Marshall, WI

Bird's Ruins DGC

3.815(based on 35 reviews)
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4 0
Johnsondere
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9 months 136 played 83 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Most Underrated Course in the Madison Area?

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 17, 2022 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Two sets of tee pads per hole, rotating pin positions.
- Course is well maintained.
- Variety of shot shapes and distances required.
- Mixture of wooded and open golf.
- 28 Holes available to play!
- Not as popular as other courses...usually not too busy!

Cons:

- Limited parking spaces.
- Gets SUPER buggy during the summer.
- The rough is very punishing.
- Some of the long tee pads are plain silly.
- Course gets very marshy after the snow melts, is shut down part of that time.

Other Thoughts:

Bird's Ruins gets overshadowed by the other Madison courses in my opinion. It is a great course that challenges all types of shots, even from the short tees!

People tend to avoid the course in the summer because of the rough and bugs but if you use spotters, keep a close eye on your discs, and apply plenty of bug spray, you are guaranteed to have a good time!
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14 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 18.7 years 232 played 223 reviews
3.50 star(s)

It Will Wear You Down

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

- dual concrete tees
- nice full color tee signs
- great natural diversity
- incorporates some decent elevation change on many holes
- good combination of open and wooded shots
- good combination of varied lengths for holes
- practice basket, though it's looking rough
- well manicured with manageable rough
- lots of disc golf if you're looking for a long course
- area mostly devoted to disc golf with no major safety hazards
- incorporation of multiple water hazards

Cons:

- prairie grasses can be brutal and tear up your legs badly
- fairly repetitive after hole 10 or so
- some next tee signs, but more needed to avoid confusing navigation
- pay to play, if you view this as a con ($5 seemed reasonable)
- can be a very long round with 28 holes
- pretty punishing for newer players, and easy to lose discs

Other Thoughts:

I bounced between 3 and 3.5 on this one. The first third or so of the course really wins it the 3.5. I've come to really dislike the tall prairie grass courses, as I don't mind significant difficulty, but if you spend all day blindly looking for discs it just isn't fun at some point, and this course is full of briars and thorns in the tall grasses. I probably would not choose to play this course again, but it is an impressive course with some great redeeming qualities.

Bird's Ruins is set in a large park away from most civilization, and except for crossing the road a couple of times between holes, the area is largely devoted to disc golf without safety hazards. There are some walking trails but the course was very deserted on the Thursday morning I was there. Points in its favor include dual concrete tees for each hole, full color tee signs at both tees, and a decent level of amenities. There are some nice built in bridges over creeks, and garbage cans and benches at many holes. The Chainstar baskets are just ok, but serviceable. There is a practice basket by the left side of the parking lot as you enter which I missed at first. There is also an outhouse on site.

Navigation here started out easy and straightforward and got worse as the course went on. There are a quite a few missing tee signs. The first 4 holes across the street are wooded and are a beautiful nature walk. I saw a family of snakes (mom + juveniles), a frog, butterflies, and more just in the first few holes. These holes are mostly flat, but make up for it with technical challenge and natural beauty.

Once back across the street, some elevation of the rolling hill variety starts to get incorporated. There are some cool high risk, high reward shots, like hole 7 - which forces you to throw at a significant downhill angle to a short basket location probably 10 ft from the edge of the lake behind it. The course is very well manicured for the most part, but after about hole 10 I found it got quite repetitive, with a lot of open, prairie grass type holes without many unique qualities. I'm typically not the hugest fan of courses over 18 holes, but it can work if they are all unique. Courses like Sandy Point in northern Wisconsin and Blue Ribbon Pines near Minneapolis pull this off well. I felt like Bird's Ruins could have been a lot shorter than 28 holes while still offering a similar experience. It felt forced to me.

The pro tees do add significant challenge on some holes. Often, the 2nd tee is just to add 50-100 ft of distance, but some of the ones here incorporate different lines and force different throws, which is the type of 2nd tee I think is best since it gives the course a different feel. After about hole 12, navigation got pretty confusing. Between so many tee signs missing and a lack of next tee signs, I had some trouble finding things and had to consult my map a fair bit. Things like this could be easily fixed to elevate a course. On the grassy holes, the fairways are wide enough to be fair, and it's not too hard to stay on the fairway, but you will stray eventually, and then good luck finding your disc. My legs were more torn up on this course than by the other 11 combined I played on this trip. In other areas, the rough is fairly forgiving.

This is a pay to play course, but at $5 for 28 holes it's hard to complain. Hole 28 is a good challenge with a very long water carry but to retrieve your disc you either have to drive or walk a bit of a way down the road which isn't really ideal. I can't say I've seen a setup like this before. Most of this course felt like a 3 to me, but because of the early wooded holes and diversity of nature here, I decided it just barely deserved the 3.5. I think it's worth trying out, and it may appeal more to some others, but I think the other Madison area courses are a lot more fun to go back to.
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18 0
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 315 played 266 reviews
3.50 star(s)

"Please don't take it so badly 'Cause Lord knows, I'm to blame..." 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 25, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Right from the start, on #1's long tee, Bird's Ruins' rough lurks menacingly, serving warning to those foolhardy or talented enough to enter The Bush. Because, ultimately, that's what Bird's Ruins boils down to: the test of wills between you and The Bush. The Bush looms, omnipresent; here in the form of a massive hill covered in the densest patch of continuous sumac in existence, there in the form of pin-ball jails with literally no escape/scramble route/exits, and in the open prairie area as dense, thick, impenetrable schule encountered immediately and ubiquitously off, and sometimes *in*, the fairway. Recovery shots are grim affairs, usually requiring a second set of eyeballs to spot, as you say a prayer and fling it hopefully forward, always forward, in an inevitable death march toward each pin, somewhere in the distance, through The Bush. I witnessed a thrown disc rebuffed wholesale by The Bush, it smacking down this feeble vainglorious attempt to simply reach the fairway, nearly returning the disc to the thrower's arms, so impenetrable is the rough in places. Sumac prisons abound. Even after you emerge from The Bush, more or less, the fear of having to play back towards it lingers for the remainder of the round as the punishment now shifts to largely unshaded prairie scrub holes almost as bad as the thickest of the sumac.
- There is tasty elevation out here. Even the flatter holes like #'s 1 and 2 have little dips and wrinkles. The creek in front of #1's green is an example. Hole #'s 5 & 6 up the ante and start moving up the more hilly section of the course, with a few relatively easy warm up holes to lure unwary souls into a false sense of comfort. Hole #'s 7-10 work through established woodland with fair, commensurate punishment off the fairways, as the holes climb up and down a small ridge. While definitely not "easy" these holes are nice and technical, and some of the nicest on the course to play from a "I'm not going to die stuck in the rough 1" off the fairway" sort of vibe. #17 plays uphill with the narrowest of gaps between The Bush to hit a sumac-surrounded green. Prairie holes on out with a few wooded exceptions, before the last hole forces a water carry over a pond that, of course, leaves you a long walk all the way back around the pond to the parking lot. Just for one last kick to the shins.
- Amenities: all here and in fine shape with the exception of a few tee signs missing. Benches throughout, which was a welcome addition, from someone who typically does not use them during a round. Elevated basket on #12 in the prairie wind will test putting skills. Tees in fine shape. Bring water. In fact, slam water on the first several holes before the course crosses over the road past the parking lot, and then refill while you have the chance.
- A fairly good variety of hole types over a fairly good variety of terrain, requiring a multitude of shots, escape shots, trick shots, rollers, and anything else you can do to manage The Bush.
- A variety of yummy wild berries and fungi throughout.

Cons:

- Overgrown in spots, not to the point of complete unplayability or anything, but did have to skip one or two of the long tees due to the sides of the fairways having grown almost to the point of touching. Long tee #19 was especially bad. Nothing a quick trim wouldn't correct; overall, the course is maintained well.
- There are holes where I'd posit the following: the punishment doled out by the rough is incommensurate to the poorness of the shot. The prairie holes and the Sumac Bush are prime offenders, while the established forest ridge holes are innocent, by and large. I'm used to playing long gold-level courses, taking my lumps, and loving it. This felt a bit unnecessarily sadistic in places.
- Do we really really need 28 holes here? I appreciate the bang-for-your-buck aspect to this, but my intuition tells me this course could be "shortened" to, say, 24 and become more digestible while still retaining a high level of difficulty and punishment. Eliding some of the prairie shots on the "back back 10" into perhaps a more manageable bomber hole or two without having to worry about the rough could be a nice touch, for example.

Other Thoughts:

- $5 pay-to-play gets you more than your money's worth.
- If I had brought any lunch money to this course, it would have pushed me down, skinned up my knees, and taken it. Also, my name is now "Sally."
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14 0
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.9 years 212 played 197 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great in winter! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 27, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

From my understanding, this course was first installed in 2011 with 18 holes and was upgraded to 27 (plus the bonus/tie breaker hole) in 2016. I played this course first in 2015 and wanted to come back to it before writing a review. 3 years later, I returned for another go. The newest 9 holes added tremendous value to this destination.

+ 28 holes of disc golf for free open year-round. To me, that's three pros in a single sentence.
+ Diversity. You have a plethora of wooded holes, prairie holes, uphill shots, downhill shots, and a couple water shots sprinkled in. There are < 200' ace runs and 600' bombs. If that's not enough, there are two sets of tees to spice things up and also 2/3 sets of pin locations.
+ Challenge. Hitting birdie's feels good here.
+ Maintenance. This course has all the equipment you could ask for. A big course map at the beginning, cement tees, descriptive tee signs, and baskets that are in good shape. The grass is mowed and trash isn't out of control.
+ Seclusion. This little piece of paradise is exclusively used for disc golf. Sure, there will be the occasional dog walker, but he/she will definitely be aware of the course and will be respectful of that.
+ A snow shovel at every tee! Very thoughtful. Additionally, there are tons of places to sit. I think behind every single tee. I was also very impressed with the wall made of branches behind 13B that protects 13C's tee.

Cons:

- I would imagine that the rough bordering the fairways is outrageous during summer. I played both rounds here during winter, but I'd imagine that the threat/danger of losing a disc here is massive, especially on the longer prairie holes.

- With prairie holes, there's always a risk of monotony and lack of diversity. That exists here a little bit, but elevation, trees, and hole shapes do their best to try to prevent that.

Other Thoughts:

I don't believe that the big course map at the beginning of the course has been updated to include all 28 holes. It still shows the old layout.

There is a $3 suggested donation. This is completely optional, but very reasonable in my opinion especially since it goes strictly towards improvements and maintenance of this place.

All in all, I played a very enjoyable round here with my brother. I'd definitely recommend making the trip out here. If you play the entire course, you'll definitely get your steps for the day!
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3 8
ZombieAssaultTeam
Experience: 53.9 years 9 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good course, terrible hazards! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 7, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

28 holes and its free

Cons:

the hazards.... playing in mid to late summer, good luck finding your disc if you toss it off the fairway.

Other Thoughts:

For a free course its pretty damn good. the only part i really dislike is the tall grass/hazards. Playing by yourself you tend to hold back a lot on this course due to the fear of having to track down a mis-thrown disc. If I didn't live down the street I would probably never really play this course. Would much rather go and play Token Creek. But early spring, before the grass is too tall and everything is in bloom, 5 star course. Then again maybe I'm just a little bitter after losing 3 discs to this damn course due to the tall weeds.
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7 5
VictorB
Experience: 18.6 years 95 played 14 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great S. Wisconsin course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 12, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

28 well laid out holes in a pretty secluded, rural area. Well worth the drive from Madison, Milwaukee, or Janesville. Multiple tees and pin positions for almost every hole make the layout pretty widely variable in terms of difficulty. Most every shot in my bag was used on this course off the tee at one point or another.Signage is quite good, and making your way around the course is easy after you see it once.

Good use of elevation available, and some holes play on the side of the hill bordering the river (which you get to throw over on hole 28 if you want)

Cons:

From what I've heard, the tall grass off the main fairways basically plays as a hazard in the warmer months. Was find to play when I did in the winter, as it was pretty well laid down, and even then if you threw off the fairway finding your disc took a little work. Personally I think it would be good incentive to try and learn better course management to play in the summer time, but other locals seem to think differently.

Didn't really notice many trash cans out there, but some spots had nice places to sit in case you didn't bring a stool.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fantastic course! During the summer, if I have my choice to drive 25 minutes to Token Creek or drive 35 minutes here, I'd like to think that I'd almost always take Bird's Ruins. Not that Token Creek is a bad course by any means, I just think I prefer the different challenges that Bird's Ruins offers. 27 (or 28 if you play it) holes obviously makes it tougher to get 2 rounds played in a day. It's not a tough hike but it's a decently long course with some well thought out use of the elevation that is available.
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10 2
AequitasVeritas
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.3 years 70 played 20 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Birdie Ruin! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Very well maintained
-Restroom!
-28 excellent holes
-Uses the elevation extremely well
-Discs are easy to find in the water (excluding hole 19/28 depending on when you went)
-Phenomenal tee boxes
-Great baskets
-Plenty of benches
-Plenty of trashcans
-Course was very very clean

Cons:

-Course is long..... but hey, 28 holes.
-The rough is... rough. You will lose a disc without spotters. Take a friend or 3.
-Apparently there is a plant here that will blister skin in sun.

Other Thoughts:

I had the pleasure of playing here several times for the 2016 Am Worlds. This was my favorite of the 5.

Birds was a really really fun course. Being from Texas, I had never seen fairways mowed into punishing rough. Apparently this is a WI thing and I loved it.

Hole 7 was my favorite hole. You're a good ways above the basket, but it's really a putter shot through trees, but too long, you're in the pond. It's so picturesque that you have to run it. So much fun!

Then, on the new holes. Hole 15, I believe, is a tight, 8 foot wide tree lined fairway with a massive log wall (think wooden frontier fort) angled behind it. It's a 100% run the basket. It really makes you be accurate and rewards you when you are.

If I had to go back to Madison and could only play one course, it would be Birds Ruins. The Rebel DG Club have really knocked this one out of the park.
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12 1
Spike Hyzer 23
Experience: 30.7 years 92 played 87 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Best in South Central WI 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 1, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course is heavily wooded, highly technical, and has a great deal of elevation change to go along with some huge long holes to challenge both the big arms and the average (it's quite a treat to par those holes alongside the pros).

Natural obstacles such as an ancient, uprooted pair of trees on hole #4 just before crossing a creek add to the challenge (not to mention that the long green is surrounded to the 10 meter distance by sumac).

Hole #13 offers an elevated pyramid as the sort of unnatural obstacle that is much preferable to arbitrary and artificial OB. Hole #14 is another magnificently protected green, sumac surrounding the long pin out to 10 meters.

The holes are each exceptional, and the layout and signage is excellent, making it very easy to follow. And hey, Holly Finley calls it her home course, so if you see the Mini Cooper that she is provided by her sponsor at the dealership, you might get to say hey to the Duchess of Disc Golf (or even play a round with her).

It will soon be a 27 hole track for the World's, and the new holes look great.

Cons:

It is about a 30 minute drive from Madison, but it's free and slightly superior to both Elver and Hiestand. It's the only course open in the winter in the area, and it can be muddy and slick and treacherous, so wear hiking boots with good traction.

Other Thoughts:

It's secluded and quiet, near nature trails, water, and large farms. You can scarcely tell there is a small city nearby, and there are opportunities for bird and nature lovers to get their geek on about that as well as the great course.
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7 0
brentwood_17
Experience: 23 years 45 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beautiful Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 8, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course has what many of my local courses don't have, elevation, water and bomber holes. Course fairways were mowed and looked to be kept up well. Some very fun short wooded holes. Course is very diverse in shot requirements. Some really enjoyable holes that are ace runable from the regular Teepads. Teepads are nice new concrete. Hole 14 had some great benches. Hole 13 has a nice pyramid basket that are becoming more popular. I enjoy these as there are plenty of flat greens on this course. From the sounds of it from our DGCR "course guide" that many holes have been widenend and they are mowing more than they used to. That is good news. Also mention of expansion.

Cons:

Long walks and crossing trails that if not for a guide we might not have made. I PMed a DGCR "course guide" and he PMed me back and we were able to meet up with him and play. So glad he was along. Also even with 5 guys in our group hawking shots off the fairway we still spent much time looking for wayward drives. This would of course be better in early spring.

Other Thoughts:

The course is definately going to be great. I can't rate it a 4 as the overall enjoyment was rubbed raw by constant searching when landing off the fairway. It was almost amazing how our discs would bury themselves in the prairie grass. the course guide asked us what teepads and we said am tees and he said, "good decision." Looking at some of the teepads was just amazing the tightness or the added distance required. Of course the alternate pin position on hole 14 that we didn't play thankfully was one of the craziest things I have personally seen for a pin placement on the course. Cut a 50 foot circle in the middle of some 10 foot high tree like bush like forest requiring a 60 or 70 ft carry to the circle from the closest mowed part of the fairway. You can see a picture of it when you look at the pictures of Hole 14 on the site. The guide that played with us said yeah that is the alternate pin and we said OK?. Overall for the most part a great disc golf course.
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3 0
RJStrasser
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best free 18-hole course in the county 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 26, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Each hole on this course is pretty unique and there is a good variety of challenge throughout the course. The teepads are nice and on most of them someone has even put a post-it arrow on the current pin placement. There are small signs everywhere that show you where the next teebox is if it isn't obvious. Overall the course is well maintained and awesome!

Cons:

There are four holes in the middle that have you going up and down a pretty steep hillside, so be prepared for a hiking type environment. Also, there were a good amount of flies and mosquitos when I went, so make sure to have some bug spray.

Other Thoughts:

I wish this course was closer to Madison! Marshall is a cool little town, but besides the amusement park (which I've only driven by) this park is probably one of the bigger attractions. I didn't play the 19th hole since it was muggy out and I was tired, but I was prepared to if I was feeling up for it. I had a couple of beater discs in my bag at the ready. I also didn't play it because I wasn't quite sure how to get over to the basket and it seemed like a decent hassle for one extra hole.
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17 2
Mocheez
Premium Member
Experience: 12.8 years 45 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

I wish I lived in Dane County 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 23, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Located in a scenic county park
- Easy to find with ample parking near holes 1 and 18
- Wide Variety... short wooded holes, wide open distance, water hazards, elevation, and more
- Fun and challenging for a wide variety of skill levels
- Dual concrete teepads and pins
- High quality of upkeep and care... trash and recycling bins throughout the course
- Accurate and detailed teesigns
- Benches, logs, stumps, or plastic chairs located at each teepad

Cons:

- I could definitely see how the rough could ruin a solo round, especially during the summer. It wasn't long enough this time of year (mid-spring) to be a problem while playing in a group of 4. We never spent more than 2 minutes looking for a disc over the course of 2 rounds.
- In the current pin positions, there were three short, downhill, doglegs that became a little monotonous.

Other Thoughts:

I was really impressed with this course. The quality of the design is top notch. There were several holes that made me think about risk vs. reward and most presented two or more line options. Some people complained that hole #9 (in the horseshoe position) is way too difficult to birdie... I like that design because it rewards good course management. A controlled shot will set you up for a manageable par while those that go for the unlikely birdie will find themselves in jail and scrambling for a bogey. The care and upkeep were closer to what you would find at a high quality pay-to-pay course. The natural beauty of the land was remarkable. I heard the calls of cranes (I was told they were whooping cranes) on a nearby lake/pond throughout the day. I am definitely looking forward to playing here again.
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2 2
tmcoyote
Experience: 15.8 years 99 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

bird's ruins-good 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Very good mix and balance of shots, left to right/right to left, short/long, forehand/backhand. -Scenic views paste the backdrop on this course. -The layout of the course was well designed on the land of this park. -Two sets of concrete tee pads and two basket placements for every hole gives this course a lot of options.

Cons:

-If you are not playing this course before june the rough is tall, thick, and nasty. -Wind can be brutal, play in the fairway and out of the tall thick rough. -Spotters are necessary on most holes especially from long pads to long pins.

Other Thoughts:

Was pleasantly surprised when i decided to go out to birds and give it a try despite hearing a lot of negative comments about the blandness of this course, style of golf, and very thick rough. Take a nice spring day off and check this course out because it's worth the play(especially inside an hours drive). -Very solid fun course.
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1 5
Vince W
Experience: 13.8 years 170 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun and challenging course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 13, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very well done course along a river. Has variety of elevations and flat holes.

Cons:

In the summer it can be hard finding your disc with all the tall grass.

Other Thoughts:

I would definitely play this course, it is challenging but also very beautiful.
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11 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
4.00 star(s)

My favorite near Madison 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 18, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The course is set in the small, quiet town of Marshall a small drive outside of Madison. There are two sets of tee pads on nearly every hole. The tees are large level and grip nicely. The difference from longs to shorts drastically changes distances and shot shaping on quite a few holes as well. The baskets are chainstars that are in very nice shape and catch great. There is a solid mix of right, left and more straight on shots here. The challenges range from wind on the more open holes, water on a number, elevation and plenty of trees. This is really just a well rounded course in this regard and makes for a very fun round. The park is in a very secluded area and is never too busy especially compared to the in town courses. The tee signs are very nice and informative. The have a basic hole layout map with distances, pars and the different pin positions. They even had stickers showing which pin was currently in play which is nice. There are also many signs showing directions to the next tee making navigation a breeze. Speaking of that almost every hole has multiple pin placements. This adds even more fun factor to the course. The variation of different distances is pretty awesome. There are shorter wooded and many varying prairie distances. Bird's ruins is also free to play (although there is a donation tube by hole 1) and there is a nice restroom and drinking fountain by the parking lot. The course is also permanent apparently, although I've never been there in winter. This is a big plus to me and this would seem to be a nice course to play a snow round at. Hole 19 is a very cool probably 250 foot shot over a pretty wide river to a pin on the other shore. This is really just a bonus hole but a really cool bonus hole at that. there are also tons of trash cans and benches all throughout the course to make your round a little easier in spots and help it stay clean.

Cons:

The rough on a few of the holes can be pretty nasty. Not the worst I've seen but watch closely where you throw. Not really a con but just to take note. Holes 1-4 are on the opposite (south) side of the road. Holes 5-18 then wrap through the rest of the park. Hole 19's water carry hole is located right by the parking lot. As has been mentioned before the bugs can get bad but it is WI and that's true pretty much everywhere around here. Beware of people walking dogs and just walking on the trails throughout the course.

Other Thoughts:

I've played all the courses in Madison and this is my personal favorite (though it's not actually in Madison). It's free to play unlike the four major courses in Madtown which is always nice but the golf is just plain fun too. You can couple this with many other nearby courses to make for an awesome day of disc golf.
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6 0
JohtoVillage
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24 years 160 played 73 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

You wouldn't think a course could be in little ole Marshall, WI but its surely there. I am sure there's a neat story behind the name of the course but everyone else was clueless so maybe someone can fill me in! I recently was able to play two practice rounds and a tournament round at Bird's Ruins and I purposefully waited until after playing my tournament round before rating the course. Here are my pros:

1) The course clearly gets a lot of love and a lot of work. The nature of the course (long, lots of rough) requires a lot of work and it seems that the local club has really put their heart and soul into this course. The effort, for such a small town course, is MARVELOUS.

2) The course can be very unforgiving so its great that the course has both long and short tees. The difference between the long and short tees is actually pretty dramatic so that makes the course better in my opinion because it gives lesser players the chance to enjoy the course. Alternate pins also add to the course and make for some interesting variety.

3) The course has nice concrete pads and nice tee-signs that are very descriptive.

4) The rocks on hole 5 are pretty neat. The fact that the distances to the hole are posted on the rocks makes it even cooler and reminds me of Idlewild. Hole 5 is a nice par 4 and it was actually very helpful to have the distances for my second shot into the green. It was really a neat feature.

5) You truly could not ask for more scenic holes. The course is built into some kind of nature preserve and the views are truly stunning. The view by hole 19 near the lake at sunset is a million dollar view. Even though the tall rough is no fun to be in, it does make for some picturesque areas. A lot of the rough includes some very colorful plants, which at least makes it fun to look at. More on the rough below....

6) The course has an incredible variety of pretty much everything. The course features one of the tightest holes you will ever play in 8 (downhill, 158') and then a super long bomber hole with number 14 (715'). The course features tight wooded holes, open bomber holes and a little bit of everything in between.

7) The course is designed in a way that makes you play smart golf. It is designed to make you keep it on the fairway at literally all costs. Hole 4 is a great example: you want to try to go for that hole and carry your disc over the creek? Good luck. If you miss the landing zone you will be in rough that is INTOXICATING. You can choose to play a 280 foot, layup shot and leave yourself a 240 foot approach shot to the green or you can try to go for it. This course features many holes that require this exact decision: should I go for it or should I lay up. Hole 14 is the same way with the second shot to the long, alternate pin. The green is guarded by an impressive ring of bushes that you do not want to be in. Any time a course makes you truly think about laying up or going for it you know its done a good job.

8) The course has some really neat par 4's, in my opinion. Some of the par 3's may not be as much to my liking but the par 4's here are awesome. Hole 5 is a phenomenal, 2 shot hole with a fair landing zone and a nice green. The aforementioned hole 14 probably is the signature hole on the course with an unforgettable green and hole 16 is another neat hole with a fair landing zone and a tight green. I really thought the par 4's on this course stood out.

Favorite Hole Not Mentioned: Hole 18 from the long tee looks REALLY daunting but after throwing it a few times its really a FUN hole to throw. There is so much room to the left of the basket and the rough is so much better here that it really is fun to just launch your disc out over the rough and watch it fly downhill towards the basket. Its a fun, 500+ par 3 that probably plays more like 440.

Cons:

This won't be surprising but I absolutely have to mention the rough in my review. I usually do not penalize a course for its rough but unfortunately Bird's Ruins had some of the most brutal rough i have ever seen. Here are my cons:

1) The aforementioned rough....is.....ROUGH. It is a monster. It will digest your disc like its nothing. This rough is some of the most penal I have ever witnessed. I cannot remember seeing rough that high, but the second shot on hole 4 includes rough that was well above 12 feet in some areas. Unfortunately this makes the course near impossible to play by yourself. In fact, I would never advise playing this course by yourself. The rough on this course makes it IMPERATIVE that you have spotters if you are playing the long tees (and probably even the short tees). I think that most of the fairways are fair, but discs will find the rough. And when discs find the rough at Bird's Ruins its a BAD thing. I think that over time the rough may get tamed down and I hope that it does.

2) The course featured too many blind shots for my tastes. This normally wouldn't be as big of a deal but with the rough the way that it is it took a lot away from the course. Hole 1 was kind of a silly hole from the long tees and it was driven by the fact that you simply had to throw a monster anhyzer out over the rough to a green that was tucked into the woods and not visible unless you were standing 40 feet from the basket. I just don't quite understand how you could throw this hole without a spotter and that's probably not happening in a casual round. Hole 4 is a blind hole, holes 5 and 6 are blind and holes 16 and 18 are blind. There are a few other but those are the ones that stand out to me. Just a few too many blind shots for me.

3) For the most part the navigation was okay except for after hole 4. I almost had to give up the first time through the course because I could not find hole 5. I think a simple sign after hole 4 would help a lot.

4) The course had one too many holes, in my opinion, that didn't have a line to the basket. In my opinion hole 3 didn't really have a line to get your disc all the way to the green, and this would be considered a par 3. I was also completely baffled by hole 9, which we dubbed the horseshoe hole. I simply don't see how anyone could get a disc anywhere near that basket and its only 224 feet. During the recent A Tier multiple top pros complained about this hole and how silly it was. Oh well - not every hole is perfect!

Other Thoughts:

Bird's Ruins is a really neat park in a small town that is worth the play....if you have a group of at least 3 people. I would also advise playing in the spring or fall. The rough will eat you alive and the wooded holes had BAD bugs so come prepared with bug spray!

I will reiterate that the love put into this course is clearly evident and it seems that a lot of the fairways have recently been widened a little bit to make them a bit more open and to make it less likely to go into the rough. I think more of this is probably needed but this course did work out just fine in a tournament!
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7 0
bdjohns1
Experience: 10.7 years 8 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice course, but tough for a new golfer. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 3, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course is very well kept, and provides a nice mix of prairie and forest holes. Water only comes into play on #4 (creek) and #7 (but only if you massively overthrow). The creek was pretty stagnant and plant-filled, so it would be a tough place to recover a disc from in the summer.

The elevated basket on #13 is a fun touch.

#14 has the basket location(s) concealed behind some trees with rough tight behind, so a tough hole.

#15 was my favorite of the short holes - nice little anhyzer across an open area, under the trees to the basket.

#18 was my favorite hole because it offered a few approaches - with the rough down the middle, you had options to go both left or right off the tee, and even without a bomber arm, you could realistically go either way.

Cons:

As many others have said, the rough here is dense and unforgiving - I played solo, and as a new guy, I'm amazed that I didn't lose any discs, although I made the mistake of throwing a neon-yellow disc on #18 that took 15 minutes to find. Stick to your reds, oranges, and pinks.

On the prairie holes, the fairways need to be wider, at least in the areas that folks playing from the amateur tees would be expected to play from. Maybe the rough plays a lot nicer in the early spring before everything grows in, but it's tough in early August. The prairie rough at Vallarta-Ast over in Madison is a more reasonable level, in my opinion.

Other Thoughts:

It's a free course near Madison, which is a virtue in and of itself. Without being pay-to-play, it definitely holds its own in terms of upkeep - credit to the folks behind the course.

Update 2021: It's gone pay to play since I last visited, but $5 is a reasonable fee for a course of this quality.
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5 0
zdwyatt
Experience: 24.7 years 24 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Rewards accuracy 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 3, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course is well-appointed: concrete tee pads, with pro and amateur at most holes; nice signage; well-groomed; frequent benches, trash, and recycling. There's a decent blend of shot lengths and shapes. Its location means it doesn't get very crowded.

Cons:

My biggest complaint is holes 7-11, all short holes that work up and down a steep hill. I found these holes repetitive and more annoying than challenging. Others seem to like them, so your results may vary.

Navigating the course can be a little tricky. Most of the routes are marked but I did get a little lost on one of the longer connections. There is a nice map at the parking lot; I snapped a picture with my phone for reference.

The rough is indeed insane. Even shots that go only slightly astray can be a chore to track down.

Other Thoughts:

I really like the atmosphere of the course, being that it's in a nature preserve. I did find the rough aggravating, like so many others. I don't think it needs to be mowed down, but they could stand to widen some of the landing areas. Beginners, and those with inconsistent drives, will likely find this course overly difficult.

Overall, it's worth checking out if you're in Madison, or passing through. I don't think it's better than Madison's best offerings, but it's another option, and it's free!
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8 0
Stardoggy
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.7 years 1002 played 214 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Prairie and wooded done well. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 10, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Secluded nature park that has the disc golf as a separate activity. Free to play (which isn't common in this area) course with a really nice variety of wooded, prairie, elevation and a little water.

Short and long concrete tee pads on most holes.

Tee signs have all the information you need, and are easy to read.

Plenty of variety. Holes 1-5 play across the road from the parking lot and offer some nice lines, with plenty of risk/reward for aggressive players.

Prairie holes offer a good amount of air-it-out bombs, with big penalty for going off the fairway.

Wooded holes incorporate a lot of the elevation here, and very well. Plenty of up and downhill and hard turning holes. I thought they did an excellent job on these.

Baskets were all solid, and caught quite well. Navigation was pretty simple, as well (once you realize that the first few holes are across the road).
The bonus hole (19) is a great water carry. It's not long (240ish), but with wind blowing, it offers plenty of pucker factor, and is a great way to end a round here.

We played the shorts, but stopped on the longs on each hole. Especially in the woods, they almost always offered a completely different look at the basket. The open holes mostly added distance, but that's to be expected on holes of this type.

Cons:

I wouldn't want to play here in the middle of summer. The rough is ROUGH, especially on the open prairie holes. The fairways are plenty wide, but if the wind is kicking, you could end up spending a lot of time searching for, or losing, discs. We played before everything was tall, and we were very happy about that, to be sure.

Other Thoughts:

This really is a solid course, with a great mix of technical and bomber type holes. I'll come back in fall when some of the overgrowth has fallen back.

Definitely worth a spin (or two) if you're in the area at the Madison courses.
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6 1
discochad
Experience: 18 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

New course - mature feel 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

FREE. With the rest of Dane County now charging to play, it's nice to have another full course to throw at without another season pass.

Each hole has 2 basket locations so they can mix it up a bit, and the majority of holes have two concrete tee boxes.

Signage at the holes are informative and accurate.

ALOT of variety. Starting in the woods on the first three holes, 4 opens into more of a prairie. Across the road more prairie before heading into more woods and then more prairie. There's uphill, downhill, rivers... Pretty much every environment.

Neat elevated basket on one hole feels kind of like playing a mini-golf challenge hole.

Park has a water pump for drinking water, shelter for gatherings or events, natural amphitheater, and permanent outhouse.

Cons:

As many have noted, the rough is ROUGH. The course was designed in what was essentially a conservancy park, and a lot of the natural area remains, which does make it challenging to find errant throws.

Bring DEET. There are Mosquitos in the wooded areas - but hey, it's nature.

Needs a few more directional signs to find next tee boxes.

Other Thoughts:

I'd call this a great 18-hole course with a novelty 19th hole if you're a confident driver.

I know the club behind the park and there is A LOT of commitment and volunteers to make this 3 year old course even better. I think most people would see a huge difference already if they only played it the first year it opened.

I'd agree with some, that this course is better to play with a group... Getting more eyes to track throws and search the rough.

When I've played with 4+ other people the round takes about 2.5 hours. Could be quicker if we all threw straight :)
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2 2
Lanomode
Experience: 14.6 years 18 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good but Bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 15, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Course is well maintained. Off the normal disc golf "path" so it's never busy. Holes have a good variety of difficulty and change in terrain. A nice change in scenery, but not on the regular course rotation.

Cons:

The easiest hole is made VERY hard by the seriously over grown weeds on the edge of the fairway. If you can't throw arrow straight for 300 yards, take most fairways in smaller chunks to avoid losing discs.

I wouldn't exactly call this a 19 hole course. I'd call it an 18 hole, with a "Fun" hole next to the parking lot. Don't try 19 unless you have a broken disc, or one you hate. Cause you'll lose it.

Other Thoughts:

I'm not sure how I feel about this course. I haven't played it this year yet, but I' not sure I'm going to. I like the variation in challenge throughout the course. Some holes are still a bit too easy, and others are too hard. If you don't throw perfectly on most of the holes you're SCREWED. I searched for probably an hour on hole 5 for a disc in the weeds. There's no trees to hit, no obstacles at all, just a "not perfectly straight" throw and Boom, disc is lost.

I lost a disc, and found someone else's disc the very same day.
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