-Beautiful scenery on just about every hole
-Quiet, for being in such a highly populated area the park and course itself can almost make you forget that you are in a metropolitan area
-Multitude of risk/reward shots on most holes
-Seems to be the least busiest course in Milwaukee County parks that I have played so far and I have no doubt that the difficulty of the course has something to do with this. That being said, for my skill level getting a par or bogey on most of these holes feels like a birdie
-Multiple pin positions and tight fairways really force you to concentrate on each and every shot and disc selection, you will be forced to use all of your discs and shot types here.
-Very fair so long as you hit your line
-Good sized and grippy teepads, baskets in good repair and caught well
-Very good tee signs showing basket location and distance

-Navigation for a first timer between holes seems somewhat counter-intuitive but with a map printed out or on your phone, it isn't too difficult. More signage for in between holes would help greatly!
-The new signage at the tees is great but for myself it was difficult at times to pick out the basket against some of the background foliage on some holes. Maybe powdercoating the baskets or adding new bright tape or flags will help this but I'm sure part of it had to do with the time of day that I got out here after work.

Not beginner friendly at all. Bring your "A" game for sure and don't slack off on any holes/shots or your score will skyrocket. Definitely the hardest course I've played in the area if not ever but man do you feel accomplished when you hit the right shot. One of the most fun rounds I've ever played.

Great use of available elevation with a multitude of "signature" holes. I don't know that I could just pick one and say "that one is my favorite".

Must play course if you're in the area.

Championship caliber, beautifully maintained course set in a world class park. You will be amazed that disc golf like this exists in Brown Deer of all places.

Among the better designed courses I've ever played. Each hole is different, and provides a very small margin of error. All different kinds of tunnel shots and also a few wide open really long ones. It's so much fun to play here because the course really validates a good throw.

It's almost never crowded at Brown Deer, which is a stark contrast to the nearby Estabrook Park.

There are generally parties going on in the park on nice weekends, with very loud R&B music, etc. Pay attention where you throw and be patient, there are sometimes unsuspecting visitors walking through your hole.

Not beginner friendly at all. May be hard to navigate if this is your first time. The first hole is behind the tennis courts, and the third hole you have to cross the street from the second. Bringing a map or having it on your phone isn't a bad idea. I've seen a lot of people skipping holes accidentally.

Almost no elevation change.

I live across the street from Estabrook, but I play Brown Deer more frequently. This course has so many unique challenges, you will rarely take an easy shot without having to think.

This is about as difficult a course can get without being entirely unfair. With that said, if you don't hit your spots you will really regret it. Even the very short holes (4,15) can lead you to a lopsided score. Stay positive!

Brown Deer is a disc golf course that makes me wish this site had a rating between a 4 and a 4.5, as I believe that course is slightly underrated (at the time of this review, its rating is a 3.93 out of 5). Here is why I feel the rating should be at higher than a 4:

•Championship disc golf - The course features signature hole after signature hole, with enough variety to force every shot in a golfer's arsenal. I used almost every disc in my bag here. Most of the holes were fairly technical, but there were a few opportunities for big arms to air it out (holes 7 and 9). Holes 1, 12, 15, and 16 were mind blowing with high risk reward shots demanded off the tee.

•Scenery - Maybe this was influenced by the autumn leaves that were in full color during my visit here, but the park was one of the most beautiful places I've played disc golf to date. The fairways work their ways in and out of some beautiful wooded areas that have a great "nature hike" feel to them.

•Maintenance - Multiple pin positions on each hole, picnic benches on most holes, adequate tee-signs and pads. Baskets were somewhat old, but seemed to be in good condition. Practice basket near hole 1's tee-pad.

This course fell short of an elite 4.5 rating for a few reasons:

•Holes 7 and 9 play through some football fields that are sometimes in use... when there are football practices or games, the holes are unplayable.

•Navigation was tricky... no signage that helps deal with some of the counterintuitive walks between holes

•The park was mostly flat, but the course design makes good use of the elevation that is available. Hole 7 has a green that is made up of a steep slope, hole 16 has some cool elevation aspects as well.

Brown Deer is one of the Milwaukee area's best courses and is a must-play if you live in the surrounding states.

Concrete Tees boxes are great. All other Discers out there were very nice and helpful. Great mix of hole types.

Very difficult to find. Even 4 of the maintenance crew did not know where the 1st Tee was. Next tee arrows were on some holes, but not all. We almost skipped 15 all together. You need a sign for when you are crossing the street from 2 basket to 3 tee box. There are a some very dark holes that make spotting the basket difficult. A little more bright tape and some numbers on the all of the baskets would go a long way.

GREAT course. I am very new to the sport, but I am completely hooked. My son and I hit 6 courses throughout WI this weekend and this was by far our favorite. 7 and 9 are MONSTER holes. Nice change of pace! I live 2 hours north of Brown Deer, but will most definitely be making it a regular stop!

HINT: The 1st Tee is behind the Tennis Courts!

One of the best courses in the Milwaukee area, Brown Deer is sure to please.

Grippy concrete tee pad on every hole. 12' long and solid.

DGA baskets in good shape, and all caught well.

Tee signs show possible pins, distances and topography. It would be nice if the current pin position was shown, though.

2-4 pin positions on every hole keep it fresh. The layout has been different every time I've been here.

Very nice mix of distances. Tight, technical holes in the 200's, all the way up to 675' open bombers, and just about everything in between. Rarely is there this much variety in a single course. Every hole seems to produce a new challenge, especially in the long positions.

Plenty of variety from wooded, open, and combination holes. None of the wooded lines felt particularly unfair, although some are tight. Accuracy is king here.

Navigation can be a little tough for first timers. Three times you cross the road to get to the next tee, and two of those aren't immediately seen. A few "Next Tee" signs would go a long way here. Also, Hole 1 isn't the easiest to find...stuck behind some tennis courts and random debris that look more suited to a colony of raccoons than the beginning of a top level disc golf course.

2 tee pads on every hole would totally put this place over the top, especially with the numerous pin positions.

No elevation or water to speak of here. The land it's on just doesn't offer it.

My favorite Milwaukee course. In the long positions, it's long and surprisingly grueling for such a flat course. Personally, I dig that, as it helps keep the crowds down.

The park also includes a PGA level golf course and many other amenities. You'll see lots of bikers and joggers while you're here, soccer matches, etc.

If you're visiting Milwaukee, don't miss out on Brown Deer.

This course is definitely the best in Milwaukee. Either this or Dretzka but I'd give the edge to Brown Deer. There are good sized level and grippy concrete tees on every hole. There's a solid mix of heavily wooded to completely open holes. There isn't a ton of elevation here but it is used well in the spots that there is some. There is a really good amount of different hole lengths. A few of the holes are super long. The Mach 5 baskets are all in pretty good shape and catch well. There are also multiple pin locations on every hole. This is a really nice aspect here. Some holes have up to four pin locations and they change them up pretty frequently. The park was very well maintained when we went. There are large brown painted wood signs by each hole that show a basic hole layout with all the multiple pin locations. These aren't the best signs ever but they serve their purpose. Shot shaping is probably the biggest challenge here. If you can't shape your shot you will not score well here. If you can't stay on the fairway your score will show it. You'll need to use left, right and straight shots here. This is a challenging course for sure.

The course can get very crowded. Expect to wait for larger groups at times here. A few of the holes have longer walks between them. Hole 1 starts right by the tennis courts. If I didn't play this course with someone who had played it before I think I would've had quite a few problems finding the next hole. The two really long open holes are REALLY long. They don't really fit with the tighter wooded holes. The park road comes pretty close on a number of holes too.

This course definitely is one of the best around. It has a good mix of shot types, distances and challenges throughout. Definitely worth a stop here if in the area. Also Dretzka and Estabrook aren't too far away either.

This course was a delight. Majority of the holes were wooded which is great. Challenging course with several tunnel shots, annies, and hyzies. Had to use every trick in the bag. When during league and flow was great. Didn't run in any noobs and the flow was perfect. Nothing like playing at your own pace helps me find my zen.

Don't think I would have been able to find the first tee if I was by myself. Luckily I went there with a veteran. Going hole to hole wasn't a walk in the park.

This course feels a little different everytime I play it.
It's always good for a challenge either way.
In and out of the woods. Some holes in dense forest. Some on the edge of the forest.
Shooting into the forest from out in the open. And those long long open holes that play like legit par 4's.
Those long ones are hard to forget. I remember them specifically.
There are a handful of holes that are still Birdie opportunities. Get em while you can. You'll need some stroke insurance for the holes that seem extremely difficult to par if one little thing goes wrong.
Every hole is manageable though. 3 well placed Shots will earn a par on any hole regardless of the length or difficulty.
Multiple pins. Seems like new ones are set up everytime I play this course.

Tee pads are a little uneven. That's about it. Players might want some extra run up space for those 700 footers.

Don't try to get slick here this course can ruin your round in one hole. Great course overall.

What a great variety here. There are tight wooded holes, open bombers, tight par 4s, technical par 3s, and some elevation. The concrete tees are great and so are the non intrusive brown tee signs. There are tons of pin positions which really makes the course play uniquely each time I've been there. This course will teach you accuracy and especially how to throw dead straight shots. I like this course best when it plays tough with many long pin placements. The wooded tunnels at this course are terrific as there is not that much else like that in the surrounding areas.

Some of the par 3s could use a little more length. Holes 4 and 5 have similar lines in a row. Hole 10 is pretty week as it is mostly open and only around 300 feet. Hole 11 is not much better but the trees force a line a little better than hole 10. There are a few too many very short wooded holes near the end of the course and it feel repetitive to me. There are no holes that really stick out in my mind as particularly great.

Best course in the area.

Most holes have a decent amount of woods or something to challenge you
Some holes are long and you really get to open up on your shot
The tees are kept up pretty well

Kind of a sketchy place to hang around once it gets dark
The course has a soccer field on it which creates a lot of noise when trying to throw
The baskets like to spit out putts

I had shot here a couple times before and had spent another three days during the week of 5/18-5/21 shooting thise course. It was very fun and a challenge also.

Played very early on a Saturday morning I played with several walkers on the park roads, a deer, and a family of geese. Talk about seclusion just 20 minutes from downtown Milwaukee. Brown Deer is a very clean large multiple use park. A lot of picnic facilities and tons of open space. The first holes played much like my home northern Mi. courses, through trees with fun risk/reward lines. Arriving at holes 6-9 the course comes out of the woods and opens into meadows with longer holes. The course itself is very flat with the exception of the end of hole #7, a 663 ft hole which features a basket atop a 35' mound. Also some slight elevation in holes 14-16 which feature some really neat old pines as well. Signs were very good with distance and basic hole features. Being new to this course and playing alone I still did find it necessary to walk a couple holes to find the basket or landing area.

I ended up parking by tee #3 and started my round here. I missed the signage on the other side of the entry road where holes #1 & 2 are located. The starting holes are tucked behind tennis courts and are not visible from this main disc parking area.

Being as flat as it is the fairways in the grassy areas were quite damp from recent heavy rains. A seasonal thing I'm sure, just like bugs.

Really fun course. Would love more opportunities to throw here. Like most good courses, familiarity will bring better scores hopefully. There is enough change-up and variety to keep most of your bag in the game.

- Course is set in a large park that has lots of forest as well as some open areas. Park has lots of pavilions and such, so there might be some interference by general park users, especially by the entrance road.
- Roughly half of the holes are set in dense forest, full of tight lines and small windows. The first five and last two holes require pinpoint accuracy to avoid tree jail especially. Good mix of slight RHBH hyzers and some anny/FH shots here, with a little spot of water on #4 to spice things up. Overall, a straight shot is key. Some very tight entrances on the more "forgiving" holes, like off the tee on #16 or into the woods on #14.
- The rest of the holes are more open, either bordering the forest or containing mature trees to get around. #6 is a long RHBH anny around the forest, and #8 is a downhill sloping shot through groves of trees. These all have a lot of character and provide some challenge, a righty is going to need much more than a plain hyzer here.
- Two holes stand out, as they are both around 700' long! #7 has some interesting finishes, with one basket position on top of a hill and another behind a large group of mature trees. Getting max distance off the tee is complemented well with tougher approach shots. #9 is tough, too, as the fairway gets narrower and narrower closer to the basket, length and accuracy are both needed.
- While there are only a couple holes with significant elevation changes, many holes have a slight slope that adds fun or challenge. The super-tight holes in the forest are especially affected by this; throwing up or down while keeping it straight is noticeably tricky.
- Fantastic variety in hole length, with some long ones and short ones inside the forest and out. Multiple pin positions vary these even better; some can be quite brutal in terms of both length and difficulty.
- Good baskets, teepads, and signage, all in great shape. Navigation can be a bit tricky, like crossing the road to get to #3 from #2. Map is a big help.

- Holes in the dense forest can feel a little repetetive; having a straight accurate shot is extremely important over and over again. Not saying it's a bad thing, but it's a lot of the same thing.
- Parts of the course are pretty close to the entrance road, and other park activities. When I was there I had to navigate around some kids chilling by a teepad, and wait for some pedestrians to clear a fairway. Wouldn't be an issue but the park seems EXTREMELY popular.

- Really not that many cons here! The terrain is pretty flat overall, but it is still used well to provide some good sloping holes here and there. Great mix of tight and open holes, of varying difficulty and differing lines. The different basket positions can really change each holes in terms of fun/difficulty, which is a bonus. Probably too tough for beginners, I think everyone else should greatly enjoy it.

- Not intended for beginner players. there is very little to no chucker traffic here.
- If its not a tight tunnel shot than its a well designed bomber hole.
- all of the long holes require descent shot placement off your drive and EXCELLENT shot placement on your second shot.
- ACCURACY is the name of the game. if youre more than a few inches off your line you are mostly likely not going to be pleased.
- shooting a 54 on most layouts is essentially like shooting a 1000 rated round.
- there are maybe one or two holes that are 'easy' to birdie. at the same time they are very easy to bogey as well.
- requires a strong mental game. bogeys will happen, you cant let it get to you.
- there are a few true par 4s
- the pin placements theyve added since Worlds have been very creative and greatly improved on the challenge of the course.
- there is very little to no land wasted here. without knowing the limitations the designer had from the park dept.
- they took a few of the trees out on some holes that were overly ridiculous since worlds.
- love the local routes, their crazy but work so well!
- smart play and course management are a MUST!!!
- picnic benches and trash cans at almost every teebox.
- a bag of several different shots will help greatly.

- all tho the teepads are level i have a few issues with them. first, the majority of them are raised up off ground level a couple inches (this is annoying if you want to do any kind of run-up that isnt the length of the bad. second, they were not 'roughed' up enough at installation and when slightly wet are very very slippery. third, all the long holes teepads are surrounded by mud (not wood chips) and are therefore very muddy.
- lots of standing water, bug haven in the summer. most of the natural drainage was disrupted at installation and not fixed.
- the schule is a bit much. if you go more than a cpl feet off the fairway you have to really work to get an out shot alone. there are a ton of tiny skinny trees everywhere. have your approach rollers ready.

Brown Deer is an awesome course for Advanced and Pro players to refine their game and a great place for Intermediate players to develop their accuracy and course management. because of the difficult of the park, there is almost never anyone there except the more 'serious' dgers so it makes for a more relaxing and peaceful round or two. the park is very clean and looks like it doesnt ever see chucker damage.
The teepads are very agitating for me. it makes it difficult to take my timing steps before i go into my run-up. and on top of that they are always muddy as heck when its been wet out.
I think the part i like most about this course is the fact that you can really test your current skill level. Whether you like it or not, the course will show your weak points. if you can keep your disc down the fairways youll be able to hit any line on almost any other course. also, the fact that a 54 is close to 1000 rated it helps to measure your level compared to the best.
if youre in the area PLAY this course. Dretzka Original is still my favorite Milwaukee course but Brown Deer is a very very close second. Dretzka is just a really really fun course to play, and my all time favorite course.
BRING YOUR WATERPROOF SHOES IF ITS BEEN RAINING.

Always fun to play
Unique holes
Never crowded
Good for practicing unique throws

Kinda hard to find the next hole if never played there before
Bad for beginners

Good park to stop by if your in the area, its not hard to find and its in a nice area.

--Very nice location
--Beautiful large trees throughout entire park
--Challenging long holes
--Multiple pin placements are changed often and change the course dramatically (hole 8 especially)
--No dull pin placements
--Tunnel shots
--Heavily wooded holes w/o sacrificing distance
--Nice signs on every hole
--Plenty of garbages
--Teepads are in great condition
--Amount of challenge keeps you coming back for more
--GREAT for glow discing
--Plenty of other things to do in the park
--Surrounded by great courses (4-5)
--Never gets too crowded

--One set of pads
--Park closes here and there
--NO Elevation
--Limited water hazards
--Nowhere to buy discs nearby
--Holes 7 & 9 can be argued as boring.

While the cons exist for this course (as weak as they are), the pros definitely outweigh the cons for Brown Deer, and that is why this course is getting a 4 from me. Dretzka is getting a tie score with Brown Deer because the enjoyment and elevation from Dretzka matches the professional feel and beauty of Brown Deer. I find that I play Dretzka more often, but enjoy both equally. Even with the lack of elevation, this course will wear you out. On to hole 7.... I can see why a critic would shout about how this is just a filler hole, but I can't help but get excited for it when I step up to the tee. Its either a chance to throw as hard as you can and try to nab a rare par, or work on your roller. Same can be said for hole 9.

In Southeastern Wisconsin, there probably isn't a more frustrating first hole. Right out of the gate, this course bats down your drives and laughs at your tree-weaving confidence. This can leave a sour taste in a beginner's mouth. The holes don't get any easier after that, and Brown Deer isn't an ideal beginner course as a result.

In a sentence, I'd say bring your favorite "sixer," a full load of energy, and a strong arm out to Brown Deer Park and give 'er hell!

makes you bring you A game. tight with lots of trees. and 7&9 are open but really long. super tough when theres a cross wind.

no yardage markers or pin placement signs.

stay out of the woods on the right of #9 its thick and lots of tent worms.

-This mostly-wooded course tests accuracy but has a couple of longer open holes requiring a good arm.
-Long/mid/short pin placements adds variety and significantly alters the feel of the course. Local club members were switching pin positions during my round, so I had the opportunity to experience some holes long and a few short.
-Concrete tees; some trashcans and benches throughout.
-Almost completely flat, the course does its best to squeeze play out of the least scrap of elevation.
-Free. Located in a large park with tons of other amenities and facilities.
-Friendly and helpful locals.

-Lack of sufficient signage might lead to some confusion in one or two places, especially coupled with non-intuitive flow in a few places. Finding #3 can be difficult for first time players. Cross the roadway (w/tennis courts behind you to the right) and look for the path into the trees. The signs provide the hole number but nothing else.
-Some broken glass/litter.

-Brown Deer has a well-worn feeling (in a good way.) The underbrush is light to non-existent in most places, making it difficult to lose a disc. Although located in a bustling city park, the course tends to feel more secluded than it really is, while doing its best to avoid any interferences with other park goers.
Update: Descriptive hole signs have been added since my last visit. This alleviates much of the signage problems listed above and are a nice addition to the course.

This course has a lot of variety.

*alternate pin and tee placements are cool.
*some tight control shots.
* lots of woods which is very challenging.
* Very challenging course it is personally one of my favorite courses.

* pretty tough to navigate through so try and go with someone who knows the course.

* if you have control issues you may lose a disc beacuse this course has some pretty heavily wooded holes.

Its not a "5" course but probally one of the best courses in Wisconsin in my opinion.

It will definitley challenge you. If you are a first timer I would recomend valley view park in new berlin. or spassland in germantown.

If you like a challenge then this is the course for you. As the title says I have never played a harder course.

There is a great mix of holes. However, most of the holes are deeply wooded. The distances might not be long on many of the holes but there are plenty of trees to get in the way. A 300ft hole could easily turn into 6 strokes if the trees are feeling mean. As far as the open holes go they consist of some large distances from the tee box to the basket. It gives you a chance to flex your muscles if you can drive for some big D. One of the most interesting open holes is hole #7. The basket is pretty much a straight 600ft from the tee. But after about 500ft you have to shoot up this monster of a hill. If you overshoot your disk flys past the basket and rolls down a good deal into the woods of a neighboring hole. If you undershoot, then you still make for a tough next shot and have to worry about your disc rolling back down to where it came from.

Although I have probably made this course sound pretty tough. There are still a number of deuces that are sitting out there if you can weave your way around some trees and are smart with your shot and disc selection. Don't feel like you need to throw a driver on every hole. You do not. Especially on some of the wooded holes a reliable mid-range like a Buzz or Roc would be an excellent choice.

Because there are so many wooded holes, Mosquitos rule this disc golf course so come prepared. They are band enough during a hot afternoon so I can't imagine what they would be like on a cool summer night.

If this will be your first time playing the course try and find a course map or play with someone who knows the course. It can sometimes be hard to find the next tee.

A lot of people don't like this course because of its difficulty. Sure it might not be one of my favorites, but it is still very deserving of a good rating. When I play this course, I tee of knowing that it is going to kick my butt. If only easy courses existed disc golf would be too predictable.

Some of the long open holes could get boring for some people who aren't able to or aren't fond of bombing a disc.

Maybe too many trees? (You will understand once you play this course).

This course is definately worth a try. I can garuntee it is going to be one a the hardest courses you will ever play. A very good score at this course could be around a +10.

Play it with an open mind and try not to let the trees get to your head.

Mix of wooded and open (bomber) holes should suit all styles of play, i.e. this is a good tourney course, that tour players will feel tests their overall skills. Technical players and big arms, will each believe they have an advantage on certain holes.
Dual pin placements. These seemed split rather evenly between long and short when we were there.
Shot shaping required on most holes. No shortage of length, even on the "shorter" holes. No pitch and putt going on here. Often, baskets that are reachable, are defined by forcing low ceiling shots, or something similar, to gain access to pin. This requires a skip at the end of a good line, to actually get to pin.
My roller is currently not in good form; but Brown Deer offers opportunities to use a roller shot on just about all of the long holes.
Bonzai trees on #11 and #12 (some sort of pines) are exquisite. I have a feeling that the course ideas here were begun with these holes; i.e. designer said, these MUST be part of the course.
Long hole that finishes at top of hill....has a fence behind pin; but, locals have broken/dismantled a 10 foot section of fence;; directly behind pin. Big arms can overshoot this pin and find themselves at the bottom of the hill, with a tough, 60+ foot shot back up the hill. Nice touch.
Course represents right and left favored holes equally.
Lots of putts/upshots with trees in play on the non open holes. Brown Deer utilizes this feature much better than Dredzka's more open pin placements.

Long, bomber holes are kind of plain; but, that's what bomber holes are about. Gold level players may feel there should be a finishing difficulty that is not present? Most of them require some shaping to get to desired landing area, for mere mortal players. Less than gold level players may find these plain; but the rest of us will be forced to make a good shot to get to landing area; followed by another long, quality shot to get near pin; and a good putt for a three.
Signs are nice looking; and add to the overall golf course feel of this course. However, there is no footage, nor hole diagrams. Signs simply have number for hole and attractive oak leaf; that is park logo.
One set of tees.
Primarily flat course. I don't really hold this against Brown Deer; as you only have, what you have, to work with. However, it can't earn any bonus points for elevation or water in play.
No directional markers. After #2, you must cross the park road to find #3. Somewhere around #12, there is also an unmarked road crossing required. The first crossing is right near the main lot and so you should be able to ask a local. Cross the road by the lot and stay to the left of the pond and enter woods on path to left if no one is around.

This course is close to a 4.5; or more properly, it should be noted that it's a strong 4 rating. Less than stellar signage, slight navigational issues, single tees, and lack of terrain available make rating this one as a slightly less than very top course appropriate.
With this said, anyone coming to Milwaukee should play Brown Deer and Dredzka and consider themselves blessed.
This course is played fairly heavily, but is a breeze, compared with the much more played Dredzka.
Original Brown Deer course was beat up as heck looking, with baskets falling over and glass and litter everywhere; by the time it went extinct. By comparison, this course is beautiful, visually. Gorgeous trees, and green grass everywhere....a course with a ball golf look, feel, but lots of technical, wooded holes.
54, for mere mortals, is a good score here. Under par, is an open rated round. If you save the bomber holes, and hit your lines in the wooded portions, it is possible though.