The course plays through cross country ski trails and on a couple tubing hills. Nearly every hole has elevation changes, with a couple big uphills and downhills and lots of rollaway greens. There is a lot of length on this course, with some long holes and some really long holes. A couple nice par 4s are out there with solid drives and upshots needed to card a birdie 3. Big arms will definitely have an advantage here, though shot placement is definitely called for with thick rough and a few gaps to hit.

The concrete tees are large and grippy, with plenty of room for long runups when going for big distance. The signage is plenty good, it's not hard to follow the course and you know where to throw when you're standing on the pad. The fairways were nicely mowed and the course felt well kept in general. The pro shop has discs for rent or sale and drinks and snacks.

This course feels a bit one dimensional, it's all about long straight shots. There are a few interesting holes where you have to hit a tight gap or a different line but overall it gets a bit repetitive. I'm not at all a fan of long grass as rough for disc golf, and there's lots of it here. Mowed fairways through prairies, especially longer holes, tend to add frustration without really adding any interesting challenge.

Beginners will find this one pretty frustrating, with thick rough and long holes throughout along with a fee to play which often seems to deter newer players. More experienced players will find good tests of their long game and shot placement, though they won't need many technical skills to be successful here. It is a fun place to learn how to play elevation and wind shots.

Another of the tri-fecta of the Three Rivers Parks Departments pay to play courses. This is another course set on the ski slopes and is again similiar to Hyland. Elm Creek probably is even more "Arm friendly' to those of you with the big guns. With only # 15 plays shorter than 278' and with two topping out at around 700', this is defintely a course you're going to want to ice up your arm after playing.

The amentities are wonderful in every way from the professional scorecards to the extra large, grippy teepads to the great signage, great baskets and down to the pro shop with the food and refreshments. There's everything here I would want in my pay to play course.

I was very happy here with the ratio of uphill versus downhill holes along with a few level holes thrown in for good measure. This course is very, very tough but it's fair. It's a great intermediate course that better players will still enjoy and find challenging.

# 18 is a beast at almost 700' climbing uphill much of the way. For us weanie arms, this is punishment at the end of a grueling 18 here on the mountain.

The long, open holes did tend to get a little repetetive after a while. This is not a course I would want to play everyday although I'd love to play it with some of my younger friends with their big ole arms.

This course doesn't give you any breaks, either playing wise or physically. It just kinds of grinds you down and then # 18 finishes you. But somehow I liked this abuse. I'm usually more into the easy, recreational park courses that are a little easier on you.

I give the designers their kudos for making a course thats long, rugged and challenging but still fair enough so a 60 year old recreational duffer like myself can appreciate and enjoy it. I tip my hat to you designers!

elevation changes on almost every hole
very well kept course
great for those who love to air it out
great workout going up and down hills

alot of wide open fairways
bad for those who arn't blessed with big arms
hole 18 is a beast!! (maybe not a con though)
no water hazards

really enjoyed playing this course and plan on playing it more in the future. I would especially recommend playing it to any one who appreciates trying to throw long accurate drives...........PLAY IT!!

One of the best courses in MN. This course presents several challenges requiring you to incorporate several types of shots to be successful. Tee pads, baskets, signage and course layout are all top quality. Excellent use of elevation changes make this a must-play. Another attribute I like is that you really don't have much cross traffic from other holes to interfere with you throwing, which I really appreciate. Great design, great value for a pay to play course.

The mosquitoes depending time of year can be out of control on this course. Other than something that can be resolved with bug spray I have nothing bad to say about this course.

It can be a bit confusing entering the park with a few "roundabouts" as to where you need to go, but just be sure to carefully look at the signs and they will lead you to the right parking lot.

1) Massi/e amount of ele/ation change on this course. Lots of big ups and big downs and some rolling undulating fairways on some others. E/ery hole has some sort of ele/ation change.

2) Pro shop including refreshments on site . . . this is the true model of pay to play and I hope it works. Scorecards a/ailable as well as pencils. Disc sales and disc rentals a/ailable too!

3) Massi/e concrete tees allow for all sorts of different runups. This is really necessary on the ski hill.

4) Signs are nice and include Hole #, Par, Distance and a diagram on four by four posts.
Helpful for na/igation in spots where tees are close to each other.

5) Fairways are nicely mowed. There are some unmowed and umaintained areas, but they mow what would be considered a fairway.

6) Lots of different shots needed because of the ele/ation and side hills in spots. I reall struggle with uphill shots and need to learn a techniue that will help me throw farther up hill!!! Any tips????

7) The amenities are top notch, the park is awesome and packed full of things to do.

8) $3 to play this course all day is definitely worth it!!!! It isn't the best pay to play I ha/e played but I would pay a couple bucks to play my local home course anyways.

9) Good directionals to mo/e you around the course.

10) Nice amount of garbage cans to keep the course clean and tidy.

1) Turf is pretty spotty and weedy on the skihill portion. It is understandable but it can create some poor footing issues at certain times . . . especially when wet.

2) During busy play times and tournaments, the tees on 9 and 18, plus also on 10 and 14, would be pretty annoying needing to wait for the other tee to clear before throwing.I understand conser/ing money but sharing a tee is probably a negati/e in this instance especially on a pay to play course.

3) Just not enough obstacles on this course. It is /ery similar to /allarta Ast in that it has fairways mowed through prairies, with unmaintained areas lining some fairways. There also are a few holes that are using wooded areas, but they are clearly skiruns or cross country ski trails. There are no obstacles on these holes only a 30-75' wide fairways lines with Buckthorn and are densely wooded. I like the fairways but the perimeter areas are so densely wooded that it really is almost unfair. Sure the fairways are wide, but e/en 2-3' off the fairway in many spots will force you to just throw out . . . and sometimes you might not e/en get out in one shot.

4) Way more bomber than technical and I much prefer the technical side of the game than the 400+ holes. It just is too repeteti/e for me to throw those long holes.

5)

All in all a pretty solid course. It is missing a few things that keep it from being a top notch course, but it has just about e/erything to make a course fun and worth playing. It challenges you a few different ways, but some more obstacles would be preferred in my opinion.

Its just not my style but I recognize good disc golf design when I see it . . . This uses the land well creates a challenge for a certain cailber of player (slightly better than a 913 rated player) or at least slightly more suited to being fun for the long bombers . . . which I am not! It still is a great course. I just prefer more di/ersity ad more technical throws.

- Lots of elevation change
- Little traffic
- Mix of woods and open grass
- Great tee pads
- Great course upkeep
- The mere look of the course is great

- Redundant play and shots
- Always windy
- Few finesse shots, lots of power drives

Fun course to play, but lots of walking and the lack of variety in the holes can get old. Take out your big driver and throw away.

Elm Creek is part of the Three Rivers Park district. It's a beautiful, spacious, park reserve with scenic views and wide open expanses. Most Minnesota courses are pretty heavily wooded, so this course has been a nice addition and comes with a different feel than you can find elsewhere in this part of the state. It is by all measures an advanced level course.

It has the biggest, best tee pads and longest holes you will find anywhere in the greater Twin Cities area.

It's never been busy when I've played.

The money invested by Three Rivers is plainly visible on the course. It has the amenities you would expect of a pay course: scorecards, trash cans, great signs, benches, a club house with some beverages, even disc rental packages.

There aren't any objectively bad things about the course other than the thick rough.

There are however a lot of things which may affect a person's opinion of the course.

It's got a lot of really long, fairly open shots. The majority of the holes require a drive of 300-400' to card a birdie and feature just a few obstacles each (though if you hit one you can kiss any chance of a bird, and most cases a par, goodbye). 2 of the par 3's are nearly 500'. Still, the beauty of the course is captivating enough that some of the relatively boring holes are made enjoyable by the surroundings. Again, this effect is made the more pronounced due to the lack of disc golf courses that feel like this in the area.

Another factor to consider is the weather. Winds will have a strong impact on strategy. On really hot summer days there is very little relief from the heat and sunshine.

It's a long hike, and because it's used for sledding and skiing in the winter, there are a lot of large hills. You need to be fit and well supplied. Bring lots of water and a snack or lunch.

It costs $5 to play for the day, and there is an option to buy a season pass to all the Three Rivers disc golf courses (Bryant Lake, Hyland SSA, Elm Creek).

The course isn't meant for everyone. It's designed to challenge your ability to throw long, accurate shots, and it does that quite well.

Because it doesn't have mass appeal, I knocked one point off it's score. However, it's a very beautiful 5/5 ball golf style course with a lot of elevation change. Unique to the area and well worth the drive(s)!

An excellent intermediate to advanced caliber course with a nice variety of elevation holes. Layout tempts you to give it all you got (and often makes you pay for it). Very clean facility with big spacious tee boxes, and nice logical flow (although I didn't care for the long walk between 5 & 6). Big arms will enjoy the open downhill bombs. I personally enjoyed the wooded shots on 4 & 5.

My primary complaint would be some that the holes, particularly on the back nine, felt a tad redundant. Rec players with smaller arms and kids probably are going to get frustrated here as there is some nasty rough (mostly tall grass) off the fairways. I probably spent an extra hour looking for discs. At the time being is single tee / single pin and I think some shorter pads would help make the course more appealing. Not open all year long as this location doubles as a ski area in the winter.

More suited to the big boys than the casual crowd, but I went a bit above the average here, and I thankfully had a beautifully calm late Spring afternoon to enjoy ECPR, and it was a nice compliment to BRP and Ham Lake earlier in the day. I might not have been so happy on a windy day though and I'm sure it howls here sometimes.

Not the premier DG destination in the TC, but a good one to hit if you're up in the north suburbs. Locals should definitely invest in the annual $35 pass, which also gets them into Bryant Lake and Hyland SSA. Compliments Blue Ribbon Pines flatter and woodsier nature very well. If I get up that way again, I'll be back.

This course was designed with length in mind, to be a complement to the other Three River Courses so you could have a mixture of every conceivable hole if you play all three courses. It also takes into consideration that disc technology is evolving, allowing more players to throw longer. The fairways look wide, but this is only a deception as players will likely put everything they have into the throw, exposing any flaws in their technique, and dumping it off the fairway anyway. The challenge of this course is to overcome your flaws, achieving distance and accuracy, while also battling the elements since you do not have the challenge of trees or obstacles. This should be considered a pro because it is different.

Specifically -
* Good use of allowable land (yes there is a lot of forest surrounding the course, but it is a Reserve park)
* Distance for opening up with full power
* Elevation changes are unique but not abusive like HSSA (sister course)
*Openness and on the west side of the elevation allows you to play closer to darkness
* No two holes are alike

The two biggest cons I can think are; 1) The course closes early in the year to get ready for the skiing and tubing season. When it also opens later because it takes longer for the land to heal from all the artificially made snow. Sometimes they will open sections of the course, but not all at once (as a previous reviewer may not have known). 2) The rough surrounding the fairway makes it impossible to find discs. As mentioned above, the fairways are wide but players have a tendency to open up with everything they got, exposing their discs to technique flaws and the wind. You are going to spend some time in the rough. There are certain spots on every hole that just gobble discs and it is not uncommon to lose one a round and spend considerable time looking for others. They are trying to improve this, as seen on the second mowed fairway just added to Hole 14, but it is still a huge issue.

Specifically -
* Incredibly nasty rough can frustrate your round if you have to spend a lot of time searching for discs
* The wind should be consider a challenge to test your skills, but there are days where it is so horrible that it makes the course all but unplayable
* Only holes 14 and 18 are Par 4s, two or three more of the holes need to be reconsidered and changed to Par 4s as well. It can be equally frustrating when you get par less than 50 percent of the time.

Elm Creek definitely considered the evolution of disc speed and distance technology. This creates a situation where distance is now more important than fairway accuracy. Despite what appears to be wide open fairways, they are not completely open (like at a city park) because the rough is tremendously rough. You are definitely punished if you cannot keep it on the fairway.

PROS
SIGNS/MAPS/MARKERS (11% weight) - 4 - Nice signage - easy to find the holes and next tees.
TEE PADS (8% weight) - 4 - Loved the teepads, nice and big and in good shape
ELEVATION (8% weight) - 4 - Nice elevation changes on many holes
SCENIC BEAUTY (8% weight) - 3 - well kept, but it was on a ski hill
BASKETS (5% weight) - 2 - Nice mach 5 baskets, but not many in interesting locations / placements
EPIC HOLES (5% weight) - 2.5 - Hole #18 was memorable with the down then uphill - but no other stick out as special
DISTANCE VARIETY (5% weight) - 2 - mostly long and medium holes - no alternate tee locations
SHOT VARIETY (5% weight) - 2 - Have to bomb long drives on every hole, most approaches are open and straightforward
FOLIAGE MAINTENANCE (3% weight) - 4 - very nicely mowed.
BENCHES / TRASH BINS (3% weight) - 2 - No benches, but there were a few trash cans
OVERALL CHALLENGE (3% weight) - 4 - the distance and wind made this quite challenging
CROWDED? (3% weight) - 3 - I played at dusk so not too many folks out there
PARKING (2% weight) - 5 - tons of parking

CONS
OVERALL FUN FACTOR (16% weight) - 1.5 - Even though the course was in great condition, mnay of teh holes were pretty repetetive and too open - neds more trees / obstacles
COURSE DESIGN (14% weight) - 1 - Too open and not enough trees in the fairways or other interesting obstacles for my tastes. Most all of the baskets are on level, open grassy spots which makes for boring putting.
BASKETS (5% weight) - 2 - Nice mach 5 baskets, but not many in interesting locations / placements
DISTANCE VARIETY (5% weight) - 2 - mostly long and medium holes - no alternate tee locations
SHOT VARIETY (5% weight) - 2 - Have to bomb long drives on every hole, most approaches are open and straightforward
BENCHES / TRASH BINS (3% weight) - 2 - No benches, but there were a few trash cans
MIX OF TIGHT AND OPEN (3% weight) - 1 - all holes were open

Since the course is so open and a few holes you throw downhill you have to be mindful of the wind when you choose yoru disc / shot. I wanted to check out the pro shop but it was closed when I visited at dusk.

A few challenging holes. The course has nice length; especially on holes 14 and 18. An opportunity for an ace on 15. Nice changes in elevation

-Holes 2-8 are missing pins.
-1 and 17 are the same hole. There is plenty of room to give 17 it's own hole.
-the layout out isn't very clear; had to search a bit to find a few tee boxes

Overall it is a nice course. However, being a 3 rivers course, where you pay to play, I was expecting more out of it.

great course!.............................................................................................................................

All 18 of the baskets have been pulled to get ready for the ski season.

.

- All 18 holes are now open!
- Excellent signage
- Very well maintained and clean, there wasn't a piece of litter on the whole course
- Course was not busy, we didn't have to wait to throw once, and only saw a few other people out playing at 4pm on a weekend
- Great setting, was very peaceful and quiet

- Lots of dead-straight open holes
- Aside from a 2 tight holes through the woods, there is very ample fairway room

This was a great course to play, and I think it will get much better over time. It was a fun setting, going up and around the ski/tubing area, with some elevation change.

I give the course a four because of all the straight holes, many with few to no obstacles. You will have many holes with a drive, upshot and putt.

If you're looking for a course to break out the driver, this will give you plenty of chances.

Great compliment to the Three Rivers lineup. $30 is a steal for these 3 courses. Elm Creek is GOLF course. Long beautuflly mowed/sculpted fairways give it a ball golf feel. Once again, I'm an older frolfer and the course kicked my rear end but thats good. I may have to break down and buy some of those new school discs that fly farther because boy oy boy do you need it at Elm Creek. Tee pads are basicallly double sized runways. Even though the course is long, I still managed 6 two's. Most the 2 holes have dramatic change in elavation which I felt was very unique. Love the Par 4's (5 for me) and the views were very nice. Still a new course so its not busy yet.
I'll be first in line to buy a $30 pass again next year.

Only con would be the youth of the course. The rough is rough in the woods. Not many people had found the horrible spots that I found so it was a rough go.
Like all the 3 rivers courses, display your pass and the park police won't bother you

If you are a short arm thrower (like me), this is a course to practice and improve your distance, Love it! Thank you 3 Rivers for another great course!

Tree placement good to make the throws more challenging. Very nice tee boxes, very big. Course was clean and kept nice. I like that the rough areas were not 5 feet high grass. Cut low enough so you can find your disc. good elevation changes. Timmy Gill does nice course design.

Not all holes open. The trees on the sides of some fairways are extremely thick. After a few years they will be thinned out some from traffic in them.

Overall it is a good course that I will play again. I wish they would have built it over by the swimming pond where they could used more woods areas.

-Lots of length.
-Elevation changes on most holes due to being partially on a ski hill.
-Nice and very large tee boxes
-Nice new chains which are surrounded by a wood chip green similar to Bryant Lake Park
-Small pro shop/concessions stand at the start.
-As with most pay to play courses this one is very well upkept.
-Trash cans at every hole.
-Bathroom at start, one could be used in the middle maybe though.
-Some ace runs and some impossibly long holes give each hole a different feel.
-Very distinct fairways
-Good signage on each hole and signs pointing to next tees as well.
-While there are woods they are not too thick of underbrush so losing discs is only a small problem here.
-Good score cards with map, distance, par. Same as Bryant Lake's.
-Course is designed well so walking distance between holes isnt overly long.
-In the summer this portion of the park is used only by disc golfers so interference shouldn't be a problem.
-Memorable holes for me are 14 which is 778 feet and has lots of elevation change, 7 and 17 which are two of the shorter holes but you can't see the basket due to the large elevation change, and 9 and 18 with the circular dual tees.

-Way too challenging for beginners.
-Some holes are too long for beginners again
-Pay to play may be a con but all the pay to play courses i've played have been great.
-Some of the hills are going to tire you out if you're not in shape.
-As of this review the first 3 holes are not playable but will be soon, you can see their layout though and it looks to be as good as the rest of the course.
-Could be more windy than other courses due to its elevation and openness of some holes.
-A lot of holes seemed to just be different lengths of the same hole, more doglegs and blind baskets could be used.

Pay to play 3 dollars as are all three rivers park district courses. It is definitely worth it. I would probably put this course in my Minnesota Top 10. This place is designed as a ski resort first and a disc golf course second but it still fits well for disc golf.

Elm Creek is a new course, not fully finished at this point in time. The park is a multi-use facility: skiing and tubing in the winter, and lots of bikers on the paved paths in the summer.

Most holes are 320+, with several 400+ and a couple around 700. The area is basically a prarie with gently rolling hills, and the course uses the elevation changes to challenge you on every hole. If you like to just go and bomb a long drive on almost every hole, you will like this course.

The tee boxes are the large concrete pointing kind, save for one round shared one for 9/18. The is only one tee box for each hole. Every hole has signs with diagrams and distance. Most holes have signs pointing to the next hole, and if they don't it's pretty obvious where to go. Usually the mowed path through the prarie grass is the correct route.

Because of its newness, this course is not very busy. I just played two rounds back-to-back on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and I never once had to wait to shoot.

It's $3 to play all day here. Not a bad price.

This feels like a ball golf course. Most of the holes are straight up or down hill, or slight left or right curves. Except for maybe 2 holes, there are no trees or any obsticals (save for a random lightpost) in the fairways. It's just chuck it and walk, not much thinking to do here. This is not a skill shot course, and so for me, it's a little boring.

If there are woods bordering the particular hole you're on, avoid them at all costs. They are THICK. Even 6ft deep can be 2 shots to escape.

At this point in time the course is not fully finished. Besides the first 3 holes not being set up, the rest of the course just seems to be very unpolished even though it wants to be (and can be someday) as professional as Bryant Lake or Blue Ribbon Pines.

Bring a drink, you will get tired throwing and walking up hill often.

Be careful when using the bike paths to walk from hole to hole. They are quite busy.

If you're using Mapquest or Google maps for directions, they are Epic Fail. The directions posted on this site are perfect.

The season pass to Three Rivers Parks disc golf just got even more economical. Between this, Bryant Lake, and Hyland Hills, you've got a pretty good deal going.

I look forward to seeing the final product of this park later in the fall.

This is an advanced level course both due to distance and narrow fairways. If you bring your beginner friends out they will leave tired and frustrated. Intermediates will love it for some reason though.

Situated on a Mn ski hill, not really that tall, it plays in and around the hill using the distances available, the steep ski terrain, and the dense woods to provide most of the obstacles.

The design starts off using terrain well. Holes 4 and 5 (1-3 aren't in) for instance play mostly around a circle, clockwise. Go off the fairway and you are in the woods and probably just throwing out of the woods instead of making a shot. Stay on the fairway and unless you get some pretty good air you are still going to struggle for par. Hole 7 is on a downhill and the pin is on the downhill side of the hill, not at the bottom, making overthrows a real possibility. There aren't any real obstacles other than the hill. There are also the prerequisite, throw a straight 300 foot shot and now do that a few times for the 700 foot hole. I mention these because throwing straight is the main thing on this course and long and straight is even better.

Signage and flow are good. The fairways are well maintained, there are garbage cans readily available and the teeboxes are great. There are also plenty of benches and the baskets are in great shape. The park has a pro shop with drinks and rental discs.

The holes vary more by distance than type of shot needed, they mostly require a straight long drive. My con list isn't very long because the only cons I have revolve around how the course plays. In every other respect it is great.

It is fun to play for most. I have a fairly big arm and the irony is that my buddies that can barely throw 280 feet and that only with poor accuracy like the course more than me. I'm not sure why that is.

Another of the 3 Rivers Park District courses all of which are pay per play. They do a lot to earn the 5 dollars daily pass or 30 for a yearly pass. All of their courses are well designed and maintained and they don't stop improving or upgrading. I could see my review changing somewhat with the additional 3 holes.

*As I said in the title, this course has a real ball golf feel. The wide, rolling fairways can make one think he has a clear shot. But the pitch of the fairways, as well as strategically placed trees, makes placement just as important as distance on this lengthy course.
*The good elevation change, the fine variety of holes, and the manicured conditions reminds one of Bryant Lake, but the distance here is much more of a factor.
*You'll get to use your drivers, but there are several deuce opportunities, also. There are a couple very short downhillers with a steep grade. They look like easy deuces, but I had to putt for par on both of them.

The reason I didn't grade the course higher is the course's youth. There are 3 holes remaining to be installed, and it feels like the course will improve with age. If Bryant Lake is an indicator of how this course will grow, the grade will definitely go up.

It's great to play right now, and it's only going to get better. Go give it a try.

*Cement tees with very long fairways.
*It's a 18 hole course with the first 3 tees down for construction for the time being.
*Finnaly a course that plays to people that have long throws.
*It's very challenging for people that haven't played disc golf for a while.
* It's very well marked pointing you to the next hole.
*Lots of trees to make it more difficult
*If you're looking for a good exercise this is the course for you. I was pooped by the time the course was finished because of all the hills and treking through the deep woods to find my disc's

*Hole number 4 was very touch unless you land on the fairway. The trees to the left are so thick that it's nearly impossible to find your disc if you throw it that way and to the right there is a marsh that if you throw your disc over there you will be knee deep in mud if you decide to go retrieve it.
*The fairways could use a little work as far as mowing and upkeep. They were kinda rough.
*Bring lots of discs because we had a group of 3 and ended up loosing 3 discs in the process.

all in all a GREAT course, just play it safe on some holes or you might loose some discs.