Disc Golf
The Silver Creek Park Disc Golf Course
The Manitowoc Parks & Recreation Department operates an eighteen hole disc golf course at Silver Creek Park. The project was funded through donations from several local businesses and organizations, listed below. The course includes a front nine and back nine that traverse the entire park. There are also practice baskets for the front and back nines.
The course has recreation and advanced tees. Every effort has been made to ensure the course is not in conflict with other park uses. The safety of participants and non-participants was of paramount concern. Further, the course has been designed to be sensitive to nature and altering of the Park’s natural state has been kept to a minimum.
Due to the beauty of the Silver Creek Park and the professional design of the course, we believe our course to be regarded as one of the best courses in the state of Wisconsin. This allows us to host PDGA tournaments bringing many people to our community.
View the Silver Creek Course Map
This map may be used to help players find their way around the Silver Creek Course. T-signs and directional signs on the course are also available for navigating the course.
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Disc Golf Tournaments Advanced Registration Only!
Now you can complete your registration for either tournament Online!
Visit the eConnect portion of our website to register for either of the tournaments listed below. The tournaments will be found on the "Activities" page under the "Special Events" category. You will need a Visa or Mastercard to register online.
The Annual Manitowoc in the Park -- Amateur Tournament
Beginners Welcome!!! Come and play in a tournament for amateur players on Sunday, July 12, 2009. This tournament at Silver Creek Park is PDGA sanctioned, part of the Wisconsin tour and will be open to all. For more information, please contact Jeremy Crees at 683-4533 or by E-mail at jcrees@manitowoc.org. This fee includes $10.00 PDGA Membership. Players paying on-line will receive their $10.00 refund at check-in. Their is no refund for Youth and Junior Divisions.
| Division | Course # | Fee |
| Intermediate Men | 8239 | $50.00 |
| Recreation Men | 8241 | $45.00 |
| Intermediate Women | 8240 | $45.00 |
| Recreational Women | 8244 | $40.00 |
| Youth (13-16) | 8242 | $25.00 |
| Junior (12 &U) | 8243 | $20.00 |
The Annual Manitowoc in the Park -- PDGA B-Tier Professional/Advanced Tournament
Come out and watch the pros of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) as they tune up for the World Championships at Silver Creek Park on Saturday, July 11, 2009. The B-Tier tournament is part of the Wisconsin tour and will feature some of the best players in the world. This fee includes $10.00 PDGA Membership. Players paying on-line will receive their $10.00 refund at check-in.
| Division | Course # | Fee |
| Pro Open | 8245 | $82.00 |
| Pro Masters | 8246 | $77.00 |
| Pro Grand Masters | 8247 | $67.00 |
| Pro Women | 8248 | $72.00 |
| Advanced Men | 8249 | $67.00 |
| Advanced Masters | 8250 | $62.00 |
| Advanced Women | 8251 | $57.00 |
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The Sport
Disc Golf is very similar to the traditional golf game. It is played by people of all ages from all walks of life on over a thousand courses worldwide. It is a lifetime sport enjoyed by professionals, amateurs, children, teenagers, couples, families, rich and poor. There is no expensive equipment to purchase and no course fees. All a player needs is a disc (frisbee) (~$8.00) and a course.
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The Frisbee, catching devices, and game were invented by "Steady"
Ed Headrick. Steady Ed also created the organizations that now govern the sport
on a worldwide level; the Disc Golf Association (DGA) and the Professional Disc
Golf Association (PDGA). Steady Ed held the patents on the Frisbee and the
catching devices. As an interesting side note, Steady Ed also invented the
Superball.
Steady Ed passed on, but we will always remember him for the joy he has brought to our community through this exciting game. |
There about 45 (the number is growing) disc golf courses in the state of Wisconsin. Tournaments for amateurs and professionals are held around the state and Wisconsin has had the honor of hosting the World Championships on several occasions. The courses are generally found in city and county parks, though some are found at schools and service organization sponsored parks.
Until a few years ago, Manitowoc residents had to travel to Sheboygan (two courses), Green Bay (two courses) and the Appleton area (five courses) to play on actual courses. Some, however, have been playing an object course at Silver Creek Park for years. An object course is made by selecting objects such as garbage cans, trees, picnic tables, buildings, and signs; marking them, usually with paint, and then throwing Frisbees at them. This is not healthy for the park or its facilities.
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The Demonstration Day Event
On June 16, 2000, the Parks & Recreation Department hosted a Disc Golf Demonstration Day at Silver Creek Park. The event, held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. drew about 150 people of all ages to the park to try out the sport.
The event was organized by "Duster" Don Hoffman. Duster is a Master Course Designer and the Region 6 Representative of the Professional Disc Golf Association. He represents several states in the mid-west including Wisconsin. In an effort to promote the sport, he set up a nine hole course using six of his own portable baskets and three from Pat Borsma (Green Bay). Duster has also helped our Department map out the course in Silver Creek Park (See Map). Thanks Duster and Pat.
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Community Involvement and Sponsorship
Tim Hildebrand, a disc golf enthusiast from Manitowoc approached the Department with several potential sponsors interested in contributing to a disc golf course in the city. Tim has provided the Department with a wealth of literature on the sport and took some of us out to see a course. He has been instrumental in developing the course layout.
One of the sponsors is Jim Van Lanen, Jr. of the Lighthouse Inn. Jim maintains a web-site that promotes the sport in Wisconsin (www.discoverwisc.com). He has provided us with aerial photos of the park on which he has mapped out the course. He has also shared a wealth of knowledge on the sport and course design, and connected us with "Steady" Ed.
| Each basket has been sponsored by a local business or organization. Here are the sponsors and the hole (basket) they will sponsor: | 
Sponsor, Jerry Knox (TJ's) and family help us to break ground on the new course. |
| Hole (Basket) Front Nine Practice Basket Hole #1 Hole #2 Hole #3 Hole #4 Hole #5 Hole #6 Hole #7 Hole #8 Hole #9 Back Nine Practice Basket Hole #10 Hole #11 Hole #12 Hole #13 Hole #14 Hole #15 Hole #16 Hole #17 Hole #18 |
Sponsor Manitowoc Community Credit Union Hamann Construction TJ's Sports Bar & Grill Inn on Maritime Bay Manitowoc Trophy Acoustic Fest Lakeshore Screenprinting & Embroidery Cellcom WQTC -- FM Radio Dental Park S.C. Holy Family Memorial Larry's Distributing Simple Machines The Grooming Room Sheboygan Aces Lighthouse Inn on Lake Michigan Lakefield Communications, Inc. Wal-Mart Cher-Make Sausage Company Independent Realty, Inc. |
Other contributors to the Disc Golf Course include:
Jageman Stamping
Culture Cafe'
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The Ground Breaking Event
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On Saturday, September 30, 2000, the Parks & Recreation Department hosted a ground breaking at Silver Creek Park. At the short ceremony, the Department recognized the contributions of four important volunteers who's efforts have made the course a reality in Manitowoc. Tim Hildebrand, "Duster" Don Hoffman, Jim Van Lanen Jr. and Wade Juza were presented plaques in appreciation for their time, knowledge and efforts related to the development and promotion of the Silver Creek Disc Golf Course.
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The Department also thanked the Course Sponsors for their contributions to the project with a short lunch followed by an opportunity to pose for pictures with gold shovels and and a chance to try out the sport on the first five holes of the front nine.
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The Grand Opening Event
The Parks & Recreation Department hosted a grand opening event on Sunday, June 10, 2001. People came from all over Wisconsin to check out Manitowoc's newest recreational facility, the Silver Creek Park Disc Golf Course. We had food, drinks, prizes and games with course sponsors, the designer of the course "Duster" Don Hoffman, the volunteers that made it all possible and representatives of the Parks & Recreation Department. Best of all, "Steady" Ed Headrick came all the way from California to help us christen the new course. Thanks to everyone who made the day special, despite the poor weather.
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Course Construction Update
| Currently, baskets are in their primary placements on all 18 holes (eighteen
is actually in the alternate pin
placement due to the picnic table storage area). Both the front nine and
back nine practice
basket are also in.
27 T-pads and directional signs were installed in the Spring of 2003. We hope to fund raise for the remaining 9 by the end of this season. |
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A map of the course is available on this site.
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The Wisconsin Conservation Corps (WCC) came out to do extensive clearing on holes 10 through 14 on Monday, October 30, 2000. They also spread wood chips on some of the holes on the back nine. Thanks Guys! |
Have Fun!
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