If you would like to see quite possibly the most gorgeously maintained disc golf course please visit Bryant Lake DGC. Massive concrete teepads. Concrete sidewalks abound inbetween holes as well as wonderfully overbuilt wooden steps built into hillsides. Always perfectly mowed and trimmed.

This course has something for everyone in my opinion. Has some really long beautiful bombs as well as several fairly short yet blind approach holes.

It is really a great course and one of the few on the West Side of Minneapolis so sometimes it gets a little busy.

very nice practice or warm up area.
very interesting holes. much elevation change, but does not leave you exhausted.
multi pads and baskets on (i believe) every hole.
not a breadcrumb of trash on the course.
benches, trash, and ash tray on every tee. there are even places to hang your bag on every hole!
awesome place to play disc golf.

not really cone, more observations.
not cart friendly.
found the course to be borderline easy. maybe i just played well, but i would think a course this nice would be more difficult, or have the option to be. still awesome, dont get me wrong.

this course is the closest thing i have played to a disc golf version of a high end country club. totally worth the $6, or the $45 season pass.
not a single complaint, even my listed cons arent really cons.

I love this course, with a wide variety of holes. It is wonderfully kept up and has wonderful elevation changes and 17 is one of my favorite holes I have ever played..

A bit light on tight woods holes and it is a dog free course.

Challenging!! Fun!! Beautiful Course (scenery and landscaping are incredible) Perfectly Manicured, Disc Golf Park Only (no other activities on the premises), no pets, no litter, benches, multiple baskets and tees, perfectly marked and mapped. Hole 17 is unbelievable as already stated over and over again.

Uhm.... I wish there wasn't a winter in Minnesota, otherwise I would be here all year round

$5 is a very small price to pay for what you get to enjoy out of this course - its features, maintenance, and the overall aesthetics are very tough to beat

18 hole course located in Minneapolis, MN

Concrete tee pads, with two on nearly every hole. Long, grippy, just about as perfect as can be.

Discatcher baskets, all in near perfect repair. Most holes have two permanent pins, with the shorts in yellow and the longs in blue. Pretty great.

Excellent tee signs at each hole, with distance and hole layout and par. Also, bag holders as well. A very nice touch. Navigation was pretty darn simple.

I can't imagine a scenario where a course could be any better manicured. Perfect mowing, built up tees and pin positions, stone paver paths...it's a sight to behold.

While this isn't the toughest course in the world, it's damn fun. Good variation in distance, lots of rolling hills and elevation, and a pretty large selection of shots. There's a hint of openness to the course, but it's designed well enough that you don't ever feel like it's an open course. The top of the world shot on hole 17 is fantastic, as well....one of the best I've played.

Speaking of sights to behold, the views here are pretty stunning. Looking out over Lake Bryant from on top of the hill is probably a top 5 scenic view in my disc golf experiences. I don't often stop to click pictures of the scenery on a course, but I definitely did here.

There's not much to bad here. P2P ($5) isn't everybody's cup of tea, but with amenities like this, it's really hard to complain about it.

LOTS of traffic here during peak hours. We were here on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and we paid the price. I'd assume it's not as bad during weekdays. This is a popular course, and for good reason.

As mentioned above, there's a fair amount of holes that are relatively open. Fortunately, most of those have some sort of elevation involved, and they're relatively well spaced out on the course. The prairie grass on these holes can eat some discs, though...especially on windy days.

Simply put, this is a fantastic course in a fantastic area for disc golf. If I get back to this area, I will definitely be back again. If YOU get to this area, you're doing yourself a major disservice by not playing it.

-Very well maintained
-Golfers respect the course and it shows
-Garbage cans, benches, brooms, bag hangers, & detailed signs at every hole
-Very long, level tee pads
-Well marked navigation from hole to hole
-Good mix of short and long, left and right fades
-Good use of elevation changes throughout
-Bathroom accessibility near several holes

-There isn't much in the way of heavily wooded holes
-Moderate difficulty at most

First off, this is a wonderful course. Three River Park District impeccably maintains the grounds and course. Because of this care, the disc golfers respect the course and don't trash it. Every single hole has a garbage can, recycling can, bench, bag holder, detailed sign with map, and broom to sweep off the tee pad. Many holes also have those smoker things to put used cigarettes in. Because of all these efforts the course is remarkably clean with almost no trash anywhere it shouldn't be. The grass is kept nicely mowed and an areas that could be prone to erosion are maintained nicely with wood chips.

The hole design for the most part is a nice mix between straight, left and right fades. There are also nice elevation changes on many holes. You will have to employ multiple throwing styles and or release angles. That being said, the course isn't overly wooded and you really won't be punished too much for straying from the fairway. There isn't a hole on the course that I would consider a wooded hole, as none of them go through the forest. Generally speaking, if a hole is wooded it only is near the basket and/or tee pad but not the length of the hole. The course is not overly difficult by any stretch. Advanced players may not find the course to be challenging enough, but it is a perfect course for beginners and intermediate players. Advanced players may want to visit a place like Kaposia instead.

There is some very nice scenery of Bryant Lake and the park as a whole throughout the course. Wind can become an issue on the later, higher holes. Hole 17 is one where you should empty your bag if you can. You throw from the top of a cliff across the road and parking lot to the basket over 500' away. Crosswinds can wreak havoc on your throw if the wind is blowing that day.

All in all, this is an excellent course and the only thing preventing me from giving a full 5 star rating is the overall lack of challenge, mostly because of a lack of true wooded holes. This is a course that you should be sure to visit at least once, as it is easily one of the top 5 in the state.

Bryant Lake is a phenomenal course. The course features multiple pads with that even have bag holders. The hole descriptors were helpful and accurate for a first-time player on the course. The holes themselves (there are a few holes with multiple baskets) are surrounded by mulch. There are clear signs to where the next tees are and easy to navigate. The holes themselves offer a great deal of variety and length.

Pay to play ($5 or $35 for a seasonal pass)

The course was well worth the money spent to play the course.

This is one of the best maintained courses I have played. There are clean benches, trash cans, recycle cans and bag holders at every tee pad. Multiple pads and baskets at all holes except for 13 which is only 167 feet. Navigation is pretty intuitive, I had no problems finding the next tee. All of the locals I ran into were very friendly and helpfull. The tee pads are the trapezoidal shaped and varied in length depending on the length of the hole, very nice touch. The baskets were all in very good shape and it was helpful that the shorts are the Innova baskets with the yellow band to guide you to the longs. The longs are generally tucked into trees or other nooks and harder to see. The landscaping was spectacular with well maintained steps everywhere. I particularly enjoyed the terraced holes and 16 with the basket on top of the large rock. There are well defined lines on all holes and with both multiple tees and basket you can add what ever difficulty you like. If you like elevation change this is the place for you! 17 probably being the signature hole for this course. If you normally pull a wheeled cart you may not want it here. With the tall grass in the rough on 17 you probably want a spotter for your drive otherwise you may be looking for a while. Water comes into play on 14 but is easily avoided with a lay up and par is still attainable with a good upshot.

The only thing missing is a pretty girl driving the drink cart.

While the difficulty level is not as high as it could be there is enough challenge available for even the top players. While I am not a fan of the high grass in the "rough" it fits very well in the design here. This is jewel of a course and one you need to play if you are in the twin cities area, well worth the $5.00 charge. I will have this course on my play list next time I visit.

I was impressed with the whole course. Bag trees were nice to see. Seats at every Tee boxes. Signs, lots of signs, the were in great shape. Tee boxes are so nice and wide. Some holes had two basket and they were in great shape. The areas around the baskets were really nice. Overall the course was maintain very well.

The only two cons for me. Are both safety issues. First on Hole #17 is throwing over the road. Second is going down the stairs on Hole #17.

The $5.00 was good money spend. The shop by the lake was nice. I will play again.

> 18 holes with a ton of variance between each
> Tons of elevation, including a huge downhill shot on 17
> Plenty of shot shaping required
> Solid mix of long and short holes
> Great upkeep, solid tee-pads with a bench and bag holders nearby every time
> Great direction to each hole from the previous basket

Minor pros:
> Scenery/view from certain holes is amazing
> Close to the cities, as well as several other DGCs

> Seems to be slightly imbalanced in regards to difficulty (I'll elaborate later)

Minor cons:
> Can get very busy, probably due to location and quality of the course

You'll hear a lot of people talking about Blue Ribbon Pines DGC in MN, but honestly I like Bryant Lake Park just a bit more. First of all, the upkeep is absolutely phenomenal, and it feels like a high quality course throughout all 18 holes. Garbage and recycling bins can be found at the start of every hole, along with a bench, bag holders, and a sturdy tee pad.

My one issue with this course is that there are a few holes right around 200-250 ft, that are pretty hard to bogey unless you have a bad putt. Which is fine, but you then also have holes like 17 that can test your driving strength and accuracy. I prefer a course to have a consistent difficulty, but BLP just has too many holes that are too easy.

Regardless, that's a minor flaw in an otherwise near perfect course. And although there are easy holes, be prepared for uphill shots, water hazards, and some heavy woods that will claim a disc thrown off-course. There are multiple tees and baskets for those who want a more casual play-through.

For me personally, this course shines on holes 1 - 7, as well as 15 - 18, but everything in-between will definitely keep you interested as well.

Here's a few things to keep in mind:
> There are three parking lots, but one of them puts you in the path of huge downhill shot on 17.
> There is no pro shop here, but you can buy discs from the Super America gas station on shady oak road, just a minute or so from the course
> Scorecards with maps, and pencils are usually available by the bulletin board before Hole 1
> Costs $5 to play, but you can get an annual pass for $30 or $35 that gives you access to Bryant Lake, Elm Creek, and Hyland (which unfortunately is closed for 2014). They usually let you use an old day pass towards your annual pass as well.

-Great tees, both short and long on almost every hole
-Multiple pin positions on many holes, allows for up to 4 different ways to play some of the holes to mix up the course
-Immaculate fairways, always mowed and kept clean
-Rough is not super long prairie grass, it is only knee high on most holes, allowing for easy disc retrieval if you have a decent line on where you went in
-long enough for pros to have a challenge playing everything par 3, but short enough that course par is friendly to beginner and intermediate players as well
-the park has made very good use of the pay to play money, doing upgrades every year...check out this link to see what it used to look like http://www.playdg.com/courses...;c=bryantlake
- Bag holders, trash, and recycling on every hole keeps the course clean
- Maps of every hole so you know where to throw if it is your first time, along with posted signs pointing you to the next tee
-either open enough or multiple throwing lines on most holes, friendly to lefties and righties or backhands and forehands, allows you to work on your weak shots or play to your strengths depending what you are in the mood to do
- good use of elevation changes without being too harsh
-Immaculate woodchip greens on every hole
- sand traps and out of bounds penalty areas are posted
-Most holes separated enough to not be in risk of conflict with other players, hole 10 &11 being the only slight exception
-Course is separated from the rest of the park, so no interference from non-players
-Nice swimming beach to cool off after your round, along with canoe, kayak, paddle board, and paddle boat rentals available
-Hole 17 is a top of the world shot that can be either extremely frustrating or extremely gratifying, but fun and memorable every time you throw from up there

-Hole 10 is blind downhill and the tee for 11 is near enough that a shanked throw could end up by the tee or hit someone
-Some would say pay to play is a con, but $5 is worth the day or a season pass for $35 is more than fair if you are from the area, and the park uses the money well

I am biased as this is my home course, but I believe Bryant is the best course in the metro. Relatively quick play for an 18 hole course, and there are other attractions in the area. Definitely worth your time if you can play it.

-Very nice landscaped course
-Variety of shots makes for a challenge
-Lots of elevation changes
-You'll definitely remember hole #17 which has you teeing off of a cliff
-Great signage

-Some spots are very overgrown, we spent a long time looking for disks that had strayed off course

Definitely worth playing if you are in the area.

You would be hard pressed to find a better disc golf course in the area, in terms of shot selection, beauty, landscaping, amenities and upkeep. This is what pay to play should be like. Anyone from beginners to advanced players can have fun and be challenged.

*Every hole has wonderful concrete tee pads with plenty of room. No erosion whatsoever around any of them. Tee pads are regularly cleaned by park employees.

*Almost every hole has a bench, trash and recycling cans which are cleaned often, bag holders, signage to where the next tee is on every hole.

*Great variation in elevation, shot selection and distance. You should be utilizing every shot in your arsenal. Every hole has a different feel from the rest.

*Multiple tees on many holes and multiple baskets on a few which allow it to be more accessible to beginner player and can give you different shots on some of the holes.

*Hole #7 has a great multi-layered landscaped green.

*Hole 17 is Bryant's version of the "top of the world" shot. Great view and always fun to throw.

*Actual sandtraps on multiple holes which are considered OB.

There is not enough that can be said in favor of this course.

The biggest con of this course, if you want to call it a can is the lack of championship difficulty.

Hole #10 is a blind downhill shot where the basket is very close to hole #11's tee box. A few weeks ago I was hit in the back by someones tee shot from hole 10. With wind or a slightly off track drive someone could get hurt.

If you are looking for a great time playing disc golf and you are in the Twin Cities you need to play here. You won't be disappointed. Pay to play is great.

This course is amazing, and is definitely the best one I have played so far. It has an extremely wide variety of shots, alternate tees and baskets, and is very well-maintained.

All baskets have mulch around them, and there is beautiful landscaping everywhere. There are some pop machines about halfway through the course. Almost every tee has benches, a trash can, and a bag holder.

Hole 17 is the signature hole, a monster 500+ footer, driving off the top of a giant hill toward a landscaped hill on the other side. Hole 16 is also distinctive, with a challenging drive through a narrow lane in the trees. The basket is right behind a huge rock, making for some interesting approaches and putts.

The setting is beautiful, with great views of nearby Bryant Lake. Overall, an exceptional course and one of the best ways to spend an afternoon in Minnesota.

It's easy to lose discs, as multiple holes have steep wooded drop offs, and there is tall grass in the rough.

As an intermediate-skill player, this course is plenty difficult for me.

Bryant Lake absolutely blows my mind away. The course sets the standard on how a disc golf course should be installed and maintained. I'd like to know how much money is invested into the course. The walking paths are awesome and there is little to no errosion due to the landscaping. There is more work in this course than the rest of the courses that i've played combined!

It sits in a beautiful park overlooking Bryant Lake on many holes. This course is mostly open with rough lining many fairways. Elevation comes into play on many holes. Hole #17 is absolutely spectacular!

I was surprised to see this course had a higher rating than Kaposia. It's much more beginner friendly than many of the courses in the area. The work in the course takes it over the top. I had a hard time giving it a rating and believe it deserves a 4.5. If it was a little more challenging it would be getting a 5.0.

Most holes have 2 tee pads and some have 2 baskets.

We had no problem navigating this course. The tee and next tee signs are awesome. Each tee sign had bag holders. Many holes had benches.

Awesome concrete tee pads.

The baskets are very nice new Chainstars.

This course really needs updated pictures. I can't even begin to describe the number of unique landscaping features. The entire course is lined with awesome work. You have to see it to believe it.

As a pro player even the longest tee to longest basket isn't quite hard enough to push the limits.

I wish the tee signs were updated with the holes that had 2nd pins. We were playing the toughest layout and had to look to see if there was a 2nd pin.

This course is a must play while in the area. It's super fun to play and you will be blown away by the landscaping work done.

This is my dream property and exactly what I want one of my courses to look like when I win the lottery.

Where to begin....

Course condition: Bryant lake is pristinely manicured. The rough is well-defined and the fairways are in excellent condition. Amazingly, there seems to be very little deterioration of the grass due to foot traffic.

Amenities: Multiple tee pads and some multiple baskets offer a challenge and variety. All baskets are surrounded by wood-chipped greens. Many greens are tiered. While the area is very hilly, these structures will go a long way in preventing erosion in addition to making the course look nice. Benches and bag holders are at nearly every tee. Baskets and tees were all in excellent condition.

Design: The course requires the use of a number of different shot-shapes. I won't go so far as to say you'll need "every disc in the bag" because I think if you can work your discs, you can make it through this course with only a few discs.

Elevation: Bryant Lake is set among the rolling hills bordering the lake. There are a number of great views as you play the course. The course design does not misuse the elevation that is in play with the terrain. Most holes have a solid degree of elevation change. While this is rampant throughout, a good example is Hole#17 and Hole #18. #17 - "Top of the World" shot...followed by #18 long uphill and back to the parking lot.

Sheer enjoyment: Bryant Lake is definitely high on the "fun-o-meter". It is a relaxing place and the course doesn't stress you out. You can simply enjoy the sport you love in an amazing environment.

As seems to be the case with all other reviewers, the only con is the lack of challenge. Advanced players will find this course to be remedial. However, even the pros can respect the aesthetic pleasures of Bryant Lake. If you are looking for a grueling round that will wear you down emotionally and physically...go elsewhere.

A slight navigation issue around Hole #15. This looked like it was due to some course maintenance or changes, so I am willing to write this off as a temporary issue.

Bryant Lake is an amazing area and this course is absolutely gorgeous. If you have not made it to the Twin Cities area for some disc golf, you are missing out. This is the nicest disc golf course I have ever played, without a doubt.

This course does not take a long time to play. However, if you want my advice, take your time and enjoy the views and serenity. While you are still located in a major metropolis, the rest of the world seems to fade away during your round.

Pay-to-play...and worth every penny. I would have paid much more to play this gem.

If you're in the Twin Cities, you are obviously going to try and play Blue Ribbon Pines. Make sure that you don't overlook Bryant Lake, and don't be surprised if you like it better. This course should not be left out when planning an excursion into Minneapolis.

As bjreagh noted: hit up the guys and gals at Gotta Go Gotta Throw. Great selection of discs, clothing and accessories. The store is not far from the course.

This place is like playing a real country club ball golf course. Its fancy. The tees are all concrete and usually of decent size. The fairways are all manicured like you'd expect on a lawn commercial. And there were almost (if not) always two tees (blue & red) and two baskets! They were usually both set pretty far apart and gave a lot of options for hole position. I didnt take notice of what kind of cages they used, but they were nice. All the baskets have wood chips around them. And wherever it looked nice it seems they built beautiful wooden stair cases. 17's TOP OF THE WORLD was pretty nice.. not the best ever, but nice. It was ONLY $3 to play!!!! Usually I'm into free disc golf. But at this course it is clear that your money goes back into the course. For someone sakes there were two brick layers laying what seemed to be the golden brick road between 17's pin and 18's tee.. Not sure why now that I look back..

Mosquitos!!!! Seriously I want to copy/paste that 1,000 times.. But I'll leave it at that. Not the courses fault, but you'll feel it anyway, the Humidity is the worst I've ever felt... I'm from out of state. When entering the park I was confused as to where to park, then where to pay. Now let me prefece this with this.. I was having an off day in my head. It was like I couldnt remember how I hold me arm pre-throw so all my drives felt uncomfortable. So it felt to me that all the tees were too short, and not flush enough with the ground. However one of the tees had to be 15-20ft long and I still felt it was too short, so take all that with a grain of salt. There were too many short holes.

Its a brilliantly nice course with a good number of fun shots.. Overall too many average shots though. I think I'm slightly overwhelmed by how well manicured it is and its making me feel the course is better than it is.

Bryant Lake is hands down the most well manicured and has the nicest amenities of any of the 350 + courses that I have played to date. To me it was like playing at golf country club. Coming from an state (Washington) where the clubs have to do all their own course work and then to see the amazing amount of work and money put into this course by the parks department and their resources was pretty incredible. I was most impressed with:

Hole 7 with it's four layers of landscaped timbers has got to be one of he single most expensive disc golf holes in the country! Plus it's fun and fairly intimidating to play.

Landscaping rock steps leading up the path leading to # 5 teepad. And then slate rockery steps leaving the # 5 pad.

# 16 with it's large rock sitting squarely in front of the basket makes for a very unique hole.

# 17 Bryant Lake's version of the "Top Of The World Shot." It's a fun throw but not neccesarily a great "Top of the World Shot."

Amazing views of the lake from many places on the course. I love scenic on my courses.

I'm agreeing with Mr. scarpfish here and listing as my only con of this course. That is the fact that advanced and pro players will be a little underwhelmed by this course. Even from the long tees, it plays as an intermediate course. It's the nicest, coolest intermediate course I've ever had the pleasure of playing on but still I believe that is the only thing that keeps it from being a 5 star course.

It's not as challenging as Blue Ribbon Pines but I found it to be, for me, a much more enjoyable experience. It's major con, to me, which is it's lack of challenge, is exactly what I like so much about it. An aging rec player such as myself can come to Bryant Lake, shoot a great round and not be overwhelmed in any way.

Dear Minnesotians,

I found quite a few of your courses to be slightly overrated. This was not one of them.

Sincerely,

The Valkyrie Kid

* Reasonably-priced pay-for-play, and it's clear that money goes back into the course
* Incredible course sculpting / erosion control
* Very nice concrete tee pads (dual on all but a couple of holes)
* Dual baskets on some holes (can be a bit confusing to new players, but more of a pro than a con)
* Short tees are beginner-friendly but still make for a fun course
* Back tees offer plenty of length to challenge all intermediate and many advanced players
* Lots of elevation change
* Good mix of open, light and moderately-wooded holes
* Hole #7 green -- WOW
* Hole #17 when east parking lot is empty
* Nice park overall, with a great playground for the kids. I can't stress how nice it is to have great disc golf in a family-friendly park with other activities.

* Hole #17 from back tee when east parking lot has cars in it. IMHO, it is too risky to play anything but an ultra-safe shot way left.
* I could see some advanced / pro players hoping for some more opportunities to let 'er rip

I played this course a number of times in the first half of the '00s, when it was just 12 holes. It was a fun course before, but I was blown away by the improvements when I came back. This should definitely be a model for other courses that already charge fees or are considering becoming pay-for-play.

Bryant Lake Park is one of the best courses in the twin cities. The tee pads are excellent and the fairways are meticulously well maintained. There is excellent signage throughout the course. The course really makes good use of elevation and challenges the player by making them throw up and down multiple hills. The course use unique features to create a special course. For example the 7th hole's use of three levels of manmade terraces is very different and really made me think on how to approach the pin after my initial drive the first time I played the course. The distances on the holes are not overly long and the longer holes generally are downhill or have a very forgiving par listed on the sign making the hole not overly tough. The 17th hole is really the signature hole of the course and the downhill throw to the pin on the terrace is very neat and is one of the best tee shots in the twin cities.

There are very few cons for this course. I think the biggest con is the while the course is excellent in design and upkeep the course just lacks some inherent wow factor. The difficulty of the course is not as high as other championship caliber course and I think that might be what contributes to the course not having that wow factor. Don't get me wrong the course is an excellent play but nowhere on the course do I get that wow I just played that hole feel like I do at some other championship caliber courses like Idlewild, or Coyote Point. The other con is that the course really does not require to many different shots. A good right hand backhand player can basically throw the same shot over and over again on ever hole other than the short technical 13th hole.

Excellent course that really shows what pay to play can do for a course. One of the best courses in the twin cities and must play for someone passing through the area.