Stanley, WI

Mahr's Meadow DGC

2.655(based on 10 reviews)
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12 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 20, 2023 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Mahr's Meadow is a course I've played numerous times now over the years. It's a little over an hour from me so I only make it there every couple of years or so. The last few times I've noticed a definite uptick in care for the course. This iteration is by far the best I've ever seen it look. It appears to have been slightly altered from the last time I played here a few years ago. For the better though.

The baskets are Mach II's that are all still in great shape over a decade after first playing here. A number of them have the tops and cages spraypainted either red or orange which makes them slightly easier to spot. There's one basket and one pin placement per hole according to the tee signs. Two of the signs had two distances listed, indicating two pin locations. These maps were a different version, plus with the leaf cover on the ground, so I'm unsure if that's actually the case.

New since the last time I played are the concrete tees. Theses are on the smaller side but are a definite improvement over the natural pads from before. The pads themselves are nicely poured, level and have good grip to them. One per hole.

The design here is pretty solid for the amount of space there was to work with. Seamless flow from hole to hole. You'll never need a map to find your way around out here. No long transitions between holes. The course starts with three basically wide open, longer holes. Holes 2 and 3 feature elevated pins. The first on a wooden platform and the second on a dirt mound. I always appreciated this design to spice up a few otherwise bland holes. From hole 4 thru 13 you're in the wooded section, before opening back up a bit for 4 of the final 5 holes.

The tee signs are pretty solid too. These are mounted on nice little wood posts that shield the signs from the elements. Basic hole hole, hole #, par and distance. They also show any nearby holes, including the next tee in most cases. Basic but plenty serviceable.

The course starts and ends right by the parking area, is free to play and in the past has never been busy. Though there were two other groups out there today, in mid November, and the second day of rifle season. So maybe it's gotten more popular in recent years.

Cons:

The main issue I noticed today was the proximity of some of the tee pads to the previous basket. Hole 9's tee is only 20 or so feet from hole 8's basket. To lesser extent hole 4's basket and 5's tee. 11's tee is potentially in play from 10's fairway but that'd require a very errant drive. Not a huge deal tbh, but it is a little congested in spots.

As I mentioned above, the tee pads are on the smaller side. really short and narrow. I'd guess maybe 6' x 4'. Not a major con on the majority of the course, but certainly less than ideal on the 500ish foot holes.

The rough off the fairways can be pretty gnarly. Again, it wasn't too bad in November. In the greener months just pitching out could be problematic though. There's also a marsh twenty or so feet past hole 4's pin. So there's a very real chance of losing plastic out here.

The tee signs are just laminated sheets of paper. All were legible enough, albeit a bit faded. If these are replaced yearly it's a non issue, if not they'll be basically useless by next spring. A few of the hole maps didn't quite show the actual fairway shape correctly either.

Other Thoughts:

Despite all the cons I listed, I'd consider them all pretty minor and they honestly didn't detract from my rating all that much.

This is actually one of my favorite courses in my area and is certainly worth a visit if you find yourself near here. It's only 5 minutes off of Hwy 29 and is a pretty quick play if you stay out of the rough. Good mix of different shot shapes required with at least one fair line to hit on every hole. No poke and hope shots. Just a really fun course that I gladly play whenever I find myself passing through. And a huge shoutout to the folks making improvements and maintaining the course. It's definitely noticeable and more importantly appreciated.
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3 0
Trueharleygirl
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Course recently given some love drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 4, 2023 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

New Concrete Pads and slight adjustment to tee locations on a few holes

Cons:

During wet weather a few holes are a bit soggy

Other Thoughts:

This course is getting more attention over this last year, with cleaning up fairways and such that we should see it improve over time
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8 0
ReinZ_96
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 104 played 46 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Small town disc golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 25, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

1) Mahr's meadow plays through an almost entirely hardwood forest (largely aspen) and adjacent prairie land. The woods holes generally have very well defined, grass covered fairways. The varied landscape is used well and there is a decent mix of open, lightly, moderately, and heavily wooded holes. The course is very flat, but what little elevation that is there is used well enough. There are a couple raised baskets on holes 2 and 3 to liven up the wide open holes, but 3 is very nice as it's on a natural looking mound rather than just a wooden box like hole 2.

2) From a hole design standpoint, there is nothing outstanding here, but it's generally average or above (with the exception of 1, 2 and 3 just throwing back and forth across a wide open field). 3 is the best of these openers, but it's still just wide a wide open hole at the end of the day. There is a large range of hole distances, and most all players with be throwing putter, mid, and driver off the tee depending on the hole. Though, many holes do err towards the shorter side. Many of the holes reward a well executed shot (or two on 6 and 17) with a pretty easy birdie look but will still will punish you for being off. While most of the holes rely on the basic 'throw straight then let it fade' shot shape, which does get a little old, there is a decent mix on lefty and righty holes as well as a couple demanding lines to hit that keep it interesting enough to make most holes feel unique and fun. Hole 5 is just straight ahead with a moderately small gap at C2ish range that requires a straight finish to keep it close. Hole 6, my personal favorite, is a Par 5 (par 4, more realistically) ~650ft with a demanding tee shot through an early tunnel with thick rough left and OB road right, then a decently protected basket that requires two very good shots to get an easy 3. Hole 9 has a couple mid-fairway trees about 100ft out that force you to pick a line and hit it to get you easy 2. Hole 12 requires a slight RHBH/LHFH flex shot unless you want to push the early tree on the right and risk a really bad kick. Hole 14 is super short, but very very tight while still having two pretty well defined line choices to the pin. Hole 17 is a pretty short par 4 that has a tight gap off the tee where missing it can give you some very bad kicks, but a nice straight 350ft, or big RHBH hyzer, will usually give you a pretty routine look at birdie.

3) Tee signs are just very basic images of the UDisc map, but they get the job done and do a more than adequate job of getting across the shape of the hole. Better than many courses, but still not really that useful on the many blind basket placements around the course.

4) Navigation is a breeze. The course flows extremely well and is very intuitive to follow. The transition from 7 to 8 could see someone accidentally skipping 8/9 and going straight to 10, but you'd really have to not be paying attention to do it as the tee posts/signs are marked clearly.

5) Benches are not extremely frequent around the course, but they do exist and are in great shape. Great for a mid-round break if you need it, but you likely won't be needing them for any backups as the course seems pretty lightly used. I played two rounds over almost 3 hours and saw exactly zero other people on the course.

Cons:

1) Natural pads. In most places they aren't rutted out and the wooden markers in the ground are easy to find on almost every hole, but this is always a con for me as they can very quickly degrade at any time. A few a getting pretty worn down and are close to becoming tripping hazards and hole 1 doesn't have a tee mark that I could find. Any kind of permanent pad (rubber, turf, concrete, pavers, anything) would almost certainly see me bump the rating up to 2.5.

2) There is a wetland area just next to the course that spills onto some of the holes. Even considering I played the course in the spring, the course was holding much more water (mud and standing water) than almost every other course I have played around the same time this year. A couple areas (specifically off the fairway on 14) seem like areas that are just always wet and/or have some standing water. Unfortunately, these are also on some of the more technical holes on the course where any mistake gives you a pretty high risk of walking off the hole with wet feet. The first three holes also had some standing water when I played, but that definitely seems like it dries out much easier and quicker than the swampy area around 12, 13, 14, 15.

3) In some places the layout is outright dangerous if the course was ever busy. Holes 1, 2, and 3 run very closely to each other in alternating directions. Holes 6 and 17 literally share a fairway but run in opposite directions. They also run alongside a moderately busy road and ending up on/over it on 17 is a very real possibility with a bad shot or kick off the early trees. Holes 12 and 15 share a fairway then dogleg off in opposite directions. Lastly, hole 14s basket is very close to 15s tee (and by extension the shared fairway of 12/15). This course is not in any way fit for tournament play and has severely limited capacity/throughput for this reason. Though, as previously mentioned, this course does not seem heavily played at all so this should seldom be an issue.

4) There is an abundance of very short holes. This is hardly a con as they are mostly still fun and they don't really degrade from the fun of the course but I do believe it is worth mentioning.

5) Like most courses in the Midwest, especially lighter trafficked ones, there is some very overbearing rough to be found. Even when I played in late March getting off the fairway at any point on many of the holes would instantly send you to bogey or worse territory. I imagine this only gets worse in the summer. Additionally, there are quite a few prickly plants, vines, and brambly bushes to be found. Even if you are playing in the summer heat I would not recommend playing in shorts as you'll probably leave with some scuffed up legs.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I rate Mahr's Meadow as an average course that is brought down by a couple minor cons and one very large one. As mentioned above, I think some permanent tee pads would be enough for me to up the course to a 2.5, but never anything above that. Looking at the holes in isolation from the rest of the course, a 3.0 would likely be my rating, but the cons (specifically the safety issues due to overlapping fairways) make that a definite no for me. This course sits in a pretty disc golf sparse part of rural central WI so if you are driving across the state and looking a quick place to stop and play, I would recommend the course. But I wouldn't recommend centering a trip around it, the Tower Ridge courses in just down Hwy 29 in Eau Claire are a much better candidate for that.
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2 0
jwood3030
Experience: 8.8 years 53 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Nice Local Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Both short and long holes, and holes that dogleg both left and right, so it takes a variety of shots to complete. Most fairways are open and clear, but the rough is punishing if you stray into it. The course uses the natural features well, fitting into the woods and fully using the small amount of elevation that is available. The fairways have been adequately mowed all 3 times I have played the course (2015 and 2016)

The signage is excellent, showing the distance and layout of each hole and including an arrow to show the direction to the next tee. This was one of the easiest courses to navigate for a first time player that I have ever seen.

Cons:

The tee boxes are completely natural, often just a board embedded in the ground to mark the front.

The course is next to a swamp, so there are many low lying areas around the course. It is easy to get your feet wet when you are off the course. The woods are thick too, so I would recommend long pants and good shoes.

The standing water around the course leads to a ton of mosquitoes during the wrong time of year. Bug spray is definitely needed.

Other Thoughts:

It was great to find a course here in northern Wisconsin and I have greatly enjoyed playing here. I wouldn't recommend a special trip just to play, but if you are in this neck of the woods, it is worth an afternoon to play.
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1 1
Bushmaster
Experience: 19 years 9 played 8 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Summer = don't play here 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Some signs with directions and distance. Good variation of long and short holes. Nice mix of open and wooded holes. Some good ace chances. Has one of the longest holes I have seen at 665'. Very few people play here. Nice layout and next hole is easy to find. Elevated baskets on holes 2 and 3 are a nice touch.

Cons:

Dirt tees. Knee to chest high grass on most fairways. Hardly any elevation changes. Tall unmowed grass is causing there to be a ton of mosquitos and deer flies.

Other Thoughts:

We drove 64 miles one way to play this course and were very disappointed. It ended up being one of the least enjoyable rounds of disc golf ever for me (and I played in -7 deg weather this year). We played all 18 holes but really just wanted to get it over with. The actual course is not too bad, really nothing too special though. The problem was the lack of maintenance and play at this course. There were some spots in the fairway that had grass over 6 feet tall and we ended up losing one disc even though we knew right were it landed. This course hasn't been mowed once all year and the lack of play is very apparent. Some holes had little trees and grass growing up into the baskets. The tall grass is causing tons of mosquitos and deer flies even with bug spray. I would give this course a 3 if it was maintained at all and would only play again in the late fall, winter or spring but not in summer. Play this course if your passing by on HWY 29 in the spring, late fall or winter, but don't drive here just to play and stay away in summer.
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6 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.2 years 1508 played 475 reviews
3.00 star(s)

More Mahr 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 4, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Nice signs with Hole #, distance, and a map.
2) Boards buried in the ground act as the front of the teebox.
3) There are a few benches spread around the course which is nice because I could see some backups especially during tournament play.
4) Chainstars are some of my favorite baskets. They catch so nice and look like they are built better than the other Mach Series baskets. I wish they were more visible and the chains didn't have a tendency to get hung-up on each other.
5) Very nice mix of wooded and open holes. It feels like you are in for just another course set in a prairie, but then you get to play through some tighter wooded holes and near wetlands, etc. The variety is balanced just right if you ask me.
6) Elevated baskets on 2 of the prairie holes to add some interest and uniqueness.
7) Distance variation on this course is excellent. There are some short ace runs, some nice full distance driving holes, a even some multiple shot holes. I love it when I get to use all the discs in my enormous bag as well as differing strategies one multiple holes.

Cons:

1) There are a couple places where safety is an issue. Hole #6 and 17 run along the same section of mowed down prairie. They overlap by a few hundred feet and could lead to a real serious issue. I hope it doesn't come to that and this course is not used so much that it will be an issue. Hole #12, 13, and 14 are also overlapping where there could be a potential hazard.
2) The prairie holes get a little boring, but the rest of the course is an asset to the course. They did raise up two of the basket in the prairie to make them slightly more interesting which I can appreciate the effort at least.
3) Some of the areas on the course have some punishing rough to the sides. There is some underbrush and also a bunch of suckers on trees which create quite a tough obstacle to escape from.
4) There is some unevenness on a lot of the ground out here. I suppose it is rodents and also the fact that the course runs near a wetland. The shifting leads to cracks and eventually causes the ground to settle in spots. Watch your step or risk an ankle injury in a few places.

Other Thoughts:

This is a really decent course. The design is awesome using the best features on this property. The uniqueness is high because of some things they did during the installation. The variety is really good because of the varying terrain and the varying foliage and density. There are holes that go all directions and all your shots and discs can be used on this course. I imagine that it could be swampy in season and the grass could get tall at times being in the middle of nowhere. I also imagine mosquitoes and ticks could also be an issue, fortunately for me I travel more in the fall to play disc golf courses and this one is perfect for a fall round.
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5 0
JeremyAD
Experience: 13 years 77 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Swamplands Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

* Decent variety in types (wooded, open, LH, RH, etc.) and distance of holes
* Signs are fairly consistent and straightforward, stating direction, distance and par for each hole
* Not many others to contend with on the course. In fact both times I played here nobody else was on the course
* Has decent amount of benches and disposal cans
* In my opinion, Once past the first 3 holes, this small course possesses a decent fun-factor

Cons:

* Mahr's Meadow is largely located in the middle of a swamp. If your disc ends up in the rough, not only will you have an incredibly difficult shot, you will more than likely have wet feet. Some of the tees, in fact, tend to collect water.
* The tees are dirt/mud/embedded rocks, and can be dangerous. A long piece of lumber marks the front of the tee box and could easily become a tripping hazard, esp. when a discer uses a run-up shot. Oftentimes it is better to shoot beside or behind the designated tee locations
* This course is not always well maintained. During my most recent visit, not only were the fairways not mowed, they were simply fully grown dandelion fields, esp. the first three holes.
* The first 3 holes consist of simple back and forth shots in an open field (although it does improve in the latter holes)
* A few of the holes use the same space as their respective fairways

Other Thoughts:

Again, the fun-factor of this course (which is most important to me) is relatively high. This course could easily become much improved with better, more consistent tees pads. It also seems to be greatly lacking in attention and maintenance. As I was playing the course I often wondered if anybody had even played it in the last month. Overall, it is a decent and fun course for such a small community. Definitely not one of the best courses in the area (i.e. Tower Ridge in Eau Claire), but it is in a convenient location along my sales route, so I play it when traveling through the area.
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4 0
SleekrBeekr
Experience: 14.8 years 63 played 20 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Mahr's Meadow 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 8, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

18-hole layout.
Nice mix of technically challenging holes and long holes with tight fairways.
A little bit of small elevation changes.
It's a course to play in an area that doesn't have many course within 25-35 miles.
Maps on all the holes.

Cons:

The new 18-hole layout is a little cramped for the land the course is on. There are a lot of holes in the woods that are less than 250 feet as a result. The first three holes are just throwing back and forth in the same field, which can have you playing into and over the other fairways.
The tees are natural, and a lot are uneven, muddy, and/or have roots running through them. This is really an issue, as it takes a lot away from the course.
In the summer the bugs are terrible, this is largely in part to the course playing along side a marsh.
The layout gets a little tricky toward the end of the course, and there are a couple holes where back-ups could occur.

Other Thoughts:

I like this course and I play it often. I like that they put in a few more holes to make it a complete 18, but the layout could be adjusted some. The tees definitely need work, a lot of them are really hard to play on. The wooded holes offer a nice challenge, but quickly get repetitive with their shortness. Overall this is a fun course and it has a decent replay value, it just needs a little work. If the tees were nicer this could easily be 3.5 rating.
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5 0
Wattenphul-2009
Experience: 17.6 years 37 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Upgraded to 18 holes, fun play! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 25, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

For one thing, it has been upgraded to a full 18 hole course and the great variety of holes gives this course a high replay score in my book. The open and wooded areas are used pretty well and the half-dozen holes that dogleg left, right or through heavy woods make for a good challenge whether you throw RHBH or RHFH (or LHBH/LHFH). I found the extremely long hole on #6 a great challenge with the distance of 650+ft. There is also a fun long hole on #17 which is well over 500ft. Other than those two the holes are more technical. There is one straight shot hole under 200ft that is almost your gimme birdie, but it is a nice change from the other holes that really test your skills. There are benches and trashcans throughout the course, which are a huge PLUS. The raised tees on #2 and #3 are a fun change. Each tee has a marker & description of the hole and it is easy to find your way from one hole to another without getting lost easily. The Mach V baskets are in great shape and each labeled with the hole number on them.

Cons:

I'd say the weakest point of the course are the tees. I am a fan of concrete tees. These lumpy, slippery, grass tees with a root sticking out here & there are a slip and fall waiting to happen. The parking area is a dirt & grass patch that is hard to spot while driving down the road unless you have been to the course before. The tee signs are paper in a paper protector; descriptive, but somethings on the sign are scratched out and moved (I'm assuming because the full 18 hole upgrade is new) Another complaint could be the lack of any type of restroom. Finally, a couple of the fairways are shared and might pose a danger to players if the course gets some heavier use. I went at the end of Nov. so there was not many people, but I can imagine the summer brings more disc golfers.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this is a very enjoyable course. The course layout poses a challenge for both right & left handed players. I believe the course was just increased to 18 holes this summer and none of the holes are bad. The grass tees take my score down from a would be 3.5 to a 3. It could be a PDGA tournament worthy course if it had rubber or cement tee pads in my opinion. Next spring, get out and enjoy this newly expanded course!
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3 0
brentwood_17
Experience: 23 years 45 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Played Half the Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice wood tee signs with paper that are descriptive. 1st hole is a nice mound basket position. Most holes are open fairways with room to perform your shot while offline or misexecuted shots will find the rough. Holes I played were fair. Hole 11 gives you the opportunity to go around the grove of trees or shoot the gap. Holes are open enough to get a good shot off without getting smackdown by trees in the fairway.

Cons:

Grass tees, one tee area was setup with a root right in the plant foot area of the tee pad, toe boards mark tee area. Hole 4&10 share the same 75 ft wide fairway area not good.

Other Thoughts:

I think their are 12 holes. When we played we played 1-5 then came to hole 6 going one direction and the other direction was "new hole 6" we played new hole 6 as we didn't see a basket on hole 6 I think there was one. New hole 6 led us to a sign that said more holes to come in fall of 2009/spring of 2010. We followed the path out and right out to the teepad we saw before which was hole 10 so I didn't play holes 6-9
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