I was in the area picking something up and decided to take a short walk through this park. My…read morenephews and I used to come here in Spring when everything was still covered in snow, and in winter, the park is popular for cross-country skiing, so I'm quite familiar with it. I've also attended a foraging class here through the Madison Public Library, which was a great experience. The trails are easy to walk, but keep an eye out for black walnuts that ripen and drop onto the ground--you could easily step on one and twist an ankle (as I unfortunately did). Along the way, you might spot squirrels and hear birds singing in the bushes. I even came across some mushrooms, which reminded me of the foraging class. There's a restroom facility and a pond nearby, and in winter, local families love coming here for sledding on hill. I've done it myself--it's a lot of fun, just make sure to protect your back on the way down! Don't say I didn't warn you!

I went recently to try out the ice skating and had a blast. It cost 6$ to rent ice skates and you…read morecould skate for as long as you want until the rental place closed. If you have your own skates you can skate for as long as you want. They have 2 rinks, one for regular ice skating and the other for hockey. They have the green assistance rollators, for when you need assistance ice skating, that are useful. The ice was chipped in some areas, but overall good quality. There is a huge hill close by that looks like it can be sledded when there's more snow.

The four stars is a combination of location, price and quality. Is this a "four star golf course"?…read more No, that's a high bar. Is this a four-star bargain? You betcha! The rack rate here is $15 for 9 holes, and $25 for 18 (it's 9 holes, so you'd just do two laps). But watch for deals - you can often find the 10am rate for $10. What disappointed me there was the $10 "convenience fee" booking online with them. I did an end-around and booked via Teeoff.com and saved that fee. Whatever you do, it's a pretty decent deal to walk 9 holes "in town". Course quality is okay. The layout is cool - for an executive course (3 par 4s, 6 par 3s), it's got a lot of character. Mature trees, some elevation change, a little water, and some well-placed bunkers give you more to think about than just the pin position. The condition is the "okay" part - some of the more-used parts of the fairway (like, around 220 yards out where many drives land) was full of crabgrass. While not ideal, you're still golfing in town, so you deal with it. This isn't U-Ridge! People - I was greeted by a friendly fellow in the clubhouse. He saw me in the system let me know me and my friends could get out a little early if we wanted to. Very nice and helpful. In short - this isn't a bad little course if you don't want to leave town to scratch that golf itch. If you're looking for the class 18-hole adventure with cart and a well-stocked clubhouse bar, you'll want to go somewhere else and pay up. But this is a nice little slice of nature right in town, and it gets the job done.

A perfect executive golf course. I've read some poor reviews here ,if they have complaints then go…read moreto another course. It is very affordable and well run It's a gem in the middle of the city.

The food was terrible ( fish)and we both got sick. The clam chowder was worse than canned.read more

The course is decent and a fun layout, but they overbook it with the tee times spaced 9 minutes…read moreapart. That might work for the pros, but for the weekend hackers like me that come to public courses, it just leads to unbearable backups on tee boxes. If they could learn to manage their tee sheet better, this would be one of the better courses in Madison, but a 5.5 hour round makes it lose its appeal.

I really like this park. It's got a combination of park and lake front.Some kids play equipment,…read morebasketball court and plenty of open space to kick a ball, throw a Frisbee or just walk along the water front.

Basic prefab street course with quarter pipes and a pyramid…read more But I came for the beautiful 3' mini ramp. Tons of fun.

I've been golfing Deer Valley for many years, and I love it there - it's my "go to" course,…read moreespecially when I can't find a great deal on something else. First, Deer Valley is an affordable course. I love to golf, but can't afford to shell out top-shelf prices for a round. HOWEVER, Deer Valley isn't exactly a cheap "hacker's course". There's a wide variety of hole styles to keep your attention, highlighted by their signature par-3 #5 that takes you 120 yards out, but straight down to a soft green. The view is intimidating, but it's a hole you could shoot at for hours. Immediately after #5, you're challenged to drive over the rocky, steep face that you just came down. There are holes with blind tee shots over hills, hard dog-leg turns, and plenty of terrain to navigate. I haven't even mentioned hole #1 - a long par 5 up a big hill (and almost always into the wind). Once you get past that hole, the rest doesn't feel too bad. Deer Valley is extremely scenic with tee boxes overlooking vast valleys. In the fall, the colors are breathtaking. Being removed from the big city, it's one of the most peaceful courses I've been on. Keep an eye on your ball, but don't forget to take in the scenic views and watch for wildlife! It's beautiful there! The new "Valley" nine is nice, but I still like the Ridge and Prairie best. Valley is a little tighter and most of the holes run in, you guessed it, the valley... Definitely a course worth hitting. If you're a prude and want to be addressed as "Mister", have your clubs cleaned by some high school boy working for tips, go somewhere else. If you're looking for a course that is great bang for the buck, to hang out with some friends and have a great time - hit Deer Valley.

It represents the Driftless Region well with all the hills. Very challenging and walking it is not…read morefor the faint of heart. My first time there, I asked to walk 18 holes and the pro shop guy said "110% of people take a cart." You will get a work out for sure. The golf is challenging, keeps you thinking, and is really well maintained. Worth the trip.

Went hiking here in the snow on a weekend and got a very good workout. The path was paved pretty…read morewell, but it is still climbing a bluff and we had a dog pulling us all the way up. When you get to the top, there is a great view of the countryside. Only comment is that the way down was a little treacherous with the snow-covered steps and ground. Also with the snow, only the lower lot was open, but well plowed, unlike some of the other parks we've been at recently.

I really love this park. In high school, we would come out here often when the weather was nice to…read moreclimb around on the bluffs and explore. I've continued to come out here, not as frequently, but when I get the chance. The park itself has some large bluffs. There is parking down below them, or you can drive up a steep winding narrow roadway to a large parking area up top. Once you're up there, there is a large green space with lots of tall mature trees that provide nice shade cover on hot summer days. There are picnic tables and an outhouse style restroom available. As you walk out towards the edge of the bluff, the trees clear and there is a nice view of the surrounding farmland. The bluffs are really cool to check out. Years ago, we would climb all over them. Now, due to safety concerns, they have the area marked off. Makes sense. There are also a lot of trails to walk along back in the wooded area that sits behind the clearing. A lot of these trails are also equestrian trails, so you must be on the lookout for horse poo! I really enjoy bringing my dog out here and cutting him loose in the woods. He never gets too far, and it's a great place for him to explore! The park is open year round, however the drive to the top does get gated off during the winter. You have to make the trek up on your own!

I had never golfed here before it was transformed into its current design. At the insistence of a…read morefriend who lives near the course we gave it a try. I have now golfed here twice and really enjoyed the experience. I like the nine hole format without any par 5s. The course is super interesting with beautiful wildflower plantings (don't hit into them because you would never find your ball). The greens are rolling and devilish. Sections of thick grass bunkers are nearly impossible to hit out of even if you find your ball. It is hilly especially the ninth hole. The practice green is super entertaining. The only down side is that the price for nine is higher than the other Madison courses. Fun experience!

This course was a lot fun but also striked us a bit dangerous. There a ton of blind spots and the…read moreholes are close together. I heard fore called multiple times throughout our time in the course. We also found several golf balls on the course like more than I normally see when golfing. A neat thing about this course is that there are 4 different sets of tees at each hole so you play different courses. They are also spread out quite a bit. There are natural wildflowers all over the place which adds quite a bit of beauty. Staff in the clubhouse were friendly. We snagged the last two carts thanks to our friends who got here early. This course is definitely walkable but pretty hilly.