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Highbridge Hills - Wisconsin
- Thread starter Adamodisco
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2009
- Messages
- 6,837
Not by much. If a 300 foot hole had a 30 foot valley (which is extremely deep in real life), the wheel would measure 306 feet.
You'll get that size of error with anything short of professional survey equipment.
There's 6 courses there. Pretty much a destination place. Great disc golf to be played, very challenging, camping and carts are available. The "pro shop" always seems to make new players question it since it isnt much more than a run down shack at the moment, and the signage is leaving a lot to be desired, hence where I'm trying to help.
The fairways are in great shape nowadays though.
Weird, yet epic.
There's not much that's quite like Highbridge. Watch the sun come up early in the morning, looking down over the hills (or sunset...). Being able to walk 1 minute to 4/5 different hole 1's, all on super fun courses. Yeah, that's good stuff.
This is definitely a destination, but worth checking out. It's more on the West side of the state of Wisconsin, not right by the UP of Michigan. Think Duluth, not Iron Mountain.
Stardoggy is right about the experience, though. I'd recommend staying at the courses on top of the hill or rent the Honka House. The campground is fine, but I'm not much of a party animal, so it just left me a bit irritated. Of course, you have to go there for glow, but other than that, I'd avoid the camp.
John was cool. We chatted with him for a good 20-30 minutes while he delivered our fire wood. He's got lots of ideas, but understandably limited resources and staff to carry them out.
Clonan
Par Member
Weird yet epic is a great description. I was on the trip that started this thread and my friend and I walked around trying to find out how to get a cart when we arrived. The place looked post apocalyptic with the honka looking half finished and rundown, the pro shop dusty and empty, the carts sitting all lined up with flat tires and stuff, the Bunk house with it's little sun faded go carts just sitting out. The courses were not in good shape on our trip but you could see the greatness there. It was weird, yet epic.
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2009
- Messages
- 6,837
Not for me. I'd have to throw to the bottom of the valley, and then throw to the basket for a total distance of 306 feet.
Being within 2% for that extreme example is pretty accurate. The same error as if one were to measure from the middle of the tee pad instead of the front.
Note that if the valley were a more realistic depth of 15 feet, the wheel would measure 301.5 feet.
I understand that none of the methods will be as accurate as throwing a disc that you know always goes 300 feet and then pacing off how far short or long of the basket it is. I'm just saying a wheel is as good as any other method available to those who don't have an ANSI-accredited arm, even if you don't adjust the wheel measurement for hills.
Don't go to Chesnut for glow. If you want to play it, use it as a warm up in the morning. If you want glow, play glow on Woodlands. The streetlights by Chesnut are pointed directly horizontal out over the course (I have no idea why, John said the city did it). Finding a glow disc or LED is much more challenging in bright lights, especially since everytime you look that direction you are staring right into them.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2009
- Messages
- 622
Besides a couple weekends a year, you'll only be up there with a couple /few other groups. On 300 acres
It's a monumental amount of space!
You're talking about a 2% difference in length; a big deal if you're trying to, say, land a man on the moon (an extreme eample for comparisons sake), but for disc golf, a 6-8 foot difference between signage and reality isn't going to be that big of a deal in decision making
drscholl14
Newbie
Was just out there this past weekend. I have to say it was in the best shape I'd seen it. I didn't stay at the the complex so I can't comment on the housing. Had a great time as usual. Thanks for the hard work by those involved keeping Highbridge up. I can't imagine how much work that is.
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BKRanger
Par Member
Also Jeremy an idea for the tee signs. Please include some Next Tee directions, that would help out first timers and areas where the courses run together immensely.
Noted sir, I will try to apply that where needed. I don't know how long it's been since you've been there, but the guys who were running that Tournafest a couple months ago went through and added lot's of next tee signs. I don't think they actually say "next tee", but they worked. Can anybody else verify whether they were useful or not? They're white with a tunnel shot and basket depicted, and a little gnome on the bottom.
Beener
Birdie Member
Yes! I was at Highbridge last month and can vouch for the tremendous usefulness of the "next tee" signs. After a few holes, the running joke became, "Thank you curious forest Gnomes for your helpful directions..." or some other snide variation. Really helped speed play AND was good for many (probably too many) cheap laughs...
Yes! I was at Highbridge last month and can vouch for the tremendous usefulness of the "next tee" signs. After a few holes, the running joke became, "Thank you curious forest Gnomes for your helpful directions..." or some other snide variation. Really helped speed play AND was good for many (probably too many) cheap laughs...
Haha okay good to hear. I can't help but think of the Travelocity gnome when I see those, with the accent and everything
I'll still look to see if there are any problem areas in terms of navigation nonetheless. I should be getting some wood tomorrow, enough for at least all of Blueberry. Things should progress reasonably fast after that.
yearofrolling
Eagle Member
I'll look for your signs this weekend when we take our annual pilgrimage.
Jeremy, I haven't read every post in this thread, but wanted to try to help you out.
I know last year when Jonathan was up there basically playing the same roll that Abby currently is, he was out on the courses every day with a measuring wheel and he really wanted to make them super accurate distances. I have no idea if he ever kept track of all of the distances and gave them to John or now Abby, or anyone up there, might be worth asking them all. I do agree that tee signs are needed, and will also say the next tee signs that were still up did help tremendously.
By the way, I was just out there last weekend and had a great time. Played every course at least once I think (except the cross courses where it's like granberry and such) and thought they were all in great shape. Bear still only had 10 baskets up, but they did have the back 9 baskets on site they want to put up soon they said. In terms of the grass being long on Bear, I would have to disagree. I will say the grass was no in any way super recently mowed, but it wasn't like you couldn't tell where the fairway is.
I had a few lengthy conversations with John and he mentioned how he wanted to keep Highbridge the same as it has been for years, which is an honor system type policy. He doesn't want to have the need to have people working at/for Highbridge and getting on people about paying and about anything. Just wants a chill atmosphere with lots of disc golf and lots of fun. He mentioned that many people screw over Highbridge by not paying and he said it doesn't bother him a ton because it's on their conscious not his, but he did mention that because of it Abby has been a little more strict on that front and will ask people who are there to make sure they paid and are doing things the right way. He also told me that some company in Japan offered them 1.5 million to purchase the whole thing, and he turned it down because he does not want to get rid of it. Johns partner wanted them to accept it, but John wouldn't sell it. He said he hopes to eventually get enough money to buy out his partner, to keep his partner happy and then John can happily keep Highbridge going.
Last thing, in terms of the cabins, you basically have to go into it expecting to be very similar to tenting it, with fairly limited supplies, and fairly dirty cabins but some of them have stoves and refrigerators and other amenities that are basically added bonuses.
I know last year when Jonathan was up there basically playing the same roll that Abby currently is, he was out on the courses every day with a measuring wheel and he really wanted to make them super accurate distances. I have no idea if he ever kept track of all of the distances and gave them to John or now Abby, or anyone up there, might be worth asking them all. I do agree that tee signs are needed, and will also say the next tee signs that were still up did help tremendously.
By the way, I was just out there last weekend and had a great time. Played every course at least once I think (except the cross courses where it's like granberry and such) and thought they were all in great shape. Bear still only had 10 baskets up, but they did have the back 9 baskets on site they want to put up soon they said. In terms of the grass being long on Bear, I would have to disagree. I will say the grass was no in any way super recently mowed, but it wasn't like you couldn't tell where the fairway is.
I had a few lengthy conversations with John and he mentioned how he wanted to keep Highbridge the same as it has been for years, which is an honor system type policy. He doesn't want to have the need to have people working at/for Highbridge and getting on people about paying and about anything. Just wants a chill atmosphere with lots of disc golf and lots of fun. He mentioned that many people screw over Highbridge by not paying and he said it doesn't bother him a ton because it's on their conscious not his, but he did mention that because of it Abby has been a little more strict on that front and will ask people who are there to make sure they paid and are doing things the right way. He also told me that some company in Japan offered them 1.5 million to purchase the whole thing, and he turned it down because he does not want to get rid of it. Johns partner wanted them to accept it, but John wouldn't sell it. He said he hopes to eventually get enough money to buy out his partner, to keep his partner happy and then John can happily keep Highbridge going.
Last thing, in terms of the cabins, you basically have to go into it expecting to be very similar to tenting it, with fairly limited supplies, and fairly dirty cabins but some of them have stoves and refrigerators and other amenities that are basically added bonuses.
^^^This post should tell everyone anything they need to know about how fantastic a situation Highbridge is. It's relatively unbelievable that it continues to function. The fact that it does, is a testament to John; even with his eccentricities.
You should play the combo courses, they are dope. Not only is it a great concept, but alot of the alt tees are cooler shots. Granberry might actually have been my favorite course of all, since you get to play 1-12 of granite with 5-6 alt tees, and then 13-18 blueberry, and 13 blueberry was my favorite hole at Highbridge.
