- basic but serviceable baskets
- really cool topography with good elevation change incorporated, particularly on holes 1 and 9
- lots of small elevation changes throughout course
- major water hazards with Eau Claire River in play, including a water carry over the river on hole 6
- some rudimentary built in steps in a few places are helpful
- navigation is mostly straightforward, but could use more aids
- picturesque setting on banks of river
- decent combination of lightly wooded and open holes
- good length and variety of shots

- virtually every tee sign is missing or damaged
- new holes 10-12 have no tee signs
- hole 10 has no tee yet
- holes 10-12 feel like throw ins to make the course longer with no real added value
- lots of dead trees marked to be taken down on hole 1 (and others) will decrease challenge
- no amenities whatsoever - no practice basket, garbage cans, benches, etc.
- could use some more built in stairs on steep terrain
- rough can be a bit overgrown and course is a bit rough around the edges
- first few holes border a more major road that somewhat disturbs the feel of the course
- navigation between 8 and 9 is the main confusion point

This was a tough course to rate, as others have mentioned. On the one hand, it's really cool and fairly unique. On the other, it's pretty rough around the edges and needs some TLC. The tee signs are all missing or heavily damaged - literally all of them. Holes 10-12 feel thrown in to add holes for the sake of adding holes in a vacant field with no real redeeming qualities. I guess the main point here is don't lose your disc off to the right on hole 10, which drops off the edge of a ravine into a boggy pit you'll probably never get your disc out of.

Elevation change is well incorporated here, with major changes on holes 1 and 9 and dips and dives throughout the course, as well as some steep banks on the Eau Claire River. The scenery really is pretty cool, and holes 4-6 offer high risk shots with water very close to the basket. Hole 6 was the signature hole for me, with a decent length throw over the substantial river to the basket. The middle of the course is more heavily wooded after the first few holes were lighter, and it opens up again near the end. 10-12 play more like prairie holes and I really don't think they add much to the course. They also have no tee signs as of yet and 10 doesn't even have a marked tee.

The navigation isn't too bad but you'll want your map as there are no navigation aids at all. After hole 8, you'll want to go down the wide mowed path used for truck access, back towards the parking lot, until you see an opening in the woods to your left. This is the path to tee 9. This course had a good deal of challenge and I mostly enjoyed the unique setting, it just really needs a bit of upkeep. Putting in new tee signs would be a huge improvement. I think with some small improvements this is a 3.5 course.

Overall, if you're in the area I think it's worth checking out. Just be prepared with your map and expect to traverse a bit of terrain, with a risk of water losses if you don't hit your line and pull up on approach in a few places.

Plays mostly in Lowland areas resulting from the Eau Claire River

Good Central Wisco Topography
Sandy River, Sand n Stone Till, Overflow Ditches, and a steep Sandy Ridge

Great mix of Deciduous and Coniferous Trees

Really Cool Greens
Often involve Pins surrounded by Ditch areas or Baskets near Rivers edge

Really Fun First Hole
Throw from top of the Ridge, down into a Grove of White Pines
Ace Run for most everyone

The Green on 3 is Tricky to Run. Basket surrounded by Ditches, and the large one retains water

Hole 4 brings you out to the Rivers Edge, with another iffy Basket position

Playing thru Woods along the River, Hole 5 is a really challenging par4 Hole

Signature Hole 6 throws Over the River to a Peninsula Green. Currently in as good of condition that I've ever seen

The other par4 is Hole 7. Throwing thru woods out to an open landing zone, the upshots here are very challenging. And Ditches creat a Peninsula Green

Big Uphill Huk on 9 gets more and more challenging. Group of Pines keep shrinking the Fairway, and the Ridge drops off all along the Rightside

Yellow Kingpins looking good out there

Course Map, Teesigns, and Navigational Aids are currently not offered at Yellow Banks
There's TeeSign Posts with #Hole sharpied on, at most Pads 1-9. Then nothing but Pads for the Holes up top

Rough can be Thorn tragic

Not a Property that can just be easily Mowed over. So it can get Nappy out there with Ferns, Thorns, and Tallgrass

Right of the Ridge on 9 is maybe the Worse OB a person could find

There's a Ditch between the Greens of 3 & 7 that Retains Water

After 9 the DGs in open grass and kinda Boring
Warming-up on the Field Holes is nice, however

Oct 22 update
Best I've seen this course look yet

Rubber Mat Teepads are Typical for a DGCourse in this part of Wisco

Yellow Banks is challenging to give a Rating. Sooo much I Like about the Discgolf and the Funky Terrain, but a Family or a New Player could have a very Rough Time of things

Excellent 9er with a couple bonus Field Holes

Great location and terrain. Mostly tucked away in a beautiful wooded area, there are some nice elevation changes, especially on hole 1 and 9, both shooting down a steep hill and up respectively.

Challenging lanes - the main 9 features tight fairways which require precise shots to weave through the trees.

Pin locations - many baskets are located on hard dirt mounds with deadly rollaway potential which makes for an interesting putting game.

Water hazads - you'll have some things to mull over before some shots due to the river which runs by multiple holes, and the swampy ponds that lie by a couple others. Be careful shooting up the hill on hole 9 - there is a STEEP dropoff to the right leading straight into swampy water.

Teepads - when I first played this course in the spring they were dirt, but upon returning yesterday, I was greeted with huge, gorgeous rubber mats on every tee.

Signage -all of the main 9 except hole 9 were clearly marked with signage for par and distance, as well as a basic hole layot.

Hole diversity - great variation of lengths and shot angles, lefts, rights, straights, 200ft holes and one that is 455ft.

Great dedicated parking and welcoming signage.

Awesome baskets - not sure what they actually are - they are ALMOST identical to Chainstars but I don't think they are as they boast subtle differences. Catch perfect though.

Some of the rough can be brutal when searching for a disc. Many thorns and pricky things to watch out for.

There's an extra 3(?) holes I believe after the main nine, which feel more like practice holes since they are in a wide open field, and while I don't mind a few bomber holes when the rest of the course is wooded, these ones didn't feel to have much character to them. They also lack signage.

The more I play disc golf, the more I've begun to like wooded courses, and this one is definitely a awesome one to play. Not much else to say.

- Great Baskets
- Technical and challenging
- Good variation in fairway shapes and sizes

- Some of the holes have no clear fairway, a tree or two could be removed to reduce the fairway splitting
- Most of the pins can be reached with a putter unfortunately another pitch and putt course.
- Overgrown and no organized group to clean it up, will probably get pulled eventually.
- Los of beer cans and garbage litter the place

Should have kept it simple and made it a 9 hole course and used some of the natural fairways that existed on the property from the start.

Set in a beautiful, wooded section of the park. There were good signs by all the holes except nine with a good map of the hole layout, distance and the par. The river can come into play on holes 4, 5 and 6. This always makes a course more challenging and was awesome to see how they used this here. Hole 6 even gives you the option of throwing over the river to the basket or taking the safer but tighter route to the left. Very undulating terrain here also with tight challenging lines on all holes. Very punishing rough on most holes as well making you REALLY want to stay in the fairway. I'm not sure the basket type but they were in fantastic shape, caught great and looked great with the yellow powdercoating. The tees were marked with 2 red painted 4x4's imbedded in the ground at the front of the tee pad. Nice big sign at the beginning of the course for any disc golf related info. There is an awesome set of steps leading down the hill after hole one, a real nice touch. Very big gravel parking lot which is nice as this place gets some heavy use. This course has a very solid mix of right, left and straight on shots for a 9 hole course. Also there is a good mix of different length holes. Hole 7 is the longest at 455 feet. Hole 9 is the shortest at 205 feet but plays longer as its back up the very steep hill hole 1 throws down. Hole 9 also had 2 sets of tee pad markers with one being maybe 30 or 40 feet further ahead of the one we played. Not sure which set is the 205 feet. The navigation is a breeze here as well. There are well defined trails leading to the next hole on all holes. This section of the park is exclusively for discing too which is always a plus.

The tee pads are dirt and can get a little slick when its dry. Also a few had ruts right in the middle. But again this is a really new course, they're still breaking it in. Concrete tees would be a great idea in the future. There is a LOT of thorn bushes and pricker bushes on this course as well, but again as this course gets broken in a bit more this will become less of a problem. With as much as this course is used a few sets of garbage cans would be nice to see so people wouldn't leave empty cans and bottles in all the logs set up as benches by the tees. That or people could just pack it out with them. Also a portopotty would be nice. Again, this course is new and i'm sure many of these will be addressed.

All in all this course is a blast to play, If they do add a back nine eventually it would most certainly bump the rating up. But as it it stands now this is one of the top nine hole courses I've played to date. I'm just glad its located less than an hour from me. DEFINATELY worth stop here if you're in the area. Very good course!

1) Topography. Holes 1 and 9 utilize a steeply sloped elevation change (#1 plays downhill, #9 back up). Additionally, the property has many depressions and undulations that force you to think of shot placement - and can penalize you for missing your intended landing area. To me, this adds more challenge than other "local" courses.

2) Variety in hole design. There doesn't seem to be any favoritism towards right or left handed people, as most of the holes have a route option for both. There is also a nice mix of hole lengths, with a couple of legitimate par 4's (or to my skill level 4.5-5, lol.)

3) Course layout. Careful considerations has been used while planning the overall course layout. Each hole has at least some measure of risk/reward value to it. Some holes force you to analyze your "line" through the trees. Others have "drop-offs" near the pin and seem to taunt you to "make a run for it" versus just "laying it up" for a drop in. Not to mention that some holes allow you to choose whether to play over the water and risk getting wet, or taking the over-land route.

4) Baskets. Highly visible yellow powder-coated baskets are great to throw at. Nice double chain construction limits "spit-outs".

1) Natural tee pads. Although the course is in it's "infancy", and there are a number of things to improve, this is a big one for me. None of the tee pads are "level", let alone "flat". And, being dirt, they are susceptible to rain erosion and or turning to a muddy mess. Some have logs or 4x4's to mark the front edge of the pad, which can be a trip/safety hazard.

2) Thorns. The "underbrush" can be a real big factor in the summer as there are large patches of Raspberry/Blackberry plants that during the height of summer/fall are GREAT at hiding an errant disc and scratching unprotected skin. Add to that the "Thorny Ash" trees that seem to be everywhere, and you could wind up feeling like a pin-cushion.

3) Natural debris. Fallen trees are to be expected on a wooded course, but this course is littered with natural debris. From fallen trees, to "logging leftovers", in places it can be treacherous to walk for fear of twisting an ankle.

4) Spring flooding. During the spring thaw, the river that runs along the northern border tends to flood some of the holes, and fills up some of the "depressions" in the ground, making miniature "ponds" to play around or subsequently lose discs in.

5) Signage. There aren't currently any signs (other than the roadside sign) on the course. Would be nice for new-comers to have a "welcome sign" maybe with some basic etiquette rules and an overview map of the course layout. Signs at the individual holes witch might include lengths, hole layout and directions to the next hole would be a great addition also.

6) Facilities. As there aren't any nearby businesses, restroom accommodations are definitely lacking. Even a "port-a-potty" would be better than nothing

I realize that this course is new (baskets were installed during the 2012 "season". And I also understand that the local disc golf community, along with local community development leaders are very intent on improving the course. I've also heard that eventually (maybe by fall 2013) the course will be expanded to have a "back 9". Very interested to see what 2013 brings for Yellow Banks and cant wait to play it some more!

1) Unique property along the river. It has all sorts of interesting undulations that I am unsure where it all came from. Perhaps a flood rearranged the topography here, or it is just the way the ground formed overtime with all of the trees in the area. Either way it is unique and fun to throw this property.
2) Yellow Powder Coated baskets help for visibility. Even if the yellow band would have been more visible, these seem to do the trick.
3) This course is moderately wooded. It is pretty clean around the good trees and will eventually be a lot cleaner because it is clear there is a very active group here.
4) Some log benches in a few places for sitting.
5) Excellent risk/reward design on #6. You can take a tight gap up the middle with late turn or you can take a slightly larger gap out over the river . . . pick your poison. Think back to the days of "Choose Your Own Adventure" books.
6) Nice distance variation with a couple of legitimate longer holes in the woods. These holes will force you to display good shot making and strategy to get a 3 and 2's will be a challenge.
7) Nice elevation change used on 2 of the 9 holes . . . while the rest of the course is flat . . . it has continuous undulations which will make landing our disc a little tricky. You will really need to land your disc in the right spot to avoid bad skips and roll-a-ways so plan out every shot to include this detail. It is a subtle but welcome feature in my opinion.
8) This course has some really good disc golf. The design is interesting, the holes are challenging, the features are highlighted, and it is just a plain fun round of disc golf on a unique property. These are all the things that would keep me coming back.
9) This is a thinking mans course . . . you cannot just throw all willy nilly and let your disc do what it does in the air to sit right under the basket. You need to analyze the risk of going for long putts and risk going into the water hazards or down the undulations. I think the strategy is integral to the design of this course and I absolutely love it!

1) Dirt tees leave a lot to be desired. There are markers to show where the tee is but it is mostly just a worn down area right now. I am sure they will eventually put in concrete and I will update my review and rating when it happens because these tees definitely take this course down a notch right now.
2) Directionals would help in navigating this course but paths are already being worn in. Regardless I would like to see some navigational aids to getting people around the course.
3) No signs or garbage cans yet . . . I understand only so much can be done at any given time, but it wouldn't take much effort to put up a temporary laminated sign. Garbage cans could be as simple as 5 gallon buckets too. This may be by design so people pack out what they pack in, but there are always people willing to litter to make their bag lighter while out on the course.
4) The walk from 8 to 9 is confusing and long . . . I can only assume this means that perhaps #9 will become #18 and #9 will be a shorter walk to the side of #18 instead. Just speculation on my part, regardless it is a long walk that might confuse people.
5) There are some areas of thorny and nasty brush. You will want to avoid these areas with your disc for sure. While it doesn't often become an issue for throwing, it will become an issue for stance.
6) This course is not what I would declare to be beginner friendly. It will challenge better players and frustrate beginners. You will need to learn from all your disc golf experiences to play well out here.

This review was written after one visit to the 9 holes that was open and playable. I do not know what the other 9 has in store but I am sure if they are using similar land it will only make the 18 better as a whole.
The property is unique, the trees are nice, the shot shaping is good, and the challenge is there too including some distance but not reliant on the distance. This course has a little of everything and only needs a few more things to make it better than it is currently. A little more maintenance, some navigational aids, and of course tee-pads that are consistent. I cannot wait to revisit this course next year.

Big elevation change on holes 1(down) & 9 (up), smaller elevation used on 4 other holes in the form of dropoffs behind the basket. Some of these are definite water hazards and some are seasonal water hazards, but either way, going into these gullies will probably cost you a stroke. So if you made a good drive and have a chance to "go for" a deuce, you'll have to decide if it's worth the risk. Another hole,(5), runs next to the river the entire length of the fairway and the closer you get to the basket, the closer the river is on the right. Hole 6 has a clear choice: throw to the right side over the river (more open) or throw to the left side forehand (tighter but safer). Great use of the terrain and water. Equal use of right and left turning shots and some holes that can go either way. Hole 7 has a pretty tight gap at about 100' that will make or break par for most players.
Nice, bright yellow baskets are very visible. This is a must in wooded courses. I've played other wooded courses that only have gray metal baskets and they're nearly impossible to see sometimes.
Some baskets are open once you get past the mid-fairway obstacles and some are well protected
There isn't a practice basket per se, but basket 9 is right by the parking lot and it could double as a practice basket because you can see if anyone is throwing from tee 9.
There is now a large parking lot, so forget about parking across the road in the Scouts lot.

No tee pads yet, just dirt with 4 x 4's to mark the front edge, but they weren't terrible. Also no tee signs yet, but using the map from the link, I had no problem navigating.
The rough is typical Northern Wisconsin---ferns, thorns, downed trees, etc. I spent maybe 15 minutes total looking for discs and didn't lose any and , in fact, found one.
There are no facilities at the parking lot. I don't know if anything is planned or not.

I really enjoyed this course. Great use of the big hill and the smaller dropoffs . Combined with the water, there's lots of risk/reward opportunities. Some baskets open, some protected. About equal left and right turning or finishing holes. I never felt like any hole was too similar to any other. Some tight gaps, and of course, being wooded, most holes had a ceiling to contend with. I also never felt like any hole was ridiculously wooded with no lines to be seen, like some other wooded courses. All in all, this course is off to a great start. I can't wait to play it again when some things are a little more complete and especially when there's 9 more holes.
My rating of 3.5 is temporary, I'm sure. When things are more finished, I will no doubt raise it.

Great mix of length and elevation. A lot of places to get in trouble. Many baskets have steep terrain that drops off after the hole which can reward gutsy players or bite you in the ass. As a player for a long time I can't appreciate and don't mind the difficulty. In addition, it does not favor backhand or forehand .. you best better be able to do both.

I rated this course a 3.5 in it's current condition. There's a lot of work to be done still especially with the tee pads and the thick ruff. I recommend wearing jeans for beginning players unless you're a stud. It's very challenging and I think it would be hard for starting players to be able to learn the game at this venue.

Some holes have water come into play which is awesome. One in particular has a route that requires a hyzer backhand for an easy deuce but if you miss it you're in the water... the other option is a conservative forehand. This is just one example of a hole that has many ways to play it.

There's 2 holes that essentially play as par 4's that are super challenging. This could be a top 5 9-hole course in Wisconsin with some work over the next year.

Nice technical course, good for working on accuracy, some nice variety in hole lengths. Some good challenges with some nice rewards.

Course is currently not marked particularly well, but that should be resolved as it is developed. Since my first review the course has been really nicely broken in. There are some paths through the brush and most stray discs are somewhat easy to find.

Overall, a nice course and a good contrast to Memorial only a few miles away. This course has become one of my favorite ones to play in the state, and the back 9 should make it even better when they open.

technical course: control and accuracy are the key here.

great scenery: plays along the eau claire river, lots of trees, will be lots of foliage come spring.

good mix of short putter/mid shots, big hyzers and straight tunnel shots.

baskets are bright yellow (yellowbanks park) and in good shape.

only ten minutes from my house. right on a major road and easy access from highways.

still 9 more holes to come! cant wait to see how they turn out.

thorns and bushes will be interesting in the spring/summer. dont throw in the rough!

still under construction, so without a map or guide you might get a little lost and/or frustrated.

water comes into play on 2 holes but i dont really consider that a con.

this is going to be an amazing course upon completion. the locals worked hard to get this place going. i for one appreciate the hard work and plan on helping complete it so we can have a great course in the wausau area.

Great diversity! Hole #1 shoots down a steep hill and hole #9 shoots up it. Woods, open shots, water, valleys.....it's all here.

Right now it is still under construction and without either using the map or having a guide, you will get lost and frustrated trying to figure out where to tee off from. To the untrained eye it looks like a bunch of yellow baskets in the middle of the woods.

Par 3 on every hole except par 4 on holes #5 and #7.