This course is phenominal! By far the best in NE WI, and of the half dozen best in the state. It is 27 holes, but the classic 18 hole layout is still intact and labelled and is also second to none. You get get to play an extremely balanced course, with lots of challenge and risk versus reward opportunity. There are tight woods, wide open bomber holes, uphill, downhill, acrosshill, 715' downhill on 100' elevation drop!, across ponds and along a creek, and plenty of balanced right, left, and straight holes.
It is a bit rough around the edges, and off the fairway. Many amenities are missing, but you get scenic and tranquil beauty and peace and quiet for the most part with not many other people or players ever around, so you can lose yourself.
The course does favor precision and accuracy over power. You need to place your shots and make your putts. The risky terrain featured in the course design really brings this aspect of control to light. For the big guns, you may miss a bit here, just a handful of longer holes, and for the really big guns, they will still be fairly easy. The 9 gold tees installed spring 2010 will average about 525' per hole, and offer more even more variety ranging from 200' x 10', 300' x 30', 700' wide open, 900' downhill, and 450' entirely across water.
UPDATE: I moved the Hole By Hole Rundown into the Links/Files Section so you could print it out easier if you wanted to, and to save some space on my otherwise LONG review!
Personally I love the crusher dust (not gravel by any means, this stuff is very fine and compactable). I NEVER worry about slipping, sliding, or rolling my ankle by tripping off the edge of the concrete when the dirt around gets eroded. I have also noticed quite a bit of "knee noise" developing in my right knee from years of playing. The little extra give of these crusher dust tees helps tremendously to control the amount of aching knees and hips I feel after playing a lot of concrete tees.
This is a wonderful course, well worth the trip from anywhere in the state, and outside the state. You'll find nothing like this anywhere else in NE WI, and only a few like it in all of WI. We continue to brainstorm and plan for even more, bigger and better holes, additions, improvements, expansions, and general existing upkeep and fine tuning. WPDGC is constantly improving and changing every year!
Definitely something for the players to think about - this course is what it is, scenic, decently well groomed, and beautiful because of all the work we put into it. The disc golf club is responsible for all the maintenance, upkeep, and improvement, not the county! If you could simply also be leaders by picking up errant trash left by other worthless and useless idiots, it helps a ton. Pack out your garabage even. We do collect aluminum to help with our costs (100% donation and sponsorship based). Even during a round, move sticks and rocks aside from fairways, and smooth out ruts left in the tees.
Yes, I am biased, but it still rates a 5+ in my book given the natural beauty, scenic nature, unique terrain, peaceful setting, great balance, and lumpy slightly uneven tees that you will fortunately never slip, trip, or roll an ankle on.
ALWAYS a 5-disc course in my mind. I play all across the country and cannot stop comparing courses to the amazing variety you get here! I typically am disappointed or let down after playing other courses and cannot wait to come back - that's the allure of Winter Park. When you build a course by hand, on an wonderful piece of property with some amazing and EXTREME terrain, you've gotta take the good with the bad. Hills will be slippery in the rain, the rough will be severe, and tees will be difficult to keep level with concrete being out of the question. And you must remember, if you're playing a course considered amazing, unique, and extreme, it is exactly because of the extreme (and possibly hazardous under certain conditions) features and terrain.
Park boasts extremely tough mountain bike trails with tight, sharp switchbacks and long climbs up the 100' elevation change of the hills. Just up the road is a fisheries facility where you can watch the salmon spawn and jump the fish-ladders into spawning pools. Defintely a site to see in late September along with the gorgeous turning leaves of the river valley trees.
Unfortunately I have moved away from the beautiful creation I have nurtured from inception. I LOVED the opportunity to make it what it is and it has played a wonderful role in my life. I still get homesick and long to play it more often than I get to!!!! Excellent variety and balance make this course second to none. Early stages in my design career means this lacks a few decent par 4 holes, but those who I have left to care for WP are working on it. I hear they want to lengthen Hole 13H, eliminate 13I, lengthen 9, lengthen 14, lengthen 8B, and add a new par 4 wooded hole in the mix to compliment hole 3.