La Crosse, WI

Pettibone Park - Old Layout

3.55(based on 13 reviews)
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1 0
Jmpviper
Experience: 9 played 8 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice views but difficult for some! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 3, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice views right on the Mississippi River. Course isn't overly difficult.

Cons:

Big difference between the front 9 and the back 9. While one is more wide open with fewer trees the other is tree heavy. Different throw styles are needed. Some holes require a right hook on them to avoid having to shoot a long two. So for those who only throw backhand it may be difficult unless you have the appropriate disc that has a right hook. Sometimes there are crowds of people resulting in waits.

Other Thoughts:

Try it out if you're in the area. It's free which is always nice.
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1 0
Murderous Monkey
Experience: 12.7 years 19 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Best Daily Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1) Front 9 is nice and open for beginners. I played this almost exclusively for the first few times I went out.
2) Front 9 allows for a multiple of different lines to take, whereas the Back 9 is a little more straightforward in terms of shots.
3) Local guy dives and plays so he has a large collection of used discs for sale or trade. I've been lucky enough to get some Stars and GL Lat 64 from his pile.
4)This course is able to be played daily and really not have an issue. Other local courses are very weather susceptible or too short. This allows for a new game every day.
5) Generally speaking, can't really lose a disc here unless you really shank it on the B9 or aren't paying attention to your throw on the F9.

Cons:

1) Some teepads are cracked so watch out when approaching.
2) Basket 8 is STILL deformed badly.
3) A number of signs are missing on the B9, but they all are par 3, it would be nice for them to make a return.
4) Garbage "cans" could be a bit larger.
5) Because it's encircled by water, the bugs are rough, especially on the B9.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely bring bug spray. Nice overall course that can easily be played daily.
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1 0
barg0071
Experience: 13.8 years 22 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great all-around course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 17, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Nice open fairways on the front 9 and shorter technical shots on the moderately wooded back 9.
- All teepads are made of concrete.
- The course is well marked and easy to follow with great flow.
- Grass is cut regularly and trees trimmed well.

Cons:

-The pars listed are a little too easy on the front 9 holes. I just play par 3 the whole way through.
- As of 3/17/2012, the basket on hole 8 is not is very good shape. Last summer someone basically destroyed it. I has been repaired, but it is low and a bit misshapen.
- A few hole signs by the teepads are missing on the back 9, but you can still easily determine where the basket is without them.

Other Thoughts:

- Watch out for stinging nettle on the back 9 if your disc ends up off of the fairway.
- Water will only come into play if you throw a really bad anhyzer (RHBH) on holes 3 and 9.
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1 0
mjfreunder
Experience: 12.8 years 36 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Pettibone Pleasure 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Nice mix of open and wooded. Front nine is relatively open, and back nine is wooded.
- The mix of open and wooded facilitates different types of shots. I'm primarily a RHBH thrower, but the back nine gave me a lot of opportunities to throw forehand.
- Front and back nine are separated very nicely, so that you could easily play just the front nine or the back nine if you are in a pinch.
- Decent mix of short and long holes, but there are more shorter holes than longer holes.
- Very good tee signs state length, par and gives a map of the hole, though the lengths printed on the signs do not match with the lengths listed on the sign at the first tee. Baskets are in very good condition as well.
- Nice park setting with gazebos and benches.

Cons:

- The tee pads are a bit short for my liking, though I have a long windup and delivery. For those like me, the tee pads make it hard to get momentum.
- Three of the tee signs are missing (holes 14-16).
- There are trash cans at every hole (they're actually buckets), but they don't look like they get emptied too much. Some of the buckets were overflowing with trash and cans, so a lot of trash was on the ground, especially on the back nine.
- Bugs were a problem both times I've played. Pesty bugs on the back nine in the woods and mosquitos are a bit of a problem.

Other Thoughts:

This course must have had a renovation relatively recently, because some of the photos do not match the course that I played. Does anyone know if the parks department changed the placement of the tees/baskets? For someone who hadn't been there before, it was a bit hard to find the first tee, though after I found the first tee the navigation of the course is really very good. There is no elevation change on the course, which can be a pro or a con depending on your preference.

Overall, this course is great. It's beginner friendly so that a new disc golfer could learn how to shoot a variety of shots, but it's a course that I think more experienced players would like as well. I could see the park being very busy on a nice day. I really enjoyed the course as a whole and would definitely recommend it to anyone passing through the La Crosse area.
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1 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.2 years 1508 played 475 reviews
3.50 star(s)

My first Island Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Awesome balance of obstacles and density of trees. The front nine is very parklike . . . meaning you need to avoid just a few key trees and thread those S curves to try and park the hole. The back nine heads into the woods forcing much tighter lines and much more difficult permiter rough areas.

2) Nice massive concrete tees . . . very necessary on the front nine because of longer throws. Gravel around the teepads is also a really good idea because it wqould be mud otherwise. Mulch would either wash away or break down quickly.

3) DGA signs in pretty good shape . . . with all the pertinent information. Par, Hole #, distance and a diagram.

4) Nice DGA Mach 2 baskets. In pretty good shape and catch well, but they could use the orange indicator or something to make them easier to see.

5) Garbage cans available . . . although really small buckets.

6) Nice park with pincic areas, pavilions, fishing, boating, and all the other park amenities.

7) Nice big mature trees to create that large obstacle and often times forcing different shots.

8) Balance of shot making on this course is awesome. The front nine allows you to pick your favorite shot type and execute it, but the back nine forces different shots depending on the hole and it has a good balance of left and right turning holes. A couple of straight shots but almost all of the back nine turns one way or the other.

9) Excellent distance variations on this course ranging from upper 100's to mid 500's and a good assortment of everything in between. I think this is an often overlooked aspect of course design. This forces different discs but if everything is between 225-300 most people will throw the same disc on a lot of holes. I also really like like having multiple shot holes.

10) Pretty beginner friendly because it is mostly open on the front and the wooded holes are short enough that you shouldn't be losing discs.

11) An older guy there hawking discs and water . . .not sure if he is a pond hawker or if those are just his discs or if they are new discs . . . I didnt look that close but it is always nice to have someone keep a presence at a popular course.

Cons:

1) Lots of low lying wet and muddy spots. I am sure with this being in the middle of the rivers that the park might often flood or at the very least will remain wet a long time, especially with all of the tree cover keeping the sun out.

2) Really buggy and humid mid summer I could tell, although we avoided both as it was a pretty pleasant day out and hte bugs hadn't really kicked in gear yet.

3) Really really busy . . . we stopped on a Thursday evening on our way from Milwaukee to MN and it was pretty well packed.

4) Nettles as well as poistion ivy spotted in a few spots . . . its bound to happen if you throw into the rough areas on the back 9.

Other Thoughts:

All in all this is just a solid course . . . the only thing it really lacks in terms of fun factor and challenge would be some water or even 1' of elevation change. Other than that it present just about everything to you and in goo balance.

If I lived in the area you would find me here all the time, because it is so diverse.

The two nines blend well together to make a solid course, and seperately you can choose what you want to work on and stick to a nine if you are practicing. Want to try out some new drivers or work on your long game . . . play the front 9, want to work on the shorter tighter technical upshot part of your game then play the back 9.
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4 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A tale of two courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 12, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course has two very different sides, that alone would be mediocre 9 hole courses, but together offer a better variety and a fun combination. The front 9 is through a mostly open park area, with grassy fairways and tall mature trees. There is good length here, with several holes where you can really rip a drive if you can avoid the scattered trees. There are nice views of the river and the city.

The back 9 is much more technical, with shorter tighter holes through the woods. There is much more punishment here for an errant shot with pretty thick trees and brush off the fairways. There are several ace runs on the back 9 if you can hit your lines in the woods.

There are nice concrete tees here, with plenty of room and a nice texture. The baskets are in good shape, and catch well. The tee signs are basic, but fairly accurate with hole layout and distance. The course flows well enough that navigation isn't an issue at all. There wasn't much trash or vandalism here, and the park seemed well taken care of.

Cons:

Both halves of the course get a bit repetitive on their own. Combined, there is good variety, but because you play 9 of one type of hole, then 9 of another, it gets a bit boring by the end of each 9. It would be nice if the design could go in and out of the woods to mix things up a little more.

The distances on the front 9 have a lot of tweener type holes, where most players can't expect a 2, but it's not long enough or punishing enough that very many players will take a 4. The whole course is very flat, with no elevation to add some more variety, and the water never comes into play.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun little course that does a decent job of using the park to make some interesting holes. It's not a must play course that I would recommend driving out of your way for, but it's worth a stop if you are in the area. Beginners will find the front 9 long, but the back 9 is a more fun challenge for shorter arms. More experienced players will find some fun challenges on the back 9, and get to rip some drives on the front, but there isn't quite enough variety to keep it from getting a bit boring.
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2 0
deadbody
Experience: 20.1 years 152 played 66 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Clean, no litter, pretty easy to traverse layout, nice teepads and baskets. Minimal interaction with other course users. Fun little layout, front nine is very open averaging about 350 ft or so, nice mature trees that come into play and make you shape hots around them. Back nine is much shorter averaging about 250 ft, but tighter, you will pay for mising a fairway. I played the front with my wife and kid and my wifes aunts who had never played before, they enjoyed the sport.

Cons:

Missing some signs on back nine, signs are good, but overstate the turns on a couple spots (makes it look like a much sharper bend that actually is). No elevation changes, course is flat.

Other Thoughts:

Very nice course, the locals were friendly, the frontnine is a great way to intorduce the sport, the back is a good little test. I really enjoyed this course, and will come down to play again next summer.
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2 4
stiz
Experience: 23 years 11 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Great overall course. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 20, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

It's a great overall course. The front 9 is wide open with large trees and rewards distance throwers. The back 9 is tight and rewards the accurate player.

Cons:

The course can get extremely busy at times. Weekdays after 3p.m. its good idea to plan for more time to play the course, I would say add atleast 45 minutes to your round.

Other Thoughts:

I play it daily and enjoy it every time. Good course to play, and its FREE!
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1 4
lilzach790
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has two very different 9 holes. The front nine is very wide open and flat were as the back goes into the woods. All of the tees are in good condition.

Cons:

This course can be extremly busy somtimes since its free.

Other Thoughts:

This course is worth playing!
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11 1
Texconsinite
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.2 years 138 played 77 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great Two-Fer 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 3, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

As anyone who has played it will tell you, this course is really like two separate 9 hole courses, since the front and back 9 are cut from different cloth.

However, both parts share the bonus of nice concrete tee pad, generously and diligently shoveled out and sanded by the local die-hards. Also, detailed tee signs at every hole, while not always completely accurate, make it easier to know which pin you are aiming at (esp since the pins are not numbered)

The FRONT 9 is a lot of longer holes in a field with scattered trees. It is bounded on both sides by a picturesque lagoon, and the mighty Mississippi. You have a great view of town across river, and the front nine is rather scenic. The long holes are great opportunities to air it out a little, though there are Big trees in play on every hole, so it does force you to bend your shots around. The pins are not especially well protected, but trees are always in play off the tee, which forces controlled distance. Very reasonable variety of holes, both in distance, and shots required. Many s-curves, and bends in either direction, though the only scattered trees, while big, do allow some flexibility as far as flight paths. You will not be punished for veering off the "fairway" since there is not shule to land in. However, getting a direct tree hit does leave a difficult shot around it, since the trees are tall and wide. Overhanging branches like to snag drives that get too high, so spike hyzers can be risky, and it at least punishes you for throwing nose up. Can get windy in the open areas, especially putting. This is the part where bigger arms will have a notable advantage.

the BACK 9 is an abrupt change of pace. It is all tight short shots in the woods. Think of it as the front nine's smaller, trickier, less forgiving younger brother. On most holes, you will not have a clear shot at the pin, though due to winter conditions thining out the shule, you can almost always see it through the trees. This part is full of SHARP turns, both left and right, and some teardrop-shaped fairways which get thinner towards the pin, then usually are kinked one direction or the other at the end. Others (the more drastic hyzers) are just skinny the whole way through. If you throw 300+, you can probably play this whole part with midranges & an occasional fairway driver. Whats more, you probably should, since accuracy is much more important than power on these holes. Namely, staying on the fairway. I saw the short distances of the holes, and kept going for it with drivers, trying to park or ace it. The problem is, its very easy to end up in the woods here, and if you do, its thick enough to prevent much more than an escape shot. So if you play it conservatively and with skill, its easy to get par on all these holes, and dueces are within reach, but only if you stay out of the trees. This course WILL punish errant shots, unlike its big brother. I found this part challenging, tricky and creative. The most useful shots to have in your bag for this course are a good hyzer flip, and unless you throw both BH and FH, a good anhyzer shot (a heavy Innova Wolf would be perfect), since this course will test you ability to throw short, sharp curves with a somewhat limited ceiling and not much room for error. There were several cases where there is a window to cut the corner, but it is always fraught with danger, so risk reward is in evidence. However, you can par or duece almost all these without swinging for any fences. A good shot off the tee that stays in the fairway with something like a cheetah or even a nebula will usually set up a clear makeable putt to the basket, or at least a short upshot. This is an equalizer, since the big arms likely pulled ahead on the front nine, but here their distance counts for nothing, and control is the name of the game.

Separately, they would be two 2 star, fairly unremarkable 9 holers (other than the view on the front nine), but together they form a balanced variety of both distance and skill shots. Overall, an enjoyable experience and a fun, interesting course that I would not at all mind playing again

Cons:

The whole course is completely flat. Also, there is no water really in play, though a really wild throw long or wide on a few holes in the front nine might possibly end up in the lagoon or the Mississippi River(good luck retrieving that one)

I think largely the topography is what limits this course's greatness. With some hills and maybe a shot along the bank of the lagoon or river (ex. Fountain Hills DGC, AZ) this could be a great course. As it is, it is still good, and is a fun course to play. Worth checking out.

Other Thoughts:

The great news is the baskets are in all winter for snow golf, and the league runs then as well.

The friendly local club members are very active in course maintenance and design, and included several pro-level players who really put us to shame just watching them play. This is great, since it affords an opportunity to watch, or even play in a group with others who are a lot better than you, and maybe learn a thing or two in the process.
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2 5
Stashride
Experience: 27.8 years 20 played 18 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Blue Bridge Discin 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2007 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Wide open..great big oaks and water surrounding you..Real rustic and wooded..real nice pavilion for parties..lots of wildlife..many different kinds of birds if you like that kind of thing..This course is misleadingly challenging..lots of land..if they ever wanted to add another nine they could..

Cons:

Poorly marked..no signage..no trash cans..

Other Thoughts:

Delicious fish right around the coner at this harbor spot right by the blue bridge..Ill put up the name when I think of it..maybe realbigtrav will know..
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7 2
cpaquette
Experience: 16.6 years 42 played 41 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best in the area, hands down 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Perfect course for beginner, intermediate and advanced players alike. A nice combination of distance, shotmaking and obstacles to ensure you will enjoy your round.

Cons:

Next tees are not marked as well as they could or should be. Also, it's nice to know distances of the hole you're shooting for.

Other Thoughts:

This course has plenty of mature trees and resides on a nice piece of land.
My only hope is that people work a little harder to keep the park up, (i.e. picking up after themselves as trash seems to find its way on the ground opposed to in a trash can)
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4 3
MasJeremy
Experience: 21.8 years 3 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Front 9: Flat open ground. Well maintained.
Back 9: Tight turns with flat ground. Fairway is well groomed.

Play brings you back to the 1st tee after 9 and 18 holes.

Cons:

Stinging nettles are common in the rough, and bring some strong mosquitto repellant.

Holes are not all well marked and you can spend some time trying to figure out where to throw if you're not familiar with the course.

Other Thoughts:

Borders Mississippi and Black Rivers. Plenty of good picnic and family areas. Boat launch nearb
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