Reimagining Shorewood Golf: Rise of the Disc

Imagine, if you will, standing at the 11th tee. A magnificent landscape unfolds before you. On each side, lush wild grass, native plantings and mighty oaks frame the long narrow fairway. Straight ahead of you in a hollow, fairway flanked tight by trees on either side, sits the basket. It’s a challenging drive, christened by its designer as “Lane of the Gods,” rewarding those who can stay on the straight and narrow, while punishing those who drift off course.

An orange and yellow Valkyrie Driver rests in your favorite modified power grip. With a smooth controlled x-step and fluid body rotation, your momentum shifts forward. Your arm arcs back, coiling like a spring, and with a step forward, uncoils with a powerful snap of the wrist releasing the disc. The follow-through is decisive; the colorful disc sails into the air some 175 feet but drops off to the left, disappearing into a healthy stand of koeleria macrantha (prairie Junegrass).

Welcome to Shorewood—rise of the disc.

Ethan Harvey, in his sixth year as the Outdoor Adventure Recreation Coordinator at UW-Green Bay, surveys where a destination-worthy disc golf course has taken shape. “We were careful to make sure we’re sticking in some beautiful frame shots where you have these tree tunnels,” Harvey explains. “Hole 11 is going to be fun. It’s got what [course designer] Cale referred to as a ‘Lane of the Gods,’ where you have lots of growth of trees on either side of your throw line on your fairway and you’ve got to throw straight and narrow. That’s your really technical one.” It’s a challenging drive, and its nickname is well-earned; rewarding the fearless, punishing the hesitant.

Designing a Dream

And that’s just one hole of 18 designed by Cale Leiviska, a well-known figure in the disc golf community. In a sport often regarded as a far more casual cousin to “ball” golf, Leiviska brings an abundance of serious disc golf credentials to his career—a pro disc golfer since 2004 with more than 160 career wins, a degree in conservation biology, a background in forest management and a portfolio of 30 courses designed. (For bonus points, Milwaukee Brewer hall-of-famer Paul Molitor is his uncle.) Leiviska’s approach to course design is deeply influenced by a childhood in Minnesota plus an educational background in conservation biology and forestry. His knowledge of the environment plays a crucial role in his designs, ensuring that courses are sustainable and ecologically friendly.

The previous nine-hole golf course fell victim to dwindling use and cost prohibited maintenance and finally, the COVID-19 shutdown. The decision was made to close it permanently in 2021. In true Phoenix fashion, something new is rising in its place—60 beautiful acres reimagined for cross-country running, skiing, and other recreational opportunities—with a disc golf course as its crown jewel.

Harvey’s role has also evolved over time, beginning with dual responsibilities of supporting a disc golf course and building an outdoor adventure program.

Harvey welcomes everyone at the disc golf course opening ceremony.

With a master’s degree in Leisure Youth and Human Services and an emphasis in outdoor recreation, Harvey takes his mission to “go outside and play” very seriously. He’s worked hard alongside the greater campus community to transform this area from one that once posted warnings against wandering onto the course, and now welcomes bikers, walkers, hikers and skiers. But it’s the new disc golf course that’s creating the biggest buzz. “We’ve had several people stop in, probably an average of three or four people a week stopping into the office,” Harvey reports. “And lots of action on the Facebook page.”

As Harvey also points out— it’s a transition to less which means more fun for more people and is kinder to the environment. “Disc golf is less cost-prohibitive. It’s also a lot less impactful on the local environment. There’s also a lot less mowing, a lot less pesticide and herbicide application.” As an additional bonus, a prairie restoration team worked closely to protect the native species on the course. Now the greens have large native grass plantings crossing through and Wisconsin native cactus is planted in the sand traps.

The course is designed to attract players of all skill levels. “There’s a much larger demographic that’s going to be willing to engage in the opportunities on this property now, which is just super exciting.” Plus, disc golf continues to rise in popularity. “Since I started playing about 15 years ago, the level of growth it’s had as an outdoor recreation opportunity has been almost tangible. And in the past five years, it’s really exploded.”

Even to a veteran course designer and disc golf professional like Leiviska, the new Shorewood Disc Golf Course is going to be something special. “The property is just so beautiful. It’s unique. There are elevation changes, there’s water features, there’s open space, there’s wooded space. It’s pretty much a course designer’s dream.” Plus, Leiviska notes that playing this course will not just be a walk in the park— “It’s going to be challenging even for the best disc golfer.” Some holes are definitely not for faint of arm— the longest being an 740-foot par five which would compare with a 450-yard traditional par-four hole.

Healthy Lessons

Ben Du Mez, a student at UW-Green Bay, has been actively involved in the development of the new disc golf course. Growing up in the Red Smith neighborhood near the campus, Du Mez was engaged in various sports, particularly tennis during high school. “Growing up playing tennis, I was always active. When I faced health issues, I needed to find a new way to stay engaged. Disc golf provided that balance.”

Du Mez found the sport provided a low-impact, enjoyable way to stay active and connect with nature. “Disc golf was a game-changer for me. It allowed me to stay active and connect with nature in a way that was manageable given my health conditions.”

What the course has also helped develop is DuMez’s resume. As a student worker at the Outdoor Recreation department he’s been instrumental in various aspects of the disc golf course development, from laying out tees to clearing brush. All while gaining valuable skills in project management, teamwork and environmental planning.

Du Mez views the disc golf course as a major asset for the UW-Green Bay community. And, it provides a new recreational opportunity that complements his major in environmental planning and policy. Looking ahead, he hopes to pursue a career in environmental or urban planning. “This project has given me invaluable hands-on experience that aligns perfectly with my academic goals and future career aspirations.”

A disc golfer gets ready to throw.

As far as Leiviska’s future, it’s looking like more requests for site visits all over the country than he can handle. Still, he looks forward to returning one day to see how this area including the Shorewood Disc Golf Course has grown into its new mission. “When I design a course and come back a year later and see families playing and people just enjoying the space. It’s literally the most rewarding part of disc golf for me.”