--New Mach 7's
--Free to play

Not a lot of shot variety.

In the winter layout, the walk up #15 could be treacherous.

C.P. Adams sits on a bluff along the Mississippi, near Hastings, MN. Geologically, it is located near the northern edge of the Driftless Area, a region in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa which escaped the most recent round of glaciation between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. The region tends to be marked by larger variations in altitude and steeper slopes, interspersed with low ridges made up of piles of rock pushed forward and aside by the movement of the ice. In fall, the topography of the Driftless makes it a fine place to take in the colors of the leaves.

Indeed, the drive into C.P. Adams might lead you suspect that you would be spending the next couple of hours trudging through the woods up back and forth up and down the sides of the bluff. You would be mostly incorrect. Instead, the park flows through and along the edges of a fairly open park at the bluff top. While it is perfectly true that in some cases, a disc thrown wildly into the woods along the perimeter of the course may tumble a rather inconvenient distance downhill, there are only two holes that directly challenge the slopes--#14 (down) and #15 (up).

Aside from this, the remainder of the holes are mostly the same--straight either through a tunnel, or to a basket moderately obstructive green-side guardians that favor entry either from the right or the left. There are 21 holes and dual tees with new Mach 7's in good condition. Concrete tees are in good shape. #21 finishes out the round with a short, unguarded ace run to an elevated basket.

All in all, it's pleasant enough for a quick round, but is slightly off the beaten path and faces tough competition from a wealth of good options in and around Saint Paul to its northwest.

-Good Layout
-Practice Basket
-Dual Tees
-Teepads long enough for James Conrad to approve
-Single Baskets (Not a fan of multiple baskets and pin locations)
-Great mix of woods and open park disc golf
-Mix of challenging and relatively easy holes
-Not congested
-Some elevation change
-Well maintained with minimal trash

-Signage could use upgrades
-Baskets are old Mach 3 baskets, due for replacement
-Amenities: Small parking lot, only 1 porta-potty, no trash pins throughout course, lacks benches, signage is old or lacking
-Becomes very muddy after rain
-Repetitive holes 14-16, likely very easy for long throwers
-Gets buggy, bring spray

-If you throw sub 300 Feet, this will be fairly challenging. If you through 300 to 400 Feet, this will be a fair and fun course. If you throw can 400+ Feet, this will be a very easy scorable course.
-There are occasionally leagues or tournaments at this course, be sure to check ahead of time.

1) The use of that available land is quite good with the very steep hills along the Vermillion River coming into play on several holes and providing for some punishing rough if you find yourself in it. There's not much wooded area on the course, but what's there is used well where possible. There are a mix of tunnel shots, short technical shots, and open park style holes along varied terrain. The open holes employ the use of tall grass/over OB (not thick enough to lose a disc in) and walking paths play OB on all holes except 3 and 5. There are also a couple mandos around the course, but they don't really come into play unless you really shank one.

2) The course is well balanced between left, right, and straight shots. Every hole is unique from the others on the course and nothing feels repetitive. Though, if you are a player who throws under 300 feet the string of open par 4s towards the end could get boring and be a slog to get through.

3) On the back of the previous point, the hole design here is generally above average. Hole 1 starts you off on one of the hardest shots on the course, a good shot will almost always give you a birdie look but you won't get anywhere close to tap in range without something spectacular. Great par 3. The short par 4s are both very tight and require very accurate placement shots off the tee to even hope to have a look at a 3. The open par 4s are all pretty straight forward, but still a good time, with the exception of 15 which is a maximum tweener hole where a 2 is nearly impossible and 4 almost always feels bad. Holes 14 and 16 use the moderately sized hill to great effect. 14 plays down it and is an extremely fun bomber hole, players with top pro level power (500-550ft+) may even be able to get looks at eagle. Hole 16 plays back up it and the steepest section sits right in the sweet spot for many people's max distance, getting to the top and having clean footing takes, minimum, 400ft+ of power. But, laying off to just shy of 300 feet and landing on the flat area below the slope leaves you a deceiving and tricky uphill approach towards the basket. For only being 550ft, it's a tough birdie. If there was one hole that would be called the 'signature hole', though, it would probably be hole 11. It off a small cliff, easily a 50-foot drop in elevation, down into the river valley but it is extremely short making distance control very difficult. There isn't exactly a clean line to get to the basket, so it's not the greatest hole, but it is certainly unique.

4) There are stairs built in various places around the course with steep slopes to help get around. They are a little wonky at places, but nothing dangerous. The one place that should have stairs that doesn't (hole 12) does have a rope tethered to a tree on the right side of the fairway to help you up the hill, if you need it. Along the same lines, there are a couple built up greens with retaining walls on steep hill sides (3 and 12) and a structure on 18 that holds a slightly elevated basket.

5) There is usually a port-a-potty on site on the walking path between 8s basket and 10s tee and it is kept relatively clean and emptied regularly. I do believe it is removed over the winter months, as it is not there currently. If it doesn't come back in the spring I will update my review.

1) Let's get the worst one out of the way first. Navigation is remarkably terrible, and signage is very limited. Do not show up here without UDisc or some kind of map of the layout. Note, the map in links and files is not completely accurate. The first time I played here I accidentally skipped a couple holes and spent a good 10 minutes going back and trying to find them. The remnants of the extinct layout of the course definitely don't help either as there are just random disused tee pads scattered around the course, the one between holes 13 and 14 is specifically confusing as it is directed straight towards hole 16s basket. I see people lost between holes here way more often than any other course I frequent. Even after learning the layout it just doesn't flow well in places, specifically the need to back track on every hole from 5 thru 10 to get to the next tee.

2) A few holes play very close to each other, specifically holes 3 and 15 almost share a fairway but go in opposite directions. The other open holes play close to each other and you can find yourself OB in an adjacent fairway, but they aren't nearly as bad as the interaction with 3 and 15. But, either way, if the course is busy keep an eye out just in case.

3) There are two sets of tees on most holes, which is nice. But, in some cases they don't really make the holes any easier. And, in most cases they are just the same shot but shorter and don't really add anything meaningful to the course. If you are near the 850 range rating wise or above don't even bother with them. Though, it is worth noting, during the winter the short tees are usually the only tees that get cleared regularly on most holes once there is snow cover.

4) Speaking of tees and tee signs, they leave a bit to be desired. The tees are generally fine, usually plenty large and always grippy when dry, but a few of them have developed large cracks and are serious tripping hazards if you drag your feet at all. I've nearly taken a spill on 16s tee a couple times in the middle of my run up. Hole 12s tee is also extremely eroded on the backside and can limit your runup depending on the route you take on the hole. The short tees are very hit and miss. Sometimes they are big, sometimes they are small, and on hole 9 the short tee points in literally the completely wrong direction. The tee signs...exist. That's about it, though. The have hole number, some questionable hole distances, and nothing else. No par or even basic hole maps. This can cause first timers frustration as when the leaves are on the trees almost half the baskets aren't visible from the tee. The short tees have no tee signs, just small wooden stakes in the ground next to them.

5) The walking paths around the park are very much in play on many holes. Paying attention and giving way to walkers/bikers avoids most issues, but the paths can be quite busy at times and some holes (6,7, 8, and sometimes 17) it's not always possible to see if people are coming. I've never seen any close calls between people on the paths and discs, but it wouldn't surprise me to see someone hit.

6) During the spring and after heavy rain there are a few places on the course that will hold water. Specifically, the right side of the fairway on hole one can get very deep, and it's a place that discs tend to end up if they miss the gap and kick off the patch of trees in the middle of the hole. The short tee pad on hole 7 tends to end up completely under water every spring when the snow melts. Additionally, not a con, but on topic, the holes near the river (5 and 11) also bring water into play on shanks or bad kicks during the spring time. The rest of the year the water is usually low enough to never be in play.

Overall C.P. Adams is a slightly above average disc golf course. The list of cons make me want to rate 2.5, but the hole design and the actual disc golf here is 3.25-3.5 worthy, so I'm meeting in the middle for a 3.0. For the low-mid level amateur player this course offers a good challenge as even par plays almost exactly 900 rated but for higher level ams and pros will be playing birdie or die on over half of the holes here. This course is also generally not very busy, even during great weather, due to its location just outside of the Twin Cities metro area. I've only seen the course at a level I'd call 'busy' handful of times in the last two years. If you are in the south/east metro and looking for a less busy course, or just want to try something new, I'd recommend making the trip out and playing. If you are in the north/west metro or an out of towner I'd say pass on this course and play one of the higher rated courses in the metro proper, unless you are looking to bag as many courses as possible. It's not a bad course by any means, but there are at least 10 other courses in the metro that are equal to, or better, than it.

- Mix of wooded and open holes
- Mix of short and long holes
- Several holes have significant elevation changes
- Teepads were large and in good shape

- Difficult to navigate
- Signs don't tell you where the basket is
- Many holes involve throwing over walking paths
- Navigation involves walking through fairways
- Baskets could be better

Just based on shot variety, this is a championship level course. There were several par 4s that require accurate setup shots, but still give you the opportunity to get a Birdy. I also got a chance to use my distance drivers, which isn't too common for free courses. Unfortunately, there are several factors that bring this course down. The walking paths are probably the worst. Many holes require you to throw over walking paths, and on some holes, the entire fairway is a path. On a busy day, you could be waiting a long time to throw. The course can also be difficult to navigate, especially your first time. Many of the tees are hidden in the woods and involve backtracking through the fairway. Most of the baskets aren't visible from the tee and, since the signs don't tell you where they are, you really don't know where you're throwing.

1. Groomed. This is a nicely groomed course that allows rollers, especially on the longer holes.
2. Baskets are maintained well and catch discs easily.
3. Dual tees at most holes. The pro pads are plenty big and wide, but the am tees are a little short.
4. They added some signs at the beginning of each hole.
5. A good mix of longer, shorter, anny and hyzer holes.
6. A few risk/reward holes.
7. Dog friendly. Bring your best friend with you!
8. Balance of wooded and open holes.

1. Althogh there are some signs, I have had to help a few people find their way to the next hole.
2. If you have a wild throw on some of the holes, good luck finding your disc. I have lost a few.
3. After a rain, parts of the course can get muddy and slippery, so beware.
4. You have to cross over a few walking paths.
5. At the end, the holes get repetitive and long.

Overall, this is a good course for anyone wanting to stop by. The course usually isn't busy unless it is early in the season. Non of the cons were really anything to worry about. There are many more positives about this course than I can think about at this time.

1. Long concert tees.
2. Long and short tees.
3. Baskets are in good shape.
4. Tee signs accurately show the hole's layout.
5. Variety of holes from holes with trees or in woods, longer open holes, and a few holes with great change in elevation.
6. Relatively easy to find your way from hole to hole.
7. Course is well maintained.
8. Has a few picnic tables to enjoy lunch/wait for friends.
9. Course Loops around back to the parking lot.

1. The parking lot is a little small.
2. Only one porta potty, but it is pretty well centralized within the course.
3. Although there is a large open area, some of the fairways can cross paths if some one has an off throw.
4. Only one trash bin at the beginning of the course.
5. Not many holes have benches to sit at while waiting to throw.

This course is hit or miss when it comes to the amount of people playing it. It can be a nice day out and have 2-10+ groups playing. Its a challenging course for beginners and intermediate players, because of the length of some of the wholes (500ft+ Holes). Over all its a pretty good course with its own type of challenges. If you are ever in Hastings I would recommend swinging by and giving it a try!

nice variety of holes
clear but challenging fairways on most holes
long, nicely shaped, permanent tee-boxes
well-maintained course

Essentially, the cons are that whoever designed this course seemed to run out of ideas after hole 13. It isn't that holes 14 - 16 are long (they are at ~550 feet each) it's that they're long and boring. I recommend skipping those 3 holes. Just take a 4 on each one, and head over to teebox 17. I recommend playing the first 3 holes again to make up for the others. They were solid.

My brother and I played this course in the evening on a Monday. We were the only disc golfers on the course when we arrived at about 5:30. We had come with a map printed out due to the reviews saying it was a little tricky. There was some difficulty, the map was helpful. There was a QR code on the first teebox (blue tee) that pulls a map up on your phone. At the time, there were also a few trees down that were in the way (on teeboxes and fairways), but I suspect that those will get cleaned up quickly. The course is nicely maintained. The course gets a 3.5, but could easily be a 4 or 4.5 if holes 14, 15, and 16 could be modified. Have fun!

I played this course twice in my trip to Minnesota for the Am World Championships, and according the locals, this layout is much better than the previous layout.

The course has wide open rolling hills that you play up and down multiple times. These holes have a fair amount of distance in them. The course also features several holes that have tight lines to hit. Hole 11 is my favorite hole on the course with about a 30' elevation drop. Hole 12 going back up the hill is also a great hole on the course.

The park features a couple water hazards and an elevated basket at hole #18.

When I played, there were no signs and there were several old tee pads that had not been removed from the old layout. Navigation would have been a nightmare if I had not been playing a tournament where there are signs pointing to the next tee.

My family, who was watching me play, thinks that there are too many crossing fairways in the wide open part of the course, and I would have to agree. The longer holes feel a bit repetitive.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing in Minnestota. This was the course that my group ended up playing twice, which was a bummer since out of the five courses that I played in the tournament, CP Adams was my least favorite course because it felt too much like a typical city course and there was nothing unique at this course that I could not find else where.

THe course also is a bit out of the way from the twin cities, so only play this course if you are in the area. There are plenty other courses much greater caliber than this one in twin cities.

Good holes once you find them
Variety of shots
Clean

No signage
Multiple tees that say not used
Extremely difficult to navigate even with a map
Unused tees make for confusion/frustration

Throw in some clear signage and this would be a great course, if someone wants to take this up I'd donate a couple bucks towards the project even..... even with a printed map it's tough because of the number of unused tees that say don't use..

- Championship caliber course
- Dual tees
- Nice open holes, with a handful cutting back through woods
- Cleanly cut
- Well maintained, trash picked up
- Challenging course
- Great scenery

- Confusing layout
- No garbage cans or recycling bins anywhere really
- Playing this course for the first time without anyone who's played it before can be a bit challenging
- No bathroom anywhere (doesn't matter too much for me)
- A few walking paths through the woods should have been cleared out more, I kept tripping over random sticks and what not.

- Throw in some signs, garbage cans a bathroom somewhere and this place will be tip top. I wish I had the chance to play the old layout before it was removed. If signs and a map were added this place could have the potential to be the destination spot for many disc golfers in the South Metro, it was a nice quick and easy drive for me.

Very challenging course with two sets of tees on most holes in an attempt to make a round here fun for anyone who plays. The variety of open and wooded holes has a very good balance and feel in general. There is a good amount of challenge to the course and the land is used exceptionally well on some holes. The tee pads that were already in were good. The baskets, despite looking old at times were still in good condition with the exception of one basket. Parts of the park are well maintained by the parks department. There seemed to be a good amount of people at this course to keep it a priority in the park, people who were very helpful to an out of town guest. A round here is sure to be challenging and provide for a good amount of fun.

At the present time, navigation we a nightmare in spots. You really need to have the updated map for this course or finding some tee pads may be impossible. It will certainly help when all the tee pads are poured and there is something besides smal flags to be looking for. There are several places on this course where park traffic will come into play. One hole in particular requires you to throw down what could be a very heavily traffic path. There are also holes that throw right through apparent picnic areas. Some baskets are close together making it hard to determine which basket to throw to. There are some filler holes that really take away from the spectacular nature of some of the other holes.

Lets be honest, I played this course in the new layout as things were still in that pre construction phase. There is a lot of potential this this redesign to have a better course, but at the present time the roughness of the course figures into the rating. Part of my rating also assumes that certain improvements will be made. This course is going to be palyed at Am Worlds this year which makes one think these improvements may have already happened since I played the course. There were times when playing this course was a joy and other times where you jsut wanted to smack your forehead. You will want to be prepared with bug spray when the mosqitos are out. I am pretty sure I got bit at least five times in a short walk from the car to find the first tee pad. Shorter tees will make this course more fun for lower level players. Do not try to be a better player than you are. You will want to walk the few blind holes. Be sure to watch for pedestrians before throwing. Get a map! Bring the map! I also want to give a shout out to Emily's Bakery and Deli in "downtown" Hastings. Amazing place to grab food before or after the round. Great sandwhiches, great baked goods.