Pros:
- practice baskets
- practice driving area (like a batting cage!)
- ample parking
- modern bathrooms
- pro shop/bar area, etc.
- numerous water hazards
- great incorporation of elevation change
- most holes have 3 well marked (colored) concrete tees and 3 baskets, allowing up to 9 possible ways to play per hole
- rakes for pond disc retrieval
- built in bridges over water as needed
- barricades built to protect tee areas when near other holes
- color coded Mach X baskets with hole numbers
- full color tee signs for all tees
- lots of varied hole types - mostly wooded, but some open, longer shots
- built in steps where needed
- navigation is straightforward
- benches at every hole, garbage cans on most
- hole 9 ends near parking lot so you can break halfway if desired
- rough is generally quite forgiving
- black (long) tees give a championship caliber feel with added elevation and length on many holes
- $5 pay to play seems extremely reasonable for a course of this caliber
- maintenance is fantastic
Cons:
- definitely muddy in some areas
- may be too challenging for beginners/high risk of losing discs in water
- a few holes with multiple baskets in site where your target isn't 100% clear
- a few backtracks between holes present some safety issues
Other Thoughts:
I have been excited to play Rollin Ridge for years. I arrived around 7:30 AM and the course was deserted and as such, I missed out on the pro shop and other amenities being open. While I really enjoyed this course, I was originally ready to rate it a 4.5, but the more I thought about it, this course really does everything right. My only other 5 currently is Blue Ribbon Pines, which I decided deserved it even with virtually no elevation change. Rollin Ridge blows BRP out of the water in that regard, and is on the same caliber in most other ways - it has earned its rating. I think it being so deserted made it easy to feel like it was just another course at first, vs. playing BRP when it was hopping.
All that said, Rollin Ridge is the best course in Wisconsin I have played. I think I personally like Sandy Point a bit better, but when you review the course with all factors considered, objectively, Rollin Ridge has it all. The bar area and pro shop are very popular and well regarded, the course has real bathrooms, and virtually every other amenity you could ask for - a practice driving cage? You never see things like this.
We haven't even really gotten in to the disc golf yet. I played mid tees to mid baskets (red). This was an excellent challenge, but I was able to perform extremely well. The variety of options really lends itself to players of many skill levels, though absolute beginners could get discouraged as this is a fairly challenging course. I don't think that's the main clientele, however. The black tees/baskets really take it to the next level if you want a brutally tough course. Early on, some of the holes are more open and play through the water hazard area, with some longer drives as well.
Later on, most of the course is what I would consider moderately hilly/moderately wooded. The elevation change on the ridge is incorporated extremely well, but it's not the most insane elevation change I've seen. That said, the course designers used it exceptionally well. The elevation differences do lead to some lower areas that have trouble draining. Most courses with this many water hazards have some tough areas. While I found some of the holes muddy, it wasn't as bad as some other reviewers have said - I may have gotten lucky, but I think the issues here seemed 'tolerable.' That's about the worst thing you can say is a 'con' for Rollin Ridge.
I love how after hole 9 you're back where you started so you can take a break, use the bathroom, etc. I played this course in under 2 hours solo, but when it is busier and you have a large group, 9 holes could take awhile, so the rest area is nice. Navigation here was very straightforward as long as you pay attention to the tee signs and hole numbers on baskets. While some of the holes are a little tightly packed, any place with a true hazard has barricades built in to protect tee areas. So much maintenance effort has been put into this course.
The $5 to play seems very reasonable for a course of this caliber, and the rough is managed really well. I didn't have much issue finding discs, as long as you stay out of the ponds. Rakes are provided if needed, which is always nice.
One play note - on hole 18 there is a low lying pond between the orange and red baskets. You're kind of blind to this early on in the hole so you can throw in without even realizing it's there. Keep your eyes open for this.
Course length is pretty typical here. This isn't an insanely long course, but can be getting there if you play blacks. For other tees, it isn't short but hole lengths are pretty typical. There's almost nothing under 200 feet so don't plan on a bunch of easy ace runs here. This course will demand a variety of shots and challenge you technically, while still being fair and having attainable lines. It's a great balance in this way. Most holes are par 3s but there's a smattering of 4s, with many more on the black tees.
Overall, there's a reason this is a destination course. While there is only one course onsite here, there's plenty of other ones relatively close by, so it makes sense to trek out to this area to play the Ridge. I think you will be glad you did. Every detail has been attended to so well here, this is truly some of the best disc golf in the Midwest. I think Idlewild might still have better disc golf, in my opinion, but it's really hard to beat all the other amenities of this course.