In between my brother’s hockey games, my Dad and I decided to kill some time by playing the nearest course, Lincoln Park in Kenosha. (Side note: That’s one of the great things about disc golf; the equipment isn’t too bulky and easy to pack, so you can bring it along on almost any trip or vacation.)
The difficulty of this course made it different than any other that I’ve played. Normally, a course’s difficulty–mainly determined by length of the hole–stays fairly consistent. However, the front 9 of this course was short–holes ranged from 133 to 301 feet–and the back 9 was rather long–holes ranged from 215 to 321 feet–with two shots across the pond.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn that day, so my scores don’t accurately reflect the ease of the front 9.
Some defining holes include a shorty, number 3 at 130 feet, that plays to the fade of a RHBH thrower. Lying on top of a small hill to the left of the teepad, this hole can be difficult if your disc rolls to the bottom. You’ll be working your way up, which is no fun. Because it was so short, I threw a midrange.
Another hole that I liked, despite my bogey, was hole 6 by the bridge. Strategically placed on a slope at only 177 feet, this hole should have been relatively easy to par. I set myself up great at the top of the slope, but short-armed the putt because I was afraid I’d send it over the basket.
Hole 9, with a mando on the left side of the tree and its basket to the right, played perfectly for my Dad as a LHBH thrower. Instead of throwing a backhand and just dealing with the shot, I challenged myself and threw a forehand. I am proud to report that (just) made it over the creek.
On the back 9, hole 12 is the first shot across the pond. Because the pond was frozen over enough to walk on it, Dad and I threw, even though we knew we wouldn’t make it across.
The next shot over the pond is on hole 16. Again, Dad and I went for it because the ice was solid . . . or so we thought.
A word of caution for getting discs on ice:
- Test the ice before walking on it
- Get on quickly, get off quickly
Dad went to retrieve his disc confidently because he had his knee high, water-proof hunting boots on. See, dad followed the first rule of caution but neglected to note that the ice kept breaking.
He kept walking on the brittle ice until the water seeped into his boots. Subsequently, he turned around to get out when his boot sunk into the mud, pulling him down into the water. I actually started to panic a bit, but he made it out safely. I entered the ice in a different area and was able to retrieve Dad’s disc.
The result could have been much worse. For your safety, here’s a video for what to do if the ice cracks and you fall in deeper water.
Needless to say, we were done after that hole, plus, Mom came to pick us up for Jared’s next game. Before that, though, we stopped at the mall to pick Dad up new pants, socks, and underwear to wear to Jared’s game because his were soaked.
So, this is a partial review. We did not finish hole 16 or make it to the last two holes. On the positive side, though, each hole had a map of the basket and distance. They also had a garbage pail attached to each sign post. The only down side of this course is that the teepads are short. It took be a bit to figure out my footing.
This course requires a distance driver, midrange, and putter for all the different distances. I’d try it again in the winter, but, at my skill level, I wouldn’t try it in the summer when the pond isn’t frozen. Either that, or I’d just skip those holes. This course is not for beginners, make sure you’ve played a bit and developed your skills before trying.
| Fee | N/A |
| Holes | 18 |
| Teepad | Concrete |
One Toss at a Time 