I'm going to try and add my own feelings and thoughts on this course without saying what's already been said in previous reviews too much as we all know by now that it's long, has tall grass/thick rough (I call a pro for about 80% of the course) and was designed by Dave Feldberg. So here we go.

There are some holes here that are not obviously figured out right away which is a good thing. You play the hole and after you think about a new line to take or a different shot or approach all together. The long grass that is used as out of bounds on some holes is a psychological obstacle as well as a physical one. I like the way the course is broken up in a sense in that you get a par three then a par four then a par three again and then a part five, etc. Not many people factor this into the difficulty of course as it it keeps you from getting into a groove and makes you unbalanced just like when a pitcher in a baseball game changes speed by throwing fastballs and then curve balls. The course is also hard because you think it's hard and you play the course as a long course and try to do too much and over throw your disc when a controlled 300 foot mid range throw will be better for you score.

I really like the concrete pads, tee signs and baskets although I believe it would be better if the hole number were painted on the basket to ease with confusion. There were signs saying there was a trash can every three holes and it looks like the players are keeping the trash in those bins at least so far let's hope they keep that up.

I'm a little confused as I kept hearing that this was a course to challenge the gold and top tier players but the par for the course (69) is designed much more for a player of my caliber (900 rated) or even lower. On some of the par four holes I was making two average or even below average throws and finding myself putting for birdie, I feel like some of these holes are either too long or too short for my skill level to be challenged so I can play the hole 100 times and have the same score maybe 95% of the time which makes it a boring hole for me. A good example would be hole one where I make two easy throws and can get a three no sweat but I'll never get a birdie because I can't throw 450 feet in one throw. A top level player however can throw that far but it's more of a par three hole for them. Lots of "tweener" holes. I guess I'm saying that this course isn't designed for me so why is the par designed for me?

There are a couple holes that use the long grass effectively as a nuisance and/or an out of bounds area but there are still a couple of blind throws over the long grass to a raised position or dogleg that makes tracking where you threw too more than a little difficult.

A few holes (especially the long open ones) felt like someone said something to the effect of "Let's put the tee pad here and the basket way down there, and that hole is done". Like there wasn't more of a consideration of what different lines and ways to play it and what makes a good length for the par they were going for.

I got a little confused on some parts of the course and it seemed to flow strange in parts taking me back to the fairways and and tee pads I had played already and hadn't played yet. The tee pad for six is right near the basket for four and I found it a little crazy walking back 800 feet for hole five just to play back to where I just was. I think if this were my home course I would skip hole five most days.

As always Oregon parks are charging $5 to get in and I'm not sure if there is an annual pass or not. I think I had very high expectations going in being that Dave Feldberg was involved in this project so I believe my disappointment is showing through along with my thoughts. If you like more open holes and length I think you will like this course quite a bit but for my money I like a more wooded challenge instead of just outright chucking your disc all over hells half acre. I would be very interested in seeing the scores of the top tier players during a tournament here.

Knowing ahead of time that this course was going to be way out of my comfort zone, I was mentally prepared to not enjoy it. But I found some design features here that really qualify this as a unique disc golf experience. The unfortunate part of this experience is us less gifted players just don't have the physical attributes (distance and accuracy) it takes to real appreciate and test our-selves here. Spending precious amounts of time hunting for lost discs in razor sharp rough isn't anyone's idea of enjoyment.

The course starts out with clearly marked course and parking signs. There is ample parking across the street. A course map is posted at the the beginning on the kiosk. Blue Lake features the ABSOLUTE BEST Tee Signs EVER. Firstly, they are a very pretty blue with great information, but more importantly they are totally vandal proof, small concrete pillars (roughly two ft. tall) with the hole sign, map, etc. bolted onto ( actually slightly into) the pillar. If the sign gets painted or trashed, it can get simply be unbolted and replaced. This had to be costly but worth every penny.

The course is an unworldly long 10,000 feet but features a couple of most interesting holes such as # 3, where the really skilled player has to really shape his shot and be thinking a shot or two ahead. It would be fun to watch the top players attack these holes. It was comical to watch me butcher them.

Other holes force players to decide whether to "go for it" by throwing over the OB tall grass or play safe by laying up around the sides. Once again, players with more normal arms or accuracy issues don't always have these options.

I thought # 9 was a most interesting hole. It's a 400' Par 3 where you're teeing off through a tunnel of trees with the tiniest of gaps. It's only about 7 wide at it's most narrow point and then the basket is nestled into a grove of small trees.

I was glad to see a few fairways have been widened and some rough has been cleared and narrowed somewhat.

The length of course is daunting to all but the most advanced players. As I was leaving, I saw a young lady attempting to take on the course with one of the huge old Whamo freestyle frisbees. Good luck with that, young lady! I'll take Blue Lake and give the strokes on that match-up for a $100 please.

The rough features some of the gnarliest, most hostile, most un-penetrable mix of thorns and berries and other prickly plants I've ever had the misfortune of shedding my precious type O blood with.

I love natural scenic beauty on my courses. It's why I hold Whistler's Bend in such high esteem and others such as Pier Park, LL Stub Stewart and Dexter. They're all such naturally lovely places to enjoy. Blue Lake is just OK. It has no elevation to speak of. No water. I like it better than downtown Portland or the Tucson desert.

Mr. Feldberg and the other designers certainly put together a course to challenge the upper level players. They accomplished that with a unique design featuring holes one doesn't encounter on many courses. I applaud their efforts for that. I wish they could have built some beginner tees for us and maybe the thorny plants will be taken care of in time. My hands, arms and legs would appreciate the efforts of anyone who helps.

Championship course. With exception of hole #17 which stunk. Fairways are nice right now. Players that can throw long and tight will do well here. If you are not consistent and curve here and there this course will give you a major challenge...see cons. Couple of bathrooms located throughout course and a few trash receptacles. Very good parking, nice sign at the beginning---take a picture on your cell you might need it to find your way around...it works. Mostly out in a meadow (could get windy) but there are some holes that have stands of small pole type trees that give you a different feel and a different type throw or approach or putt. Most of the trees are big maples/oaks.

Did I say hole #17 stunk? 17 looks like it's under construction...grass is no were to be seen but there is some poison hemlock (sign posted) on the right in the first 100 feet from the tee pad. It is one of 3 900 foot holes but this one plays longer. If your a beginner and don't mind a large score AND a lot of time looking for your disc in very tall grass (2-3foot) which oh by the way is OB and has signs saying KEEP OUT...which no one pays attention to. If your disc is heading to one of the tall grass areas pay attention to landmarks taller blackberrys or other sticker type weeds) that might help you in your search...it is challenging to say the least. So I guess this isn't a con if you are a major thrower...not a weekender or amateur.

I shot an 18 over the first time and then I played a few more holes and started bringing that number down. I'm looking forward to playing here again whenever I'm in Fairview/Portland area. ONE thing that would make this course more open to all would be another set of pads for maybe a 7000 foot course instead of 10500, ouch that's long! I like one review where the player said it reminded him of a ball type golf course...I totally agree. I felt that way right from the start. FORE!

- Nice Long Tee Pads
- Bench at every Tee Pad
- Concrete Tee Signs
- Lots of distance
- Tough to par, with links style golf
- Easily one of the best new courses around
- Well mowed and maintained in the spring, summer, fall

- Tough to par
- Can get muddy in winter
- Cheaters parking at hole #8 cut in on you.
- Lots of OB red stakes, seam unecessary

Love this course, very tough, very long, will test every shot in you bag, leaves you feeling terrible about your game. Play the OB's as marked and test your real skill.

- Nice, unique signage (all blue)
- Grippy concrete teepads
- Trash cans/recycling every 3-4 holes
- Good baskets
- out of bounds stakes give a nice feel
- LONG (6 par 3s, 9 par 4s, 3 par 5s)
- Good balance between easy/difficult holes
- Excellent use of all park features : woods, water, elevation, and length

(This is being nit-picky)
- No amateur tees (not designed for it, but will frustrate some)
- No practice basket
- Not the most scenic course

When Dave Feldberg and others designed this course, they did it with A-tier tournaments in mind. Between the length (only 6 par 3s), the openness, the designs of the out of bounds stakes, and the swirling wind that comes off the nearby Columbia River in summer, this place might turn into the disc golf equivalent to British open ball golf: instead of guys being 30+ down after 3 rounds, they'll be 10 - 15 down.

The course is pretty much a giant field, with trees surrounding the outside and long grass in the middle. Fairways are mowed down (nice) and red stakes line what is out of bounds. Holes 1 - 12 pretty much follow the outside west - south - east parts of the course (which shifts between wooded and open); Holes 13 - 16 move open grass bomb throwing holes, with some decent elevation (nothing extreme); and holes 17 and 18 are more wooded to finish.

I played in winter, so the long grass that lines the links style holes (usually OB) isn't growing as much, but it has been beat down to the point where I never felt in danger of losing a disc. My playing partner (who was my guide) told me that he had never played there on such a calm day. During the summer, the strong NW wind comes off the Columbia might make some of the more open holes soul crushing.

Notable holes:

12 - You have an 80 foot tunnel of trees (15ft wide?) which opens up, then funnels back to a wooded basket.

7 - A thickly wooded par 5, with the road on the right. You have to hit three tunnel shots for distance then an approach to the basket, which is an island surrounded by a moat (there is an easier, closer position). That ties for the hardest hole on the course with....

17 - another long par 5 that's unique to the course in that it was the only hole that carved out the woods. You have to accurately crush a drive down the middle, then have three low ceiling shots to laser through to the basket. Both of these holes are made to destroy the scores of the weak.

I think my favorite part of the course is the transistions from easy to challenging holes. Great mix of unique challenges, but not much that I would consider unfair/ridiculous hard. Keep in mind that have a big arm and it wasn't windy. I'm sure the wind would make this course exhausting.

Even though the length and lack of shorter tee pads will turn off some of the weaker arms, my hope is that the construction of this course inspires others to make similar higher par, long courses in the future. This course is 10,000+ feet long, almost twice the size of most courses I've seen (except Milo). It was a real treat and I will most definitely play it again...

*Location - short drive from Portland, great parking.
*Layout - requires every shot you've got, many interesting risk/reward shot opportunities. One of the best thought out course layouts I've seen.
*Difficulty - challenging for all, still accessible to intermediate players.
*Aesthetic - Attractive site with pleasant views, well groomed and maintained

*Rough - thick brush is one thing, thick brush with thorns... well, it is risk/reward. That said, playing in late fall/winter mitigates this somewhat
*Single Layout - No shorter tee placements for beginners. This is likely by design though.

*Signage - neither a pro nor a con, there could be better indication to the next hole, but the signs are good overall

This course is a fantastic addition to the already strong group of courses in the greater Portland Area. It is particularly well suited to experienced players, and i will certainly be back.

With fewer thorns it would be a 4.5 easy.
Perhaps this will be the case as time goes on.

Design, Course Flow, Baskets, Teepads, Course Atmosphere.

Thick Rough, No Rope, Tee Signs

This course is setting the standards for the future of disc golf. OB on every hole (there is no rope, but you can tell what the OB is with the cut fairways) with a perfect mix of par 3's, par 4's and par 5's. If your a player who appreciates the "golf" aspect of disc golf, you'll love every second of your round. It feels like the way disc golf is supposed to be played. As a pro who can throw accurately up to 400-500ft, this is one of the best courses in Oregon. It forces you to throw every type of shot and it is pretty much wide open with 75-100ft wide fairways, so it's not really challenging to hit the fairway. But if you do decide to "go for it" you can easily find the rough, which is extremely thick with grass and blackberries and likes to eat your plastic. I would recommend playing it safe off the tee and then going for it on your second shot.

The first 10 holes are relatively simple if you take what the course gives you while the final 8 holes are long and challenging, so get ready to grind out some pars. The tee signs could use a little more work. They don't show the OB at all and they could outline the entire hole better, instead of just showing a line through some trees. There are only a few spots where it would be nice to know which way the next hole is, but it's pretty easy to find your way around. This isn't the best course to learn how to play disc golf on, but once you get serious about disc this is a great course to learn how to throw every shot in the bag.

Blue Lake is definitely worth checking out, but you better focus on every shot or you will probably lose a disc in the deep rough. Once this course get fully established, it will rival Milo McIver as the best course in Oregon but as of now it's a close second.

Can't wait for Worlds in 2014!!!!!!

Challenging, Great Tee Pads, Nice Fairways, benches

This course is a disc eater. Major blackberries and thick brush if you don;t hit the fairways. Good signage but no directions to next tee box.

This is an amazing course. Played it today for the first time and love it. Super challenging, we were fully worked by the end. This is a course for big arms, I think 17 is nearly 1000'. Good mix of Par 4 and 5 holes. Teeboxes are sweet with good signs and benches, not enough trash cans but that is no big deal. Park is very scenic but mostly follows 84. Huge course that is very challening, NOT for novice players. You need to really try and keep the disc in the fairways and if not, you better have your eye on it. The rough is terrible, some of the worse blackberries I have encountered but I think this will really be reduced once the course gets played more. If you go out with a big party, be prepared to spend a long time on the course. Holes 7 and 8 were a little bit of a pain. 7 has an elevated basket but there is a pond right in front with a fence around it. On 8 you need to get over a fairly large gully. I did not and the slop in the gully is stanky. All in all, an excellent new course to the Portland area, I can't wait to go back. Go play it if you want a challenge.

You know how you look forward to Grape Soda? Until about 10 glasses in you start to feel a little woozy? That is a good description of this course.
- This course is brand new!
- Great looking park and the nature of this course is wonderful (especially at sunset).
- Is is definitely a challenge course for high level players.
- The signs and pads are brand new and look great.
- I really like the bridge they built.
- Also there are benches at every tee and the baskets are stellar!
-Good placement of the bathrooms and trashcans/ recycle bins.

Here is the woozy part. Since the park is new some of the holes are still being shaped or worked on. There were some that you just shook you head in wondering why I should throw in that direction because you would just end up loosing your disc (and I did). The group I was with and most we saw were spending time looking for discs. Not fun. The grass around the fairways is very tall and very easy to loose discs in. Also there are a lot of blackberry bushes!!!!!!!!! Ouch! Signage would be nice to know where the next pad was. Easy to wonder around and not find the next pad. The fairways are narrow and need accurate throws. Would not recommend for new players (or just moderate players). Also, there are water hazards not marked and due to an unhealthy algae bloom is it not recommended to go into the water. So say goodbye to your discs.

This is a work in progress. I really want to like this course but in its current state it was miserable. A few tips:
1) Knee high socks or pants. Otherwise your legs will be shredded quick!
2) Have a spotter....down field. Otherwise you spend most of your time looking for discs.
3) Bring lots of discs.
4) Week days are the best time to play. Weekends parking will be nightmare (parking is $5)
5) This is really accessible by bike. Marine drive to 223rd, or Halsey to 223rd, or Springwater to Fairview bike path to Halsey to 223rd.
6) Take a picture of the course (or print one out before hand). There are no signs pointing to the next tee box and it is easy to get lost.
7) Thanks to Stumptown and Next Adventure for planning this course. I see what you are trying to do. More work needs to be done on this course to make it playable. Time will tell if this is going to be a worthwhile Pro Course.

UPDATE:
This plays as a nice winter course. The tall grass has died so finding your disc is much easier if you throw into the out of bounds areas. Think about playing this course like an actual golf course. It is designed to be played in sections but does reward long arms. The brambles are still an issue but most have been trampled. Wear water proof shoes (lots of mud in places). Enjoyed plaything this a second time around.

Highest level of difficulty around
Near a park
Very clean
Very flat (stroller friendly)
Tee signs
Great Baskets

Eats Discs
The rough is really rough
Barbed wire on #17
Tee pads not poured

This course is still very new, and my review is applicable to the day I played it. Several of the tee pads were just dirt, with 2x4s staked around them for formwork. Hopefully nobody falls on the steel stakes.

The grass/blackberry bush rough is a disc eater and leg scraper. Do whatever you can to stay on the fairway or you will be searching for a good part of your round.

The difficulty was a plus for me, and I was having a good time until hole 17. This hole looks as though it had a bomb dropped on it. If you go right watch out for the barbed wire that is buried deep in the ground on one end. It wrapped around my leg and got me pretty good.

Once all the tees are poured and #17 gets groomed a little, this will be one of the nicest courses around. As it stands it's good but not great.

Challenging course that requires long accurate throws

Lots of par 4s and 5s so lots of room to air em out

Nice baskets

Tee signs and bench at every hole

Large Tee pads

Nice fairways

Close to Portland

Some holes have water completely unmarked on the tee signs including #10 with a mud pond like 10 feet behind the basket.

The roughest rough I have ever seen in my life.

Some holes only defined by Brutal blackberries and tall grass that eat discs.

Sometimes confusing to navigate.

For the early part of the round we were enjoying ourselves but after a while it just became stupid with even a slightly errand shot punished by minutes of searching through the thickest most brutal rough ever. By the end of the round in a 5 person group we had lost 6 discs. With several others recovered only after a lot of time spent hacking through blackberries that were cutting all of our legs up. Basically it got to the point that the main thing defining the holes was blackberries and tall grass which is not only boring but if you get off the fairway by as little as 4 or 5 feet you could easily lose your disc. Spotters highly recommended on many of the holes. Every time we saw another group they were hacking around in the blackberries too. We got sick of it and left without playing the last 2 holes.

I have to say that the disc golfers that put in this course must have done a ton of work and I feel bad giving it a bad review but I have to be honest. Also because this course is so new it is probably as bad as it will ever be right now. The good news is that it can only get better as more and more people play here and hopefully tame the blackberries a bit. I however will not be playing here again any time too soon with so many more enjoyable courses in the area.

True "golf" experience.
Requires every shot in the game.
Par requires TWO or THREE good shots rather than only one.
HUGE teepads.
Beautiful fairways which will only improve with time.
Pay to play will weed out less desirable elements.

Hole 12 goes against the general feel of the course, it is antithesis to the flow and feel of the rest of the course. I think it is a good hole, just felt peculiar considering all the rest of the holes. It felt like a throwback to the traditional idea of a disc golf hole where the rest of the course was more of a departure.
Hole 17 needs work, and to be played alot. Right now it is very rough, but Im sure in three months this will be remedied.

Blue lake is an amazing venue. It has the feel of a ball golf course. It requires a full drive from nearly every teepad, and much like ball golf good numbers will be determined by up-shots and putts. It is awesome to get away from the drive-putt-drive-putt rigors of most "par 54" disc golf courses. As disc technology evolves and players throw farther and farther courses like this are required to continue testing the abilities and limits of our sport. The winner of any tournament at Blue Lake will not be the best in the woods or the biggest arm, but rather the most well rounded competitor. I hope that out of towners who play this course will go back to their home courses and start looking for property to build a "Blue Lake" of their own.