START SWINGING START SWINGING

listings by James Johonnott

Take me out to a ball game… or a basketball game… or the U.S. National Kubb Championship. Really, you could take us anywhere! Now that summer is within sight, we’re tickled, elated, jubilant, delighted to get out and play! And there’s no shortage of catchy ways to toss a ball around, knock it out of the park, glide around town, and – most importantly – get your body moving and grooving to a new beat: the beat of summer. Check out the following pages for a guide to the Chippewa Valley’s courts, courses, and felds.

Basketball Courts

Some courts are not full. Most courts require you to “bring it.”

Eau Claire

IF THE HORSESHOE FITS...

BASEBALL & SOFTBALL DIAMONDS

SWING, BATTER, BATTER, BATTER!

Eau

Ave., Menomonie

FOWLER COURT PARK 4th Ave.

WAKANDA PARK on Pine Ave.

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Augusta

LAKE EAU CLAIRE COUNTY PARK S. Shore Dr.

Horseshoe Pitches

Most spots require ample amounts of easy-going-ness.

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Eau Claire

CARSON PARK 101 Carson Park Dr.

— Altoona

LAKE ALTOONA COUNTY PARK 604 Beach Rd.

Chippewa Falls

FLAG HILL IN IRVINE PARK on Bridgewater Ave.

Menomonie

LEISURE

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Tennis Courts

What’s with all the racquet?

Eau Claire

LAKE EAU CLAIRE COUNTY PARK South Shore Dr., off Hwy 27.

SOCCER FIELDS

Can you bend it like Beckham?

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Eau Claire

BOYD PARK 1202 Fairway St.

BOLLINGER FIELDS on Stein Blvd.

EAU CLAIRE SOCCER PARK Hamilton Ave.

GROVER HEIGHTS PARK 1022 Violet Ave.

Chippewa Falls

CASPER PARK W Canal St.

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Menomonie

PHELAN PARK at 21st Ave. E.

SKATE PARKS

GNARLY PLACES TO CHECK OUT.

Eau Claire Skateboard Plaza

Menomonie

Volleyball Courts

Bump, set, and serve up some fun.

Eau Claire CARSON PARK 101 Carson Park Dr. • Mount Simon Park on Addison St. • Riverview Park at 2711 Riverview Dr. • Rod & Gun Park 801 Schoettl Ave.

Altoona

Chippewa Falls IRVINE PARK on Bridgewater Ave.

Along the bike trail near Lakeshore Shelter, 900 Broadway St., Eau Claire • 839-5039 • eauclairewi. gov The Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department installed a 3,000 square foot facility in August of 2013. Intended for skateboards, inline skates, and BMX bikes only, this park is free and is open to the public.

MARSHALL PARK Bridgewater Ave, Chippewa Falls • Fun activities at this park includ community gardens, Marhall Park Duncan Creek Trail, three tennis courts, rose/lily garden, softball/baseball field, skateboard park, two basketball courts and pool.

PHELAN PARK 9th St. East and 21st Ave. East, Menomonie • Huge, with plenty of features for a number of different skill levels. All concrete with some great lines and a generally good flow. Includes a 6’vert, quarter, two 6’ regular transitioned quarters, a small 4’ bowled corner, pyramids, and more. No pad requirements - FREE.

DISC GOLF COURSES

Two great sports that taste great together.

BRICKYARD DISC GOLF COURSE 302 Brickyard Road, Menomonie • 9 holes, 1,797 feet (alt. course 3,006 feet), natural tees - A very technical course, it traverses hills, valleys and plateaus. Dual tees. 2 permanent pins per hole: yellow A pins and orange B pins. 2 practice baskets on Putting Plateau marked for putting games.

THE CAMPUS “9” Upper Campus, UWEC, Eau Claire • 836-5601 • uwec.edu 9 holes, mixed tees - Course is interspersed around campus dorms, mostly flat areas.

CHIPPEWA FALLS MIDDLE SCHOOL

750 Tropicana Blvd., Chippewa Falls • 726-2400

18 holes, 5,107 feet, par 62, mixed tees - Wonderfully creative, wrapped around the school and surrounding woods. Varied elevations. Mix of open and wooded.

DELONG MIDDLE SCHOOL 2000

Vine St., Eau Claire • 852-4900 • ecasd.us/District/ Home 18 holes, 1,942 feet, par 54, natural tees - The front 9 works its way around a track. It works well for putting practice and is also wheelchair friendly. The back 9 resembles your typical course, however, it is quite short and mostly wide open.

LAMB CREEK 5699 County Road D, Menom- onie • 235-9927 • pioneergrill.com 9 holes, 2,088 feet, par 29, concrete tees - This course is owned and operated by Pioneer Grill and Saloon and winds through tight woods and over Lambs Creek with rolling elevation along the basin.

MENOMONIE MIDDLE SCHOOL

920 21st St SE, Menomonie • 232-1673 • 12 holes, 2,438 feet, par 39, grass tees - Beautiful countryside with elevation on half the course. Referred to as the “sunset course,” play 1-2 hours before sunset and enjoy the expansive panoramic view and colors from hole 6 basket and 7 tee.

MT. SIMON PARK 100 Addison Ave., Eau Claire • 49-acre park located on Dell’s Pond with access off either Madison Street or Birch Street. This park offers a boat landing and dock, 2 picnic pavilions, 2 lighted sand volleyball courts, and an 9-hole disc golf course. Mt. Simon Park is also home to Eau Claire’s Babe Ruth Baseball program.

NORTHSTAR MIDDLE SCHOOL 2711 Abbe Hill Drive, Eau Claire • 852-3000 • 9 holes, par 27, gravel tees - Some difficult holes, as well as some very solid chances for birdies. First 3 are open, in a valley behind the school, then a few holes in the woods. Not open to public during school hours.

TOWER RIDGE PARK Off County Rd. L, Eau Claire • 839-4783 • 18 holes, 3,730 feet (alt. course 5,775 feet), par 78, natural tees - This is a very challenging course that is heavily wooded with many elevation changes. Long, narrow fairways, dual tees. $5/day parking fee.

WAKANDA PARK - DISC GOLF Wakanda

Park Rd. and Pine Ave. E, Menomonie • 232-1664 • menomonie-wi.gov 18 holes, 5,545 feet, par 65. Wakanda Park is a challenging course with a good variety of open and wooded shots, as well as water hazards. There is also a good m––ix of short and long holes. The park also has baseball diamonds and basketball courts.

Spectator Sports

Batter up!

EAU CLAIRE EXPRESS Check the schedule online • Eau Claire Express Stadium - Carson Park, 702 Carson Park Drive, Eau Claire • $9-14 for general admission, $28+ for Fan Deck seating • northwoodsleague.com The Eau Claire Express is back with its 2021 season. Grab your single game or season tickets now and get back into the stands.

RACES AT RED CEDAR SPEEDWAY

Fridays with select other days, 7pm • Red Cedar Speedway, 1700 block of Stout Rd., Dunn County Recreation Park, Menomonie • $10-30; FREE for kids 12 and under • 235-6318 • redcedarspeedway.com The Red Cedar Speedway is a WISSOTA sanctioned track with weekly stock car races. The events are cash-only.

EAU CLAIRE BEARS BASEBALL Check their schedule online • Generally plays at Cinder City Park, Altoona • All ages • eauclairecavaliers.org See a hometown baseball game with the Eau Claire Bears baseball team.

EAU CLAIRE CAVALIERS BASEBALL

Check their schedule online • Carson Park, 100 Carson Park Dr., Eau Claire • $5 adults; $1 students 18 & under; children 5 & under FREE; season ticket options available • All ages • 838-9222 • eauclairecavaliers.org See a hometown baseball game with the Eau Claire Cavaliers baseball team.

Golf Courses

Fooooooooooooooooore!

EAU CLAIRE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 828 Clubview Lane, Altoona • 836-8420 • ecgcc. com A 18-hole, par 71 Championship course, spread out over 250 acres of mature, wooded terrain, including sweeping hillsides and towering white pines.

HICKORY HILLS GOLF COURSE E4080

Hickory Rd., Eau Claire • 878-4543 • golfhickoryhills. com Located on 100 stunning acres just 3 miles south of Eau Claire on Highway 93, Hickory Hills Golf Course is an 18-hole, executive length course geared towards the recreational golfer.

LAKE HALLIE GOLF COURSE 2196 110th St, Chippewa Falls • 861-5442 • lakehalliegolf. com 18 holes, 5,885 yards, par 70, with a course rating of 68.3 and slope rating of 124.

LAKE WISSOTA GOLF AND EVENTS

16108 97th Avenue, Chippewa Falls • 1-888-382-4780 • wissota.golf 18 holes, 6,015 yards, par 71, public course. This course requires many straightaway tee and approach shots to the green.

MENOMONIE GOLF & COUNTRY

CLUB 802 Heller Rd., Menomonie • 235-3595 • menomoniegolf.com 9 holes, 1,911 yards, par 30, public course.

MILL RUN GOLF COURSE 3905 Kane Rd., Eau Claire • 858-7960 • wildridgegolf.com 18 holes, 6,078 yards - public - Mill Run Golf Course has been a local favorite for Eau Claire area golfers since it’s inception in 1981. It makes up for the lack of overall distance with strategically placed hazards, bunkers, and subtly breaking greens.

OJIBWA GOLF & BOWL 8140 136th Street, Chippewa Falls • 723-8823 • OjibwaGC.com 9 holes, 2,882 yards, par 35, public course. This gorgeous course is surrounded by mature pine trees. Water hazards come into play on several holes. The terrain is hilly and the small greens are in excellent condition.

PINE MEADOW GOLF CLUB 4324 Fairfax Park Dr., Eau Claire • 832-6011 • pinemeadowgolfclubinc.com 9 holes, 1,143 yards, par 27 - public - This course has small, undulating greens. The terrain is relatively flat and several trees line the fairways.

PINEWOOD GOLF COURSE N4545 440th St., Menomonie • 235-2900 • pinewoodgcr.com 9 holes, 1,558 yards, par 29, public. An excellent course for beginners, youth, and seniors, these greens are fairly level and virtually hazard-free, except for a few sand traps.

PRINCETON VALLEY GOLF COURSE

2300 W. Princeton Ave., Eau Claire • 834-3334 • princetonvalley.com 9 holes, 3,325 yards, par 36public - This scenic course is located in the base of a valley. The course is tight and features a beautiful rolling layout with tree framed fairyways and lateral water hazards on holes 3, 5, 6, and 9.

THE VALLEY GOLF COURSE S80 Golf Rd Mondovi, Mondovi • thevalleygc.com Originally a 9-hole course nestled in the rolling hills of Buffalo County, The Valley Golf Course has been reborn as an 18-hole course for all skill levels. Great views, checkerboard fields, picturesque farms, and a full-service supper club style restaurant.

WHISPERING PINES GOLF COURSE County Rd. X, Cadott • whisperingpinesgc.net An 18 hole course located approximately 12 miles east of Eau Claire. Indoor simulation, leagues, and serves food.

WHITETAIL GOLF COURSE E8414 760th Ave., Colfax, WI 54730 • 962-3888 • whitetailgolf. com The Whitetail Golf Course features 18½ holes carved into the countryside. The front nine tempts golfers to “swing away” with ample space and demanding distance, while the narrow carved-out holes on the back nine require precision play.

WILD RIDGE GOLF COURSE 3647 Kane Rd., Eau Claire • 834-1766 • wildridgegolf.com 18 holes, 7,000 yards -public- This is a championship golf course. Enjoy the view from the breathtaking elevated first tee which has been cut of the woods to the wind blown links style of the par three 17th hole.