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Highbridge Hills - Wisconsin

I just found this thread today for the first time and read the previous 25 pages or so.

I live about two hours from HH, and started playing there maybe 15 years ago. I used to go up there a few times a year and it was great. JJ was almost always on site and it was very peaceful.

Perhaps 8-10 years ago, things definitely started changing and feeling different. JJ always had big plans (i.e. the year long living cabins on site people could buy), and I'm not sure I really cared for them or really was all that interested in hearing about them (or being asked if I wanted to be a partner in the endeavor). This all seemed fine and well I suppose since it seems like a gigantic piece of land and all the power to the man trying to make some money since I always wondered how disc golf can pay all the bills.

Anyway, perhaps 4 or 5 years ago things continued to shift again. At this point, bands were playing on site and lots more traffic was on site. The biggest problem I had was all the garbage everywhere and the filth of the campers on site and the total disregard of people staying on site cleaning up after themselves. The vibe at this point was so much different than when it was just JJ himself with his lawnmower and a sleepy backwoods disc golf course(s) to what it evolved into. I have not been back in four years and had no idea all this other stuff way even going on. It just breaks my heart to see JJ crucified, but you guys seem to know the facts and it is what it is. It's just I remember him way before Facebook and the people and the changes and that's how I remember him. The goofy guy on the lawnmower that took pictures of everyone that played the course and posted pictures of the night skyline. This JJ you guys speak of is just awful that this is what he has become.

I don't have anything useful to add to the thread, but just wanted to say hello since I stumbled upon it and am learning all this stuff for the first time as someone who lives in the area and used to play the course before any of this really weird stuff started happening.
 
nin1002 said:
I just found this thread today for the first time and read the previous 25 pages or so.

I live about two hours from HH, and started playing there maybe 15 years ago. I used to go up there a few times a year and it was great. JJ was almost always on site and it was very peaceful.

Perhaps 8-10 years ago, things definitely started changing and feeling different. JJ always had big plans (i.e. the year long living cabins on site people could buy), and I'm not sure I really cared for them or really was all that interested in hearing about them (or being asked if I wanted to be a partner in the endeavor). This all seemed fine and well I suppose since it seems like a gigantic piece of land and all the power to the man trying to make some money since I always wondered how disc golf can pay all the bills.

Anyway, perhaps 4 or 5 years ago things continued to shift again. At this point, bands were playing on site and lots more traffic was on site. The biggest problem I had was all the garbage everywhere and the filth of the campers on site and the total disregard of people staying on site cleaning up after themselves. The vibe at this point was so much different than when it was just JJ himself with his lawnmower and a sleepy backwoods disc golf course(s) to what it evolved into. I have not been back in four years and had no idea all this other stuff way even going on. It just breaks my heart to see JJ crucified, but you guys seem to know the facts and it is what it is. It's just I remember him way before Facebook and the people and the changes and that's how I remember him. The goofy guy on the lawnmower that took pictures of everyone that played the course and posted pictures of the night skyline. This JJ you guys speak of is just awful that this is what he has become.

I don't have anything useful to add to the thread, but just wanted to say hello since I stumbled upon it and am learning all this stuff for the first time as someone who lives in the area and used to play the course before any of this really weird stuff started happening.
Click to expand...

I've largely defended JJ on here; more than once. ...Largely one guy; (with some single person assistance sometimes; do not want to disrespect those persons); kept a five course plus complex going for 14 years! With very small income; most of that time.

There are some very positive things to give JJ credit for. (I had my "bad experiences" there; like many); but, I saw him on the lawn mower, or, working in some fashion, with no sun in the sky (i.e., in the dark); more than once as well...

Mountain Man/Tom, and his crew, are working like crazy up there now!!
 
I read all 280 pages of this thread today (took about 8 hours off and on...lol). I played HH about ten times in life, but the most recent was shortly after this thread started in 2014 a month or two after Abby started working there (and optimism was high). Never met her, but John mentioned her Jeep was here and she was around somewhere. Most of the times I went to HH, I saw John, but this is circa 2008-2014. The property seemed to be in deterioration, and I just wasn't optimistic of the ambitious plans John had (and discussed freely and openly).

Reading through all this from the beginning, I didn't really know anything about the raves starting in 2016. I had a group of friends go up to HH sometime after one of these and said the place was in bad shape. I did not really take them seriously since I just assumed it was a few bad campers and John was late to clean up. This would be a most logical conclusion if anyone else ever saw or smelled the overflowing porta potties next to the clubhouse. Things just didn't get done.

Along my way reading all the thread, I got to stop many times to read various links to other documents, photos, screenshots, texts, and of course my own "Jokinen" search at the Wisconsin public courts system. The whole time going through this process, I felt like I was in a male driven version of a reality show (which a number of other people alluded to along the way). So, clearly I wasn't the only one who picked up on that.

It just is mind blowing to me all these things that have happened that I knew nothing about. I live in the middle of the state now, and HH is 3.5 hours away. When I was going to HH, I lived about 2 hours away in NW Wisconsin and just not as many options, and HH was great. I have spent a lot of time exploring other areas (i.e. Lake Michigan, Stevens Point, Sparta, etc.) that are a closer drive not completely foreign and new places to find for awhile now.

For the darker times of this post and not knowing how the story was going to end, I was pretty sure I would never return to HH. When I read about new ownership and seen some of the FB pictures, I am strongly reconsidering simply to support the new ownership. For me, my memories of HH are strong (I still have all the score cards for every round I've ever played), and they end right before the first real public cracks of issues came up. So, I don't really have any comprehension of what has changed the past five years and I was content to live with that memory. But, with the new ownership, I feel compelled to make another trip up there to check it all out. I've only played HH either very early in the season or very late in the season (like October'ish). The sun just withers me out, the vegetation is insane in the summer, and the bugs are also pretty horrible.

I will probably keep following this thread because how can I not at this point? I'm totally vortexed in. I suppose I will continue to monitor the REAL HH and how the course redesign is coming along. I would also love to see JJ's course, but I highly doubt time will allow and going to his course is completely out of the way for me, so I highly doubt I will be able to check it out.

I wish the ownership and the passionate players in the area all the best. I have enjoyed reading the peaks and valleys of HH for the previous six years and will post again when I make a trip back up to the "Mecca" and soak it all in. Will be really weird since five years is a long time and in all the times I actually played it, there was virtually no change to the layout. Things just always remained the same and it was good. :) I'm just one little guy in the middle of the state, but I'm pulling for you!!!!!!!!!!!
 
nin1002 said:
I read all 280 pages of this thread today (took about 8 hours off and on...lol). I played HH about ten times in life, but the most recent was shortly after this thread started in 2014 a month or two after Abby started working there (and optimism was high). Never met her, but John mentioned her Jeep was here and she was around somewhere. Most of the times I went to HH, I saw John, but this is circa 2008-2014. The property seemed to be in deterioration, and I just wasn't optimistic of the ambitious plans John had (and discussed freely and openly).

Reading through all this from the beginning, I didn't really know anything about the raves starting in 2016. I had a group of friends go up to HH sometime after one of these and said the place was in bad shape. I did not really take them seriously since I just assumed it was a few bad campers and John was late to clean up. This would be a most logical conclusion if anyone else ever saw or smelled the overflowing porta potties next to the clubhouse. Things just didn't get done.

Along my way reading all the thread, I got to stop many times to read various links to other documents, photos, screenshots, texts, and of course my own "Jokinen" search at the Wisconsin public courts system. The whole time going through this process, I felt like I was in a male driven version of a reality show (which a number of other people alluded to along the way). So, clearly I wasn't the only one who picked up on that.

It just is mind blowing to me all these things that have happened that I knew nothing about. I live in the middle of the state now, and HH is 3.5 hours away. When I was going to HH, I lived about 2 hours away in NW Wisconsin and just not as many options, and HH was great. I have spent a lot of time exploring other areas (i.e. Lake Michigan, Stevens Point, Sparta, etc.) that are a closer drive not completely foreign and new places to find for awhile now.

For the darker times of this post and not knowing how the story was going to end, I was pretty sure I would never return to HH. When I read about new ownership and seen some of the FB pictures, I am strongly reconsidering simply to support the new ownership. For me, my memories of HH are strong (I still have all the score cards for every round I've ever played), and they end right before the first real public cracks of issues came up. So, I don't really have any comprehension of what has changed the past five years and I was content to live with that memory. But, with the new ownership, I feel compelled to make another trip up there to check it all out. I've only played HH either very early in the season or very late in the season (like October'ish). The sun just withers me out, the vegetation is insane in the summer, and the bugs are also pretty horrible.

I will probably keep following this thread because how can I not at this point? I'm totally vortexed in. I suppose I will continue to monitor the REAL HH and how the course redesign is coming along. I would also love to see JJ's course, but I highly doubt time will allow and going to his course is completely out of the way for me, so I highly doubt I will be able to check it out.

I wish the ownership and the passionate players in the area all the best. I have enjoyed reading the peaks and valleys of HH for the previous six years and will post again when I make a trip back up to the "Mecca" and soak it all in. Will be really weird since five years is a long time and in all the times I actually played it, there was virtually no change to the layout. Things just always remained the same and it was good. :) I'm just one little guy in the middle of the state, but I'm pulling for you!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

All of this for me as well. I haven't been there since 2013. But it seemed to be overwhelming john and co. to even mow everything. But it was John so everything would be taken care of soon. I wish and honestly think MM will get this place up and running to it's potential again. For anyone reading this who hasn't played here in it's prime you just won't understand. It was the best disc golf I had ever played. It got me hooked on this game we all love. I've never played anything close since. Best of luck to MM and everybody because I guarantee they felt the same feeling I did when they first played it. Hard to explain really.
 
I'm going to eat crow and give some big ups to MountainMan and da Crippler for really turning the HH ship around. I've been following their work here and on Facebook, and they are killing it up there. In the best way possible.

I know I've been Debbie Downer in this thread (as well as the other one) about the future of HH under MountainMan, and I stand corrected.

Can't wait to get up there and play it again.

:clap:
 
HeavyCritters said:
I'm going to eat crow and give some big ups to MountainMan and da Crippler for really turning the HH ship around. I've been following their work here and on Facebook, and they are killing it up there. In the best way possible.

I know I've been Debbie Downer in this thread (as well as the other one) about the future of HH under MountainMan, and I stand corrected.

Can't wait to get up there and play it again.

:clap:
Click to expand...

I think your ridiculously high level of optimism must be unbridled sarcasm, so therefore I vote you get an infraction.
 
HeavyCritters said:
I'm going to eat crow and give some big ups to MountainMan and da Crippler for really turning the HH ship around. I've been following their work here and on Facebook, and they are killing it up there. In the best way possible.

I know I've been Debbie Downer in this thread (as well as the other one) about the future of HH under MountainMan, and I stand corrected.

Can't wait to get up there and play it again.

:clap:
Click to expand...
Don't forget Buzzflicker the course master! Been eating a little raven burger myself lately, less talk and more work is definitely on my agenda for the next few years.
 
HeavyCritters said:
I'm going to eat crow and give some big ups to MountainMan and da Crippler for really turning the HH ship around. I've been following their work here and on Facebook, and they are killing it up there. In the best way possible.

I know I've been Debbie Downer in this thread (as well as the other one) about the future of HH under MountainMan, and I stand corrected.

Can't wait to get up there and play it again.

:clap:
Click to expand...

Read this and found the FB page. MM is a determined fella. He obviously "walks the walk". It was really cool scrolling through watching all the progress he and the crew have made. His passion is infectious and it's awesome to see you guys who have a history at HH get re-excited through all of it. While I never got to experience the joy of the original HH in the hey day, I'm confident by the time I do make the trip it is going to be something special.

After seeing some of the photos of the trash piles and dilapidated buildings I would assume the surrounding residents are loving the clean up.
 
tallpaul said:
I've largely defended JJ on here; more than once. ...Largely one guy; (with some single person assistance sometimes; do not want to disrespect those persons); kept a five course plus complex going for 14 years! With very small income; most of that time.

There are some very positive things to give JJ credit for. (I had my "bad experiences" there; like many); but, I saw him on the lawn mower, or, working in some fashion, with no sun in the sky (i.e., in the dark); more than once as well...

Mountain Man/Tom, and his crew, are working like crazy up there now!!
Click to expand...
I feel like I'm more in your boat. When I met John in 2006 - most of these faults seemed basically to amount to his having such big dreams for the property. I was brought on to work as a disc sports instructor for a kids disc camp over the summer, with kids bused over weekly from some local camps for lessons (I think it was 2-3 camps he thought would bring in kids once a week each), and I'd do grounds work on the off days. We had an verbally agreed upon wage. When I got there, though - that had been pushed back so I was to spend my first month just on grounds. The wages turned into room/board. Soon became just room, with a promise of some kind of stake in a cabin or something long term. By the time I'd been there a month the lessons were just to whomever showed up on the property and no kids camps planned (I had, over the four months, about 4-5 total groups of kids). By the time I left my compensation was down to the bed I'd slept on and permission to camp for free into the future.

All told, having seen what little we brought in each week, I was understanding of the fact that I wasn't getting anything. I didn't see John as someone sleazy or underhanded throughout it. I just saw it as a situation where he'd truly had much bigger expectations for what he'd be bringing in from these ideas than actually came through. I never attributed it to any sense he wasn't doing the work to try to make it possible - he was out there on that mower into the night.

All of these stories have colored my thoughts on how that summer went - it does make me wonder if he was anywhere close to lining up kids camps to come in, whether the steps were taken to even begin to develop that process for that summer... I can't know what was/wasn't done. The stories I've heard - such a damn shame. He seemed like a truly nice guy, but I can't deny all the other experiences I've read about here, on top of the issues with 2007 Worlds after I left.
 
Lazerface said:
JJ reference, or are you saying there is a resident not happy that HH will be coming back?
Click to expand...

A couple of pages ago it was noted that a landowner that controls 5 lots has prohibited all disc golf activities on his properties. The poster said 2 of the courses will be affected but only losing a few holes.
 
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