopped if my girlfriend was not a Beloit College alum. If your are looking for something to do in town. Bring a couple discs with you and stop by, its not gonna hurt. If you aren't having fun after awhile. Well its only 9 holes or a short walk to your car.
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5 0
skinner21
Experience: 23.4 years 22 played 15 reviews
2.00 star(s)

It is what it is 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 17, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

the course in a well maintained park with mature trees that does the best it can with the space that is available. The concrete tee pads are very nice, as are the signs that are available. There is a decent mix of hole lengths for a noodle arm like I myself have.

This course is very beginner friendly if no one is on the playground equipment and such. A great place to work on mids and putters.

Cons:

this is not a course for advanced players or anyone looking for a challenge. Though the course does a decent job of using the trees to create what they can on holes, there just aren't enough to present any type of fun when repeating a round there.

Navigation here is a pain and made me take way longer than should have been reasonable. Between the crossing fairways, missing signs, and randomly numbered baskets, it get pretty frustrating rather quickly.

There are too many places where throwing at or near a playground or pavilion is what you need to do. One hole has a basket about 20 feet from a tennis court.

Other Thoughts:

I had business in town or else I would never have stopped. If I ever play here again, it will by accident as there is no reason to ever come here multiple times unless you a local.
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1 3
akakacey
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

9 Holes Dr. George W. Hilliard Park, Beloit, WI Frisbee Golf Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Although only 9 holes this course is spaced out well. They recently cut out much of the brush along the sides of the course. All par 3's. Never too busy so you can get in a nice quick game.

Cons:

Missing information on the tees,

Other Thoughts:

See a video of this hole at http://www.kaceykaderly.com/blog/?p=350
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6 1
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.7 years 831 played 777 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Odd little park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 8, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a small flat park with mature trees and no underbrush. The fairways were grassy, and were reasonably well taken care of. There are nice concrete tees on all the holes that are big enough for a good run-up and had good surfaces to tee from. Most of the baskets were in good shape, especially considering their age. There is a nice practice area with a basket and marked distances for putting.

There is a mix of lengths, from shorter ace run holes to some longer air it out shots that still must go around and through the scattered trees, making for some good variety for a little 9 hole course. There are multiple lines on most holes making it pretty fair to a right or left handed player. A couple holes have fences or tennis courts as ob areas adding a little challenge. Locals have marked out an alternate 9 that looked more challenging and had some good shots,
I like when I can see how the locals play and play that layout myself without a guide.

Cons:

There are lots of safety issues here. Many holes play near or over pavilions, picnic areas and playgrounds. There are also a lot of places where fairways overlap or the path from basket to next tee takes you across other fairways. A few holes throw directly over another tee. There were no other people playing when I played, making some of these issues less important, but if there are multiple groups playing keep an eye out.

The tee signs were in pretty sad shape. 2 of the 9 still had readable info, the rest were in some state of disrepair or just missing altogether. We were able to figure the course out by the sharpied markings on the blank signs and by the occasional numbered basket, but it took some wandering to get the layout right. One basket had broken chains, and several others were starting to rust enough that they looked ready to break.

Other Thoughts:

This is a good course for newer players, with some variety and some challenge but no chance of losing a disc or any really frustrating holes. For more experienced players, this won't present too many challenges other than the couple longer holes, though the alternate layout is a little more difficult and interesting.

If you're passing through, it's not a bad place for a quick round, otherwise there are better courses around with a lot more challenge and variety, and better scenery.
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8 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.8 years 1512 played 480 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Old school tight little 9 holer 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 1, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Cement tee pads are always positive. It kindof surprises me, that this course had them just because of how small the course is, the limited use I expect it gets, although it is the only course in Beloit. Teepads are trapezoidal giving you a 4 foot wide area for your plant foot.

2) Nice descriptive signs where applicable. 3 or 4 of them however are just blank white and have been sharpied with a supposed alternate hole to make an 18 hole course. One sign is missing and an entire sign and sign post is missing on another hole.

3) Has a nice little area for a practice basket with stones set for a practice putting game.

4) Excellent design for the small property. The course uses the mature trees to the fullest extent creating some different lines for different people.

5) Nice exposure to the sport for a small industrial economically challenged city.

6) Very beginner friendly because of how short it is and how almost impossible it would be to lose a disc.

Cons:

1) Confusing layout, also made more difficult because some of the baskets have #'s signs and some do not. It is made even more difficult because the "alternate 9" that someone invented throwing from 1 tee to 3 basket, 7 tee to practice basket, etc etc etc is written on some of the signs that have no original hole layout on the sign to begin with.
I know it would be easy for the locals who play regularly to figure it out, but as a firsttimer I got lost twice. I am not an idiot believe it or not and it is sortof embarrassing it happened twice on a property that cant be more than a couple acres with 10 baskets!

2) Missing tee signs and a handful of blank tee signs.

3) Not sure about the neighborhood, but dont be too worried about your car . . . you are no more than a long destroyer throw from your car anyways, and you can always see it.

4) As others have said a couple of the baskets and tees are awfully close to the pavillion area and picnic tables, so if crowded with other activities, those hole might be tough to play. I can also imagine playing the "alternate 9" would be near impossible. If there were other disc golfers it would be for sure not playable.

Other Thoughts:

I wanted to give this course a lower grade because of the layout and tee signs issues, but realized it would only have been trouble the first time through the course. There are some pretty decent holes on the course because of the use of the mature trees. All in all it was an average course. It mixed it up pretty well with shot requirements which is always good.
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4 1
suprnva
Experience: 15.3 years 8 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Short But Decent 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

A lot of course for such a small area. A few tricky holes that make it fun.

Cons:

The course is very short and not very tough. Parking on the street kinda sucks, but it could be worse. There is a pavilion in the park that a few of the holes are close to and made me kinda nervous to throw towards due to the large party that was going on.

Other Thoughts:

The course is worth playing if you're in the area like I was, but I wouldn't travel to play it.
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9 3
Dave242
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 30.4 years 394 played 276 reviews
2.00 star(s)

C+ = average 9 holer 2+ years

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

Pros:

This course is crammed into a very small piece of land. Major kudos to the designer for milking every ounce of potential to make several very interesting holes!

What I personally like and how this course stacks up:
1) Holes with good risk/reward. Fair, but harsh punishment for bad decisions or execution. == C-
2) Holes that have rewarding birdie opportunities for me. I throw 300' accurately, 360' max. == B
3) More wooded than open - lots of variety of shots required caused by hole shape and topography == B-
4) Natural beauty (Appalachian beauty preferred) and seclusion. == C
5) Bonus points for multi-shot holes with defined landing zones, good risk/reward and multiple options to play them. == N/A

Other Thoughts:

It's all about feeding the addiction, so I ranked this course subjectively based on my own "personal addiction factor". The grades above tell how well the course will draw me back to itself again and again and again. Since I have played a decent number of courses (125 18-hole, 64 9-hole as of mid 2009), my hope is that players/explorers who have similar addiction tastes will find my ratings list helpful as they choose courses to play and explore.

Over time, I expect to fill some of my reviews in with more descriptive verbiage...if what I can add anything to what has already been written. For now, my list is more important to me than the verbiage of my reviews.

I fully expect others with different tastes/philosophies to disagree with me....that's the fun of things here. See my profile for my rating philosophy.
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4 2
ReDisculous
Experience: 16.3 years 12 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good use of limited space 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Although the holes are relatively short, they did a good job with the space they had by using tree placement etc. Also this past winter they kept the baskets in, which was nice.

Cons:

Advanced players will not find this course challenging. Lots of wide open shots, less than 300 feet.

Other Thoughts:

There are usually kids playing on the playground here, which makes me think the neighborhood here is not that bad, although I can see why some would think so.
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1 2
Dahminator
Experience: 19.4 years 24 played 24 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beloit course review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 16, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

-They managed to keep the holes pretty long in a small area.

Cons:

-Holes are all very similar

Other Thoughts:

I tend to like courses that more open holes as opposed to trickier shots through woods, and that is what this course offers.
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6 1
tallpaul
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 36.4 years 936 played 137 reviews
1.50 star(s)

oldest course in Wisconsin 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 11, 2006 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is the oldest course in the state and that alone makes it a required destination. Course was revamped sometime @ 2006. This improved the overall look considerably. New design essentially reverse of original. A fun little nine.
Decent signs and short, but cement, tees.

Cons:

Neighborhood perhaps not the best. I had no problems the two times I have been there.

Other Thoughts:

Flat with no water in play. Trees provide obstacles. Anyone that can demonstrate that Vollrath Park, Sheboygan, is an older course, p.m. me with said info. I believe this the older of the two. Vollrath has much more elevation and a much bigger place in everyone's hearts; but, this is a cute little old school nine near Illinois border.
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1 4
WIpilot
Experience: 17.5 years 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good short course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 24, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

the course is set up as a fairly technical course with lots of tree hazards on just about every hole. good use of the land given.

Cons:

The holes are fairly short but thats due to the park being really small.

Other Thoughts:

you have to park on the street to play this course.
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