-Johnson Park is a beautiful, mostly wooded course with great variety throughout. More than half of the holes have 2 basket locations.
-Hole 1 is a fun way to start with a wide open tee pad but a low ceiling just past the halfway point, just over 300'. Hole 2 is another fun one. It's a shorter, heavily wooded hole around the 200' mark with a deep valley right in the middle. Hole 3 is another heavily wooded fairway that includes a big water hazard (Root River) on the left side of the entire hole.
-Signature hole is #15. Plenty of trees surrounding the fairway with the elevated basket at 300'.
-Gateway baskets are in great shape.
-Signs with hole maps and distances to all of the baskets have been recently installed on the tee pads. It was great to see that one of the previously cited cons from past reviews has been addressed out there.
-Next tee signs have also been installed on the baskets.
-Walking paths have been woodchipped to resolve many of the navigation issues cited in previously posted reviews below. We noticed a couple of big piles of woodchips on the back 9.
-Benches and garbage cans are on most holes as well.
-I love the secluded feel here. There is an adjacent ball golf course in this public park but it doesn't overlap at all with the Disc Golf course.

-Tee pads are inconsistent. Most are brick pavers with a couple of rubber pads and 1 turf pad on 7A that isn't ideal. We normally tee off next to it. Some of the brick paver tee pads are uneven.
-If you don't stay on the fairway, the rough can be very rough especially during the summer months.
-For first-time players here, there are some blind shots and you will have to walk up the fairways if you want to see the baskets before you tee off on #5, #10--14 and #16.

If pressed for time, I would come back and play a round here over anything else in the area. Brandon & crew have done an amazing job prior to originally opening here back in 2016 and still do. They have put in a ton of hours, blood, sweat and effort....it is really showing now! Thank you all for providing one of the very best courses in SE Wisconsin!!!

(3.551 Rating) A hybrid park style course with a ton of variety.
- HOLE VARIETY - I thought the variety here was fantastic. There are some slight ups, slight downs, some valleys, blind plays, hook rights, hook lefts, modest bombs, technical mischief and even a couple easy birdie holes. Not much length to it, but seemed like at least 2 or 3 holes have a par 4 extension placement now. Hole (12) is one of the par 4s, and the way it snakes can really bite the player trying to get too greedy. Water comes into play a few times and elevation maxes out at about 25 to 30 feet.
- RAW BEAUTY - The first three holes out at Johnson Park was the star grouping to me. Three straight highly appealing valley shots. If beauty doesn't translate for hole quality to a player, the pucker-up factor on (3) surely will. I thought (8) looked great on approach, but some of this was subdued due to the fencing behind the basket. I enjoyed the look of (9) for two reasons. First the green, which was terraced nicely. Second, there was a wood carving of a face on one of the trees near the tee. I also liked (15s) raised placement using numerous large timbers. On the flipside, there was some relic large trash debris and even a bit of trash in the valleys. Overall, I scored the beauty aspect 75 percentile.
- CHALLENGING - The course felt like it was most ideal to MA2s but very much playable to MA3s and MA1s. The course generally favors technical players, but having on demand 350-foot power will be necessary to score birdies on several holes. I'll fathom a guess and say that even par will net between a 900 to 920 rated round in typical conditions.
- AMENITIES - Other than tee signage and tees (see cons), the rest of the amenities were good. Lots of alternate pin placements. I think about 75 percent of the holes have multiple placements now. Most tees have seating behind them, including many picnic tables. A couple holes have two baskets in place and I saw a few short tees as well. The baskets are Titans and in good shape. Shelters, picnic tables and probably restrooms are in the park as well.
- NAVIGATION - After finding unmarked tee (1), I had little issue finding my way around. Below every basket was a new directional cue pointing to the next tee's direction. I only looked at my navigational app twice, after (7B) and after (15). There are also a bunch of directional cues along transition paths as well. Unfortunately, the tee signage was not as good as the navigation, see cons.

The course desperately needs tee signs.
- TEE SIGNAGE - The tee signage at Johnson Park ranks into my bottom 10 percent among the 580 courses I've played to date. I'm baffled at how a course that appears to get a ton of play is failing at such a critical element, and for such an extended period of time. About half of the tees when I played it in late fall 2022, had no signage at all. The tees that did, had just a white vinyl sign with hand drawn sharpie distance and number. A course like this one, which has several blind basket locations, needs detailed tee signage. It could also use a course map posted near tee (1).
- TEES - The tees that were pavers (about a third) were good. There rest were not ideal, which was a mix of gravel, dirt, rubber and even a small turf tee on (7A).
- FORGIVENESS - I played here during the winter, so I didn't have to deal with the punishing overgrowth that flanks many of the fairways. It looked like it gets pretty thick in spots. There is also some prairie grass along a few fairways as well. I figure throwing one well off-line could lead to some extended searches and possibly a lost disc from time to time for those not willing to look endlessly. Hole (3) left, and long on (9) are another two bad spots to be, as water is lurking. I don't think the disc loss potential here is monumentally bad, but it seems like the chances of losing one are higher than at the average course.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - For the reasons noted above under my Forgiveness con, I don't think this is a good beginners course. I'm sure beginners have been brought here before, it's just far from ideal. Too many places to get into trouble.
- TIME PLAY - I'm a quick player, and it took me an hour solo on an empty course with no time spent searching. I could see much longer rounds occurring during the summer when the overgrowth peaks.

I really enjoyed this course, minus the signage snafu. It's got all the other bells and whistles of what I expect of a very good course and then some. Among the courses I've played in the Milwaukee region now, this is among my favorites along with Dretzka and Root River. Note, I have still not hit Estabrook, Madison or Brown Deer yet as of this review. It's got better than average Beauty, Challenge and Variety. Even the amenities are decent, except for the signage and tees. For those traveling to the Milwaukee area, I would say it's definitely worth checking out if the sub-par noted items are not a deal breaker. Among the local courses I've played, it reminded me most of Root River, but with more bite and more variety. As is, I'm going with a solid 3.5. Note, I took off less than a quarter point for the poor signage and tees, so even with these aspects fixed, I doubt I'd up it to a weak 4.0, but it would be close.

Johnson Park is an 18 hole course located in Racine . Drop by a bakery if out of town and order a Kringle for you and a friend . They are the Best . There is a parking lot , big enough to handle a decent crowd . The park is multi use , so be aware .
The Equipment : The tees vary on this course , from pavers , to Rubber , to dirt , and other items in between . Standard DGA's for baskets here , says Gateway Titans on the front , but ..... Hey , there is literally NO signage here . There are some mowed paths to try to keep you on the right track . You might have to walk down the fairway to figure out where the basket is . There are alternate pin positions here ( I almost tripped on a couple ) .
The Landscape : This course can roll , it can jump to plateaus , it can cross a gully or 2 . The basket can sit on a hill . Not a scenic walk , and not a typical park style course , except for the very beginning and the last couple of holes . There is a creek that will come into play on a few of the holes , too . There is some dense rough all over the course . Make sure you follow a ricochet drive or you will be looking for a while . It is fun to try to guess the mowed path you are supposed to be on while playing here .
The Highlights . Hole #1 is a good started hole . You drive drops down and the green and basket are on a level piece of ground up on a hill . with low canopy trees blocking serious attempts at the basket . #2 is a gully shot with a tight fairway . #3 is another gully shot with the basket perched on the side of the hill to the right . Perfect angl for a rollaway . After that , I am guessing which hole is which . On of the holes is a downhill drive where the fairway is an S curve . One has a drive right to left to an elevated basket sitting on a hill with a creek right behind it .
Signature Hole : #15 ? The fairway starts uphill through a narrow pass , and opens up a little to an elevated basket . It is the best looking hole on the course
The course design is very good here . Designer Brandon Thenault should be proud . Solid holes .
Time : It took me ,,,, I don't know how long it took me . I think I am still out there looking for hole 12. Try to pair up with a local . You can navigate with them in just over an hour .

#s 1-4 Navigation : I deducted 1/2 point right off the top for navigation issues . Of all the courses that I have played , this one needs an online map or one in the kiosk possibly the most . Even though there are paths cut out of the long rough that sits everywhere , , sometimes those paths split off into different directions . You may wind up at some tee pad , but because there is no signage at the tees , you aren't sure if you skipped holes or not .A Twilight Zone episode at it's best . Be prepared for walks between holes . Bring water for yourself ,,,, and a compass .
Disc Risk . High . There was a family of 5 that came out of the woods and asked to borrow dscs in order to finish their round . They were almost out of all of theirs . I Never heard that before !! Take turns spotting . The grass is high , the course can become technical ( ricochets ) and the creek can be high after a rain .
The Elements . Speaking of rain and the elements . This course will be tough to play after a good rain . Too many steep hills without steps and creeks to navigate . Wear boots ,waterproof if possible . I saw a couple of snakes while playing here . Also , be careful reaching for a disc in the high grass .
Equipment . No tee signs ? No Map ? This course has been around for 4 years ( 2016 ) . This course is in dire need of both ,,,, And Next Tee Signs , too .

The course , even with all of the cons , is still a good one . I like the design , but I could never grade it higher until they control the rough and add navigation and at least a pole with a number on it for a sign . Lots of good holes here . I just can't guarantee that you will find and play them all . If all else fails , go to the bakery in Racine and tell them you want a Kringle . Don't let this side trip be in vain .
My Recommendation . Absolutely not for newbies or families . 1 Discers will possible be O discers before holes 12 . Local ams or intermediates might like it here . There were several groups out here when I played . Pros might even get some good practice here . I don't normally say this , but it is a terrible play for the traveler , or out of towner or Course Collector . Too much time is wasted looking for your discs and the holes . You might want to skip this one at present , at least until they have time to straighten out the flaws . It is a shame because the course is good otherwise .

We'll start with the good - the pure quality of golf at this course is very good to excellent, and gave me vibes of Kaposia Park in St. Paul, MN. Really good use of elevation, fair, but challenging fairways and lines to hit, solid variety in length, direction, and general "type" of hole. Risk/Reward was very prominent - you play close to the Root River a few times, and if the river's running high, you'll have a flooded ravine early in the course to contend with. Several baskets had serious elevation challenges to contend with...you'll be dealing with championship rolls here often if you're not careful.

Outside of a couple of natural tees (this is very clearly a "work in progress" course), the tees for this course were a mixture of brick-lattice and hard plastic tees - they got the job done and were all plenty big. Baskets were a mix - there was a random Innova Discatcher in there, but most were of some triple-chain variety that I didn't recognize, but caught really well. Trash cans were present at at least a majority of holes.

Seemed like every hole had multiple pin positions, from what I remember. The rough was not as bad as it appears at first glance, but still could get pretty gnarly if you really shank a drive.

Navigation - I'm not going to sugar coat this...the navigation was extremely frustrating. I'm not lying or exaggerating to say that progressing through this course is the most difficult time I've ever had at a disc golf course, and that I was incredibly lucky to catch up to a couple of players who let me follow them through the meat of the course...I nearly walked off in frustration, it got so bad. I remember exactly one tee sign on the course showing hole number or distance, and outside of a handful of random wooden signs saying "hole X" so as to suggest to walk a certain way to get there...good luck trying to figure out the hole to hole transitions on your own. Basically "look for worn down grass moving away from the basket, there ain't much else".

Making things more frustrating was that a map of the course was basically impossible to find online (nothing on DGCR, or at the course itself), and when I asked the guys I followed where on Earth I could find this, they suggested using UDisc...sorry dudes, I know you mean well, but I'm not buying a subscription to UDisc to figure out where TF to go today.

Fair amount of blind holes, but many, if not all, had high flagpoles raised from the top of them to aid you with locating the basket if you couldn't see it from the tee. If you're playing by yourself, or are a first timer there, it would certainly not hurt to give the fairways a walkdown to check out where you're throwing regardless, though.

There was a prominent walking path criss-crossing this course with white spray-paint lines laid down denoting the path. I feel like something similar could have been used to denote the path from hole to hole, but a hint to keep in mind is that outside of a 75'-100' concurrent stroll down the walking path at one point, the hole to hole transitions , while crossing the walking path often, pretty much stayed distinct from the walking path. The continuation to the next hole was usually close to where you intersected with the walking path, so if you find yourself going down the walking path for any significant period of time, you probably are going the wrong way.

Overall, this course has real potential. It's obviously still a work in progress - one of the natural tees (maybe it was hole 8? It got tough to remember what hole was what, given the lack of tee signs) had a stack of bricks by it suggesting that another brick lattice tee was next to be laid down, but the navigation was such a problem that I couldn't rate it any higher than I did.

After speaking to members of the local disc golf community about the logistics of this particular course's maintenance, and coming to realize just how MUCH work has been put in (mostly) by a local player Brandon Theriault, how much of a labor of love this has been for him, and how little help he gets from the city, I am going to bump this review up a bit. The core issue still stands - the navigation at Johnson still needs a lot of work, but I am going to cut Brandon some slack - he works his ASS off to make this course a thing for the community.

This course is easily a 4 with better course navigation though, if not a 4.5. I hope to come back and play some time soon, and if the navigation improves significantly, this course is worth a trip out of your way to play.

This course will challenge your willingness to take chances over water and throw at water.

No maps no signs which means I got lost and walked the wrong way many time. Very thick Rough. Take a spotter or plan to loss a disc

This course could be good in the future, but for now it gets a pass from me. The course is not done and it floods as it is in a flood plain. Not making the top 20 even for me.

Lots of scenic obstacles.
Not packed, generally your own course.
Elevation changes.
Good mix of wooded and open.
Beautiful.

Lack of signage and often requires hunting around a few minutes to find next hole.

Challenging course.
May seem daunting for new players, but seasoned players will enjoy the courses versatility and scenic obstacles.

Any time there is a new course in the area - it is welcome. This course has an abundant variety of holes, from open to heavily wooded to prairie. Terrain change is great. Some tee pads are brick, some are wooden, some are natural. I actually liked that variety. Ample garbage cans eliminate some of the concerns from previous reviewers. This is a great place to find lost discs. Loved the elevated basket on (15?)

The lack of signs made for an incredibly confusing first round at this course. Zigzagging paths lead you from the baskets to multiple directions. You could follow the woodchip path where available, but a simple sign (or even an arrow) would be better (Which of the three baskets you can see from tee #1 is the basket for hole #1? is a good example of how signage would work.) I'm sure as the course gets worn in and improved upon, the flow from hole to hole will improve.

DANGER - Hole # 10 is LOADED WITH POISON IVY! It is in the rough, it is in the fairway - right up to the basket. The plant is on nearly every hole since it is a wild weed and conditions are perfect, but this particular hole should be avoided if the lawn hasn't been mowed.

To the designers: A map of the course would be welcome at hole #1. I played very conservatively my first time on this course because you can't see the basket on at least half of the holes unless you walk up halfway on the fairway. Beware of using mottled or dingy colored discs. Blaze orange discs may be your friend here.

designed to its fullest potential , use of river and ravine threw first 9 holes is very good. i love all but the last two holes of this course . work is always being done on this course no shortage of woodchips to mark out putting greens and paths . course will only get better [RAPIDLY!! due to somebodys insane work ethic.

can get a little swampy on some fairways due to little ground springs n such.

Designer has done a ton to bring this gem to life .first course in Racine county . hopefully not the last.

Another great Southern Wisconsin
course with a plethora of Technical to Inspiring holes, that are both advanced and moderate . Each hole holds a variance of possible shots, yet with its limited relief around the fairways and tucked away baskets there are opportunities to score, but beware the course bites Aggressive play. This course has none of the sophomoric issues you would find in a Municipal (older, or run down city course) course. You can see with ease the direction of play and the next hole.

Its not finished so until it is I have nothing!

I loved this course, I've played for 2 decades and then some, and I will be back every time I play in South-Eastern WI.
I think the leadership on this DGC has a pretty good line of sight and am also Excited to see all the progress brought to fruition sooner than later.

Just to start off: This course is brand spanking new as of late summer 2016. So take this with a grain of salt as far as cons and I'm going to base my rating on when this course gets all brick tees and signs are added which are already present on quite a few holes. I played this course for the first time today on a wet, dreary day. The lack of actual tee pads had a definite effect on my round no doubt. That being said, I was thrilled with this course. The design is top notch. The use of the available land is unreal. There is every type of shot you can imagine here. There's water in play, big elevation, major roll away potential, elevated pin.....etc. The Gateway baskets are new to me as far as I can remember but are fantastic. I hope more courses utilize these instead of Disctossers. A little harder to see but catch way better. The navigation is super easy even now. They have a ton of directional arrows to aide with this. The elevated basket on 15 maybe is an awesome feature. Bottom of the cage is probably 6 feet up. The right turning valley shot with the root river on the left on 3, The right to left valley shot on 2.....It's balls to the wall here throughout. Just play this if in the area. And don't review it bad because it beats you down. It will. Embrace the pain. The designers KILLED IT here. Awesome job guys.

My cons are basically all due to the newness of this course. As of this writing the natural tees are not ideal. Very few tee signs but again I'm sure these are coming. Stumps and other tripping hazards along some fairways. Not the courses fault but pick your s*** up and throw it away or pack it out. This is the only course in Racine.

I have played over 200 courses before this one. I honestly wasn't expecting that much based on 3 reviews. I was floored with the overall everything of this course. I'm playing it twice more tomorrow before I head home in fact. If they do the pads right and add tee signs this is a 4.25 for sure. If in the area hop off I-94 and hit this thing up. Finally Racine has a course, I've been waiting, and this is going to be better than anything in Milwaukee already and up there with the foxes in Kenosha. Play this for sure.

-Good use of available elevation
-Good mix of tight, wooded lines and open prairie/park style holes
-Great location for course on underused section of public park
-Cool deck/rubber teepads on hole 7 and 10 with 10 having built-in bench
-Challenging basket locations, most seemed to be tucked up and away adding to the challenge of certain holes.
-Brand new Gateway baskets, first time I've ever played on them and they seemed to catch fairly well
-Low number of non-dg traffic most of the time I would guess. Unless there is a large gathering at the park in which case Hole 1, 17 and 18 would become unplayable.

-Trash; I have never seen so much trash pile up so quickly on such a brand new course. Really disappointing to see especially with the number of trash cans and trash bags out on the course.
-Lack of signage, not a huge con because the course is so new and I expect that to change
-Natural teepads, sure concrete or more rubber pads are coming soon
-Long walks between some holes but not a big deal as there was plenty of orange paint and next tee signs while I was there and I am sure these will be upgraded as well.
-Rough is exactly that on some holes, rough. This will improve as the course breaks in and really makes you concentrate more on each shot.

Came to check this course out over the weekend. Course itself is laid out very well and I can't wait to see what this course will look like as it breaks in more. Very rough around the edges but there is a very solid design in place here.

It was very refreshing/challenging/intimidating to see the number of dog legs (left and right) and other types of blind shots here add to the level of difficulty. This could be a con to some and I definitely had to take my time and scout the fairway before each tee shot but it made for a very rewarding feeling to come back after and find my disc/discs in the fairway most of the time.

Did see some paint for long and short tees on a couple of holes which will really add to the appeal of this course.

I will definitely be coming back and it is certainly worth a stop if you're in Racine.

-close to Milwaukee metro
-a cool mix of park golf, prairie golf, tight woods, elevation, blind
-walking from hole to hole is pleasant
-couple of cool benches
-challenging fairways and nice basket placements
-baskets are really cool

-the course still seems a little rough cause it's pretty new
-garbage cans should be bigger
-concrete tee pads would be nice, sure its coming
-prairie grass is really high easy to loose discs

nice to see another course pop up. makes trips to racine kenosha area better with more options other than parkside. this course is high risk/reward. you could easily be scrambling out of some mess if you go too far off the fairways. once this course is more worn in, maybe with a few improvements and alternate pin placements it could be better than just above average. If you don't end up looking for too many discs you should have a pretty fun time

Great variety of shots is required on this course. They have short, very technical wooded holes, as well as longer more open ones.
Great use of elevation. Holes 2 and 3 are awesome! Who doesn't love to throw over a deep ravine? While the rest of the course does not have any extreme elevation changes after hole 3, the elevation that is available is used very well.
Very unique basket placements. While many courses would have just put he cage in an opening near the end of the hole, this course finds very nifty places to tuck the baskets up.
Hole 15 now has a very cool elevated basket.
Concrete is now in he process of being added.

As of right now, most of the tees are still grass. A few of the hole have concrete or rubber tee pads. However, I've heard that concrete pads will soon be implemented.
Towards the back nine, it can be pretty rough looking for a disc if you go off the fairway. It's pretty thick woods.
Still a lot of stumps on the ground. I often found myself tripping over them throughout the course.
Starts in a picnic area, which means that when big festivals are going on, hole 1, 17, and 18 may be unplayable.

You won't find any huge par 4s or 5s here. There are some longer 3s however.

Overall a great course that I really like. There's a river that plays a part on hole 3, and a little bit on hole 8, thats adds to the fun.

There is also a golf course in Johnson park, but you will never actually see it besides the driving range at holes 1 and 18. This is good because it means that there is a clubhouse! The clubhouse has a bar and good food too