Pros:
- some very cool elevation change throughout course
- high level of technical challenge in this mostly wooded course
- intense workout with majority long holes
- nice large concrete tees
- baskets, though basic, are serviceable and catch well enough
- fair but tight, challenging fairways
- picturesque setting in a pretty quiet park with mature trees
- well maintained
- garbage can and donation box at start of course, garbage cans throughout course
- hole 17 has unique terrain unlike the rest of the course (see below)
Cons:
- tee signs only have the most rudimentary maps
- some newer players may consider this course a bit too brutal
- rough in places is extremely rough and you'll pick up lots of brambles
- only very limited navigation aids; some challenges getting around
- limited amenities; no restrooms near disc golf course
- some backtracking after hole 9 to get to the hole 10 start near parking lot
Other Thoughts:
Silver Fox was my first stop of the morning and I wasn't expecting such a workout! This place wore me out; the elevation change is near the best I've see in Wisconsin. In addition, this course is LONG. Yes, I've played longer, but they typically have more than 18 holes. This one clocks in at just under 7,000 feet and most of it is not flat. With the other foxes nearby, this is a great place to spend a day.
It's hard to find many true cons for Silver Fox. I think the 2 biggest complaints are navigation and the rough. For most of the course, navigation isn't too bad and mostly flows well. However, there are very few navigation aids and in a few places this makes things frustrating. I managed to play all of hole 13 thinking it was hole 8 (partially my bad for not looking at the tee sign well enough) and then had to backtrack to find the real hole 8. After hole 7, you do not want to cross the road. Hole 8 is on the same (right) side of the road as you continue past hole 7, across the street from 13. Similarly, after hole 9, I ended up backtracking through the fairways for holes 1 and 2 to get to the parking lot and start the back 9 loop with hole 10. This was not very intuitive and could have been more cleanly designed.
As a more minor complaint, in places the rough is very rough and you will pick up tons of brambles you'll sit there picking off. I'll admit this is one of those things that really sours my mood during disc golf. I'm used to getting scraped up and poked with thorns but at least the pain is fast and I can move on! The brambles take forever to pull off and I guess I'm just not the most patient person. However, I've seen much worse rough. The situation at Silver Fox is definitely tolerable.
With all of that said, this is an awesome place to play disc golf. The technical challenge is high here, and most of the holes are over 300 feet. There are lots of mature trees and it's generally a pretty course to play on, with some opportunities to spot wildlife such as whitetail deer. You will need a variety of shots to succeed here, and precision is key as the fairways are pretty tight and unforgiving. A water hazard on this course would really make it next level.
Equipment here is generally good; the baskets and tee signs are nothing incredible but work well enough. Upgraded maps would be a nice improvement. The tees are excellent - not only concrete, but nice large pads and seemed to be level. There's only one set of tees and baskets, but honestly sometime I prefer it this way. While offering different skill levels for different players is a fantastic feature, not every course can put in this amount of money, nor has the space for it. I think one excellent layout is preferred to several mediocre ones, and the one Silver Fox has is top notch.
Hole 13 ended up being one of my favorite holes - despite being over 500' which doesn't tend to be my preferred type of shot. After a long, tight shot from elevation, it opens up a bit near the basket, but the hill drops off after it, so if you approach the basket too aggressively you're going down the hill. It's kind of brutal but it's a fun challenge.
Hole 17 was probably best, though. After walking through this entire course with some nice woods and typically dirt/grass groundcover, suddenly you walk up to 17 and you're playing on a rocky hillside with coniferous trees around - I felt like I'd stepped in to Colorado or something. It is almost all rocks, and then on 18 you're back to the forest. It's just this little chunk of different terrain for one hole which was really cool.
Overall, I really enjoyed my round here. It is definitely a workout so come prepared. You can play all 3 foxes in one day but it will start to wear you down. While this course might not be the top echelon in Wisconsin (there's tons of competition), it is one of the best in far southern Wisconsin and absolutely worth a trip from Madison, Milwaukee, or Chicago. If you enjoy woods disc golf and elevation change, Silver Fox fits the bill.