-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

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.

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.

You can read most of the other reviews on here and see what is so great about this course. Its not just hype. The course really does give you a great feeling when you walk up to that first tee. I won't break down the shots needed to play the entire course as thats pretty well covered on here. Suffice to say, you do get a chance to pump some big drives, and there is a lot of tight midrange deuce holes. Water is in play a few times. Bring a turnover disc you don't mind losing. The course maintenance is truly second to none.

While I do love the course and I don't want to tell anybody that its not worth the trip, if I'm being honest I'd have to say it didn't quite live up to my lofty expectations. I like elevation change and this course has very little of it. I also like a challenge, and while this course certainly provided a challenge, its not what you'd call incredibly tough. Hole 4 certainly gives it to you bigtime, but there is also more midrange deuce holes than I would have expected. None of them are what you'd call extremely easy, but many of them aren't super tough either. Some of it comes down to where the pins are located when you show up. I could see several holes had significantly tougher pins that we didn't get to play. If they could have another set of baskets in the hard locations at all times, it would really take this course to another level for those wanting the biggest challenge.

Get a fulltime set of baskets in the hardest pin locations and I'd give it a 5.0.

Blue Ribbon Pines is located on private property and is $5 to play. What a bargain! The land is a good mix of mostly wooded holes with some nice open holes in the sod field. Water comes into play on several holes. You know this course is special when you pull in. The painting on the semi trailer is awesome. The clubhouse is stocked with snacks, drinks, & discs.

I see why this course is so popular. It is challenging enough to push more skilled players while still fun to play for recreational players. Although mostly in the woods the rough is not bad for finding discs. The land is pretty flat and a nice walk. I could bring my 67 year old father who throws 200ft here and he would enjoy it as much as I did.

Practice basket near #1 to warm up during the wait.

The concrete tees are plenty spacious and installed correcty.

Most of the fairways are sandy or have wood chips. It rained a little bit the night before we played and it was not muddy at all.

This course is very easy to navigate. There are next tee signs at every point where you might question where to go.

The Blue Mach 5's add to the course. They are very visible in the woods.

Multiple pin positions on many holes. I know it's more challenging prior to and after the MN Majestic event.

Hole #4 is just an epic hole.

There are several awesome Par 4's with water in play. Those are #7 & #19.

Hole #6 is a really nice risk reward with out of bounds on the left side with an option to throw over it.

There are several unique landscaped greens which include paving bricks and large boulders and stones. The course was looking awesome when we played. You can tell a lot of work and care goes into it.

I have no cons. When I win the lottery this is what I want my new house and land/course to be.

This course gets a lot of play. We arrived just before 8am on Saturday and were the 2nd group out. When we finished around 10:45am the parking lot was full. I don't really look at this as a con but keep that in mind when you play.

After driving down the gravel road leading to the course I was super excited. The hype to this course is out there. You hear everyone talk about it. I felt like i've played it after watching the Clash DVD. It lived up to the hype and I loved playing the course.

The only thing i'd like to see different on this course is a 2nd set of pins (Different color than Blue) installed in the other pin positions. This would give players the option to play an easier or harder setup.

The Twin Cities has the best collective group of courses i've played to date. Make a week trip there. You will not be disappointed.

Awesome advanced level course that even lesser skilled players will enjoy. Probably the best amenities of anywhere that I've ever played with a fully stocked pro shop, snack bar on the course (wasn't open when I was there), retrieval rakes for the ponds. Some awesome holes with a combination of water and woods that really make you think strategy before you tee off. I particularly liked holes 7 and 19, even though I opted both times to weenie out and lay up short of the water. The 140 mini dogleg hole is cool too. I do love the unique teepads and landscaped greens here. Lack of one disc carrying casuals with no etiquette. Course maintenance is meticulous and ongoing.

I know not even the best course in the world can make every hole a winner, but I found some degree of the holes underwhelming and repetitive. You can only do so many wooded tunnel shots before you think, this...again? Yeah, I shot like poo here (103), but I expected to do much worse since I was effectively playing it blind. While it was a nice feature aesthetically I didn't care much for the shared teepad by the snack bar. Can get crowded at busy times (although I think you'll enjoy the wait).

Essentially a DG version of a country club without the ridiculous greens fees and stingy dress codes, and at $5 for all day access an absolute bargain. This isn't your standard functional park course where you blow through holes and move on to the next one. You gotta sit and enjoy the scenery here. I know it was summer when I was there, but I was pleasantly surprised to see folks out at 11:30 on a Wednesday morning enjoying a round of golf at BRP. I ran into lots of friendly locals who played here frequently and were happy to tell me about the history of the place and plans for the future. Absolutely worth the stop, and don't think for a second that you have to be super good at DG to play here. I saw plenty of the family crowd in attendance alongside the serious players.

-Great course.
-Very challenging.
-The layout is awesome and easy to follow.
-Pads are big and well kept.
-Everything is landscaped and looks great.
-Great use of man made ponds and irrigation ditches to make many risk and reward shots.
- Helpfull staff.
- Two or three porta potty's
There is a great variety of shots to throw here. I think I throw every shot I know in a round when I play here. There are open holes, wooded holes, long holes, short holes, lefts and rights, everything a disc golfer could ask for. They also change pad and pin location on a fairly regular basses witch makes the course fun because it never gets repetitive. I have heard that they will be adding some elevation this year or next year and this will make this course a 5 discer for sure.They have a snack shack in the middle of the course that serves beer. Great fully stocked pro shop. A 750ft Driving range hole. I think that the work put in on this course is remarkable and the fact that they have wood-chip fairways on some holes is ridiculously awesome. The couse is always clean has great benches and big stumps for tables. They plow the fairways in the winter and stay open year round in Minnesota whitch is hard to do. This is truly a pristine tournement quality course. I have never palyed a course that is so well maintained. They return your disks if they have your name on them and are found. Beer Beer Beer

-No elevation change. Some small changes in elevation and a few raised greens and tee pads, but for the most part it is flat.
-Can be busy!
-Not for beginners! It would be nice if they put in some short tees for beginners.
-A night/glow course would be a nice addition.
-There are a lot of wooded tunnel shots, I think they did this to make up for the lack of elevation.
-Bring your own food. All they have is snacks. I have been told that they may have a restaurant in the future.

One thing I would like to see is lights for night rounds. I don't know if they do this but it would be so sick if they did.

From the moment you walk into the pro shop, you know that your time here will be a great experience. The shop has a decent selection of discs, merchandise and also has pre-made sandwiches, snacks and beer! You will also find these refreshments at the permanent "Snack Shack", which you will pass 3 times during your round of play.

Oh, don't forget about the course...27 holes of joy, played mostly in the woods, but several play across the large lawn that's part of the family business (sod farming). Everything is well laid out for easy navigation, and the maintenance and grounds are top notch.

The course is tight and technical with a good mixture of hole length, but I would say it plays short to medium length for the most part. The longer holes are reasonable and are usually par 4's. The fairways are tight, and where they widen, you will find additional tree obstacles to work through. Most of the open lawn holes have some water (usually at the critical landing zones - around 280-300') that will force you to crank it or let up a bit. Most holes have multiple options off the tee, so they keep you thinking all the time (the hallmark of a great course).

The signature hole #4 is truly a one-of-a-kind. It is 15' wide and 450' long. The fairway is lined by a row of large pine trees spaced about 5' apart. The fairway itself is wood chips. Any shot that strays more than 5' from the fairway is doomed- not only must you avoid the thin trees out here, but are forced to chip out to the fairway between the closely placed pine trees! It's a par 4 but you may feel GOOD getting a 5 or even a 6.

This course even has a driving range that's marked in 50' increments. I've never seen this anywhere before! They've also done a nice job with the green on #26 - it's tiered with sand and boulders up to the pin, with a steep drop-off on the back. This creates a really 3-dimensional green, and there should be more of these in disc golf.

Signature hole #4 can make or break your round- based on averages, it will probably add strokes. You may want to throw a putter - or anything that doesn't turn or fade during it's flight. I think most people will feel good to get away with a bogey 5.

Not really a beginner's course- short tee pads would correct for some of this (but still would be very difficult). Also, lacks in elevation (there are some very minor slopes). These are the only things detracting from an otherwise perfect disc golf facility.

At only 30 minutes from Minneapolis, I suggest to make the trip if you're in the area. This is truly a full disc golf experience and the people are really nice and accommodating.

Pay to play, excellent pads and baskets. Water hazards. Quiet and pleasant atmosphere.

Water hazards are too deep for disc retrieval. Don't throw in there

Was it always 27 holes? Expansion is a side effect of the pay to play. Helps that a landscape contractor is handling course beautification. Keep it up!

Best course that I have ever played. This is an extremely difficult course that requires every shot you got. Mostly wooded holes with multiple paths to the basket. All the amenities you can imagine. Club house with discs and beverages, well marked signs, best baskets I have ever seen, paver and cement tees on every hole. Water holes are plenty and really make you think about your throws. Well worth the $5 dollars for 27 unbelievable holes.

Not much for elevation changes on this course. No extra long open holes. This course is for people who have played and not the greatest choice for beginners. Can be very frustrating on some holes and may even seem unfair at times. Pretty far away and in the middle of nowhere(could be a pro or con)

$5 will cover the whole day, so I would plan on making a day out of it if your going to make the long drive.

Almost too many pros to list.
-Large concrete tee boxes. Even a few fancy brick ones. One tee "box" is a big circle you use on two holes.
-Did I mention there's a beer shack right next to that dual tee?
-No litter what so ever.
-Pro shop selling a good variety of discs.
-Signs on all tee boxes with a map of the hole.
-Wide variety of holes. There's the famous 500 tunnel, a wide open 700+ footer, a tight 90 degree right turn maybe a hundred feet long, there's ponds, streams, even a basket sitting in the middle of a 3ft deep crater.
-There's rakes laying at every water hazard so you can attempt to rescue your lousy shot.
-There's even a damn broom on every tee pad for the obsessive compulsives out there.
-Pay to play. That's right, a pro. Keeps the riff raff out, helps pay for the expert grooming job and amenities you get in return.
-Very challenging course. Will keep even the pros coming back for more.
-27 holes is a rarity around here.

-Bring bug spray for mosquitos and ticks.
-Poison ivy is aplenty.
-It's a bit of a drive to get there, and a big drive if you're coming from the south metro.
-Too hard for beginners. All but the pros have a significant chance of parking a disc in a pond as well.

All of my cons are just nitpicking. There's nothing actually wrong with this place. This was the first course around here that puts many ball golf courses to shame. With Bryant Lake's remodel and the new one in Maple Grove, Minnesota disc golf is trending toward high-end courses. I like it.

As you see, I resisted the urge to be a homer and give Blue Ribbon Pines a perfect 5. Why? There's just something I can't put my finger on that leaves me wanting. To me, this course doesn't give me that special warm fuzzy feeling that a couple of my favorites have. But don't get me wrong, Blue Ribbon Pines is spectacular in every way. It is a must-play.

-27 completely different and beautiful holes.
-Tough obstacles on every hole except one and that one is 750 feet long so that may be considered an obstacle. Out of bounds is in play on 15 of 27 holes. Water is involved on 12 of 27 although it isn't a major threat except on 5 or so holes. The trees are perfectly placed to get in the way but are not too thick either.
-Mando's- 3 holes have these and you must throw around a certain tree. It makes somewhat easier holes more interesting and usually more difficult.
-Landscaping. The grass is pristine, benches of all sorts at every single hole, bushes, rocks, interesting greens, etc.
-Hole 4. 443 feet straight down a row of tall pines. It is intimidating and makes a straight shot much harder than it should be.
-Pro shop. Sells many discs of all brands at fair prices, also has bags, shoes, minis, beer, pop and snacks.
-Detailed course map with par, distances and scorecard. Pencil also provided.
-The holes varied greatly in every way. 27 holes may get old on another course but on this one they were all different and if my arm wasn't so tired I would have wanted twice as many!
-Friendly locals and staff all over the course seemingly at all times. I did not meet the owner but he seems to be a good guy genuinely devoted to the sport.
-Many tournaments, weekly league and night golf are all held here.
-The tees were all very spacious and some were shaped interestingly like circles and squares.
-Brooms located at every hole to keep the tee clear.
-Garbages at about every other hole to maintain even more cleanliness.
-New; a snack bar type thing at an intersection of 2 holes.

-Easy to lose a disc on a few of the pond holes. I did throw a star wraith into the last pond hole. However, they hire somebody to get discs out of the ponds and you can come pick them up from the club house usually 2 weeks after you throw it in. They also have rakes to pull discs out but that only works if you know where it goes in exactly or are just lucky.
-Some may consider the 5 dollars a con but I do not. The fees are what makes this course so good. It allows for continuous upkeep and improvements of the course.
-If you are a beginner this course would be frustrating. This course is fairly challenging but not overly challenging. I consider myself an intermediate player and had a great time.
-It isn't near my house or anybody's for that matter. Located in East Bethel which is about an hour north of the Twin Cities. It is well worth the drive and the time it takes to play.

I have now played what I consider to be the 4 best courses in the state of Minnesota; Blue Ribbon Pines, Bryant Lake Park, Kaposia Park, and the new Hidden Hills. Blue Ribbon Pines is the overall best course. Its combination of perfect upkeep and imagination wins. Hidden Hills is the most difficult and testing course of them all, if you are a advanced player or pro you may like this course the best. Bryant Lake Park had the best "fun factor". The holes never got repetitive and were never too hard nor too easy. Kaposia is a great course but is simply overwhelmed by the other 3. Blue Ribbon Pines is ranked top 10 courses for a reason.

Update as of May 2012, I am still very impressed by this course but I have found that it simply isn't that hard if you have any measure of control as well as something besides a hyzer. It's upkeep is immaculate and will always buoy this course.

This course was great! There is not a righty or lefty course, there are plenty of holes that fade both ways. There is plenty of distance as well for the big arms. Everything was landscaped extremely well. The course is layed out very well. It's 27 holes, and you end up where you started. There are signs on every hole directing you to the next basket which is always extremely helpful. There was also a pro shop that sold discs and other apparel. I believe they sold beer as well, but we played early in the morning, so I didn't stick around to find out for sure.

The only one I can think of is there isn't much elevation. If elevation was in play here, I think that would put this course into the 5 star category!

I think we played the course on the Minnesota Majestic '09 layout, so the actual layout was different than what shows on this site, as well as the score cards provided at the course.

If you want to play and have a consistent challenge, this is your course. Long, sweeping holes are there, ready for you to throw your farthest drives. Next to those are short, technical holes, where you do not need anything but a putter and a prayer. This will test your discing ability in every way. The Majestic setup is fantastic, one of the top five courses in Minnesota.

Do not bring beginners here, it is way too difficult. They will lose discs and take a long time to play the holes. While no hole is ridiculous, the overall difficulty takes its toll and brings you down, so fatigue is a problem. Bring water, or a beer.

Enjoy it.

Blue Ribbon Pines DGC is located just outside the twin cities in the town of East Bethel. This farm town doesn't have a whole lot out there for tourists until you get to the signs pointing you towards a diamond in the rough. After you travel down a gravel road you come to a clearing where you see what looks like a disc golfers paradise. From the time I got there to the time I left I couldn't seem to get rid of the grin that I had from cheek to cheek. As I parked and went inside the pro shop (which was fullly stocked with discs, t-shirts, drinks, and snacks) I was greeted by the friendly sod farmer Ray who was also the one who got this whole course in the ground. Ray quickly gave me a brief history of the course and was so kind as to point me in the right direction and gave me a few tips on how to play this course successfully.

From the first tee right away I noticed how large and well done the tee pads were. Some were brick and others cement, but all where large, flat, and well kept up. The Mach 5 baskets were some of the best I have ever played on as they caught well and looked amazing. They were easy to spot due to their powdered blue coating, and orange flags which were attatched on top. Around the bottom of each pin was woodchips too, making the course look even more well maintained and professional. Tee signs were located on every hole and were in great condition, providing distance and a visual image. Maps were provided in the pro shop when you paid, which gave a place to keep score, distances, and a layout of each hole which was very helpful.

The general course design was excellent! The flow made sense looping you back from where you started to complete the 27 hole pro course. Foliage and maintenance was the best I have ever seen. There was little to no underbrush when I played (beginning of spring) on most of the holes and the grass and trees appeared to be well kept up and manicured. Benches and trash bins were on EVERY hole which was really nice for those days when a lot of players are DGing (which is a lot since the course is open year round). Running water was available in the pro shop as well as restrooms, and a porta potty which was located near the tee of hole 27.

Elevation was present throughout the course (although not extreme), including elevated tee pads and pins and some rolling hills throughout.This course had a lot of variation in hole distances with some that were tight and technical in the woods and huge open shots in the fields (which crossed of streams most of the time). There seemed to be no bias as to lefty or righty players and the holes required a lot of variety when it came to selecting what disc to use. The tight technical wooded shots were a mix of short par 3's to brutal par 4's ranging in distance from 140-443 feet. Water played a major factor on several holes which was great and added very much to the degree of difficulty.If you happened to land in the water there were designated drop spots which looked like mini tee pads. The overall challenge of the course was appropriate for all levels.

Parking was very accessible, and when I played it was not very crowded (right when it opened at 8 am). However, throughout the day it became increasingly busy which was great to see but I could see how a round could take a while, especially on those beautiful summer days when it is daylight for long stretches of time.

Locals seemed very friendly and helpful. With so many great courses around in the twin cities the level of competition around here is fierce. Regualar events are always going on with league on Thurday nights, the Minnesota Majestic (which is on the NT this year), and several other small tournaments throughout the year.

This course really had very few. The course designers did an amazing job incorporating so many elements (water, elevation, etc) and placements (tees & pins). The one thing I found however was the fact that a few holes (9, 10 & 21) seemed very short for being a pro level course. It seems like they were "gimmies" for any advanced or pro players. However, like I said, I am just trying to find something and for an advanced player like me it was nice to use those holes to bring my score down. I could just see some of the pros aceing those holes regualarly. The whole course though was truely amazing and overall a great challenge.

Blue Ribbon Pines DGC is by far the best kept up course I have yet played. This course easily rates in my top 5 and is well worth the trip. There are so many wonderful courses in the twin cities but this course is a must! Ray truelly did a wonderful job making sure this course was put in and the designers Timmy Gill and Steve Beckman truelly made their vision come true. It is both amazingly beautiful and challenging.

There were several epic holes on this course like 19 and 20 which played back to back over a man-made pond. However, hole four was truely infamous. The 440 foot Par 4 tunnel shot amongst the massive Pine trees was the hardest hole I have played yet! Playing over 50 courses including some of the best in the world, that is saying a lot. It could make or break any round making even the best humble. I took a 6 on it my first time and didn't feel that bad considering I shot a 2 for my first time on the course. Next time I will be using a Roc rather than Wraith however.

Thanks for the memories Blue Ribbon Pines!!!!

One of the best manicured courses I have ever seen. Landscaping is top notch! Many open as well as wooded holes with both long a short throws. Long round, but the diversity makes it worth it.

Pay to play. Long way out in the middle of no where. requires a full afternoon to play

worth a trip, one of my favorites!