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Highbridge Hills - Wisconsin

Have a group of 4 shooting for mid-May at Highbridge. Couple questions.

We plan on staying in Ashland just due to being old guys that want showers, restaurant dinner and comfy beds after a brutal DG beat down. Are we completely missing out on the Highbridge experience by not staying on site? Honka house seems like we could have unwanted company and we definitely don't feel like camping.

I know maintenance can be spotty but would you guys expect the courses to be in decent condition in early May? Will the bugs/ticks be out at that point?

With me being local, I have never stayed overnight at HBH (although I'd like to some day). That being said, I never feel like I'm missing out on the Highbridge Experience. There is nothing there at all but beautiful courses, gorgeous views and nature. It feels like you're in another world, seperate from the frustrations of life. I like the lack of anything else because it adds to the charm.

Conditions wise, the late snows and ground freezes the area tends to get should keep most of the grass from even starting to grow till about mid May, so the courses should be in great shape. John has been really keeping up with the mowing the past few years though anyways. There will be lots of mud though in lower spots (ex. Blueberry hole 7), so thats one thing to keep in mind. Bugs will be hit or miss around that time, but if they're a hit, you better have some spray cause the skeeters are a b**** in spring.

Oh and if you're staying in Ashland, I would recommend eating at either the Deepwater Grille (best whitefish sandwich ever), or the mexican place El Dorado.
 
You, sir, cannot be thanked enough for these signs. I thought it was one thing that was much needed last time I was there.

It's a long way out but our group is going to be heading up I believe September 24th weekend. We usually go up Thursday thru Sunday or something like that, but yea I will maybe PM you at when time comes closer and hopefully get a round or two in with you.

No problem it's great just being a part of this place in some way.
 
Have a group of 4 shooting for mid-May at Highbridge. Couple questions.

We plan on staying in Ashland just due to being old guys that want showers, restaurant dinner and comfy beds after a brutal DG beat down. Are we completely missing out on the Highbridge experience by not staying on site? Honka house seems like we could have unwanted company and we definitely don't feel like camping.

I know maintenance can be spotty but would you guys expect the courses to be in decent condition in early May? Will the bugs/ticks be out at that point?

I know Jeremy answered some of these questions but thought I would chime in as well. I've been there a bunch of times now, but am not there on a regular basis since I live about 5 hours away.

I agree with him on the bugs. Kind of hit or miss. My guess would you will run into some but might not be peak terribleness for them.

I would say you are not completely missing out if you don't stay on site. The Honka has a bunch of different "beds" which are basically some old mattresses thrown on the ground and a few air mattresses and blankets and pillows and such. I've found some to be comfy but you just don't know until you sleep whether the bed will be good or bad.

I will say from my experience it's kind of similar to going to a small campground with a few different campers in terms of other people and if you will have "unwanted" company. My group is pretty chill and always open to hang out with anyone else up there, but I would say pretty much every time there the only company we have had was Abby stayed around for a few hours and (now I forget his name) the guy "managing" the place before her came and hung out with us one night a few years back. Otherwise we have had complete privacy.
 
Got out there today, played the first 9 of Granite and called it a day - the snow was about a foot deep in a lot of places. Met up with John and he was nice enough to take a drive through the course and make a path, but it was exhausting after 9. Thankfully the snow didn't eat my discs, my lovely wife was spotting so that helped.

Forecast is looking good though a lot will melt and become relatively playable by this weekend, 50's and 60's.

I checked to see what signs needed bases still, and I plan on installing all of Granite's signs Friday yay!!!
 

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Got out there today, played the first 9 of Granite and called it a day - the snow was about a foot deep in a lot of places. Met up with John and he was nice enough to take a drive through the course and make a path, but it was exhausting after 9. Thankfully the snow didn't eat my discs, my lovely wife was spotting so that helped.

Forecast is looking good though a lot will melt and become relatively playable by this weekend, 50's and 60's.

I checked to see what signs needed bases still, and I plan on installing all of Granite's signs Friday yay!!!



Good lord, Granite is a beast in perfect weather - I couldn't imagine it in a foot of snow!


_____________________
 
Yeah its the most snow ive ever thrown in, really messes with your perspective about things. And no run ups whatsoever!
 
Granite's got teesigns up. And not a speck of snow in sight btw.
 

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Managed to switch out the baskets on holes 1 and 2 of Bear from the awful green ones to Lightnings. There's two more left so hopefully I can get them in holes 3 and 4 within the week.

Still need pins to keep the pieces together, so hopefully nobody knocks em' down. The majority of the course will be DB-5's soon, which is such an upgrade from them green bastards (anyone catch that reference?).
 
Managed to switch out the baskets on holes 1 and 2 of Bear from the awful green ones to Lightnings. There's two more left so hopefully I can get them in holes 3 and 4 within the week.

Still need pins to keep the pieces together, so hopefully nobody knocks em' down. The majority of the course will be DB-5's soon, which is such an upgrade from them green bastards (anyone catch that reference?).

Those green baskets were pretty horrific...that's awesome that they're being upgraded!
 
How are the conditions at Highbridge currently? I saw a soil moisture map and it looks like that corner of Wisconsin has quite a bit of moisture. Are things pretty muddy?
 
Anon, I haven't been up there but at this point in spring you can pretty much count on that area being very wet. I did see some pics that Abby posted and it looked like there was definitely some standing water in some fairways of blueberry. Jeremy can probably give you some much better first hand info
 
Blueberry Pic

Here's a pic of Blueberry from two days ago from Abby's facebook page.

Still pretty damp and muddy.
 

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Gah. Bummer.

Might have to divert our trip to the Cities instead. Oh well VisionQuest sounds good too!
 
Dunno if you've already changed plans, havent checked this thread for a few days. Buuuuut I wouldn't cancel the trip if I were you.

There is some water, but nowhere enough to ruin your trip. Took a cart through all of Gold w minimal problems, and people have been carting through Granite for weeks. The low spots still have a decent amount of wet spots, but really only the lowest points. Definitely great conditions.
 
Dunno if you've already changed plans, havent checked this thread for a few days. Buuuuut I wouldn't cancel the trip if I were you.

There is some water, but nowhere enough to ruin your trip. Took a cart through all of Gold w minimal problems, and people have been carting through Granite for weeks. The low spots still have a decent amount of wet spots, but really only the lowest points. Definitely great conditions.
****. I wish I would have seen this a day or two ago.

I think we've committed to doing the Cities thing again for the spring trip (next week!). Hoping to check out VisionQuest and make the rounds on all of the good P2P courses in that area.

Duluth/Highbridge might be a fall trip. :)
 
****. I wish I would have seen this a day or two ago.

I think we've committed to doing the Cities thing again for the spring trip (next week!). Hoping to check out VisionQuest and make the rounds on all of the good P2P courses in that area.

Duluth/Highbridge might be a fall trip. :)

Make sure to hit Lakewood Hills if you haven't been there. Vastly underrated, IMO.
 
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