Winona, MN

The Woods @ St Mary's

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3.215(based on 7 reviews)
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7 0
Mushin No Shin
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.1 years 1192 played 67 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Winona's Big Brown DGC drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 21, 2022 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Gorgeous Bluff-Country on mighty Mississippi

Great Variety of Hole Types:
Open, but slightly downhill, with the Basket next to CreekRidge 1
300+ft along the Creek (twice) 2 13
Uphill, with a Basket nestled near/in a Woodline (Left + Right) 3 4 5 11 15
Elevated Basket on Hillside 6
In Woods on a Hillside, with rollaway green (twice) 9 12
Unique Hole 10
Over the Creek (twice) 14 18
Uphill Wooded Ace Run 16
'Top of the World' Hole, with an outstanding Green 17

Course plays all around the Hill and Creek, allowing the DGer to feel thoroughly satisfied... especially with the two finishing holes being Awesome

Cons:

Holes 4 5 11 & 15 are pretty similarly Designed, RHBH big hyzers, when in all Short. Long Pin Greens add Diversity, however

Can get a little Muddy down around Creek after a Rain 2 13 14 18

Avoid the Creek, it's a gross

Other Thoughts:

Super Fun DGC

Pack out what you pack in

Rubber Mat Tees and some good Turf tees too

Many Tees have Course Map, but not All

13 is back across Creek
Parking Lot is up top there, fyi
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4 0
ClockworkOrange
Experience: 3 played 2 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Raw with Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

It has baskets

Cons:

Rubber mat tee pads - Bumpy & slick
Missing signage - Avoid confusion by taking a picture at Hole 1
ZERO maintenance - Atrociously unkempt
Sting nettle - EVERYWHERE

Other Thoughts:

Despite your prayers, Jesus ain't cutting the grass. Utilize your groundskeeper
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2 1
Bobafred78
Experience: 10 played 10 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Hmmmmm 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 16, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is in a very good location. The course has a variety of challenging shots and hazards to deal with. The natural setting is delightful. Had the course to ourselves.

Cons:

The lack of signage and views of the pins from the tees makes this a difficult course just to navigate. Rubber tee mats are abysmal. After seeing glowing reviews I was excited to play a round here but cannot recommend it in its current state. Seems as though it may be in the midst of an upgrade or perhaps it's just always a mess. Once you're a few holes in the layout gets pretty rough. The last 5-6 holes are the worst with very thick undergrowth even near the baskets.

Other Thoughts:

Could be a genuine gem of a course with a lot of TLC but I would not return to play if it remains as is.
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3 4
tbouzek
Experience: 15.9 years 12 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Woodie Woodpecker 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 17, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Clean
Challenging
Elevation
Beautiful course

Cons:

Rattlesnakes
Dense rough
Needs better signage.

Other Thoughts:

This course has the potential to be phenomenal, but until someone comes in and does what needs to be done it will just be another disc golf course. I play it once or twice a year so it's whatever for me, but for those in the Winona area your being robbed of greatness!
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1 3
Baueezy
Experience: 14 years 71 played 13 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Reminded us of a great Wisconsin course, absolutely gorgeous 18, great mix of heavy wooded, light wooded, hills, slight water hazards, and open holes for all skill levels to enjoy. An experience beyond disc golf considering it is a slight hike of a course as well, which may be the only con for some.

Cons:

For some, it could be more of a hike for the recreational player.
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4 1
M4Prodigy
Experience: 12.1 years 74 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

If I went to St. Mary's, I wouldn't get any work done... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 24, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ Located in the beautiful city of Winona on a college campus
+ Great course map on each hole's tee marker, showing A & B pin locations (not every hole has a tee marker)
+ Tee pads are in good condition and didn't affect my run-up at all. I imagine rain could make them slick though.
+ Good mix of technical and open holes. Use of elevation changes add some difficulty to the open holes.
+ Well maintaned and mowed fairways.
+ This course will greatly challenge most rec players, but provides a wonderful venue to improve their game. Intermediate and Advanced players won't bore easily with this course and can easily find opportunities to improve their game!

Cons:

- Would be nice to have hole layout at each tee, instead of the course layout.
- Not all teepads were marked, affecting navigation slightly and disc selection without posted distances.
- Some holes have low hanging limbs that prevent/deter the right shot line for a RHBH; some trimming could help.

Other Thoughts:

Many of the wooded holes are beautiful and look daunting, unfortunately they are daunting because making it through the trees isn't necessarily a matter of skill and there being a line, rather a matter of luck...

Don't stray too far out of the fairways, the foliage is heavy and can easily gobble up errant discs.

Some of the open holes have the pins elevated on the side of hills, which will increase the chance of rollaways.

If I were to pick a signature hole for this course, it would have to be hole #13. It's located along the right of the creek. Tall, narrow trees on both sides of the fairway create a 40'-50' lane that shapes slightly left to right (finishing in the center by coming slightly back to the left). The pin is straight out at 327' with a row of thin trees, roughly 75' in front of the pin, guarding an approaching teeshot from the left. Come and discover this hole for yourself!!
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7 0
mwgheaton
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.9 years 66 played 25 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Off the beaten path, but worth the visit 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 31, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is a hidden gem in Southeastern Minnesota. The scenery alone makes it worth the trip. The course utilizes the bluffs surrounding the SMU campus. This offers a wide range of fairway layouts ranging from shorter tree weaving shots to a 500'+ downhill launch. This course is physically demanding, yet it has a nice balance between technical tree lined fairways for veterans and more open fairways for beginners. Veteran players can bring their entire bag for some harder risk/reward shots while newbies can get by on one disc. The course is well designed for college students. The pads and signs are very high quality with skillfully drawn maps and distances clearly labeled for each hole.

Cons:

The course was recently redesigned due to school construction near the first three holes. As such, baskets were relocated and the course was actually improved in terms of layout. Unfortunately, the maps and signs have yet to be updated and it makes the course very confusing for first timers. As of May 31st, 2012, the old signage still showed the wrong hole numbers and some still marked former holes that no longer exist. Temporary stakes/labels are in place, but they are not nearly the quality of the old set up. I will rate this course in the 4's if/when signs and pads for the new layout are updated to their previous quality.

Other Thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised with St. Mary's DGC, also known as The Woods. As a college based DGC, I expected a challenging layout and the course lived up to expectations. I played after the University was out for the summer and I would expect that the course is relatively quiet during the summer months. My round was in complete solitude. Take mosquito repellant and watch out for the poison ivy. Winona is off the beaten path a bit, but it is well worth the visit for a day or weekend. In addition to three DG courses, it hosts a world class art museum, great local restaurants and countless other indoor and outdoor activities.
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