Milwaukee, WI

Estabrook Park

3.115(based on 47 reviews)
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12 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 18.7 years 232 played 223 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good, But #3 or Lower in Milwaukee

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 19, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

- two practice baskets
- blue banded Innova DISCatchers in good shape
- fun for a quicker, more casual round than Brown Deer or Dretzka
- concrete tees
- newer full color tee signs with maps
- benches at each tee, garbage cans throughout course
- three pin positions for most holes
- rough is generally forgiving
- holes 10 and 11 have challenging elevated baskets while throwing downhill towards Milwaukee River
- generally well maintained park with mature trees
- ample parking

Cons:

- mostly flat and fairly open
- lots of holes play a bit close to street and walking paths
- some navigation gets fairly confusing, particularly holes 16-20
- some minor backtracking between holes
- a few very long walks on back half of course between holes (11-12, for example)
- would be cool to use wooded area after 11 down by the river more
- fairways for 18 and 19 are too close to each other
- no pars on tee signs

Other Thoughts:

Estabrook was the 3rd Milwaukee course I played, and was my least favorite. Now, that's not a very fair assessment when Dretzka and Brown Deer were the first two - I think almost anyone would agree they are objectively better courses in almost every way. Estabrook is still a solid course, though it's probably not my favorite style.

Where Estabrook shines is if you are looking for a quicker, more casual round. There is very little elevation change here, which is a con for me, but it does mean it's a lot less strenuous and your round moves more quickly. Yes, it is still 20 holes, but hardly any of them eclipse 300 ft. This is a pretty quick course to play as long as you stay out of trouble.

I've seen this course described by a few reviewers as "technical". This is not how I would describe it compared to the other top-tier Milwaukee courses. It is fairly open, with some tree obstacles to be sure, but not a wooded course by any means, with the exception of a few holes. Most shots can be made with fairway drivers or lower speed discs, but you will have to do some shot selection and shaping to score well.

I think my favorite holes here were 10 and 11. Both have baskets that are elevated a bit higher on their poles and they are mounted at the start of a downward slope. You can see the Milwaukee River beyond, but it's not really in play as a hazard unless you REALLY roll a disc down the hill. However, these are tough shots with a big risk if you don't lay up near the basket. They are some of the better challenges on the course.

The equipment here is in good shape and the tee signs are newer. My main con here is the navigation and playing too close to roads/walking paths. Navigation starts out very straightforward, but gets pretty confusing around hole 11 or so. There is a really long walk to hole 12, followed by some backtracking to hole 13. From here it's ok again until hole 16. This is the weirdest part of the course: the tees for 16, 17, 18, and 20 all throw the same direction and are all generally visible from the same area. For the life of me, I don't understand why they couldn't turn 1-2 of these holes around so you go back and forth a bit more instead of backtracking. You hop around between these tees unsure which is which, and it's fairly confusing.

This is a very respectable course I'd be happy to have in my community but it didn't have any real wow factor for me. The park is nicely maintained but there are much better courses nearby. The $5 to play is a great deal when you consider how many Milwaukee courses it covers. I'm not sure I'd pay it solely to play here, but would in a heartbeat at Dretzka Park and Brown Deer Park, both of which are a short drive. If you're already in Milwaukee for those two, this is a respectable #3 to play if your legs will still allow.

If you are playing in the fall, watch out for the black walnuts everywhere on the ground. I felt like I was just asking to roll an ankle here.
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2 0
foren
Experience: 5 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Accuracy and Disc Turning Req'd drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2022 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great Balance of mid-length and shorter "accuracy Req'd" holes.

Trees play a BIG ROLE on this course
. Fly Low
- you'll need to bend, many, many shots

Visit the German, Beergarten to celebrate your finish

Cons:

No long holes.

Other Thoughts:

gets busy after work
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11 1
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Short But Semi-Technical Milwaukee Course With A Dedicated Following!

Reviewed: Played on:May 22, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Estabrook Park is a fairly good sized county park with a popular walking path bordering the Milwaukee River. The park has soccer and ballfields as well as a Beer Garden near hole 18's basket. Today, the garden featured live entertainment.

There is a nice sized parking lot with the course starting right across the street. Here you'll find a large course sign as well as a pay station like they have at state parks where you place your $5 in an envelope. Because, I was hurried, my wife had the car keys and I had no cash on me. I asked another group about the pay station and they went , "What pay station?"

The course features nicely sized concrete pads and these lovely tee signs. They have a map/picture on them and list all the 3-5 basket positions. Previous reviewers have written of the peg system used in letting you know which position the basket is currently in. I'm sorry to announce, I saw no holes for pegs and no pegs that fit in any holes. I finally did mostly figure out which position the basket was in by looking for the white PCV pipes which were the other basket positions. The course has the same cool benches as Abendscheim, only these did have the memorials/dedications as theirs. The baskets are blue Discatchers with Milwaukee County Parks stenciled on them.

The holes are short here with none playing over 330' but most have some element to make them somewhat interesting and provide some needed challenge. These would include twisting fairways, baskets set back in guarded positions, narrow gaps, low tunnels and in the case of the signature # 11, a narrowing gap descending down across a small ditch and then back up through some twisted trees to the awaiting basket.

Cons:

Is this a pay to play course or not?

Do Estabrook tee signs use the leg system?

Course is almost entirely flat.

There is some compacted soil around the # 10 basket.

Navigation is generally very intuitive except after # 6. I somehow missed # 7 and being on a limited timeline (think wife and dinner) I couldn't' take the extra time to look around.

Long walkout after # 11.

There are some places where this course could get very soggy after some rain.

Other Thoughts:

So far, I'm two for two in choosing Milwaukee courses that are so very perfectly suited for my "getting older by the minute" disc golfing game. With the plethora of courses in and around the Milwaukee area, Wisconsin golfers have so many choices. Estabrook Disc Golf is a solid 3.0 and My wife just discovered Estabrook Park listed on fun things to in Milwaukee. That's a rare double header win anywhere. And I stumbled across a big, ole turkey near # 11. Very cool? Huh?
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7 0
bigreddog
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.1 years 195 played 62 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Milwaukee's busiest course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 3, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Maintenance 10/10 - The course is very clean and well maintained, always well mowed.

Navigation on the holes 10/10 - Tee signs are descriptive and have a peg to show which placement is being used.

Baskets/Tees 9/10 - Tees are concrete and good size. Baskets are Discatchers, a few of the cages are leaning a little but overall they're in good shape.

Navigation between holes 9/10 - Course map present at the first tee, arrows on the baskets pointing to the next tee. A couple of awkward spots, crossing the road between 8/9 and a long walk from 11 to 12.

Finding discs 9/10 - For the most part you shouldn't have much trouble finding discs unless you throw a very poor shot. Hole 11 is an exception to this when in the long position, and going left on 9 or right on 12 could send you down a fairly large dropoff.

Use of obstacles 8/10 - For how small of an area they have to work with, the designers did a really good job of making this course. There are a few too many holes that feel basically the same, especially on the front nine, for me to rate this higher.

Decisionmaking required 8/10 - There are a lot of holes that present you with several options that are viable routes to the basket and make you think about what to throw, especially after the first few holes.

Alternate positions 8/10 - Every hole has at least 3 possible basket positions, and several have 4 or 5. A few of them don't really change the hole much other than adding 30' of distance, but for the most part they are good.

Variety of openness 7/10 - "moderately wooded" describes most holes on this course pretty well. There are a few more technical shots on holes 6, 11, and especially 20.

Comfort while playing 7/10 - In terms of physical comfort this course is great. Benches on every hole, a good amount of shade, water and bathrooms present at the start. The one knock is there are many holes where you might be worried about hitting someone on another hole, and with how crowded the course usually is this will usually be a factor.

Cons:

Elevation 2/10 - Pretty flat for the most part. Holes 10 and 11 are exceptions, with 10 dropping off over a hill and 11 having a large valley on the second half.

Variety of distances 2/10 - Despite having lots of alternate basket placements, they seem to tend to set the course mostly all short or mostly all long. I've played here 5 times now and this is how it's always been. When set short, most holes are 200-250, and when set long most holes are 250-300. Mixing and matching could do a little to help but even at the longest settings the longest hole is 355' on hole 17. You could easily play everything but 9, 11, and 17 with only putters and mids even if you don't have a big arm.

Variety of shot paths 4/10 - There are a LOT of holes that favor left to right shots, especially at the start of the round (1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 14, 17). Many of these are on the front nine with woods on the right and a street on the left that all feel kinda the same (1, 3, 4, 8). There are a couple of holes where going right to left is the better shot, but some depend on the placement.

Challenging all levels 4/10 - Advanced players won't find much challenge at this course. Alternate tee on hole 6 to add a little more challenge. It's best for rec players or intermediates looking to practice 200-250' midranges. Not a bad place to bring someone for their first time.

Other Thoughts:

More Exact Rating - 3.137
Overall Challenge 4/10 (when set long)

Located about 10 minutes from downtown in a residential area and near the Beer Garden, this is probably the most heavily trafficked course in the Milwaukee area. Expect to wait on most holes if coming at peak times, but if you happen to avoid the crowds you can play it very quickly. Great place to do a putters only round or have a lot of ace runs. This course is on the border between a 3.0 and a 3.5 for me. The main thing holding this course back from a 3.5 is the number of repetitive holes. It's hard to not be repetitive with no elevation and not a ton of space to work with so I understand.
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13 0
Kegelexercise
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 29.8 years 56 played 25 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Milwaukee's East Side Hot Spot 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 28, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Estabrook Park is the shorter, more technical disc golf course of the MKE County Parks System, located on Milwaukee's East Side, that can be deceptively challenging, especially if you're shooting at long pins.

1) Tees & Baskets - currently single concrete tees at most baskets, with a smattering of longer alt tees, which are occasionally hard rubber. Tees are plenty long and grippy, and the baskets are all blue-banded DisCatchers, which are pretty new (< 2-3 years old I think), and in great condition. The signage is very cool, sharp-looking, and informative, but seemed to lack a critical component (see "tee signs" in cons)

2) Tree City - For a park-style course, Estabrook has a LOT of mature trees to contend with, which is cool for both line-shaping, and beauty reasons. Much of the course exists under varying degrees of tree cover, which means you'll need to concentrate on hitting "low, long and strong" lines often. I think it's very pretty and scenic for a city park course, gorgeous in the fall, and honestly one of the strongest aspects of the course, IMO. Better yet, this is accomplished without *too much* meandering into thick woods, though the holes that do are some of the more unique and cool holes in the city.

3) Multiple Pins - Estabrook makes up for mostly single tees by having at least 3 pins on all but one hole. Pin locations change periodically, long pins will challenge intermediate/advanced am players, while short pins will give you many ace runs.

4) Beginner-friendly - Estabrook, I think, hits that sweet spot between being tough enough to challenge skilled players, but not so much of a bear that it is going to blow out and discourage less skilled players. Skilled players will probably appreciate the ace potential there is when the short pins are out. There are some woodsy areas that you can fire your discs into, and a couple of holes that venture into the woods, but they are generally pretty well-maintained - disc loss potential here is on average pretty low.

5) Hole 11 - this, I think, is the coolest hole on the course. Starts on the "normal" plane that the rest of the course is on, then dips into a wooded ravine, with the long pin back up the other side of it. You'll need to execute the elevation and tree spacing well on this one, or else find yourself very far off the mark. Short pin is an elevated basket at the beginning of the downslope that if you run it and miss, you better hope you ping a tree, because otherwise, you can easily be 100' long or more.

6) "Hole 21" - During the winter, a temporary tee and basket gets installed between holes 11 & 12 that takes advantage of the space between these two holes. Honestly, I wish this hole would just be here all year - it would help with navigation immensely (see "navigation" in cons), and is a long run down a gentle downslope with that ever-present tree canopy.

7 ) Extras - 2 practice baskets by the parking lot, as well as benches by many holes, many of which are in the shade. Trash can coverage is normally very good, but has been scaled back in our COVID-19 dystopia.

8) Beer Garden - Hell yeah. There's a beer garden on site. 'Nuff said!

Cons:

A handful of issues hold Estabrook in that "very good", but not truly great category.

1) Elevation - Holes 9-11 feature some cool elevation (yes, 9 does, try noob-hyzering it and having your disc break through the tree wall, or airballing the death putt on the short pin lol), but the rest of the course is flat as a pancake.

2) Navigation - much of the course navigation is pretty intuitive, but a few spots get weird. 6-7 is a bit tricky - it's easy to skip right to 8...you need to walk backward and to the right to get to 7's tee. 11-12 is a really long walk down a path, that the aforementioned winter hole from the pros would help mitigate. 16's basket is way closer to 18's tee than 17's - you need to go back and left to get to 17. Holes 19 and 20 are new and were added a decade+ after the course opened...18-19 is kind of a wonky wrap-around that it's not super apparent where to go.

3) Cramped spacing - The beginning of the course is mostly shorter holes that I think a few are spaced a closer together than they should be, especially with how popular this course is. 6 & 7 is probably the biggest offender - it's very easy for big arms to turn a shot over a bit too much and land smack dab in the middle of 7's fairway. Forehanders who lose control of their drive on 15 are liable to land on 16's tee, and other holes (4 & 5 come to mind, as do 18 & 19 - overshots can land you by the other tee) are just a little close for comfort.

4) Crowded - Estabrook is very popular, and often VERY crowded, sometimes with large, inconsiderate groups. Be prepared for this.

5)Tee signs - For as cool and pretty as they are, they were lacking a pin indicator when I played there last. IDK if that's an oversight (it looked like there were holes to put a screw in!) but I had to manually scope out the basket location a few times.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, Estabrook is a fine entry in a very high quality Milwaukee County Parks disc golf course collection. As with the other County Parks courses, it's P2P ($5 daily, $40 annual), though the annual pass is a no-brainer for any area player. The daily allows you to play all five (currently four are open - Dineen is undergoing a stormwater diversion project) MKE County Parks courses for the day. It's not quite Dretzka or Brown Deer, but it not being as intense as those courses helps it fill a niche for less experienced players.

Overall, Estabrook, by itself, isn't a course you need to drive huge lengths to get to, but it is a should-play if you're going to be in the area for a while, and is a fine compliment to the more challenging Brown Deer or Dretzka.
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2 1
Eclan
Experience: 13 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

love this course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice challenging course. Certainly tests your skills with the different pins positions.

Cons:

Tends to get busy from noon on.

Other Thoughts:

My wife and I have played all the courses around Milwaukee and the is second favorite with New Berlin being our favorite.
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3 0
orbitings
Experience: 25 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

shortish to medium and technical 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I really love Estabrook. It's got a lot of things going for it:
-20 holes total at the moment. 21 in the winter.
-2 practice baskets.
-great mix of backhand and forehand shots
-at least 3 positions for the pin on every hole, meaning a wide variety of layouts to play. In all shorts it's a technical somewhat pitch and putt that you wouldn't need anything more than a midrange for. In all longs, you might need to bust out some drivers, as some of the shots will be over 300'.
-low canopy pretty much all the time. Means you really have to focus on hitting lines and staying low in your shots. Some holes are a bit more open, but in general, the canopy forces players to dial in their release height.
-good signage. Tee signs are decent in terms of the hole layout, though almost never a blind hole so that's not too important. But, they have distance displayed, which is helpful. Holes 19 and 20 needs signs. This year they have also added 'next tee' signs in the few spots it get's confusing for new players, so that is nice.
-tricky holes. A few holes border the river or a ravine, so a shank will put you into trouble big time. Adds another element to the mix.
-the park is great. There is a beer garden at the end of it during the summer, so that's awesome.
-two long pads now in play at hole 1 and hole 6. Great addition to both. Hole 6 can now play fairly long. Hole 1 from longs when the pin is in the right spot is a beast. 400' dead straight tunnel with canopy, and rough rough rough on the sides. Don't play without a spotter.

Cons:

-some holes could be longer. It's generally a shorter course.
-people will walk through the course all the time, as it runs through a park with walking paths, soccer fields, etc. So, be patient and keep an eye out for the uninitiated.
-some holes are a bit tight to other teepads, so be aware of other players.
-can be very busy during weekends or on nice days.
-lots of holes are right next to the road that runs through the park. watch for cars before throwing!
-could use new baskets eventually...probably the only park in MKE without new ones at the moment (dineen don't count).

Other Thoughts:

Your MKE disc golf pass grants you the right to drink beer in the park (if you are over 21). No glass though! No dogs either! There's a dog park for that.
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2 5
JLHJLH
Experience: 6.8 years 13 played 13 reviews
2.00 star(s)

home bias 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 11, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

my home course. It is not as easy as it looks, but, mostly it's all about the '3's (with the occasional '2').
This is an excellent course to learn on. The holes are changed frequently, they are well marked and well measured. The park is well maintained, and the course itself begins and ends at a Biergarten!

Cons:

Should be free, like any public course . . . . and the sheriff's deputies are there quite often. Also, it is very much over used. Apparently there are pokemon sites around 6 . . . .this being the city, you don't need a pokeball to hit something that is not supposed to be there. I play every day . . . . . '3's ARE the goal for those of us who don't take things too seriously

Other Thoughts:

Can't wait to play this one in the Fall. It has a good mix of long and (more often) short holes.

Sept 1. I play this course almost every day,
yes the markers are good and clear (and unique). The grass is cut and some of the holes are moved around. HOWEVER, the understory of thick, thorned, tangled vine,
piles of sticks are needlessly kept intact.
As this is a County park (which charges) I simply understand that the "maintenance" crews do as little as possible. For someone who has played it enough I know to avoid the rough (particularly at this time of year) at all costs. For others . . . . it clearly isn't worht the 5$, biergarten or no bier garten.
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7 0
knivile1
Experience: 12.9 years 60 played 24 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good Park, Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I love the tee signs. Uses a bolt to mark the position of the basket from the tee on the pictogram with distances marked.

Very well maintained park and course. A lot of hard work from the course pro and numerous volunteers really shows a strong DG community in Milwaukee.

Concrete teepads, multiple pin positions on each hole that vary your shot selection as well as distance.

Beginner friendly with enough fun/challenge to satisfy most intermediate and advanced level players.

Uses available elevation and existing park elements well.

Close proximity to Aliota's Pub for a post round beer/lunch.

Bier Garten across the parking lot from hole 1.

Cons:

Some graffiti and small amounts of trash but there are trash cans at every teepad so it isn't hard to pick up. Most players use the facilities as intended.

Some non-disc golf traffic from soccer players (who don't speak English) and don't know of or understand that there is a course within the park even with signs displaying that there is a tournament in progress in multiple locations.

Other Thoughts:

Good overall course that uses the available landscape well.

Played in the Estabrook Open yesterday and also one other practice round the weekend before and had a great time during both outings.

Haven't made it to Brown Deer yet but I could see a day starting at Estabrook and moving through Brown Deer and on to Dretzka being a blast as they are all fairly close to one another.

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9 0
Badger45
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.9 years 131 played 22 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Very nice park, fun golf 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The first impressions of Estabrook are very good. You'll dive in to a very well maintained park with a lot of family and social activity going on. At the parking lot, there's an excellent beer garden on one side and hole 1 across the street on the other side! There's also a practice basket on the opposite end of the parking lot (across the driveway from the 18th basket). Right away, this just feels like a good place to be.

The course flows well, with one exception, but I'll get to that later. The first time we played, we were able to navigate easily through the course. It plays through a nice mix of open fairways with use of mature trees for obstacles and the occasional tunnel shot. Aesthetically, I really enjoyed this park, because of the way they preserved a lot of the trees and worked the course around them.

The first side of the course (1-8) are all short, but you get some good usage of obstacles and tight shots to make sure it's not just hyzer to the hole every time.

9-11 are all blind shots to the basket (if 10 and 11 are down the hill).

By hole 13, you start to get a little more distance that will separate the skills levels of the group out a bit more on the score card.

All of the teepads are concrete. The signs have the pin position marked with a bolt to indicate placement. It's a great sign system that I hope is adopted by Brown Deer, too!

For an INT level golfer, this is a very nice course to work on some new discs or break some discs in. You can grab a handful and be confident that you have enough. You can take your hole bag and work on different shots, too, as we found multiple lines on many of the holes that kept things very interesting.

Cons:

The flow of the course is great, with a few exceptions, as I stated earlier. Holes 6 and 7 run almost side-by-side. This is fine, unless you have someone playing on 7 that ends up to the left and then they're playing 7 from 6's fairway. Our first time out, we got a little mixed up, because the map is incorrect (as of May 2015). 10 and 11 are moved to the right of 9 across the path. Then when you move to 12, there are no signs telling you where to go until you've gotten there. The problem is that there are a couple of paths you could take to find 12 if you don't know the course. Yes, this is a first-time problem, but led to some walking in circles.

Other Thoughts:

Despite couple of flow problems, which I explained more for your help than out of frustration, I really like this course. The amenities, the scenery, varied shots and distances, all make this a must-return to course. Add to that, you've got Brown Deer and Dretzka in a straight line up the road, you can have a fantastic full day of disc golf with just those three courses.

I gave this a 3.5, because you have a nice clean course in the middle of a city. It gets that.5 point boost for safety and extras on top of being a fun place to go.
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1 2
boston
Experience: 11.5 years 63 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Very Nice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 7, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Lots of anyhyzer or hyzer-flip shots. Some elevation and good use of trees as obstacles. I like the layout and the close proximity of baskets to the next tee-pad.

Cons:

Not too much to complain about here. For what it is and the area, it's a great course. Personally, for me, I would like to see one or two holes with more space and distance so I could really let some discs rip. My only issue with this course is I rarely get to break out a driver.

Other Thoughts:

Will definitely be back!
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2 5
BigRemy
Experience: 10 years 39 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

I love this course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 17, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-A short but very technical course

-Definitely one of the cleanest and best maintained courses in the area.

-The nearby Beer Garden is a short walk away from 18 and is perfect for quenching that post round thirst.

Cons:

-Can get very busy at times.

-The long walk from 11 to 12 can get you lost. Stick to the concrete trail and you'll see a sign for 12 on your right.

Other Thoughts:

One of my favorites in the city.
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6 0
Stardoggy
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.7 years 1002 played 214 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Solid INT course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Scenic shorter course based in a city park, with many other amenities, including a REALLY nice beer garden across the parking lot from hole 1. Every course should be so lucky as to have a dang beer garden.

Nice concrete tee pad at each hole. Plenty long enough and solid.

Silver DGA baskets, all of which are in good repair and catch well. Powder coated, colored baskets would be awesome here....

Lots of mature trees offer nice obstacles and force particular lines on several holes.

Multiple pin placements are nice, and offer some cool different looks on some holes.

Tee signs are solid. Distances for each pin placement, and a screw in the actual position, which is a great touch.

Navigation is relatively simple, with the exception of the transfer from 12 to 13. It's a long walk, and not all that intuitive. Head down the path, over the bridge, and take the path to the right, and you'll be back on track.

Cons:

No real elevation in place here. A couple slight dropoffs on a few holes, but nothing major.

The traffic here can be a bit much. Being right in the middle of the city (and next to a university), it can get very busy.

A lot of the course is on the shorter side...but that's not necessarily always the worst thing, especially as a complement to Brown Deer and Dretzka.

Other Thoughts:

This isn't an overly tough course, but I always have fun playing here. There's a lot of ace runs and some interesting shots. A beginner up to an Int player can have a lot of fun here. Advanced players would probably be good after one round.

I love a day of Dretzka, Brown Deer and Estrabrook. They're three courses that complement each other quite well. Estabrook on its own is still a fun time, though, and not too far from Art Smart's Dart Mart and Juggling Emporium (on Brady), which is a great local disc vendor.

I'd love to give this a 3.25...but alas, not an option. Worth a spin if you're in the area!
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3 0
JAR3
Experience: 14 years 2 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Initial thoughts on Estabrook 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Challenging course with a few hidden baskets. Quite a bit of variation from hole to hole, and an overall consistently thought provoking course to a first time visitor.

Cons:

The course layout was confusing at a couple points in time. Make sure you bring a map or have a guide if it's your first time. Additionally, be sure to be willing to wait a bit to tee off. It appears there is quite a variation of skill level when it comes to the players who call this their home course.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed Estabrook a lot. It was a nice contrast to my home course, Valley View. There's only one hole you really need an arm for. Other than that, its a very good course to practice your short game on. I will definitely be getting out to shoot another round there sometime this summer!
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5 0
DroppedMyBeer
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 2, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a great course for most skill levels. Estabrook has served as my home course for the last few years, and I find it great for developing my game. The holes are fairly straightforward, there is brand spankin' new hole signage with current pin placement, there's a decent variety of holes, the tracked-out woods make discs pretty easy to find, and a BEER GARDEN conveniently off of hole #18! Great starter course, I have many friends addicted to the sport thanks to this course.

Cons:

Holes max out at ~350 feet, so not great for power throwers. Also, not much for elevation besides a few ravines. It gets really busy on weekends and nice summer evenings. Usually I don't have any issue with other people playing, but there are always a few bad eggs leaving bottles, cans, burning cigarette butts, etc. There are plenty of garbage cans, so it's not super hard to pick up after the litterers.

Other Thoughts:

A great home course, and a great place to get friends into disc golf. A good variety of holes, but not something to write home about. Can be played in just over an hour on off-peak times, so it can serve as a "lunch-break course."

Also, due to its proximity to UWM and the north shore suburbs, there tends to be a big bro crowd. Not necessarily an issue, but expect lots of dudes with a single tie-dye high speed driver, flip flops, and vape pens. They are kinda on the slower end when it comes to playing, but they are friendly enough.
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2 5
leftsidedomination
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Fun for all skill levels
Able to play all year(for the most part)
Bob Bawden as the course pro
New pin placements added for more challenge
GLDGC helps maintain the course

Cons:

Can get very busy with the UW-Milwaukee kids during the spring and summer

Other Thoughts:

I love the course and wish that I could play it more often.
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2 4
CConnors3
Experience: 19.8 years 197 played 17 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Easy access to park when coming from any direction
- Two practice baskets about 40' apart from each other: makes for a fun way to warm up at different distances
- Brand new tee signs with accurate distances and wood chips thanks to Robert Bawden, GLDGC, MAD and other volunteers
- Great course for all skill levels due to variety of shots and distances
- Great course for working on shorter technical holes with short doglegs, tunnel shots, low ceilings, wide open, banked and some blind shots.
- Lefty friendly
- Has warning signs for other park goers to be aware of discs flying in the air, I think it's helped prevent any accidents
- Constant improvements being done to the course with landscaping, pin placements and tee pads!
- Usually baskets are up during the winter!
- The park also offers fishing, a dog park and not to mention a BEER GARDEN

Cons:

- Can get crowded at certain times with Shorewood High School and UW-Milwaukee being so close
- Not the best course for big arm, air shots

Other Thoughts:

- This course has a lot of potential to be expanded or added on to. It is very well liked in the Milwaukee area which is evident by the amount of players that golf here. This course offers challenging and fun layouts which draws a good following from the local disc golf community of all skill levels. Very popular for smaller events and leagues.
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4 3
Papermaster
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 28, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Great selection of holes; a few long, some short, and some challenging holes in between
-The new tee signs are an amazing addtition to the course (best tee signs i've seen)
-Each hole has multiple pin positions, with some challenging sports, making it challenging for most players
-The new course pro has done great things to the course this year, and will continue to improve the course

Cons:

-The course runs along a somewhat busy road, so be careful to not hit any cars!
-There is usually trash on the ground, so make sure to pick up any trash if you see it

Other Thoughts:

Overall, the course has great tee pads and tee signs, has multiple pin positions for each hole, making most holes challenging. If your in the area, you should definitely play Estabrook.
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7 4
WestFin
Experience: 45.9 years 87 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 27, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very clean course, new tee signs, awesome concrete tee pads, regular course maintenance, multiple pin locations, dual practice baskets, and more, such as a beer garden!!

This is a fun shorter course to play with putters, midranges and fairway drivers. Lots of work done since the course opened a few years ago, but more so this year with the new tee signs and new additional pin placements.

Cons:

It can get busy at this course because of how short it is and it being beginner friendly. It's also around the corner from UW Milwaukee, so there's lots of college students playing, especially during summer.

Other Thoughts:

I liked the 'old' course pro better, but the new course pro is just as dedicated to keeping this course one of the nicer and cleaner ones around the city. I hear more plans for the course are always in the works.

This is NOT Brown Deer, so don't expect it to be. Too many people's reviews of Estabrook are complaints because they say it's short or too easy or it's all flat. Look, this course uses the land that was given to disc golf very well. Don't believe all the negative reviews and go throw it for yourself.
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3 7
cassb
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

greatly improved 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 4, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

New Tee signs, Cleaned up fairways, Multiple pin placements.

Other Thoughts:

This course is under new "management" and has grown leaps and bounds. All the work being put into it is easy to see. The new tee signs and cleaned up fairways make it look so clean and makes the course more inviting to play. People should remember to clean up after themselves and help keep the course looking nice. Its worth playing, as the course isn't too hard for newbies to keep the disc on the fairway and its also great for more experienced players to work on their accuracy with the difficulty of some holes.
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