Urbana, IA

Wildcat Bluff

4.675(based on 59 reviews)
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12 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 569 played 284 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Intermediate/Expert 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 26, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set within a large, large county park that has tons of activities. Luckily, pretty much nothing interferes with the disc golfing. The only conflict might be parking, but that's about it.
- Almost every hole is located within a large forest, and each has a well defined line or lines that have to be hit. A very wide variety, especially with dual tee pads on some holes, and multiple pin positions on every hole. The pads do a good job of spicing things up, but the different basket positions make a world of difference. A few add 150' or more to the hole, as well as forcing some pinpoint shot placement and tough approaches. Everything from big RHBH annys (#7 - 400' 90 degree turn downhill), to sharp hyzers (#10 - 406' hole with a tough kink off the tee, uphill), to RHBH flex shots to RHFH flex shots, or multiples on the same hole.
- Lots of potential par 4's here; #6 is a snaking, carved 485' hole with a tight finish, #10 is 406' with the hyzer to start, #11 is 479' that likes a RHBH flex off the tee, to a hyzer approach, #14 is another long (564') shot that is tight the whole way. Distance and accuracy are both absolutely, without a doubt, critical to scoring well on these holes.
- Constant changes in elevation to be found here as well. Uphills aren't too bad, there are some shorter ones in the beginning (#2 and #3), a little bit on #10, and a decent hill on #12. Many holes have bumps in the fairways, as well as valleys. The downhill shots are the highlight here. #8 from the top pad is a HUGE, tight downhill shot at 450'-500' that plays somewhere closer to 300'. A RHFH flex shot made it down there for me, but it took a while to get there!!! #17 is another good one, a much longer, gradual downslope that allows for longer, smoother shots.
- Good variety in hole length here. There are a good amount of short ones to start off with, but they do not last. Definitely depends on the basket positions, of course, but a lot of the holes are long no matter what position the pin is in. And, some are short no matter what position the pin is in. Either way there will be some shorties, like #A-#C, and some monsters, like #14 and #17.
- Fairways here are very fair, for the most part. The lines are well defined and the luck factor is kept to a minimum with few random trees to punish an otherwise good shot. Instead, the bad shots are punished by being sent into dense forest and/or valleys with lots of brush and jail. Missing a line will surely cost a stroke, at a minimum. Many baskets are protected as well, either with slopes (a few), or trees (a lot more). The big tree that's down in front of #12 long really adds some challenge!! Not sure if that's a permanent addition.
- Tee signs are simple but effective, and have a colored marker stating the pin position, which is a HUGE plus with the longer, blind shots. Excellent teepads, benches at every hole, lots of garbage cans, baskets with patterened orange paint, everything is tip-top. Two loops (front 12 and back 9).

Cons:

- Hole #13's teepad is definitely in play if #12 is in the long position. You can see them, and they can see you, so keep an eye out.
- The scenery doesn't change that much in the course; you are in the woods from start to finish. I am reaching with that one. Some very scenic views from the top of a hill, but there is only one shot that takes good use of it (#8). Probably no choice when designing it.

Other Thoughts:

- Tough to come up with cons for this course. It starts off a little bland, and has a few dinky holes mixed in, but that is more than balanced with some of the beasts out there. The pin positions have a profound effect on the difficulty of the course, from challenging to professional-caliber. I played with 19 of the pins in the short position, and was almost glad for it.... almost. I am giving this course the 4.5, after much thought, as it is always going to be fun, challenging, or both, no matter what the layout is. Just gets in there with the short layout...
- I would say beginners might want to practice a bit before coming here, just to avoid being frustrated with some of the tighter lines and thick rough/jail off the fairway. Everyone else, bring those drivers.
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2 7
blkwizardsonny
Experience: 22 years 88 played 5 reviews
5.00 star(s)

unbelievable 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 18, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

great skilled shots required which make it a good challenge . peaceful and beutiful course to kick back and enjoy good elevation sik drops and hard which isnt really a pro .

Cons:

not much i dont like about the course its an excellent adventure its more than golf , but if i had to pick one it would be tee pads only when wet otherwise fine .other con is that its 2hrs away

Other Thoughts:

the crew there takes an amazing care of this place
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6 21
SpikeHyzer
Experience: 21.2 years 110 played 33 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Somewhat disappointing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 16, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Facilities available
- Elevation
- Two separate loops, so you can play the front side and be done or the back and be done.
- Signs show current pin locations

Cons:

- Too much poke and hope
- "FAIR"ways should be stressed here. Don't get me wrong, there are some good fairways here, but there are also some really bad one's too.
- Storm damage brush piles make it very difficult to find your disc's right now (I am sure eventually the piles will disappear), but reviewing this in its current state.
- Teepads can be difficult to maneuver.
-- After a little raing those bricks are pretty slick, so watch your footing.

Other Thoughts:

I want to give credit to the WB crew as it is very apparent that they have put in a ton of hours into making this course a reality. They keep the course very clean as well. Now, to play devils advocate, I was not all that impressed by the course overall. It was too much of poke and hope.

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3 7
wadeG
Experience: 50 played 9 reviews
5.00 star(s)

One of the best IA courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 7, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Major elevation and heavily wooded with tight fairways. The fairways are tight enough to create a challenge but not too tight as to create lucky and unmakeable shots, great job. Multiple pads and multiple pin placements that can easily mix this course up very well. It also has a good amount of long and memorable holes. Most of the holes can or are blind shots, which is a tell of how good the course is. Due to the blind shots there are colored washers on the tee to show the player what placement the pin is in. Excellent maintenance, baskets, teesigns, benches, and pads. This is a challenging course not to be missed.

Other Thoughts:

This is a vastly different course than some of the other top courses I've played. This is a 5 rating wooded course.
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2 4
jwetter
Experience: 110 played 30 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Wildcat Bluff 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Very well laid out and maintained
-Full of very nice baskets, pads, and signs.
-Every sign shows all of the pin locations and points out which location it is currently at and therefore it is very easy to follow.
-There are many interesting shots with good changes in elevation and good use of trees to make the play tough.
-It is a challenge to play but the course is so nice that you appreciate it even though it kicked my butt.

Cons:

-The pins were almost all at the long position when I played the course and that made it nearly impossible. The fairways were well to narrow to have to throw the disc 500ft. However, if the pins were at the short locations I think that the course would have been near perfect.

Other Thoughts:

One of the best courses in the state and is defiantly worth the trip to go and play a couple rounds.
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7 1
gdl17921
Experience: 11 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 12, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

well thought out course
the work put in by the Wildcat crew is evident
lots of trees
clean
no traffic
lots of different shots and obstacles
great tournament course - a super mental challenge at managing your game, and weighing risk with reward.

Cons:

couple of loose tee pads, I recommend sanding them in.
I'm not a fan of the tee pad surface when they are wet - no problems otherwise
this is not a beginnger friendly course

Other Thoughts:

This is the best course in Iowa. The course has grown beautifully since their opening in 2007. The transformation in that short period of time since then is amazing. It will only continue to get better with time. The Wildcat Brew, I mean Crew, is great with feedback. The first time I was there the tee pads were about 4 or 5 pavers long, and there was a lot of talk about them needing to be longer on a few holes. Since then, the crew has extended nearly or every tee! They have also used said pavers to create some very nice steps on some of the big hills, making the course a much easier walk than it was when it first opened. Thank you Wildcat Crew! You guys are awesome. This course is all about the little details. Take your time when you play here, enjoy, and take it all in.
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7 2
gassal01
Experience: 16.9 years 23 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Lovely Place 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

When you arrive, you feel as though you are going to enjoy it right off the bat. It is a very well kept place and you can tell that people really respect the park. Whom ever built the course or maintains the course really has put a lot of time and effort into it. Never once did me or my girlfriend feel unsafe. (Walking across logs, down steep hills. Very nice path and steps going down and up hills.)

I really enjoy how there are multiple pin placements for each hole. Although I have played this course 4 or 5 times and they always seem to be on the very far pin location on each hole (My guess is for a tournament) but makes this course extra hard.

River views on the front nine are awesome.

Cons:

Hunters allowed on course until May 16th. I'm not trying to get shot playing disc golf by some stupid person with a gun.

The back 9 is a little long. Lots of shrubs that make losing your disc very easy, which can throw off your game if you spend too much time looking. On that note some holes should be considered par 4.

The tee pads have gotten much better from when I first played this course last year. They have made a lot of them wider and even longer but some are still short or awkward when teeing off.

Poison Ivy in the summer. Wear pants

Other Thoughts:

This is a beautiful course and anyone who is considering playing this course should do so. If you play bad, well it ends up being a very nice hike in the woods.

21 holes is perfect! Gets me that little extra disc golf fix I need.
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15 0
Martin Dewgarita
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.5 years 1600 played 95 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Beautiful and Challenging 2+ years

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

Pros:

Amenities. Bathrooms, hiking trails, hunting.

Camping. Onsite camping only a few feet from hole 1! Can't complain. $8-12.

Well Maintained. The local crew puts a lot of work into this course and it shows, everything is in top notch shape, fairways are clear, no trash to speak of.

Winter Maintenance. A shovel and broom could be found at hole 18 tee pad, tee pads were clear of snow and debris.

Technical Variety. After an open hole 1, every hole is a tight technical shot, a great place for an advanced player to work on accuracy. If big arm open holes is your thing, avoid this course. If you enjoy tight, technical, placement shots, do not miss this one.

Birdies are achievable but feel extremely rewarding, triple and quadruple bogeys might sneak up on you with one bad shot.

Scenery. Beautiful about sums it up. The front 9 plays along a ridge with a large variety of scenic holes, the biggest jaw dropper being hole 8. A huge downhill (across a valley) shot, especially from the long tee, it's hard to find a comparable hole. Bring your camera.

Local Scene. Tournaments, leagues, and active locals.

Elevation. Huge drops, fast greens and punishing rollaways add a significant challenge.

Signage. Every hole has a sign showing hole # and distance with a colored washer marking the pin placement.

Navigation. Relatively simple to follow, in any place where it might be confusing there is a sign directing the way.

Baskets. All are in good shape. Multiple pin placements on all holes. No practice basket available.

Cons:

Punishing/Frustrating. The fairways are not very forgiving, unless you have perfect placement and can hit your lines every single time, this course will be punishing, a shot off by a couple inches can catch a branch and get sent hundreds of feet down a hill requiring several shots to get back on track.

Not beginner friendly. For the reasons stated above a beginner could get very frustrated here (I brought a rec level player and he nearly swore off the game forever because of this course, not to mention that my round was slightly less enjoyable because he spent the entire time complaining).

Other Thoughts:

Definitely worth the stop if traveling past, would be a great destination course with 21 holes on site and camping available it is a perfect place to spend a short weekend.
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17 3
medicinalfunk
Experience: 14.2 years 48 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

the crowning jewel of iowa wooded courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 10, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

where do i even begin with this course...as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, i knew i was somewhere special. you can just feel it about the air...you are in a sanctuary built to the sport of disc golf. the course is absolutley pristine: the teepads are made from creative brick patterns, the signs are hand carved and in perfect shape, the baskets are perfect and always kept in great shape. so many things to say about this course...

- first of all, you can tell that every disc golfer who plays this course has incredible respect for it. there is NO vandalism, nearly no trash (not even cigarette butts) or litter at all (I've only seen a beer can once!). each teepad has a bench and a garbage can. this is the cleanest disc golf course i've ever been to.

- the guys that built and maintain this course know what they are doing: we're talking about a group of guys that love disc golf more than life itself. they are always mowing, weed-whacking, trimming, and keeping the course groomed to championship caliber season-round. this isn't only the cleanest course i've ever been to, but the most inspired. the way the course is carved into the bluff is brilliant.

- this is a very special, technical disc golf experience that will test even the most advanced of players. with multiple tee pads on the front 9 and frequently changing basket locations, you can tell the guys who manage it are frequent discers themselves who have the time and manpower to make this course one of the best in iowa. the course is easy to navigate, a map is available for viewing at the first hole.

- when basket locations change, so does the marker on the sign, so you'll always know exactly where you are going

- be prepared to have your breath taken away when you get to the pro pad for hole 8

- forces you to hit big, tricky lines and stay on the fairway. everything off of the fairway is almost nothing but skinny trees that are nearly impossible to throw through

- one way to describe this course would be "humbling". if you think you've got game, this is the course to come to and test your moxie. long, booming holes with well thought-out lines.

- a great community within the course. the guys there are constantly returning lost plastic (even when unmarked) they find in the park when doing cleanup duty and playing their regular rounds

- course is never crowded, tucked a few miles off the interstate. take as much time as you need with your shots.

Cons:

- there is nothing wrong with this course at all. i cannot think of a single plausible con. if i'm going to get extremely picky, i suppose i could say that the mosquitoes get very thick on humid days in the summer. THAT. IS. IT. this is an incredible disc golf experience

- this wasn't a problem for me, but it seems to be for other players. some of the teepads feel a little snug, but they were still manageable. it appeared too that a lot of them had been expanded to be longer and accommodate a longer run-up

Other Thoughts:

to me, and to many iowa disc golfers, THIS course is the mecca of wooded courses. writing this makes me want to make the drive up north to shoot it again. if you are in the area, you HAVE to play this course. i cannot overstate what a beautiful place this is thanks to all the hard work the crew puts into the place on a regular basis. this is THE championship disc golf experience.
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2 9
svngs
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Need to try again 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 7, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great course as all have mentioned - would play again, this may be an addicting course calling you back to do better each time!

Cons:

Did not know basket location when teeing off - can see less than 1/2 from the tee pad.
Need velcro tags showing current location - course to hilly to walk up and look prior to each tee shot.

Other Thoughts:

This has more potential and is already great.
Bring bug spray during the summer months!
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12 0
Swisher Streets
Experience: 20 years 85 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Wildcat Bluff 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 18, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- First off its absolutely beautiful. Tucked away in a nature area about a mile from town, great wooded course with a lot of full grown trees, streams, and wild life. The Wildcat Crew devote a lot of time to this course and it really shows. There is never any trash or fallen limbs on the course for more than a day before its taken care of. You also never get caught behind other groups and have to wait.

-21 holes that were well thought out. Minimal walking in between holes, and its incredibly easy to navigate even if its your first time playing. Tons of different angles and lines for a wide variety of shots on every hole. Most holes have 1 or 2 alternate pin placements and alternate tees, so the course changes up a lot. Awesome use of the elevation and terrain, Hole 8 is one of the coolest disc golf holes I've ever played. 400-500ft holes in woods isn't easy to accomplish and there are multiple ones here. I cant imagine the amount of work they put in to accomplish this.

- A lot more difficult than surrounding courses. I go to UNI in the Cedar Valley and I head straight to Wildcat whenever I get tired of the easier courses there. You will need to bring every shot in the bag for this course. I never throw overhand or sidearm but they are well tested to get out of trouble at WC. The challenge of the course is very fun, and I find myself throwing a number of drives off the tee until I hit that line just right.

-Benches are at almost every hole, including some unique makeshift stumps, fallen trees, and logs. There are also trash cans scattered around the course, so you don't have to haul your empties with you the whole time.

-Although a really bad shot on a number of holes and leave you looking for a while, rest assured the Wildcat Crew WILL find it and return it to you or post of its finding on Iowadg.com forums if its without a name.

Cons:

In my eyes there are only two cons to this course, both being pretty minor.

-Although the teepads look aesthetically appealing, they aren't very practical. Some of them work well and have no problems. While playing in the dubs tournament there last weekend some of the cement tiles the pads are made of were loose and shifted with my weight as I would tee off. Some of them are a little on the short side, but I was told by the Wildcat crew that they were planning on extending them.

- Too far away from Cedar Falls that I cant play it everyday! =P. So in all fairness, the only flaw in my eyes would be the teepads.

Other Thoughts:

Overall it is well worth the drive to play Wildcat Bluff. The tournaments there are awesome, I played in the doubles and will be playing again next year for sure. Among the large number of Iowa courses I've played this definitely ranks in my top 3. Its my understanding that this course was made in memory of the Wildcat Crews friend that passed away, I'm sure I speak for a large majority of players that have played your course by saying he would be proud of the work you guys have put in. Keep up the good work, I'll be playing it for years to come!
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3 1
xharkx
Experience: 15.1 years 13 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Excellent course. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 21, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Where to start right? First off the course layout and design are amazing. The baskets are colored with blaze orange so they stick out. Multiple basket locations. Some holes have A and B tees as well. I believe it was maybe three or four of them. Benches at almost every tee. Which is nice because hiking up the hills gets a little tiring. Hole signs are perfect for the most part. Lots of elevation changes. The steeper hills have steps built into them. Garbage cans throughout the course. A sense of isolation when you play.

Cons:

The only con I can really think of are the tee pads. Some are just too short. It is kind of out of the way but the directions to it are spot on. If you are coming from Urbana you turn right before the river.

Other Thoughts:

This is one of the most well cared for courses I have played at. The people who built and designed it did an amazing job and you can tell they have a lot of pride in their course. It is also one of the most unforgiving courses I have played. Keep your drives in the fairway for sure. We will be making this course a regular stop on our way to play the cedar rapids courses. Looking forward to many more rounds here.
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12 1
wolito
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.2 years 88 played 87 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Hiking Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 18, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

What an execellent disc golf course! The locals have obviously spent a lot of time and money and effort to make this such a great disc golf course to experience. The first hole is straight and open, let it fly and hope to get a biridie, for you may need that for what lies ahead. Heavily wooded and hilly are an understatement. Be prepared to hike. Hole 2 is tight, wooded and uphill and doesn't get much easier after that. Some of the holes are around 200 feet or so while the longer ones are up to over 500 feet! For such a heavily wooded course that is a challenge. Narrow fairways bending left or right, up and downhills, you have to shape your shots carefully. Accuracy and skill are mandatory, for if you get off the fairway, you will struggle to make par. To me, this is a welcome challenge. I also like the fact that the fairways are not flat and have slight bumps or hills to them that hide the baskets. Multiple pin positions on every hole and multiple teepads as well. Therefore, lots of opportunity to change this course around a bit. The scenery is great and the large oak trees make you feel secluded from the rest of the world, and when discing, that is a good thing. Landscaping on this course is phenomenal. A few of the steep hills have nicely placed steps. The teeboxes are in prefect condition as well as the brick teepads which work well. Some of the teepads are elevated to give a nice level surface when throwing from the side of a hill. Teesigns are nice wood carvings with pin locations and distances. Baskets are painted orange for easy visibility and are in excellent shape. Navigation is easy with next teepad signs showing you the way. Some of the longer holes even have distance markers on them showing how far the basket is still away, much like regular golf, an neat detail. There is also an information kiosk at hole one with maps and scorecards. Camping area is also located just a few hundred yards from the first hole which would make for a great camping/discin weekend.

Cons:

As much as I love heavily wooded and hilly courses, this was a bit much for me. I think a few more open holes would balance this out nicely. A couple of the holes felt the same.

Other Thoughts:

I love this course! This is not a course that is beginner friendly. It will chew up, spit out and laugh at a beginner who tries this course. Got mad skills, then give this beast a shot. Camping close by would make for a great weekend geataway. At the time of this update, I have played over 80 courses and this one is definately in the top five for sure. This course is so close to getting a 5/5 rating. This course is kind of out of the way, but once you discover this course, you will be glad you did.
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4 4
Conler Milrad
Experience: 17 years 150 played 5 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2010 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 9, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

An extreemly well maintained wooded course. Hole 1 is the only "open" hole and that has some trees that come into play.

Good mix of long, short, and inbetween holes.

Tee signs on every hole with a colored marker indicating where the basket is.

Plenty of trash cans.

Orange baskest that are easy spot.

Camping on site.

Great elevation.

Baskets are changed often, but not evey hole at the same time. Mabey 1 or 2 holes will be in different placements week to week.

Cons:

Bugs

Other Thoughts:

The course will test your control and accuracy.

It is tough, but fair. Bring a positive attitude and don't be afraid of being over par.

This course is worth the trip, and one of the best in Iowa.
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3 5
G-MIL
Experience: 18 years 112 played 8 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 18, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great use of the land, holes play for backhand and forehand players with multiple tees and pin locations. Course is well-maintained, you can tell the amount of work and pride these guys take in developing the course. Elevation change makes this course challenging and very fun to play. Since it's heavily wooded the wind doesn't affect shots much on windy days. Worth the drive. Camping is available on or near course.

Cons:

This course is a ways off of 380 or 30 but is worth the drive.

Other Thoughts:

Great course! I love playing this course everytime I'm home. Worth stopping regardless of your level of play. Fun and again, worth the drive.
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14 0
jdawg24
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.9 years 103 played 58 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Awesome destination course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 4, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

*All around sweet course ... you walk away thinking about how fun the course was & wishing you had time for another round
*Beautiful private setting in a hilly wooded glen within a county park
*Great campground within walking distance of the course & private walk in sites in a grassy meadow at the start of the course
*Valid wooded holes!! Finally a course with real fairways where small trees have actually been cut out of the middle of the hole! Only a few trees that need to go, but in amazing shape for only 2 years old
*Very well built - engineered stairs, supports, benches etc on almost every hole
*Great mix of terrain & shots required
*All holes have 2-3+ pin positions; many of them include a multishot legit par 4 position
*Some holes have two teepads
*Great variety of terrain -- uphill, downhill, flat, along a slope etc.
*Many memorable holes. #8 is an amazing downhill shot -- who knew they had hills like that in iowa? down and over a gully that's 100' below the pad in elevation -- also # 17 was a sweet downhill shot
*5 minutes off the interstate
*excellent signage; easy to navigate solo with no map

Cons:

*Rural setting ... not really a con, but the place isn't close to anything except Cedar Rapids
*a few fairway trees, but only a few
*teepads -- the locals said they'll have concrete soon; at the moment there are short paver pads
*the 3 extra holes after #6 were out of character with the rest of the course ... too short, not as much to them ... if i were playing again i'd probably skip them
*hole 16 in the right position had no valid line; i note it because it was maybe the only hole i really didn't like so it stuck out

Other Thoughts:

I played 6 courses during a work trip this week and this course was hands down the one that i'm still thinking about. this course is a great destination with onsite camping in a private setting -- this would make for an awesome weekend if you snagged the walkin sites that are next to hole #1 in a grassy field right next to a nice stream in lush green grass.

Course has great support by locals that have clearance to improve the course as they see fit ... and it shows....so it should get even better with time.

Concrete pads, a few trees out of the fairway & a few more years to break in & improve (was just opened in '07!!) ... and this is flirting with a 5 star rating.
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14 1
superberry
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 26 years 342 played 98 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Wooded Wonderland 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 8, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Woods! Lack of players. Elevation. And more woods! I loved this course. Don't let my cons fool you too much. I was so in awe of this wooded wonderland and loved playing it despite all the setbacks and negatives surrounding my round. The mutliple pins are great on every hole (and most can be distinguished from the tees). The multiple tees are nice and it appears the land would allow multiple tees on every hole. There is an excellent balance of left, right, long, short, uphill, and downhill holes. While not huge elevation like a mountain or valley, the elevation here is very well utlized. Some of the most memorable holes were...
#8, a long ripper downhill in a tightly wooded valley and back uphill the last 25% to the pin.
#12, actually has some very great charatcter now that a huge tree has fallen about 25" in front of the pin. I'd leave it there with just the smaller branches cleared!
#17, an AWESOME downhill anhyzer through a washout halfpipe type valley. This is what I dreamed about for hole B at Winter Park in Kewaunee, but we could only get 300-350', at Wildcat you can rip it over 500' down to the gold pin location!
Let me say once again that I LOVE the wooded holes here! This is my idea of a disc golf course. While I don't like multiple pins necessarily (gives too many scoring/layout options), and prefer multiple tees instead, I WANT to play this course again. In the midst of torrential downpour and humid temps, I couldn't help thinking how glad I was to play here. The lack of players is also a positive. If you are ever near Cedar Rapids, and you consider yourself a true disc golf nut who travels around to play the best courses, you owe this course a stop!

Cons:

The tee pads SUCK! I hate to say this, I know the guys working on this course put a lot of effort into these (it shows), but they are slippery, present a dropoff edge, and are WAY TOO SHORT! They honestly killed my round and I mainly teed off next to the pavers. The problem is that they are pavers, surrounded by 4x4 timbers. Thus, they have an edge on all sides so you cannot start off the pad, and you're afraid to roll an ankle off the front because they are only 8' long or so. Even the ones with added pavers for a run-up still have the same problem. When it's wet (like it was) the pavers are very slippery and the wood is SUPER slippery! That is why I prefer natural, woodchip, or crushed stone tees anyway, at any course. It sure is nice to never worry about slipping or rolling an ankle, even if the natural surfaces get more rutted. I also imagine that the pavers are going to heave horribly over the winter and when roots from all the surrounding trees grow in. Another con is that there is a LOT of poison ivy. It should be sprayed because it is right in fairways and walkways. There is also a TON in the rough, and it is EASY to be in the rough here with a skip off one of the many trees. While I know how to spot it and avoid a rash by washing, it is still a pain to step lightly through the woods to avoid it. I also think the 3 new holes after #6 should be labeled more clearly (I missed them!). No water like lakes or ponds, and the creek really doesn't come into play.

Other Thoughts:

This course was the best I played out of all the Colorado Mountain courses I had planned to play on my vacation (that's right, I'm aware it's not in the CO mts!). I wish the locals would get some pictures on this site because the course really is phenonenal! I would have if it wasn't raining, but I didn't even take my camera out. This course was designed by disc golfers, for disc golfers (ones who appreciated a good wooded challenge). I really wanted to rate this course lower because I honestly feel the teepads SUCK. But considering I WANT to make the 7 hour trip back here from Kewaunee, WI to play this course again (preferrably in fall during the colored leaves), I had to rate it higher and up the average for the course rating. This is absolutely one of the best courses I've played, and I had a great time despite horrible tee pads, slippery mud, lots of rain, lots of poison ivy, horrible tee pads (oh I said that already), throwing something like a 74 for 18 holes, and dew points in the 70's with temps in the upper 80's! Better tees and a pond or true water feature would yield a rating of 5.
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10 0
Porkchop
Experience: 24 years 132 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Model Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 11, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Beautiful course on a prime piece of land. Course is well laid out, has nice flow, great mix of long and short holes, with a good balance of right-to-left and left-to-right playing holes. Multiple pin placements, on every hole, and dual tee's on 4 holes. Course is carved through dense woods and this puts a premium on accuracy. Nice tees and great landscaping, with camping on the course. The course also features professionally built, catching, and looking homemade baskets.

Cons:

There is very little wrong with this course. On the back 9 a few of holes are close to others, but it's not a huge problem seeing how the course is not really busy. Some of the tee's are a bit short for some of the run up's required , but the dedicated crew at Wildcat have addressed the issue on a few holes and will not hesitate to do so on others. Some holes are a tad tight (big emphases on a tad, nothing major), but as with all new courses they tend to thin out a bit over time allowing the course to play a tad fairer.

Other Thoughts:

The course is a model of what should be done when building a new course. It is evident that the Wildcat Crew has put a lot of time and dedication into this course. The little details that are a must and often overlooked are all accounted for and much appreciated. Big props to the Wildcat Crew!!
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2 30
mattmelcher
Experience: 24 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Tree Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 16, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Long. Beautiful Scenery through the woodlands. Lots of trees.

Cons:

Lots of trees. I think if you are playing through the forest the holes should be shorter.
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