Maple Grove, MN

Elm Creek Park Reserve

Seasonal course
3.685(based on 42 reviews)
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7 0
trevster
Experience: 12 years 5 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Pretty Good Course, Nothing too Special 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- good use of elevation; not overly reliant on holes that only go downhill or only go uphill.
- baskets are really nice (Mach 5) and there's a circle of mulch around each one.
- scorecards on hand are good; they have a map of the course along with distances and pars.
- decent mix of hard/easy holes; a tad on the easier side for the most part.
- good concrete teepads and signage by every hole.
- the overall landscape of the course looks beautiful, especially early in the morning or at sunset.
- many holes are just fun to play because they're not too hard, but you need to be able to execute different types of shots to score good (1, 4, 10, 16, and 17 are some of my favorite holes).
- pro shop on site that carries food and beverages, along with a rack of Innova discs.
- with the cut of the fairway grass it's always clear where you need to go when you can't see the basket.

Cons:

- not really a con for me personally, but the course is pay to play; costs $6 for a day pass or $45 for a whole summers worth, and the pass is good at two other courses in the same area.
- doesn't get mowed/maintained that often so lots of times the rough can be absolutely BRUTAL.
- on certain holes (4, 5, 12) there is a sharp downhill slope in the woods off the fairway that can send your disc 50+ feet away from the course and into a marsh.
- due to the nature of thick roughs and some narrow fairways it can be more challenging for a beginner.
- some holes do get repetitive; holes 8, 9, 11, and 13 are basically the same.
- pars are fairly tough to get unless you play at a near professional level; lots of times it takes two shots just to get near the basket. Hole 5 is nearly 500 feet and a double dog leg, yet still only a par 3.
- bring bug spray, thank me later.

Other Thoughts:

I live nearby this course and have been playing it every summer for the past seven years or so, meaning I have a soft spot for it because it's the course I grew up on. Objectively speaking, it's nothing special. It's definitely a good course that's worth playing a few times a season if you're from the area, and if you're just visiting or driving through town, it's worth the $6, but not worth coming back to town just for another play.

The biggest problems lie in how thick the rough can get, and how many swampy marsh areas there are. It's a beginners trap, and I've lost many discs into the jaws of Elm Creek since I started playing disc golf. That being said, if you play regularly (like I do now), you'll find this course to be a somewhat relaxing romp around the park reserve. It's good for a late afternoon round with some buddies where everyone's having a good time and you're not really worried about who's winning.

On the other side, this course is very challenging to score at or below par on, even for veteran players. That's good, because it'll keep you coming back to try and lower your score and get birdies on pretty difficult holes. Like I mentioned earlier, most holes it will take you two shots to even have a chance at putting, and that's only if you can avoid the trees in the fairway and hit the gaps right. The entire course is made up of nothing but Par 3s, with two Par 4s thrown in. The Par 4s play similarly, with the exception of needing three throws to get to the basket.

Overall, yeah, it's worth a play or two - but it really is nothing more than your average neighborhood disc golf course.
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3 0
BogeyPar Guy
Experience: 6 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Long and bland 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-T pads and signage
-elevation
-mowed fairways
-pay 2 play
-Can really stretch out your arm and drivers

Cons:

A lot of the same shots are repeated throughout the course. If you cannot throw 375-400, you are going to have a hard time finding birdies. A lot of par 3.5s. If you are not in the fairway, the grass is long and you are probably lost.

Other Thoughts:

The course is overall uninspiring. I'll play it a couple times a summer if I have to play a friday or saturday afternoon because it is never busy here.
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2 0
Blaaaake77
Experience: 13.1 years 47 played 15 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- 18 holes course close to home
- Great use of land at the ski hill
- Open shots, with clean fairways
- You can let a bomb loose on just about every hole
- Championship caliber course
- Pro shop right on site
- Wasn't too bad for foot traffic the day I went

Cons:

- LONG up and downhill walk over and over again
- Some more actually wooded holes would have been nice, the wooded holes they have aren't very wood, just cross country ski trails through the woods so they are very wide open

Other Thoughts:

- I personally wasn't a fan of this course, I like ski hill courses I have played a couple larger ones bu this wasn't as great as everyone made it out to be, it could have been the long walk up and down and the heat the day I went, but I don't think I will make a special spot for this course to be played again
- Add some more foliage make this course a little tougher and tighter then longer and just having to bomb drives
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1 2
ABL Frolf
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Uper level course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Very beautiful course.
-Very long course for a long day of frolf.
-Well kept, and well maintained.
-Fairways are a good size, and easily distinguishable roughs.

Cons:

-Holes 4 and 5 in the woods, very easy to lose discs.
-If you shoot in the rough (tall grass) plan on looking for a while.
-The tall grass is everywhere and is very frustrating if you get your disc in there. I would recommend reflective tape to put on your discs to raise your chances of finding your disc in the tall grass.

Other Thoughts:

-The holes downhill (1 and 7) are fun and deceptively challenging.
-For sure bring bug spray. You will be eaten alive.
-It's worth $5 if you are good enough to stay in the fairway every single shot without fail. Can be very frustrating for less than an intermediate sill level.
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2 1
deadbody
Experience: 20.2 years 152 played 68 reviews
3.00 star(s)

long and sunny 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 28, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

pay to play keeps the chuckers off, nice teeboxes and baskets. lots of elevation. Lots of different shots needed.

Cons:

No shade. Like I really noticed about hole 14 that there really had been no wooded holes to speak of, and that shade was at a premium, I think it tired me out more than normal cause you were always out in the sun and heat. Super long, not for the noodle-armed. Multiple 700' holes.

Other Thoughts:

Honestly while I'm happy I played this course, I doubt I'll play it again, not really a fun loop. Good challenge for the big arms, for us rec playerrs I'd rather go to plymouth creek.
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3 3
sandford
Experience: 14.3 years 31 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Long and Open 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 17, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

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:

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

Other Thoughts:

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.
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2 8
ReedB
Experience: 26.9 years 35 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Needs work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 17, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

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

Cons:

-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

Other Thoughts:

Overall it is a nice course. However, being a 3 rivers course, where you pay to play, I was expecting more out of it.
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3 2
stevep
Experience: 46 years 3 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Elm creek park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

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.

Cons:

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.

Other Thoughts:

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.
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