Great location, not very busy, good signage, well-maintained tee-box areas, adequate trash cans & benches, a private bathroom, and an otherwise very nice park to explore outside of the course itself. The park was quite clean as well. Additionally, the course offers good natural challenges, some slight elevation changes, higher-than-average number of water hazards, and a thick and unforgiving rough - which is a con, but the challenge it employs is a pro (stay on the fairway, for the love of (your) god).

As others have stated, the rough is WAY too overgrown. The course I live closest to and play most often is Estabrook in Milwaukee, and it used to bother the environmentalist in me how much the course's caretakers would thin out the rough along the edges of the fairway and along the paths between holes.

Birds Ruins made me pull a 180 and now I REALLY appreciate it. When I got to the first hole, I let a sloppy backhand anhyzer go and spent the next 75 minutes trudging through some of the thickest, wettest, most overgrown, bug-infested, tree-stump & branch-covered ground I've ever been forced to explore just to wind up never finding my disc. I re-threw, this time sidearm & much more controlled. It landed in the rough too. Not as deep as my first toss, but I still spent 40 minutes looking for that one before eventually finding it. I can't imagine how many people number 19 has frustrated with its 200+ feet of water hazard.

Basically, the main con here is that the rough really needs to be cleaned up. The course is challenging enough without players having to be paranoid about missing the fairway and being forced to search for hours to find (or NOT find) their disc; this, especially given the difficulty of the final hole.

Again, regarding the final hole: if you know while playing the whole round that you may very well lose a disc on 19, you're going to play VERY conservative from 1-18 and it might affect your gameplay. Since #19 is the first hole you see when you park your car, it weighs heavy in your mind for the whole round.

Don't get me wrong, I was utterly intrigued and infatuated with the course as soon as I got there, parked, and noticed #19 (it's the hole nearest to the parking lot.) It's hard not to be. It's challenge is immediately apparent, and the risk involved makes you want to play it straight away just to prove to yourself that you possess the skill to conquer it.

If you're unfamiliar with the course, as soon as you park you'll walk up to the tee-box for hole 19, see the sign stating 275 ft to the hole, and then you realize that the hole is on a peninsula across 200+ feet of water hazard - it basically goes: Tee-box => 30 ft of rough => HUGE water hazard => shoreline => small-ish 20 ft radius clearing in the woods, with the basket situated dead-center.

So like I said, at least 200 ft of #19's 275 ft is water.

Also, if anyone finds a Millenium Sirius Orion LS to the far-right of the fairway of hole number 1, contact me on here and I'll buy you a six-pack of good beer - or something equivalent in price i.e <$15.. (the discs original owner wrote the same thing on the back of the disc but when I contacted him, he never followed up - so don't use his info cuz it's outdated. Just contact me here lol).

When I first arrived and was throwing at the practice basket, I couldn't believe I was the only person there (and I remained the only person playing there the whole 4-hrs I was at the course). After losing and nearly losing my 1st and 2nd throws respectively, it became apparent why, on such a mild and gorgeous day, the course was completely empty. Only the most seasoned and adept of players that can avoid the rough without expelling much effort will be comfortable playing here.

Any lapse in judgement, any dampness of the hands that compromises your grip on the disc, any slip of the foot while going through the motions of your drive, all lead to you having a bad time. This course has so much potential - it's a beautiful location, it's quiet, and with so few players, you can play at your own pace.

Plus, given that all Madison-area courses are pay-to-play, this is a great refuge for broke college kids, or those of us trying to play a round a few days before payday when money's tight.

I recommend this course, but with a bright-red, violently-waving caution flag:
-=- You should probably avoid doing what I did my first time playing here, and don't play alone: 2, 3 or more pairs of eyes will have a better chance of finding AWOL throws than you by yourself.
-=- You also may want to leave your prized or favorite discs in your trunk.
-=- And this isn't the course where you'll want to decide before starting that you're going to practice throws you're not 100% comfortable with yet, just for practice's sake.

Quiet. Once you stop all the internal dialogue and tee pad banter...there it is Hush
. Distractions are minimal. A hawk fishing the edge of the marsh--Pairs of Sandhill cranes circling...looking for a dance floor to mate on. Birds in the marsh and oak savannahs. Chipmunks and snakes. Frogs. Butterflies. Wildflowers. Serious tepads wide and brushed wet and grippy.

Thoughtful lines, benches, a water pump....creak creak creak. A nice shelter for grilling or chilling. An excellent location to absorb Wisconsin....praire, marsh, oak woods.

Not finished.

So park your car stretch out and fill your water bottle. If you're filling frisky....throw #19 across the marsh while the rest of your group sorts their gear.

After parking...Cross the road to the south to #1. Difficult first hole....its just really hard to par this one easily . You want to get off the tee and into the game but #1 says no free passes. The basket is located on a little island behind a line of trees guarded by tall trees and a sick little creek. Its a left to right throw. There's a considerable shrubby thing in the middle and....the schule left and right is very unpleasant. If you didn't warm up...even a little...you will be sorry. Punishing first hole and a 3 is stroke against your foursome..

On to # 2....after you cross a couple of foot bridges....there you are....not far 270-280 but a slalom course of pines to negotiate. If you missed par on # 1.....all of a sudden....looking at plus 2 walking up to #3. The pain can happen pretty quickly.

You can get one back on the third tee...its shortish, but the lines are kinda severe. Make your choice of putt at the tee...if you get my drift.

The course/ feel changes as you walk from #3 to the 4th tee. From kinda piney sandhill play to....open.

A miss off the tee on 4 is not what you want. There's a really thick wild grape growth way left. Not pleasant.
If you hyzer long and left its kinda worse...boggy marshy buggy lost disc... and a good shot....but just not enough power puts you in the creek. My advice....play a Roc or putter to the center of the fairway...get the lay of the land. Plus 2 and a lost disc is not a happy way to start.

At this point I might mention scopin tee shoots. There is nobody around and it's an incredibly quiet place . You only get one first time. Don't hurry.....enjoy the challenge.


Okay..across the road to # 5.

Its a long walk to #5....get your game together. 5 is open....throw what you like...but keep it in the short grass. Its a long par three.

#6....this is a transition hole....a stiff eagle on anhyzer or something that doesn't fade left.....focus and get a bird here.

Luck.Skill and really tight putting will get you thru 7 -11....these holes are really funky. Make par....ace runs are punished.

#7. Plays down a wooded ravine with a 60' drop in elevation from the tee to the flat on the bottom. The short placement is almost straight off the tee, but well guarded by trees both along the fairway and at the bottom. If you are too firm with your throw, it could potentially land in the marsh behind the basket. The alternate placement is also on the flats of the bottom, but off to the right. You might have to walk off the tee and down the fairway a bit to get a read on this basket. Trees guard the basket on second shots and long putts.

#8. There's a path connecting #7 to #8, pretty easy to find behind #7's long placement. Watch out for toe stubbing tree stumps in the path.
The pad for # 8 sits under one of Ruins massive old trees. Your tee shot will be a steep uphill throw, but not particularly far. Still, there are enough large trees in the fairway to force a thoughtful line in addition to calculating how high one needs to throw. #8 is probably the easiest hole to birdie out of the 5 woodland/hill holes.

#9 is located further up the hill and then to the left. Initially, it appears very similar to #7, but take the time to walk off the tee and find the basket. It's very close to the same elevation as the tee pad, but the confounding fairway plays down, then right and up. The key for me here is deciding where I want to make my second shot from. The fairway is tightly wooded and slants away from the basket. Tree hits easily roll away or caroom into the woods. Careful play will net you a par, which is mentally difficult to commit to on such a short hole.
Essentially you walk downhill and uphill on a 200ish par three. It's a funky hole.

There's path behind #9 basket, take that up and to the left to #10.
#10 plays downhill again...and this is really weird, because you feel like you've just played a downhill hole...in any case it pays to walk down the fairway and locate the basket. It will be either far left or far right....either shot is demanding and there are lots of trees to influence your choice of lines. You'll probably looking for relief from the woods at this point, but pace yourself, there's a couple more to go.

#11 can be found on a path that is behind the right hand placement of #10. #11 features a crushed stone tee pad framed in wood. It's simply too low to the marsh plain to accommodate concrete ( for the time being) Its a nice spot to watch the marsh for birds and hawks, maybe you'll see a platoon of turkeys in the farmfield across the marsh.


12.....choose to par or birdie....5 is easy here.


I'll finish this review

Fantastic use of the surroundings, which includes a river, stream, open prairie, and a hardwood forest. The stream running through the first four holes is utilized well, making you think about your shot selection from the tee. The open fields allow you to stretch the arm out, with some true par four hole distances

There are also some short, technical holes that reward shot shaping and control.

In addition to the the course itself, the amenities on the property are nice. There is a bathroom and a water pump located at the parking lot. I didn't get a chance to use the water pump, so I am assuming it is functional. There are also garbage and recycling cans scattered throughout the course, too. The tee pads are concrete, and are large enough for even the biggest of run-ups.

As others have mentioned, the rough is just that. I'm sure that as more people play, the rough will become more beat in. But hey, if you are driving straight, there's nothing to worry about!

All in all, this is a fantastic course that is well worth the short drive from the Madison area, or further. The combination of shots and distances required make this a challenging course that is a blast to play.

Everything.
Awesome course and layout. All parts of your game required. Big arms, accurate mids and great putting will score well here.

Rough is rough. Woods are tight. No other surprises here. It's all been said before.

Keep on keeping on here! All the improvements are just making this hidden jem that much better.

The first thing I noticed after playing this course, was the great variety of holes, with holes in the woods, holes in the open, and some elevation change. The course also has large quality tee pads, great signs, and new chainstar baskets. It was also not very busy when I played, which was a nice change of pace compared to that of Elver and Hiestand. There are many technical holes in holes in the woods that go both left and right and require the right line to avoid to brush/rough. There are also a variety of both short and long holes, which make for plenty of birdie opportunities, but also difficult par saves. A creek also comes into play on Holes 1 and 4. The elevated basket on Hole 13 is a great addition. Overall, this course allows you to work on a great variety of shots, lines, and technical aspects of your game, which is awesome.

If you miss the fairways on any of these holes, the course will become very difficult. The brush in the woods and the grass on the open holes is quite thick. I played on a windy day, so the holes out in the open had an added difficulty, but certainly added the challenge to stay in the fairway. I could also see the bugs being bad at this course, so the wind may have helped in that aspect. Conservative shots with a mid-range off the tee may be an option as well.

The course could definitely use some brush/rough cleanup. Wider fairways in the open would be nice and some tree trimming and brush cleanup in the woods would make the course much more forgiving, but still difficult. From what I have heard though and based off of previous reviews, this course is coming along quite nicely. Hole 19 is also great for tiebreakers and a great way to end the round over the water. Lastly, I typically play the local Madison courses, Elver and Hiestand and occasionally Token Creek, so this is a great addition to the area and certainly less busy.

Great variety of wooded and open shots
Great variety of long and short shots
The short tees, long pins are very challenging, even for pros
The long tees create a very different shot for some holes

The only gripe I have with this course is that the rough is too thick during the summer months. There are lots of thorns so please wear long pants.

I highly enjoy playing this course from fall to early spring. I try to get out there once a week. The course designers are great people who have done a great job with the course. Hole 19 is such a great hole and worth emptying your bag on to try for an ace.

Lots of pros for me. Distance variety is great with a almost 800 ft hole(long tees) to 150 ft hole(not really even a gimmie birdy). Lots of technical shots and definitely long open bombers with slight elevation to change the shots just enough. The signature hole is probably 19 across the water or 4 a big rhbh anny with a creek you need to get over(your choice to lay up or go for it). I really enjoy the atmosphere on this course where you will be traversing through forests, on the edge of wet lands, and through a prairie. I would say this course is no pitch and putt course(although short pad to short pins has a lot of ace runs). The longs will favor big arms with 5 holes over 500 and 3 over 600. I live in the area and this is the best course to go to when madison courses are packed. Great
Course!

Tall grass would be the biggest con out here. Its nothing like what some of the earlier reviews tell though(lots of works been done). Hole 14 long needs a landing area larger then 30 ft wide surrounded by long grass. really this is the only spot that is unfair to me as far as the grass. Lots of little stumps that you can trip and stub your feet on in the woods(i wouldnt doubt if this is taken care of soon). maybe a little more clearing in some areas to open up recovery shots more.

I felt the need to rate this course because it is deserving of a rating larger then it has. If your traveling the area do yourself a service and play the birds ruins!

huge concrete tees plus am and pro
distance variation is great 150-700
the fairways are well groomed and are plenty wide
a good mix of tight wooded holes and long open bombers
the woods has extreme elevation change which is really fun
water present for an extra thing to think about
tee signs are awesome showing the distance, par, and both tees and hole locations
navigating from hole to hole is a breeze with all of the markers on the trees
challenging to make par on the longer holes but then gives you ample opportunity to make up for it on the shorter holes
never busy and it's free!
plenty of different shots needed to score well(even a couple overhand shots)
practice basket and a bathroom are right by parking lot
located in a beautiful family park right by the river, it feels very peaceful and scenic.

a couple of the wooded holes have a few too many trees in the way and require a little luck
bugs can be a problem in the woods but not terrible
off the fairway grass is very tall and thick but like I said the fairways are adequately wide to land your disc

Hiestand and Elver are the most talked about courses around the area but I think this course should also be in the conversation. Honestly, if I could only play one course, i would pick bird's ruins over the madison courses because it is not busy at all. This course is so much fun with all of the different lines you can take to the pin and all of the different obstacle you have to throw around. It really provides a stern challenge. You'll probably need just about every disc in your bag here. And if your frustrated with your round you can always get rid of some steam by playing #19 throwing across the river. In my opinion this course has it all and is very close to perfect. Getting rid of a few trees on some wooded holes (#9 especially) would make this a 5.0 course.

-Great variety; Long Open Bombers, Short Wooded Ace runs, Open Water shots and everything in between

-Extremely well laid out; Signage is clearly displayed and consistent throughout the course. As others have said, once you realize the 1st tee is across the road from the parking area, navigation is a breeze.

-Tee pads; Outside of #11, every hole has well place, well poured, and adequately large tee pads

-Great Use of Elevation; Considering the small amount of elevation changes throughout the park, the designer(s) of this course did a fantastic job utilizing it.

-Facilities; Plenty of Parking, Running Water, Bathrooms, Benches near every Tee and a covered picnic area.

-Frequent Pin Location Changes; All too often I play at courses with multiple pin locations that only get moved a couple times a year. They do a great job switching pins every few weeks here (from what I have seen in 15+ rounds in 2012)

- Can be extremely buggy at times. Bring Spray

-Plenty of Thick rough that can prove challenging when finding an errant drive

Both of these aspects do not affect my rating of the course, but can really play a role in how enjoyable your round(s) are at Bird's Ruins.

One of the better courses I have ever played, and probably the best free/public 18 in all of Wisconsin. Easily worth an hour+ drive to play.

19 well laid out and meticulously maintained holes, a Practice Basket, Bathrooms/Water on site, and free to play. What's not to like?

Great layout. New tees! Will challenge every aspect of your game. A couple of signature holes that you will remember for a long time.Not a pay to play either. Skip the 8 bucks on Valla and come here.Technical tight shots and few where you can let em rip!

Not to many. Course is in early development but this will be one of the best around the madison area with time.

Bathrooms and camping on site

The land has quite a bit of variety which includes open prairie, woods, slight sloping terrrain, and water. You need a well balanced game here. ** Hole #1 is located across the street from the parking lot.**

Once we found hole #1 navigation was a breeze. The signage is very good. Both sets of tees have tee signs and there are tons of navigational aids on the course.

The equipment is great. Concrete tee pads and brand new chainstars.

There is wide varity of shots needed on this course with both long and short tees.From the long tees there are quite of few holes where you can just let it rip!

Hole #19 is a great finish throwing across the water!

The elevated basket was a nice addition. One of the most unique elevated baskets I've seen.

I have no problem with challenge but the rough at this course is just nasty. We got lucky and played it in the spring. I have a feeling during mid summer this course is a disc eating beast. It seems to get some traffic so it may wear in over time. Play with a friend and spot for each other.

This course is still very ripe and needs some work. It needs some cleaning up. Watch your step out there. There a lots of stumps and tripping hazards.

There are a couple of wet and muddy areas you'll need to aviod after rain.

I get to Madison every other year or so to play Elver, Hiestand, and Token. This is a good addition to the area and was worth the stop.

1) Nice signs with Hole #, distance, map, and pin and tee locations. The map is somewhat helpful in overall hole shape. They are not perfectly shaped to the hole but it is close enough.

2) Chainstars are in great shape and installed properly. These are my favorite baskets by far.

3) Nice large concrete tees. Many of the holes have dual tees also which definitely alters the challenge on each hole. It makes the course a little more playable for people who are not top pros or long throwers.

4) #9 is a very unique hole. It plays along a severe slope but it starts out going down hill slightly, turning right, and then ends up going back up the hill. It makes for a really tough shot unless you have a perfect flick. I could easily see shots go way down the hill.

5) Hole #13 has a feature that is becoming more and more popular. It has a basket elevated up on a timber wall. This is possibly the highest elevated basket I have seen rising 11 timber levels above the ground (the base of the pole). The basket must be 12' up in the air, and this is definitely going to be a really windy part of the course because it is wide open prairie.

6) Water in play on a couple holes with the creek in play on #1, and #4 and the downhill shot on #7 (I think).

7) Incredible variety on this course between the first couple holes set in the prairie wooded section of the property. Then a few holes in the wide open rolling prairie, then a few in the dense woods, one in an opening but still wooded, a few more out in the prairie, and back into the old Oak woods for 1 hole and finishes in the prairie. It is nice that you don't play all the prairie holes in order and then all the wooded holes in order. The bouncing in and out of the woods and prairie is helpful to make you never get bored.

8) The Sumac in play on a couple of the holes creates a shot I have rarely seen on disc golf courses and I really like it. It is tall and twiggy and forces you to throw a high spike or an up and over floater. The only concern I have with the Sumac being used this way is that it is very delicate and if people throw into these areas they are likely to break off branches. The positive is that Sumac can really proliferate so hopefully those areas do not get damaged too the point that it alters the shot making. The Sumac really seems to be integral to the design of the hole.

9) Distance variation is enormous, ranging from as shot as 158 up to 715 and it has some of everything in between. The alternate tees and the alternate baskets also contribute to the variation in the course.

10) Balance of shot shaping is huge here. They require you to go both ways in the woods or at least offer both lines on multiple occassions, but the prairie you just need to play the wind however you can, so you can choose either throw, but try your hardest to get back to the fairway!

1) The rough is rough. It is tall, it is thick, and it is a disc eater. I spent about an hour looking for 3 discs that were hiding from me, unfortunately the first one was my first ace disc so there was no way I was leaving without it . . . and I found it about 20' to the right of where I thought it was but after at least 40 minutes of searching. I am not sure if the prairie ever gets burned or if anything else can be done out there to make it more manageable. At the very least I could see mowing down some strips perpendicular to the fairway to help in spotting, or just always come to play with a friend or two and send out spotters to watch the drives land. I would imagine another 10-20' of a fairway will prevent a lot more issue.

2) The fairways that have been mowed through the prairie have some trippers still but those will disappear quickly with more traffic.

3) Raspberries on some of the wooded holes and I am sure there are some other troublesome weeds out there in the prairies and woods like Poison Ivy and Wild Parsnip. I am not 100% sure of this because they are tough to find right now, but they can be prevalent on unmaintained areas.

4) Not at all beginner friendly because of the length of the holes (even from the shorts) and the length of the tall grass creating a nightmare for lost discs.

5) I don't like blind holes and they have a few here where you cannot see the basket from the tee. This is only an issue once usually then you know how the hole is laid out, but still not a good idea in general. Sometimes the prairie fairways can deceive you in where you should be throwing.

6) A little too much luck needed on a couple of the wooded fairways, but that will level out over time.

Superb course, superb design, superb variety and balance . . . needs a little more maintenance or some more traffic to trample down some of those unmaintained prairie areas. Everything is just fine and I would come out here all the time if I lived closer.

The course plays through a mix of hilly wooded areas and open rolling prairie. The wooded holes are technical with tight lines and lots of trees to hit on an errant shot with some nice elevation changes on many of the holes. The prairie shots have mowed fairways out of chest high grass and weeds with smaller elevation changes. There are dual tees on many of the holes that change the length of the open shots and the angle on several of the wooded shots.

There are some longer holes mixed in, especially from the longer tees. If you can hit the fairways, you'll be rewarded for biting off a little more distance. The wooded holes offer a mix of left and right turning holes with some straight shots. Currently there are numbered tall posts to indicate tee placements. Most holes had dual pin placements that made subtle changes to how the shots played.

When I played, the tees were natural and there was no signage. I didn't mark the course down for the tees, they're currently level and fine and apparently concrete is coming. There were some blind shots throughout the course, and knowing distance and direction would be really helpful. Some navigation help would also go a long way, there are a few spots where it's not at all obvious where to go to find the next tee.

I'm not at all a fan of tall grass rough. For the most part, it doesn't change your next shot, it just wastes time and plastic when you miss the fairways. Several of the prairie shots are mowed narrowly, and even a few feet off the fairway means a significant amount of searching. People were using some of the fairways as walking paths, which could be a potential safety issue.

I almost wish that the course had stuck to 9 holes using the wooded area. The prairie section of the course is more frustrating than fun, and would be pretty brutal on a windy day unless you wanted to throw a few safe upshots on every hole to avoid losing discs. Most beginners will hate this course, inaccurate throws on the open holes disappear into the grass, though the short tees on the wooded holes offer reasonable lengths and less punishment on missed drives. More experienced players will need accurate shots in the woods, and will be pushed to hit the prairie fairways if they want to throw any kind of drive.

18 holes with terrain varying from flat prairie to semi-wooded to rolling hill to hilly and thick woods. Many different types of challenges throughout the course. There will eventually be an optional 19th hole throwing across a bay to a peninsula. Most holes have 2 tees and 2 pin placements. Water could be in play on hole 7 if you overthrow a little.

No tee signs or tee pads yet, but this will be done soon. The pads will be concrete. The biggest con for this course is, as previous reviewer said, the chest high prairie grass if you go off the fairway, which you will. I also spent a lot of time searching for discs. The next time I play here, I will play very conservatively to stay on the fairways, and take the extra strokes. Some of the wooded holes appear to have too many trees, but I didn't get worse than par on any of them, so maybe it's deceiving. The parking lot is very small, but I believe it will be expanded in the future. This is a public park with walking paths. This means that there may be times when you will have to wait for a walker to clear on some holes. You also may encounter dog poo (hole 12) occasionally, though I didn't.

Holes 1-4 are in a flat area across from the parking lot. These are well laid out to take advantage of the semi open, semi wooded terrain. Hole 4 is a big one with a landing zone before making a run at the basket. Holes 5 and 6 are on a rolling hill surrounded by prairie grass and are very long. Holes 7-12 are up and down (and across) a steep, heavily wooded hill. Holes 13 and 14 are back in the open, again bordered by tall grass. There will be an elevated basket on 13. Hole 15 throws from trees, through an open area and into a grouping of oak trees. Hole 16 is in the open up a rolling hill. Hole 17 is in the trees and hole 18 is back in the open with a large cluster of sumac in the middle of the fairway. I really like the variety of terrain and they did a good job of spicing up the holes in the open with an elevated basket, a hidden basket and mid-fairway obstacles. I really don't like the tall grass, but not much you can do with it, except to make wider fairways, as previously suggested. Being that I was a (small) contributor in putting this course in, I'm trying not to be biased , but, all in all, after some tweaking, I think this will be a great course.
UPDATE: Tee signs, directional signs, and concrete tee pads are all in. The rough is really getting trampled down up to 20' off the fairways, making discs much easier to find. The elevated basket on hole 13 is done and overall, the course is getting "broken in". All these factors have led me to up my rating to 3.5 UPDATE:Since my last update, many things have been finished or improved on the course. Fairways have been widened where needed, and a little more clearing was done to open up some holes a little. Hole 19 was added and it's very popular with players. We use it as a CTP tie-breaker, and for tournaments, it's used if no one wins the ace pool. Some of us just throw it for fun at the end of our round. It's really a great addition. A restroom, a fresh water well, a pavilion, and a parking lot expansion, and a practice basket have all been added. I'm upping my rating to 4, I'd like to give it a 4.25 if I could. Once we get a couple more things finished, I'll probably go to 4.5. I love having this course 8 minutes from my house.

The course is challenging and has great design elements. There are many holes where you have to take some time to plan your shot off the tee or even plan how you are going to attack the hole. This isn't your typical drive at the basket and putt course.

The course is well rounded with grip it and rip it open holes along with the technical wooded holes. There is even some danger on a couple holes from a creek that comes into play on hole 1 and hole 4.

There are a few par fours on this course that are more distance based than obstacle based. Hole 4 was a par 4 when it originally went in, but has been changed to a par 3. I suppose people can reach the basket from the tee with a long shot, but the creek and tall brush should be a risk/reward type of thing. There is a safe lay-up spot for hole 4 so you don't have to go for the long over the small creek shot.

Hole 13 has an elevated basket that makes an uphill open hole a putting challenge. Hole 14 has a pin position in the middle of a bunch of small trees that makes it a difficult green to penetrate.

The wooded holes have been cleaned up with a lot of trimming, which has generated better lines for you to hit. Don't get me wrong, the lines are still challenging, but the trimming has taken out the nearly impossible lucky you got through there shots.

The tree on hole 9 was trimmed extremely well so it doesn't totally hinder your tee shot, but it does provide enough of an obstacle to plan your shot around it.

The open holes have had their fairways expanded. I appreciate this greatly. Hole 5 has more fairway to the right. Hole 16 has a wide landing zone for your fairway shot before tightening up and then widening back up for the basket. That is perfect risk/reward for people who want to try for the longer drive.

The extra hole 19 looks like an awesome shot. I have not played it yet, but it looks incredible. It is a 285 foot shot across the river to the other peninsula. You need to walk all the way around to get to the basket.

The baskets are brand new and catch well. There are also multiple pin locations and two tees for most holes.

The navigation has improved with signage on the long walks between 6 & 7 and 15 & 16.

The course is still new. The roughs are extremely rough. Not a place for beginners as you will be looking for discs for a long time.

Hole 11 does not have concrete tees nor a long tee. There might be issues as to why these are not present, but it does still bring down the course.

There are still many small tree stumps that you trip over (or hit with the stroller) that are in the middle of the fairway.

The course still needs to be broken in a little more to become a top-notch course. The local clubs and community are quickly making this course better each month. If they keep it up, this course will be on par with the Madison courses.

There have been many improvement made to this course with trimming the wooded holes, widening the fairways on open holes, adding concrete tees, adding signs, and putting in alternate pin placements.

If they can keep going on improving this course, it could become one of the finer courses in Wisconsin.