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East Bethel, MN

Blue Ribbon Pines - Main

4.715(based on 137 reviews)
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14 1
Doctor Disc Golf
Experience: 11 years 49 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Must Play In Minnesota 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 17, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Privately family owned, and the family sees the value in investing and improving the course
- Although there are water hazards, there are water rakes to fish out your disc, and the BRP staff searches the water hazards weekly and returns any disc with info on it. Anyone found taking discs that are not theirs will have their priveleges to play revoked.
- Pro shop with plenty of inventory to choose from
- Immaculate landscaping on every hole
- Season Pass runs year round from April-April
- Good mix of wooded and open holes with different lines to choose on each hole (besides #4)
- #4 is a 400 foot tunnel shot through majestic trees. Both frustrating and magnificent at the same time.
- One of the holes has distance boards like at a golf driving range. Fun to see how far your first drive goes.
- Snack shack about halfway through with very friendly workers who offer to buy you a drink if you get an ace and then laugh at you as you shank it off the first possible tree.
- Either a pro or a con depending on how you look at it, but there is not much elevation change. Makes for an easier 27 holes and your legs don't get worn out.
- Requires shot shaping. You can't really get by with just a forehand or just a backhand on this course. Nice to be challenged to throw a little bit outside of your comfort zone.

Cons:

- Lots of water, although chances are better here that your disc will be returned.
- Either a pro or a con depending on how you look at it, but there is not much elevation change. The course is on a converted sod farm so most throws you will make can be relatively flat and you aren't challenged by elevation.
- A few of the holes can seem slightly repetitive. It's kind of the same "throw it over the field and avoid the water" or "throw it through the trees and stay on course" just with different lines, distances or shots. But after 27 holes, there has to be some sort of a limit on what sort of variety you can expect from a flat course.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely worth the drive if you live in Minnesota or are in Minnesota for business/visiting family etc. This course is on the way to my parents' house and I will leave a couple of hours early every time I visit them, just to make sure I can swing by and play this course.
I also believe I read somewhere that the family plans to keep improving on the course and possibly expand it. That makes for a fun course to keep coming back to.
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3 10
BeauRoch
Experience: 18.9 years 59 played 14 reviews
5.00 star(s)

One of the best 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great layout but the landscaping done to it is second to none. Was blown away by the real golf course feel it had.

Cons:

Not located closer to my house.

Other Thoughts:

Any DG'er who visits this area needs to make the trip to play this course - will be well worth your efforts.
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2 11
rarintal
Experience: 14.2 years 82 played 7 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Amazing! the one thing i miss after moving to Australia 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

this course has everything! hands down the best course i have ever played! it should have it's own national tournament and not be grouped with the minnesota majestic! it's head and shoulders above the other two courses

Cons:

it's 25 minutes away from minneapolis. but you have to be far away to have trees and the size of the course

Other Thoughts:

went there for my bachelor party before i left the country, best experience ever! they treat you so well!
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8 2
Anon
Experience: 25 years 35 played 9 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Pay-to-play done right 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 24, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Private, family owned
- Landscaping is taken to another level
- Signature hole after signature hole
- Amazing tee pads
- 27 holes
- Secluded and relatively uncrowded
- Snack shack/Beer shack in the woods. Really cool place to take a break.

Cons:

- Really none, if I had to nitpick it would be at the lack of notable elevation... but that doesn't mean the course doesn't have any. Just none of those "top of the world" shots.

Other Thoughts:

Well its been said before but this place really is a "must play" course for any serious golfer. The family that runs the place couldn't be nicer. We spoke with Ray's (the owner) father when we arrived and he told us about how the course came to be and how he is just amazed that people travel so far to come to their course. We later saw him out on the large mower cutting grass for most of the day, waving at all the golfers as they passed. He also kept the snack shack stocked up with beer of our liking for the afternoon/evening rounds.

I really think hole #7 (#6 in the majestic layout) is one of the finest examples of how a par 4 should be done. Total risk-reward on the first shot to carry the water. Laying up means a bomber 2nd to get up near the green. I just can't describe enough how cool this hole was in particular.
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2 9
pooman
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

wet 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

always changing. lots of diffrent teepad options. grass is cut all the time. sweet proshop too

Cons:

water. lots of water on most holes. lost lots of discs out there

Other Thoughts:

fun course for $5. not far from the cities or st. cloud area.
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6 3
ajkuck
Experience: 16.9 years 55 played 31 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Best Course in MN and Midwest 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 2, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is absolutely amazing and is quite hard to describe, you just gotta go and play it. Signature Hole 4 is the coolest hole I have ever seen/played. The course offers the best variety of holes and shot opportunities of any course in Minnesota. There are a variety of open holes, long holes, short holes, and unique lines that can and have to be taken in the woods. Hole 3 and 8 come to mind here, where there is an island of trees in each fairway that have open lanes to the left and right, which can allow you to backhand hyzer/anhyzer or forehand to get around them. The landscaping, tee pads, baskets, and erosion control are by far the best I've ever seen/played. The tee pads are massive, there are wood chips and freshly cut grass on every fairway and around every basket, and the variety of basket locations are awesome and unique. Not to mention the bar in the woods is a nice place to rest. One of the unique features of the course are the ponds that play a key role on several holes in the woods, including Holes 7, 20, and one more I believe. There are also several protected pin locations, including Hole 17, which is down in a gully and Hole 10, which is a very short hole with a mando. There are also several key hazard/out of bounds areas including the tall grass on Hole 6 and Hole 16, which has an island green sometimes. There is also a hole near the end that has an elevated green about 15 ft. off the ground and surrounded by large boulders. Pins are also shifted around regularly, which makes every round different, depending on how often you play it. The owners will also return your disc if you happen to lose one in one of the ponds in the woods. $5 to play this course all day is an absolutely awesome deal.

Cons:

The only bad thing I have to say about the course is how bad the mosquitoes and horse flies are in the summer. I highly recommended bringing bug spray. I wouldn't say that this is necessarily a con, but it could have definitely been a pro if the course had some elevation change. If the course had elevation change, it would be on an entirely different level. It would also be awesome if there were campgrounds on the property, so people could make a weekend out of it, much like Justin Trails offers. Instead of 27 holes, the course could have also been a much more challenging 18 hole championship course. However, being that it is 27 holes, it offers many more birdie opportunities and short, technical shots in the woods.

Other Thoughts:

The holes in the woods/trees are amazing, nothing like it. The pine trees are big and thick, but there is relatively little brush, which is nice. The designers also did an awesome job of creating different lanes/tunnels to hit in the woods, providing a great opportunity to work on your accuracy, and really forces you to work on your shot selection. The elevated greens, water hazards, and protection pin placements are also some unique features. BRP ranks in the top 3 courses I have ever played, including Justin Trails and Bryant Lake. Justin Trails offers a lot more in the way of elevation change, but the maintenance and upkeep of BRP certainly tops it. BRP is an absolute must play for anyone in the Twin Cities area, regardless of how far you have to drive, so grab your bag and make the trip, it's definitely worth it.
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3 5
JC AceHole
Experience: 23 years 532 played 6 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Disc Golf Paradise 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Absolutely beautiful. When you Pull in the lot you are Greeted by a huge semi trailer that is painted with the blue ribbon pines logo with a guy putting. Go into the club house and you can stock up on food, drinks or adult beverages and buy any discs you may need. Course is pay to play but worth every penny. You can tell all the proceeds go right back into the course.

Perfectly manicured fairways, awesome concrete tees. Short holes, long holes, technical and open holes, several water holes, this course has it all. Concession stand half way through to replenish your drinks if necessary.

As others have said, hole 4.... View from the tee is outstanding. Best disc golf hole ever??

Along with this course, you can pair it with kaposia, Bryant lake, the valley, Lakewood hills or oakwood park to name a few for a nice vacation of disc golfing as all those other courses are top notch as well.

Cons:

No real elevation however with the quality of the holes, this wasnt really an issue

Other Thoughts:

A real gem. This is what discgolf is supposed to be like. You can tell that there was so much effort put into this place and it shows. I wish I lived closer, this is by far the best course I have ever played. Can't wait to come back. Disc golfers in Minnesota.....I am very jealous of you...
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11 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 569 played 284 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fun for everyone! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set on a large piece of private property, with plenty of room for the disc golf. Nothing here to interfere, it is completely devoted to the game!
- Good amount of the holes here are set in a forest populated with lots of tall trees, with a variety of lines carved out. A wide variety. There are RHBH hyzers, like #2 which is pretty straightforward, #26 that is a long, constantly curving one, and #6 is shorter with OB all along the left. Also some RHBH anhyzer lines, like a super sharp right turn on #10, a lesser one on #14, and a funky uphill slight right turn on #17. Also a large collection of dead straight shots, like the famous signature tunnel shot on #4. Lesser know is the very tight, short #9 (roller?) with OB behind, the tunnelish fairway on #8, and the tough snaking line on #11, among others.
- On top of these lines that pretty much offer only one path to the basket (pretty much), there are others that give you an option. #3 is open to a lefty or righty shot, either forehand or backhand depending on the route taken. #22 also has a split fairway, though it is further along and really needs good line shaping to get around the cluster of trees.
- There are holes outside of the woods as well, but they still provide some interesting looks and challenges. #1 is as easy as it gets, an open shot with the basket tucked slightly in the trees. #15 is similar, but the basket is in denser forest with rough away from the clearing. #16, #24, and #27 are the most open of them all, but there is a small, nasty creek running perpendicular to the fairway that can swallow discs in the murky, muddy water.
- One of the best features at this course are the small ponds present on some of the tougher holes. The water hazards are serious, and well-placed. #7 is a beast at 620', with the water definitely a factor for shot placement. #19 has a big, murky pond at the bottom of the wooded fairway. Making it through the first gap is only part of the challenge, you either have to lay it up short or blast over the pond. It is within reach for most players, but accuracy is also important. Not to mention the basket is even farther out of the woods. #20 has the pond directly in front of the green; making it in one shot takes decent distance, good accuracy, and a
lot of chutzpah.
- Some tricky and/or tough basket placements here. Some of the more open holes have the baskets tucked within trees or rough, and #17 has the basket sunk into a small crater. #25? or #26? has a very big built up green with boulders; definitely an elevated basket that might make you want to lay up. #16? had markers for an island green when I was there, that added challenge to the water in front of the basket.
- With the 27 holes here, there is almost every combination of hole shape, length, and difficulty here. There are
shorter holes, some tight, some open, some with a funky line. Also some very long holes of varying difficulty and length as well, a la #4, #7, #19, #26, and such. Plenty those in between 200'-400' as well, the average hole length is 334', and all are well represented.
- Amenities at the course are top notch; great baskets, teepads, navigation is easy, and there are current tee signs even for alternate layouts. Rakes by the water hazards help to retrieve discs, a pro shop with lost discs is up front, and a snack shack! is located by two teepads. Top notch.

Cons:

- The only gripe I have with this course is the pretty flat terrain. There are some elevated teepads, and a few very small hills in the forest, and an elevated basket, but overall most holes are dead flat. It is amazing what they were able to accomplish to add artificial elevation changes, but it is still lacking to be a 'perfect' course.

Other Thoughts:

- Well, this course is top notch, no doubt. Excellent variety with the wooded holes, enough open/semi open holes to keep things interesting, and serious hazards in the form of ponds and some smaller creeks. Tight and technical, bomber holes, tough fairways, layup options, ace runs, it has nearly everything. I was a little unsure how the course would stack up at first, by the end I was seriously considering playing a second time through (which I have never done on a road trip).
- This course is fantastic for almost every skill level. True beginners might to hold off due to the possibility of losing a disc in multiple spots, but otherwise it should be fun and challenging to everyone.
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1 7
Fighter
Experience: 35 played 13 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Disc Golf Mecca 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 14, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Its hard to even describe the brilliance of this course. The design, the attention to detail, the maintenance, all of it combines to one of the most memorable experiences anybody who plays the game can experience. Onsite Pro Shop to aid in retrieval and new disc desires. Additionally, they have a nice refreshment stand to accommodate your thirst and its very well placed in the course layout as well.

Cons:

Zero

Other Thoughts:

To compare this to something. This course is the Nürburgring of disc golf. Super length, open shots, ridiculous mando dog legs, insane tunnel shots. You name it, it's got it. Best model course of the Northwoods. Only Flip City compares to this wonder. Play it once, you'll love it.
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1 9
Animal_Muther
Experience: 19.2 years 26 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Amazing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Too many "Pros" to mention. Beautiful scenery/landscaping/hole placement/etc...

Cons:

I agree with the last poster it would be sweet to see a few elevation shots on that course but that would take a lot of work to undertake.

Other Thoughts:

The course has tons of room and hope it makes the course into a 36 hole. Needs a campsite for this for road trips to stop and stay for a day or two.
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1 13
bestrem21
Experience: 10.9 years 15 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Ratings says it all course always getting better every single time you play the course. Always making improvements to the course even though its already amazing. Also get ready to use every single shot you know huge variety of shots.

Cons:

Not much elevation they cant do much about that!

Other Thoughts:

Gotta see for yourself
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21 1
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.6 years 267 played 148 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 4, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Blue Ribbon Pines is extremely well manicured and has such extensive landscaping I have to mention it first. The amount of time and effort put into taking care of and landscaping this course is incredible. The land here is nice, but there has been so much work put into making it visually appealing with boulders, large landscaping bricks, the use of large branches to create a mulched filled frame around trees... I just can't say enough good things about it.

The course is super easy to navigate with clearly defined walk ways to the next hole as well as an arrow on top of most baskets and arrows on trees pointing the way. There's a pro shop with a massive selection of discs, drinks, snacks and restrooms. There's a practice basket, all the baskets are colored blue and in great condition. There are benches at nearly every hole and numerous rakes to retrieve discs if you're unfortunate enough to get acquainted with the water hazards. There are a couple port-a-potties on the course as well as a concession stand by holes 15 and 25 (although it wasn't open when I was here).

There's an excellent shot variety like you would expect on any top notch course and a few of the holes have multiple routes through the trees. The course also has a fantastic balance of wooded and open holes so there's something for everyone. The hole length is phenomenal. There are holes ranging from 140ft to 750ft. The best part about this is there isn't a single throw away or easy birdie hole. Birdies are they but you have to work for every single one of them.

The risk/reward is top notch. There are a few ponds on the course and they're all used extremely well to make you think about the shots and figure out if you want to go for it or try to play it safe. The reward is there, but so is a lost disc if you don't execute well. There's also a small creek that comes into play on a number of holes to think about. And the risk/reward doesn't just involve water. There are a number of non-water holes that make you think about shot selection, whether or not you want to go for it and about placement. Additionally there are a few raised and lowered baskets to keep the putting greens interesting. There are still plenty of birdie opportunities but none are gimmies and Blue Ribbon Pines brings a challenge.

These are all qualities you would expect to see on a top notch course.

Cons:

The tee signs are not always very good. Some have a good picture of the hole and an arrow to indicate where the basket is. Others are simply a picture of someone putting which doesn't provide much help finding the basket from the tee pad. Many baskets are not visible from the tee or are not easy to see if you've not played here before so the tee signs are a bit lacking. Thankfully this is the only notable issue with this course.

A few of the holes in the open field towards the end of the round are a little boring compared to the rest of the course, but on the other hand they do provide some nice variety from all the wooded holes so it's a matter of preference.

When driving to the course, the last half mile is awful. The gravel road is super bumpy. That's no fault of the course but is worth mentioning.

Other Thoughts:

This course is definitely worth going out of your way to play. It's not a very beginner friendly course, but top notch courses like this rarely are. Everyone else will likely love the challenge this course presents and have a great time playing here.

It costs $5 to play here but the fee is well worth it to play at a course of this caliber.
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1 9
Kevin.Russell
Experience: 24.4 years 121 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

TMDGA 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 24, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

One of the best courses i have played. Beutiful landscaping, amazing hole layout. great variety of shots, very challenging. Not to mention they serve ice cold beverages and have a snack shack half way through! Keep up the great work guys!

Cons:

None, other then the fact I have nightmares about hole 4!

Other Thoughts:

Everyone has to play this course! Possible spot for the TMDGA
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21 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.2 years 831 played 777 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Almost awesome 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 3, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a beautifully manicured property with a mix of open fields and wooded areas. Several longer holes cross the open area in the middle of the property, some have either the tee or basket tucked into the edge of the woods and many bring a small creek into play on the fairway or around the green. A few of the wooded holes also use ponds to add risky water shots along fairways or around greens, I really enjoyed the use of water on this course throughout.

The woods offer enough trees to make for great technical shots with tight gaps and a variety of interesting lines. The rough is pretty beaten down overall, you will pay for missing the fairway but it's not so thick you'll lose discs or have to just pitch out. There is an excellent variety of length in the woods, with some fun but tricky short holes and some real par 4s with tight landing zones. You'll need every shot in your bag here, with a balance of left and right turning holes and some dead straight shots that are always tricky.

The concrete tees are plenty large, especially on the longer holes, and have enough texture for good grip even when wet. The landscaping is excellent here, it's obvious a ton of time and effort has gone into making this place special. The logs lining fairways and wood chipped greens add to the vibe, and there wasn't any trash or vandalism. The pro shop was well stocked, the snack shack is a nice touch though unfortunately closed during my visit.

Cons:

My biggest issue with the course is the repetitive feeling of the many holes back and forth across the central field. They offered similar lengths, and not a whole lot of obstacles other than the narrow creek, and just didn't add a whole lot to the fun factor here for me. The signage is pretty bad, the tee signs are just pictures showing a player throwing. There are lots of blind holes and it's frustrating to have to walk ahead to check out the hole your first time through the course. A couple baskets weren't in the position indicated by the sign, so those distances weren't even correct.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a great place to play, and I would definitely stop by again if I were in the area. Beginners will find it tough, but not terribly punishing. It's technical but not to the point of frustration for most new players. Experienced throwers will find some great technical challenges here, there are lots of interesting lines to hit and some beautiful shots. Hole 4 is one of the coolest tee shots I've ever seen, with a 400' dead straight look down a narrow pine alley.

I never mind paying to play at facilities like this one where it's obvious the proceeds go back into the course. $5 is more than reasonable for a beautifully groomed course with fun and challenging shots.
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4 5
lteppen
Experience: 22.4 years 123 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fantasticly Designed and Maintained - BRP!!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 28, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Variety of shots required to shoot well on this championship course. The landscaping and upkeep is immaculate and one of the best kept course in the Nation! This is evident as soon as you step foot on hole #1.

Lots of long holes along open flat fairways set amongst sod farms; grass is pristine!

Plenty of long holes with tightly wooded fairways as well. Hole #4 is the courses signiture hole forcing a straight drive inbetween two rows of closely stacked pines. Paring this one is a challenge.

Mid round beer stand; re-up on beer, water, pop or snacks! Players pass this gem twice per round.

One hole also has distance flags to mark your deepest toss.

Water dangers always exciting and plenty of them forcing players to throw over water from different angles and elevations.

Extremely well maintained and a championship course design you will definitely remember. Dog friendly, beer friendly, green friendly!. Be prepared to spend at least 3 hours on the round.

Lots of tournaments here including throughout the winter months!

Cons:

The only downside to this course is the lack of elevation. To be a top ten course, you have to have a decent amount of elevation. This course although immaculate, is relatively flat all around. Currently ranked #5 in the country seems to have a lot of people pissed off. First due to its lack elevation and second it doesnt have the history and time on its side. Otherwise a phenomenal course. 45 minute drive outside of the twin cities...
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1 14
tbrown
Experience: 21.9 years 63 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 17, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Favorite course I have played.
Requires everything you have and then some.
Beautiful course - extremely well maintained and clean.
If you like disc golf, this course is a must.

Cons:

Nothing I can remember.

Other Thoughts:

Cant wait to go back!
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11 1
megamerican
Experience: 27 years 34 played 7 reviews
5.00 star(s)

The Destination for the Twin Cities 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 14, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Blue Ribbon Pines is the ultimate disc golf destination in the Twin Cities. If you are ever in the area this is the place you want to be.

Coming up MN Highway 65 there is a nice brown sign telling you where your turn off is, making it hard to miss. After that it is a short drive down a gravel road. You can't miss the cool mural in front of the club house as you drive into the parking lot.

The cost is $5 for the day and it is worth every cent. There is Pabst on sale here, along with other beverages if you forgot to bring your own. The club house is also stocked with a great selection of discs with typical prices.

Don't forget to pick up a scorecard while paying for your round, especially if this is your first time here. There is an awesome map on the back and a list of OB's, Mando's and Drop Zones. Using the map with the tee signs should insure you are throwing at the correct basket.

As soon as you step up to the first tee you can tell that this course has awe inspiring landscaping. Every tee pad is large with little to no erosion around them giving you as much room as you could possibly want and letting you attack it at any angle you may need. Hole 26 could be considered the apex of the landscaping you'll find here, a double tiered pin location surrounded by large boulders and filled with auburn colored wood chips.

Hole 4 is considered the signature hole. When you see it you'll know why.

Although many of the holes have tight wooded fairways, the brush around them have been almost entirely cleared throughout the whole course, making discs easy to find for those of us who aren't 1000 rated players. Even with all the leaves on the ground and trees I hit I had trouble only finding one shot which was partially buried in leaves.

The use of water hazards on this course is one of its greatest aspects and can't be found anywhere else in the Twin Cities. Two large ponds and two long creeks make for a lot of chances to go OB in water (simply look at the Hole info and you'll see what I mean). There are very handy poles with hooks on them at all of the water hazard locale's, sans holes 17 and 22. If your shot goes into one of those two it may be gone for good unless you are willing to swim in some very murky water.

There have been a few negative reviews about the tee signs because they have pictures of the hole, rather than hole information but if you have a scorecard you have all that information and simply duplicating that on tee signs would be redundant.

The little elevation in the surrounding land used for the course is used to great effect. Quite a few holes have some elevation change, such as #15 where you shoot uphill into tight woods and the basket is in a deep ditch. Hole #17 has you shooting downhill over a pond. Then you throw over a small hill and over a creek. There simply is no "top of the world" shot which you see done well at the Three Rivers Parks disc golf courses.

There are also quite a few holes throwing over open ground. They all make good use of the two creeks running through the property. For example, on hole 15 if you are lucky to throw through the trees off your tee shot you can easily overshoot and land in the creek. They do a good job of mixing distance and shot selection on these open holes. The wind can easily be a large factor on these holes.

Hole 18 is 750 feet long, marks your distance out to 500 feet. It'd be a great place for a roller if it weren't for the OB creek, unless you can place it over the narrow strip of land.

Hole 19 is a fun "island" hole, partially through roped off OB and partially because it is tucked at the confluence of the two creeks and is protected by two small trees. Even if you miss the island you have a good chance at a circle 3 because the drop zone is only about 50 feet out.

The OB here is used well. It is used very sensibly and generally makes sense, such as water, protecting other fairways and/or tee areas.

Cons:

It is hard to think of many cons for this course. The biggest one, other than it is too far away from where I currently live would be elevation. The course is located in a very flat part of Minnesota, which you can't fault the course or its owner. What is here is used well.

The course is slightly lefty friendly. While it is still a very difficult course no matter what hand or style you throw there are a few more tee shots which benefit a LHBH player than a RHBH player. Although this is a minor gripe, maybe I should just learn to throw with the correct hand!

Another small gripe is the pond at holes 22 and 17. I recommend not throwing a disc you are overly fond of. I usually throw a cheaper plastic, such as DX because if I lose it then it is only $7 down the drain. The pond is murky, has no way of retrieving your disc, sans jumping in and letting your feet find it.

Other Thoughts:

While I gave this course a 5.0 it is probably more a 4.8 or 4.9 but I rounded up since it is definitely better than a 4.5.

You will not find a better course in the Twin Cities area. This is what pay to play is supposed to be.
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4 4
BobbyCorn
Experience: 15.4 years 28 played 28 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Disc Golf Country Club atmosphere! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 26, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is the most well manicured disc golf course I have ever played. It literally has everything you could want in a disc golf course. There is even a very good pro shop here!

There is a vast variety of shots on this course. All the things people want such as signs, trash cans, recycling bins, concrete tee pads, clear walkways, bridges and all are present here.

Ratings ( 5 being the highest) -

Amenities - 5
Course Fairness - 4
Hole variances - 4.5
Tee shot options - 4
Paths - 5
Baskets - 4
Difficulty - 4
Course flow - 4.5
Tee signs - 3.5
Fun Factor - 5

Neat holes - 18,19,4,21 stick out to me.

Cons:

Some of the tee signs could be better in displaying where the baskets are, the baskets have blue chains and can be tough to spot sometimes.

Other Thoughts:

I played here alone twice and found my way around just fine both times. This course truly has to be one the the best disc golf courses available to play! It's not better then Flyboy Aviation, but it is in the same discussion for the best course in the US. I would take a vacation to Minnesota for the weekend just to come play this course!

VERY FUN COURSE!
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1 15
Lubond
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

favorite yet. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 27, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Difficult with all kinds of variety of shots. Easy to find where everything is located.
great baskets and great tees. pro shop. lot of wooded holes and alot of open holes. 27 holes. completely perfect ourse.

Cons:

not closer to me. other than that... nothing but i have to keep typing so it will let me post my review.....

Other Thoughts:

this is my favorite course i have played in MN y far. I loved it!
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12 0
bigbeano
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18 years 34 played 28 reviews
4.50 star(s)

This course is amazing. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Wonderfully maintained course, the grounds are absolutely immaculate
-Good blend of everything from heavily wooded to wide open field holes both short and long
-Will provide everybody with a challenge
-Concession stand halfway through
-Very nice, long concrete tees
-Garbage & recycling cans at nearly every hole
-Fully stocked pro shop at the start along with scorecards
-Good use of water hazards which are in play on close to half the holes

Cons:

It's not much, but:
-Very little elevation change as almost every is flat
-The basket locations may change from time to time which is nice, however the locations they were at when I was there required a vast majority of shots to fade to the right. It was definitely not set up for a RHBH thrower. A little more variety would have been nice.

Other Thoughts:

First off, it pains me a little bit to give this course a 4.5 instead of a 5.0. I would give it a 4.9 if I could. This is a world-class course, and I absolutely would recommend making a trip to come play it (no matter where you're from).
The course is kept in immaculate condition, I honestly can't remember seeing a single piece of garbage lying on the ground anywhere on the course. There are cans at nearly every hole (if not every hole, can't quite remember). The players seem to respect the grounds and the work that has gone in to maintain it, which is a nice change from what I usually see at other courses. The pro shop and the concession stand offer beverages and snacks which you may need at some point on this relatively long 27 hole course. I noticed one porta-potty on the course which was accessible from about 4-5 different holes so you don't have to go in the woods if it becomes necessary.
The concrete tee pads were exceptionally long and in very nice condition. Even though the course is heavily wooded, unless you throw a disc into a water hazard you shouldn't lose one in the woods. The underlying brush is almost entirely cleared away in most areas which makes finding those drives that strayed off into the woods not too difficult to find. The water hazards are very deep for their size so you probably won't get your disc back if you find yourself in one, but they do have rakes so you can at least try. I found that to be a thoughtful addition.
There are several different holes which could be considered "signature" holes. The one that first comes to mind is #4, which is a 443' foot hole which requires an absolutely arrow straight drive through a tunnel that is no wider than 15'. Stray to either side and you will hit trees (and lots of them). #19 is the other hole that comes to mind; it's a wide open 750' par 4. There are driving range markers on the fairway which makes it a fun little contest to see what you can do. There's also a creek at about 450' which could present a problem for some folks off the tee.
To conclude, really the only thing that stopped me from giving this course a 5.0 was the fact that almost every hole required a shot that faded to the right. I may have just been here on a day where the baskets were in these locations; but they should make it more even between the fades that are required. Make no mistake however, you need to pay this course a visit if you are serious about disc golf.
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