southern wisconsin trip

[dehaas]

Trying to get a few buddies together for a road trip in a few weeks. I'll be leaving the St Louis ara and heading up north to my sisters place in Johnson Creek. From what I understand its in between Madison and Milwaukee. The plan is to leave early Monday morning and get 2 courses in along the way (eyeballing both Anna Page courses in Rockford), stay the night, hit 3-4 courses Tuesday, then travel back home Wednesday and maybe hit 1-2 courses depending on how wore out we are. Might take a detour home Wednesday and swing through the Chicago area. For Tuesday I'm looking at dretzka and brown deer if they are open, and maybe 1-2 more courses. Obviously I'd prefer to play worthwhile courses, and backtracking to Madison probably won't be doable in one day. Is there anything between Milwaukee and Johnson Creek worth playing? Also thought about saving Rockford for Wednesday and hitting the Madison area Monday afternoon.

I'm totally open to course suggestions, and definitely not opposed to pay to play if the course is worth it.

 

[chickenonabun]

Just play the milwaukee good courses (dretzka and brown deer) and the good madison area courses (elver, hiestand, token creek/valarta ast) and another in nearby marshal, birds ruins.

 

[skippy0420]

As of right now Dretzka and Brown Deer are not in the ground. I don't know when the plan is to get them in but it's soon.

 

[jasonc]

On the way there or back home, you should stop by the Grey Fox and Red Fox courses.

Grey Fox is an above average 18 hole course that is worth the trip. Also, the recently re-designed 9 hole Red Fox is much better than the original layout.

Have fun out there! :thmbup:

 

[discNDav]

Last Sept I played Dretzka and Grey Fox, I thought Grey Fox was more fun because it offered more variety and elevation changes.

 

[Innova63]

for your info....
Madison courses have all gone PTP....and Vallarta-Ast was the only one open as far as I know.

Milwaukee area: Dretzka and Brown Deer were not open yet.

 

[puttlikeablowfly]

We just opened Elver and Hiestand in Madison yesterday. Yes, those two courses are now pay-for-play under a City of Madison permit. $5/day will let you play both on the same day. Token Creek is a separate Dane County permit ($8/day). The County's second course at Capital Springs is not open yet, and probably still won't be in a few weeks, but if it is, the same $8 permit will be good. I would suggest paying the $5 and playing Elver and Hiestand on the same day. Bird's Ruins in Marshall should be fully open by then. They are opening #5-18 tomorrow, and #1-4 will hopefully be open next week if we don't get lots of rain.

Closer to Johnson Creek, Rock River in Watertown has 21 holes. Fireman's Park in Waterloo is a fun 9 that you could easily combine with Bird's Ruins or Rock River. Also, I'm biased as one of the designers, but Ripley Park in Cambridge is also a fun 9. Assuming you are coming before Memorial Day, they shouldn't be charging the $2 park entry fee yet.

 

[dehaas]

awesome, lots of good info. the tentative dates are may 20-23 and from what everybody is saying i'd be better off just driving up really early monday and making 2 days of all of the courses up there. i'll probably save rockford for the drive back home on wednesday.

 

[dehaas]

it's looking like i'll probably be making the trip by myself. gonna be in the area monday and tuesday may 20 and 21. probably hit a few of the courses mentioned each day if anybody would wanna meet up. monday would probably be in the afternoon and tuesday would be an all day thing.

 

[MrGlass01]

Id be totally down on Tuesday depending on where you play at. I am in the Madison area. LEt me know!!

 

[trifocal]

A bit more info on the Madison Area courses. Tuesdays are Leagues at Hiestand and can draw 70 players in addition to the normal daily players. Mornings are much easier to play at Hiestand, imo

Birds Ruins was of Saturday 5-4, still only playable from #5 -#19. When I played on Saturday, the Rebel Disc Golf Club was out in force working on improvements. That club has done a lot of work on Birds Ruins in the last 18 months. The course has a real nice feel to it. There are 3 distinct areas. 1-4 which play over a lowland topography, 8-11 which take in the up and down nature of Wisconsins' glacial age and 12-18 ( and 5-6) which are praire style holes. Past reviews of Birds Ruins have kinda dissed the rough on the praire holes, but as of Saturday the rough is virtually non existent. The County did a controlled burn about 4-28 and on Saturday new shoots were just emerging. Unless we get more rain...1-4 should be playable when you are in the area.

I love to play Hiestand and Elver, but if time is limited I'd suggest trying to fit them in for morning play. There can be backups in the afternoon. Token Creek draws a fair share of players in afternoons, too, but things tend to sort themselves out and you can usually play fairly steadily. Token, Elver, Hiestand and Birds Ruins all offer long and short tees and Token has 27 holes. Have fun.

 

[notroman]

Brown Deer is back in the ground as of today.

I agree with the above - Heistand and Elver usually become a zoo after noon. Who knows if it's going to be as bad now that they're both pay to play, but I always tried to get those two out of the way early.

 

[Dave242]

All the courses mentioned are the ones that I would have recommended too (and the ones that DGCR recommends....only these show up in the >3.5 rating filter).

One course to consider as well is Lustig in Janesville to break up your trip. It is a really fun park style course....on the short side, but did I say fun?

You might also meet Paul Ryan....and if not, maybe Chris Heeren.

 

[Mocheez]

Other Milwaukee area courses... Riverside DGC in West Bend is a very nice course. Would be more highly rated but only half of the concrete teepads and signs are in place. Tendick Nature Park is also a nice course; $5 pay to play beginning this year. If you have extra time, Lime Kiln Park in Grafton is a fun and challenging 9 hole course (rated 3 stars)...

Seeing as you only have the afternoon, as chickenonabun mentioned, probably stick with Dretzka (if its open) and Brown Deer DGC, possibly swing by Lime Kiln Park if you have time. Let me know what time you plan on being in Milwaukee on Monday afternoon. I would probably be available to play a few rounds.

 

[Dave242]

Yeah....Lime-Kiln is a really cool 9er. In my top 5 (2 of which are RIP) of 125 played. Firemen's Park in Waterloo is also a very good 9-er.

 

[dehaas]

Tentative plan is to make it into the area around noon on Monday. I think I can hit Birds Ruins, Firemen's, and Rock River and make it to the Brewer's game that night. Tuesday I'm thinking Hiestand and Elver before lunch and then Vallarta-Ast after lunch. What's the scoop with the pay to plays? Are there envelopes at the first tee and you're on the honor system? Paying is no problem, I just don't want to run into any issues or have to try to track down a day pass. Is Token a private course or something? I'm not seeing it listed. Maybe play that in the afternoon also. On the way back home Wednesday morning I'll probably hit the course in Janesville and maybe make a pit stop in Rockford.

If anybody wants to meet up and throw Monday or Tuesday lemme know and we can work out times as it gets closer.

 

[Dave242]

Token Creek is the park name and Vallarta-Ast is the course name.

I would swap the Anna Page courses (Rockford) for Lustig (Janesville) for your drive back if time is not an issue.....although I do not know you value per fun over better courses (I think Anna Page West is great, but East is a little goofy....lots of J-shaped/candy-cane shaped holes - drive, easy upshot, putt).

 

[puttlikeablowfly]

Vallarta-Ast IS the course at Token Creek County Park. It is named for the couple who proposed the course, donated money for it, designed it, installed it, etc. A lot of people around here just refer to the course as Token Creek because it is easier to find or explain to people where it is. That course, along with Elver and Hiestand now, should have envelopes and pay stations at the kiosks. Keep the carbon copies as your receipt in case you get checked by the rangers out on the courses. You can play Elver and Hiestand with one pass on the same day, but you'll need to buy a separate one at Vallarta-Ast, as the City and County have separate permit systems.

 

[notroman]

Token Creek is the park name and Vallarta-Ast is the course name.

I would swap the Anna Page courses (Rockford) for Lustig (Janesville) for your drive back if time is not an issue.....although I do not know you value per fun over better courses (I think Anna Page West is great, but East is a little goofy....lots of J-shaped/candy-cane shaped holes - drive, easy upshot, putt).

They got rid of those candy cane holes. Hole 2 has a new tee farther up the hill and you play through the woods out to the open area on the other side. Doesn't bring hole 3 tee into play at all.

Hole 14 now also plays straight to the right through that patch of woods, across the old green for the long pin, and farther up the hill and into the woods on the other side.

 

[Daffron24]

If you have time on your trip Lakefront brewery is a pretty awesome tour and delicious beer or a stop to Soblemans will be worth your while.