Half-Day St. Cloud Trip?

[MNThrower]

Roughly how long does it take to play some of the St Cloud courses solo? Taking a half-day tomorrow and would like to do something like this. I'll leave St. Paul around 11am and I suppose 5pm is the cutoff time for finding discs.

Would it be worth it to headup there or should I hit up BRP for a couple rounds instead?

Courses I want to play in order of priority:
Hidden Lake
Sportsmans Hill
Riverside
Calvary

Is it too ambitious to try to hit them all? I can play through Acorn or Cottage Grove in about an hour by myself - and that's because I take a couple small breaks throughout the round.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

I would leave earlier but its possible to get 2-3 in easily. Ever played becker on the way up? I would hit that, riverside and any other one you want which is reasonable. Its do-able but you need to factor in driving times. Some courses are on one side of the town and a few on the other with 10/94 being a deciding factor IMO which to hit and when.


First trip up there we played becker, riverside, calvary, and millstream. Then did the others a few months later. Stay away from Mayhew Creek if you want to get multiple rounds in.

 

[MNThrower]

I did a similar trip this summer and had a lot more time. I did the following:
Millstream, Calvary, Riverside, and Sportsmans Hill.

Millstream just didn't do it for me when I was there. Some really pretty holes but that first 9 wasn't worth a visit.

I really enjoyed Sportsmans and found Riverside to be fun as well. Hidden Lake seems to be a destination course so I really want to get out there and with as little of the brush and rough as possible - so right now seems perfect.

So maybe I plan on something like Hidden Lake, Sportsmans Hill, and Becker? Is that even worthwhile or should I just stick to BRP or Lakewood/Acorn or something? I suppose I could head up to St Cloud on Saturday but was hoping to hit a couple different courses than usual tomorrow.

 

[smarkquart]

I would check into seeing if Riverside is still open. I know someone posted on here earlier the exact date in which it is going to be pulled for the winter, but I know it was soon.

I did a similar trip like this last year about this time, but I left at 7am and did not get home back in Maple Grove to 4pm.

I hit up:

Hidden Lake
Cavalry Hill
Millstream


I played Hidden Lake one time and both Cavalry and Millstream twice. As much fun as it is to play more courses, when on a time constraint I think it would be better to pick three or so courses and just get in as much golfing as you can.

Hidden Lake will take a while because there is a lot of length. Plus playing solo means that you will not have spotters. I am not trying to talk you away from Hidden Lake, because it is a gem of a course albeit still being a little rough, but with leaves on the ground and a few blind spots, you may spend a little time looking. Plus, with the length of the course, they layout may be a little confusing the first time out.

Cavalry is a good choice if Riverside is not open. This is the second course where I learned how to play (Riverside being the first). It has a nice variety of shots that will make you throw everything. It has elevation, open shots, precision approaches, wooded shots, and some ace runs. It is not overly spectacular, as it is a city park course, but at least the first half is definitely not bland. Navigation through the first half is simple enough, and it will only take a glance or two to figure out the second half once you cross the street.

Millstream is a beautiful course once you hit Hole 6. It is still a little rough, but the stream that plays through Holes 15 and 16 definitely showcases how such an obstacle should be incorporated into a course. Hole 1 is a good bomber to open it up, Holes 2 and 3 play near a soccer field and are rather bland, Hole 4 has a nice tunnel shot combined with a mando, Hole 5 is another bland shoot into a city park kind of shot, but it gets interesting starting at 6. From here you shot down toward the pond with almost no room behind it to spare. Hole 7 shoots over the pond and you need to fade back toward the shore. Hole 8 has the pond line the right side of the fairway with the basket on a mini-pennisula. Holes 9 and 10 need precision. Hole 11 has an elevation drop with the stream behind the basket. Holes 12 and 13 have elevation and trees. Hole 14 has a swamp on the right. I have already mentioned 15 and 16. Hole 17 is another bomber that deals with two elevation changes. Hole 18 is a slow left turn with the stream all the way on the left.


As for the other courses:

I do not think you will like Becker playing solo. Too many blind spots and or places you can lose sight of your disc. The tall grass on Hole 5 can drive you nuts if you do not see where it exactly went in. It is a fun course with people, but alone there are too many things that can frustrate you.

Sportsman Hill has gone through several renovations recently, and I assume it has only improved the course. I always liked to compare Sportsman Hill to a mixture of Kaposia and Blue Ribbon. It was definitely rough on the edges but has a ton of unique and taxing shots. You are either going to love or hate this course. If you are playing alone, keep an eye on your shots because the tree kicks are notorious for going deep and blind.

 

[smarkquart]

I did a similar trip this summer and had a lot more time. I did the following:
Millstream, Calvary, Riverside, and Sportsmans Hill.

Millstream just didn't do it for me when I was there. Some really pretty holes but that first 9 wasn't worth a visit.

I really enjoyed Sportsmans and found Riverside to be fun as well. Hidden Lake seems to be a destination course so I really want to get out there and with as little of the brush and rough as possible - so right now seems perfect.

So maybe I plan on something like Hidden Lake, Sportsmans Hill, and Becker? Is that even worthwhile or should I just stick to BRP or Lakewood/Acorn or something? I suppose I could head up to St Cloud on Saturday but was hoping to hit a couple different courses than usual tomorrow.

Wrote my response before you wrote this.

In that case then the three you selected are a good choice if you are playing one round each. I do see this, however, as an almost all day excursion.

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

Hidden Lake, Sportsmans, and Becker - Yup.

This is where I learned the sport, and after 1100 courses, still love returning for this combo. Millstream is my other favorite of the area, I typically make it there at least once a year.

 

[MNThrower]

Interesting. Tough choice to make I think. I'd love to get to Hidden Lake but searching for discs can be a bummer alone - seems this time of year is a bit easier but still obviously a hazard I'd like to avoid spending too much time on.

Thanks a lot for all the info and opinions! I'll certainly let everyone know what I decide (I tend to figure these things out last minute). If I stay in town I'll likely throw something up on the meet-ups section in case anyone else wants to get out.

Keep any other info coming. I definitely like hearing opinions and experiences on these courses.

I'm also open to any ideas of destination courses within an hour of St. Paul/Mpls. BRP obviously but I've played there a few times this year. Is there anything down south a little bit worth checking out? Or what about a Menomonie trip? I hear there are a few courses worth checking out in that area. Maybe there are 2 close by that would be worth checking out for a couple rounds each?

 

[notapro]

Hidden Lake can be a major-league beatdown! My favorite course in Minnesota, out of the 28 I've played. :thmbup:

 

[MNThrower]

Hidden Lake, Sportsmans, and Becker - Yup.

This is where I learned the sport, and after 1100 courses, still love returning for this combo. Millstream is my other favorite of the area, I typically make it there at least once a year.

Sweet. Cool to know this would be a fun combo. What are your thoughts on playing Becker alone? Sportsmans doesn't bother me and Hidden Lake I already know I'll be spending some time looking. But Becker I know nothing about and rather not spend too much time searching.

 

[MNThrower]

Hidden Lake can be a major-league beatdown! My favorite course in Minnesota, out of the 28 I've played. :thmbup:

Which is part of why I want to play it! I know it'll likely break me but after playing BRP a couple times courses like The Valley or Cottage Grove seemed very manageable haha. Plus I'm just looking to get out of the city a little bit.

 

[smarkquart]

Sweet. Cool to know this would be a fun combo. What are your thoughts on playing Becker alone? Sportsmans doesn't bother me and Hidden Lake I already know I'll be spending some time looking. But Becker I know nothing about and rather not spend too much time searching.

Holes 1-3 are in the woods. Not difficult, but not piece of cake. Of the three, Hole 3 would offer the best chance of losing a disc. Still, should not be an issue.

Hole 4 - Is kind of an open field shot with tall grass on the left and the woods on the right. Again, should not be a problem.

Hole 5 - Slight downhill the majority of the way. 900 foot monster with 650 feet of that being tall grass on both the right and left. The fairway is a ten foot wide mowed section. Keep your eyes open and trust your depth perception and you should not have to spend too much time looking.

Hole 6 - Easy in the woods shot.

Hole 7 - Starts in the woods but takes a 90 degree turn in which you will shoot out into an open field with some elevation rise at the end.

Hole 8 - Semi-open field shot with trees on the right and a mature tree protecting the basket on the left.

Hole 9 and 10 - Back in the woods. Very similar to 1-3.

Hole 11 - 13 - These are on the side of the course and easy to miss if you do not know where to look for them. They are similar to Hole 8 where the majority of the fairway is open field, but there are plenty of smaller trees and whatnot that will offer some obstacles. These three holes almost seem like an after thought consider where they are located and how they are different from the rest of the course. Of all the holes, these are the least inspiring.

Hole 14 - Shoot down the road. Some precision is needed.

Holes 15-17 - Back in the woods again with some nice lines. These are the most likely places you will spend time looking for discs.

Hole 18 - A tunnel shot that eventually leads to the open field next to the parking lot.

 

[MNThrower]

Wow! I can not thank you all enough -especially you for the very detailed breakdowns Smarkquart. I think I'll just bring some older discs, make sure they're inked, and plan to play Hidden Lake, Sportsmans Hill, and Becker, in that order.

So hopefully arrive at Hidden Lake at 12:30, Get to Sportsmans Hill by 2:15, and to Becker by 3:30.

I'm trying to be forgiving with these times - if an 18 hole course takes me 1.5 hours by myself it must be pretty intense! And when I played Sportsman's Hill I took some breaks but could likely do it in 45 minutes if I really wanted.

Should be just about enough time if I'm not searching too much.

 

[MNThrower]

UPDATE:

Not sure if someone wants to update the course conditions but I just came across a Facebook post through Google (haven't had FB for 2 years now) - pins were scheduled to be pulled 11/4/13 for Riverside.

Sort of a bummer but now I wont feel like I missed out on playing it when I'm up that way tomorrow. It was a lot different of a course than I expected but certainly a solid layout.

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

Sweet. Cool to know this would be a fun combo. What are your thoughts on playing Becker alone? Sportsmans doesn't bother me and Hidden Lake I already know I'll be spending some time looking. But Becker I know nothing about and rather not spend too much time searching.

Shouldn't be a problem this time of year, the long grass on 5, and some thick areas of the rough should be fairly beaten back (possibly leaves to get lost under, and do they still have any snow on the ground from the last couple bands of snow?), have fun and enjoy, hidden lake is one of my overall favorites.

 

[RyanisCorriganis]

Riverside is closed for the season. I'll get on that update.

 

[MNThrower]

Thanks for the confirmation! I did a little digging and found the following info in previous threads - which may or may not be true still haha.

Per the threads from a couple years ago it looks like Riverside is the only course in St. Cloud that gets fully pulled in the winter because of cross country skies. Calvary and a couple others may have certain pins pulled for sledding on the hills but I didn't find anything on any other courses being totally pulled. Sportsmans Hill and Millstream both have a full lay-out all winter.

Lots of people in MN claiming to play year-round. I love it!

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

I'll be open all year, just a short drive from the cities, I can give you a good half day of dg fun if you're looking for another short road trip sometime.

 

[notapro]

Thanks for the confirmation! I did a little digging and found the following info in previous threads - which may or may not be true still haha.

Per the threads from a couple years ago it looks like Riverside is the only course in St. Cloud that gets fully pulled in the winter because of cross country skies. Calvary and a couple others may have certain pins pulled for sledding on the hills but I didn't find anything on any other courses being totally pulled. Sportsmans Hill and Millstream both have a full lay-out all winter.

Lots of people in MN claiming to play year-round. I love it!

My favorite hole at Calvary plays from the verrrrrry top of the hill, over the canopy all the way down. (From the pro tee). It would be a shame to miss it.

 

[RyanisCorriganis]

My favorite hole at Calvary plays from the verrrrrry top of the hill, over the canopy all the way down. (From the pro tee). It would be a shame to miss it.

That basket is in the long location right now. I don't know if they plan to pull that one for the sledders. We have a couple more league dates there, so it could happen after that ends. That was my favorite hole forever but the trees have gotten taller kinda obstructing the shot.

 

[notapro]

That's the sled hill though, right? Or do they just do the little bunnies?

I will agree that it is overgrown, but that really makes it unique. Can't just fire a laser down the hill; you have to play over or around the stuff. (Granted, it is a safety concern as going offline means landing in a different fairway).