BLANCHARDVILLE — This spring, Blanchardville opened its own disc golf course — Driftless Valley — in McKellar Park. This 18-hole layout, designed by local disc golf players Ben and Abbie Wilson, plays along established features like the softball and baseball fields and Pecatonica River.
“The main concern was making an interesting course out of a fairly flat and open area,” Abbie Wilson said. “We knew we wanted to incorporate the Pecatonica river as much as possible while still giving the course a good flow. One other feature that we like and intentionally designed are holes 2 and 6. Both holes play near or over the softball fields which are out of bounds areas and offer a unique challenge in the park style course.”
Hole 1 begins to the right of the softball field and ends atop the hill near the shelter and park. The biggest hazard to this hole is the shrubbery and flowers on the side of the hill. Be sure to keep an eye on your disc, as it will be hard to find once launched in there. On the bright side, the steps along the hill make it easy to walk up and retrieve your disc.
As Abbie mentioned, hole 2 plays around the baseball field. For a right-hand backhand thrower, it is easy to play the fade and mirror the curve of the outfield fence. For a left-hand backhand thrower, be aware not to yank the disc or it will end up in the ball field. Because of this, I would recommend playing when there are no games going on at the park. Because it lies directly under the scoreboard, the basket has an extra layer of protection.
Hole 3 is the first to play along the Pecatonica, as the basket sits in front of the bridge just off the bank of the river. Looking at the layout on UDisc, I was wary that I’d lose a disc in the river, but the holes weren’t as daunting in person.
Holes 4 and 5 have a mando — meaning you must throw a designated or mandatory route — but the routes are manageable.
Hole 6 starts directly behind the left fence of the softball field. Since it is the offseason and the outfield fence is down, I threw my MVP Orbital on an anhyzer to the basket for a birdie. Again, the scoreboard adds another layer of protection to the basket.
The rest of the course follows the Pecatonica in the prairie restoration. This is an area I highly recommend having a partner with whom to throw. Discs are easier to lose in this area, and having a partner stand out in the fairway to track your disc and locate it saves time searching. I also recommend bringing discs you don’t care about losing or brightly colored ones, such as pink, light blue or neon yellow.
To add some variety to the shots, holes 11 and 15 are elevated and surrounded by tractor tires. They are still low enough to retrieve your disc from the basket without additional steps, though.
“We wanted to make sure that the prairie restoration area had enough space to grow and flourish, which allowed us to add in features to elevate the area,” Abbie Wilson said. “We have two elevated baskets atop tractor tires for holes 11 and 15.”
Additionally, holes 12 and 16 have two tee pad options — a longer one for more experienced players and a shorter one for beginners — as they play over water.
“Hole 12 offers a shorter tee pad for beginners who wish to play it safe and avoid throwing over the river,” Abbie Wilson said. “Hole 16 has the option for a short or long tee pad that offers another water carry over the pond that lies in the center of the prairie restoration area.”
On hole 12, I threw from the longer tee pad — 338 feet — and played a safe route to the right of the river with lots of open land. Next time I play, I will attempt to throw a route that goes over the river more, as I trust my arm. On hole 16, though, I threw from the short tee pad, as the long one was 386 feet over a decent-sized pond. Had I thrown well, I would have cleared the pond easily, but I released too early and my fade landed in the pond. Luckily, the water wasn’t too deep where I landed, and my Dad was able to go back after our round with his boots on and retrieve it — as well as one he lost a couple days prior.
Hole 18 is also pretty swampy, and I learned that the hard way. From the tee pad, the basket takes a hard 90-degree turn left. Instead of playing it safe and landing to the right of the tall grass — like taller than me tall grass — I went straight in it. When I went to look for my disc, I stepped ankle deep into water and thick mud. Needless to say, I couldn’t find my disc, so if you find a teal MVP Wave with my name and number on it, let me know.
Overall, the course layout is easy to follow, as the tee signs display a lot of information — par, distance, hole sponsor, rules and cautions, out of bounds and a visual of the basket location with physical markers. There is also an arrow on the tee sign pointing in the direction of the next basket.
My only critiques or cautions would be about the length of the teepads and bugs. For someone with a longer approach, the concrete tee pads were a little short for me. However, the area behind the teepads were flat and gave me plenty of room for an extended approach.
In regards to the bugs — even with bug spray and long pants, I was still getting attacked. I may be more prone to bugs and bites, but I farmer’s blew a dozen gnats from my nose and if I stood still, 10-15 were on me immediately. This surprised me because, when I cover Pecatonica for high school sports or Home Talent baseball, the bugs aren’t nearly as bad.
I’d definitely come back and play this course again in fall when the bugs are dead and the prairie restoration area is easier to navigate. Abbie also let me know that there may be a tournament held at this course in the near future. Be on the lookout!
— Natalie Dillon is the sports editor of the Monroe Times and can be reached at 608-324-3617 or ndillon@themonroetimes.com.
