Announcing the Highbridge Hills Sports Complex opening this spring, hopefully by Memorial Day if Mother Nature cooperates. This 160-acre site on a half wooded hilltop in northern Wisconsin will strive to become a disc golf haven second to none. The initial plans are for three 18-hole multiple tee and pin courses to be used for recreational to championship play. The goal is for at least one course to open by mid-May and all three ready to play by July 1st of this year. A fourth course mostly through woods is planned for a late summer debut. All courses will start and end near a future lodge on the hilltop which is the highest point in the county containing Ashland, WI.

The courses will be pay-for-play with nominal fees running from perhaps $3 per round to $7-8 per day. An existing chalet on the site will serve as temporary HQ and Pro shop until the larger lodge can be built. Check out the current map draft of the planned courses.

The site was being developed for ball golf when some unexpected family setbacks delayed moving forward. Last year the owner, John Jokinen, discovered the potential for disc golf and has moved forward full bore. So we take advantage of the ball golf irrigation system, John has asked me to find good places to install ponds, waterways and waterfalls so we have appropriate challenges for disc golfers in addition to the natural ponds, marshes and reservoir already on the property.

In addition to the four courses this year, next year he plans to add four more courses nearby with two at each of two campground and RV centers being developed. So, eight high quality courses are just around the corner. Expect to hear more about this exciting development as we get further along including a website with more information and pictures than those shown.
http://hometown.aol.com/ck34/images/highbridge%20febv1.jpg
http://hometown.aol.com/ck34/images/slide6.jpg
http://hometown.aol.com/ck34/images/slide3.jpg

Chuck,

The site looks awesome! It would be nice to one day have a multi-course complex like Highbridge and the National Disc Golf Center in every region of the country.

What is that white stuff all over the ground? Kind of looks like the stuff we put in our sweet tea down here to keep it cold. :)

Good luck with the project.

Again Chuck,
Can't wait to get up there to play these courses. Will still be in the area(Sandy Point) the first weekend in June and I'll get in touch to see if any of the courses will be open by then. It's great to see disc golf keep growing by leaps and bounds in WI. Will definitely have to take a weeks vacation up there next year. Keep up the good work Chuck and post updates when you can! Bravo to everyone involved with the project.

Sorry I'm so nosey Chuck but how is the course coming along?

Things are moving along well now that the snow is gone. An additional Rec 9 is going in first at the campground which should be ready about May 1. I completed designs and flagged the first three championship 18s. Depending on basket orders and shipments, at least one or two of those courses should be open by June 1.

We're thinking about having a D-tier either Sat or Sun, June 26-27 and a B-tier Oct 9th or 10th. I'll be back up there in the first half of May, hopefully helping with installation and working on roughing out designs for courses four and five, all which will start and end near the first three. I've seen the property four miles away for courses 6, 7 & 8 and it's also choice. You won't believe this complex until you see it.

Excellent Chuck. thanks for the update. We'll see you in early June! I'm sure I'll bug you again before that. :D

Thanks for the update. Let us all know how to get more information when they have something out there (web page or phone #). Me and my camper have a new road trip to schedule.

Build it and they will come.
;)

I can't wait to play this place. I'll be up there as soon as I get a chance!

Lots of work and review this past week. The 2100' 9-hole campground course called Chestnut Grove, for recreation and the EDGE learning program, opened on Sunday. Course record is currently 22 with an 18 possible if you can throw 425. The 25-site campground will open around Memorial Day.

The 54 M3 baskets for three of the main courses will be shipped from DGA within a week or so. Plans are on track to have all three courses in the ground for the "Highbridge Shakedown" on the weekend of June 19-20. After checking out all three courses that weekend, we'll be ready for a D-tier on July 4th. We hope MN players will show up for the Shakedown (WI players have Pickle) and WI players will show up for the D-tier (MN has Spamtown). A C-tier is planned for the second weekend in October.

Lots of oohs and aahs from those who saw the awesome site for the first time as the area springs into full bloom. Highbridge Gold will play from 6000'-9000' for day-to-day play with an extended version for some events at 10,500'. Bluberry Hill plays from 3900'-7200' and Granite Ridge from 4200'-8500'. Future more wooded courses tentatively called Woodland Greens and The Bear are in the design phase with Woodland Greens possibly installed later this summer.

This fantasy disc golf center is coming closer to reality people. This will be a 'must see' place to visit on your trips as John Jokinen, the owner, helps us move to another level of course and facilities development. Their website is getting developed and should be online by Memorial Day. There will also be information for some limited investment opportunities in this large scale development that goes beyond disc golf into other sports and family activities including thoses for winter, considering the disc golf season there is only about 6 months.

My Thanks to several people who came up to help, some who are planning to move to Highbridge for work and some to invest. Slic dug the basket holes and SkillShot markers plus helped Brita & Bryan Lagergren and I set and measure tees on the Highbridge Gold course. Snelson and Ticknor helped me set the Red tees on Blueberry Hill and Granite Ridge courses. Brian Donahue helped with a few course tweaks and is developing the graphics for the site.

Hey Chuck,
I'm assuming from your update that only the current 9 hole will be in the ground by June 5/6? If there's more let me know in a PM. We'll still be at Sandy Point that weekend. The site sounds fabulous. Can't wait to see it in it's completed stage!

It's nip and tuck but there's a reasonable chance one of the three might be in the ground by June 5/6. Contact John at: 715-274-2500 around June 2nd.

Thanks Chuck. We'll do!

Are any of the courses complete? I have dug around for information on this Mecca of disc golf, but this thread is the only place I have found that mentions the Highbridge Sports Center. I'm going to be in the area this weekend and would like to check it out. Is there a website I can visit?

Our Shakedown event went well this past weekend with two of the first three championship courses tested. Plus the 9-hole campground course now has cement tee pads. Cement pads on the long tees of these two courses should be installed in time for the first sanctioned event on July 4th. The courses are unofficially open for play but are not consistently staffed yet. Brita is usually at the campground where you can get maps, and the pro shop has a preliminary stock of discs.

The Gold course will probably be ready for play by August. An abnormally wet spring has delayed the ability for heavy equipment to get into some areas where the ground is still soft.

Everything is on track to host the first Ratings Nationals there next June. However, we still need to get an experienced person to sign on as TD. I'm hopeful that this person will emerge from the pool of Wisconsin movers and shakers that may attend the D-tier on the 4th.

Confirmation that the tee pads for the Blue long tees on both the Blueberry Hill and Granite Ridge courses will be ready to go for the D-tier this Sunday. Informal doubles planned for Monday the 5th. Come on up for fun, you betcha!

Field of Dreams? Build it and they will come? Disc golf paradise? There are dozens of cliches that ran through my head when I first drove around the new Highbridge Hills Sports Complex.
It's 3 days later and I really am speechless.
You have to see this place and hear the "vision" from John, Chuck, Bryan, Brita, Slic or anyone else lucky enough to be "working" at Highbridge Hills.

IT IS WORTH THE DRIVE.

It's official. Highbridge Hills now has more holes on one site than anywhere in the World (63). The Highbridge Gold course opened this weekend with five hearty souls tackling this championship course currently set at 8600' (max 9200'). My 70 was best among our group with ratings from 900-940. It looks like this medium pin setup will have an SSA around 60. The cement pads for the long Gold tees will go in next week. The owner tells me peak fall colors should be in 2-3 weeks so come check it out. www.highbridgehillssc.com (http://www.highbridgehillssc.com)

Chuck, where can I get more information on the upcoming tournament Oct 9 & 10? I can't find anything on the web.

Hey Chainiac,
Here ya go, It's on the WI disc sports site as well.
2004
DISCRAFT FALL OPEN @ HIGHBRIDGE HILLS
OCTOBER 9/10
-PDGA �B� TIER EVENT
-MINNESOTA SUMMER TOUR EVENT(MST)
-PAR 72 TOUR EVENT
-ALL DIVISIONS PLAY ALL 3 CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES
-ADDED CASH IN THE PRO DIVISIONS
- GREAT AM PAYOUT AS USUAL
Preregistration opens Sept 1stt, and closes @ 9:30am Oct 9th.
OPEN PRO $55 ADVANCED $35
MASTER PRO $45 MASTER ADV $35
WOMEN PRO $35 ADV WOMEN $25
GR MASTER $35 INTERMEDIATE $25
INT WOMEN $25 $5 fee for non MFA/PDGA members. JUNIORS (UNDER 16) $25
Free custom stamped disc for all amateur entrys!!!!!!
The fall colors will be in full effect!
Camping on site for $5 per night.

QUESTIONS: CALL TIMMY GILL @612-281-3192 OR EMAIL TIMMYGILL@MN.RR.COM

Thank you. :D

You're welcome.
Posted on our MN yahoo group by Logger:
Friday night Oct. 8th
10:00 P.M.
Play Under The Lights
ONE DISC
2 Rounds of 9 holes
Chestnut Grove ( Campground Course )
$5 Per Person + $1 Ace Pool
1 Division
Lowest score WINS

Any ? See Logger when you get to Highbridge
715-274-4205

Sounds like fun to me, Under the lights!!!!! This will also be in play Sat night during the players party. Keg, food, bonfire, night bocce, ect......
TG the TD

Hey Chuck,
How many (if any) cabins or indoor lodging do you plan to have up before the mid-ratings nationals? Kim/I are sure going to try and come up if we're invited or we'll go on the waiting list. Just curious if it's camping for sure or if there would be a possibility of getting a cabin. Thanks again Chuck!

Cabins will be going up but I'm not sure how many will be ready by then. We have some investors lining up to build some cabins for rental units in addition to what John has planned. The www.midnationals.com (http://www.midnationals.com) site will route players to the Highbridge site for some form of reservations system. My suggestion will be to secure a camping reservation and get on the cabin waiting list.

Since they're not set up for RVs yet I looked around on the net and found a resort (campground) a little ways south of there. Wild Wood Haven (http://www.wildwoodhaven.com/)
They have some cabins to rent.

Thanks for that info. I hadn't found that place yet to help players attending the Mid-Nationals.

Thanks for the info guys. I'm pretty much a wuss and not much for the "roughing it" unless I absolutely have to! :D

I'm pretty much a wuss and not much for the "roughing it" unless I absolutely have to! :D


I hear you! Until I can pull in and plug in (W&E) I'll be staying somewhere else. I am looking forward to the day when I can walk out of my camper and onto a tee pad. Hope it's soon.

Older golfer with bad back. :(

shock and awe is the only way to describe what it's like from atop the highbridge complex. It was beautiful with 18" of snow on top.
THIS WILL BE A MUST-STOP SITE FOR ANY SERIOUS DISC GOLFER!

Thanks again to you and the folks in highbridge for all your hard work and raising the bar in our favorite sport, chuck!

We all feel the same way that once players get there, they will be blown away and want to come back. I'm surprised you made the 10 hr trek this time of year unless you are a skier or snowmobiler?