This is now a full 18 holer.

Technicality makes this course a potential challenge at just about any skill level.

New baskets and signage.

Pay to play (currently $7 to enter park)

Perhaps a bit lacking in variety. Seems a bit heavy on "throw through this phalanx of trees"

Poison ivy makes up an alarming percentage of the ground cover.

The prospective player should know that Savanna Dunes is now a full 18 hole course. The baskets are Mach VII's for the most part, although there are some holdovers from the previous set up. I hadn't played on Mach VIIs before, and was pleased with how they catch, and are just visible enough without sticking out garishly from the natural surroundings. Yeah, I bounced off the top of a couple, but this was because my putt was high, not because DGA has the design wrong. Stepping down from soapbox...

Speaking of soap, this review is, or ought to be, sponsored by Zanfel. I know that it's cliché for a reviewer to point out, "there is poison ivy in my woodland playground", but it's fiercer than Pierce here, to the extent that the UDisc page for the course states that getting it under control is a priority for the park staff. Here's to their future success in that venture.

Most of this course consists of throwing through tunnels and glades. Low branches and bushes have been cleared away throughout the intended paths of play, putting a premium on the ability to keep the disc low, minimizing the impact of inevitable tree kicks that push you too far off course.

Because most of the holes are tight lines through the woods, it was actually the open holes that proved to be most memorable to me. #9 is the longest of the bunch--a 700' par 4, but it also has a fairly broad, well defined fairway, to the extent that it feels rather merciful after all the punishing obstructed holes. #15 is a variation on this theme, with a wide passage leading to what appears to be a bunch of random logs in the fairway. Only you get close do you see that they have been arranged into a giant arrow pointing to a skinny gap on the right with a well protected basket at the end. Fun. #18 isn't particularly long, but plays as a "bottom up hockey stick" shape starting with a LH forehand or RH hyzer followed by a bomb down whatever remains after what you managed to squeeze out of the overstability of your drive. Birdie would feel pretty amazing on this hole, but I wouldn't know first-hand.

If you haven't played Savanna Dunes recently, you haven't played it. It is part of a larger park called Bunker Hills, one of the better public ball golf courses you'll find in the state of Minnesota. One can only hope that they continue work with the disc golf course, refining into one of similar quality.

- each hole feels unique and requires different kinds of shots, very well designed with the land available.
- usually not busy; many days I'm the only one there.
- rough/woods is pretty well-trimmed.
- course is fun to play overall, it sort of feels like a championship level course on a smaller scale.
- it is fairly short and loops back to the parking lot, so it's fun to play through several times in a day.
- sand around some of the baskets, which will keep your disc from skipping away.
- very balanced mix of wooded holes and open holes, long and short holes, easy and hard holes.

- costs $5 to play a 9-hole course, but that's only because you pay for a pass to the whole Bunker Park area, which includes the disc golf course.
- no hole markers on the tee pads, however there are signs pointing towards the next tee by each basket.
- there's an overhead picture of the course by Hole 1's tee which shows an overview of the course being a Par 30 and 3,088 total feet, but there's no individual pars or lengths given.
- tee pads are on the smaller side, which would be fine, except they're all elevated a few inches off the ground so if your foot slips off the edge because you're used to bigger pads, you can twist your ankle.
- Hole 8 has several forks in the road with no signage telling you which path to take, which gets confusing, especially because you can see Hole 2's basket and Hole 1's basket along the way.
- Hole 3 has a hidden marsh/swampy area downhill to the left of the fairway; would not wish a disc in there on your worst enemy.

Despite my longer list of cons, I do really like this course - it just takes a round or two through before you memorize the layout due to the lack of signage.

That's my biggest problem with this course: it feels abandoned/outdated. They need to put up more signage by every hole with at least the hole number, par, and distance. A diagram of the hole would help too, but you can usually either see the basket, or it's obvious where you're supposed to go. Aside from the lack of signage, the tee pads could also use an upgrade, and the paths you walk between holes could be trimmed/maintained a bit better.

I didn't take off any points for it costing $5 to play, because (like I mentioned above) you're not actually paying for the course, you're paying for entrance to Bunker Park, which happens to host a disc golf course. It's true that I might not do anything/visit anything else in the park, but that's just the way it is. They made the course as part of the park, they didn't just make a disc golf course.

Also the first time I played it I didn't know you had to pay and drove right past the booth with the attendant, played two rounds, and drove out of the park without getting arrested, so you'll probably be fine.

If you read the other reviews on here you'll see people complaining about poison ivy or other dangerous plants, but I never came across any (then again, I wouldn't really know what it looks like anyway, but I didn't itch at all and I spent a fair amount of time in the woods).

I mentioned in the pros that this course feels like a championship level course on a smaller scale, which it really does. Many of the holes feel really well thought out, and whoever designed it did a fantastic job of making the holes feel different from one another. This is what makes the course so fun to play, and really addicting for the locals to play over and over. I live about a half hour away, and am more than willing to make the drive. I always play through at least twice, if not three or four times in a day.

In conclusion, if you're just passing through town and looking for a quick course to play, I'd say it's worth the $5. If you live nearby it's even better to get the season pass because it's a fun course to play, and it'll keep you coming back.

Hole 1 is an awesome for breaking out a big driver and not giving it full power so that you get a nice fade to the left at the end. Other shots I would try are using a nice stable to overstable fairway driver.

Hole 2 is a nice straight shot. You can also have some fun and do a big hyzer around the tree to the right if you are feeling ambitious.

Hole 3 is challenging technically because it is best suited for a short S curve. I use my Roadrunner on this one, drop the lip to about a 45 and shoot for the left side of the first tree and it usually ends up parking to the right of the basket. I have seen people thumber or tamahawk over as well. watch out for the little pond on the left of fairway.

Hole 4 is the classic gimmie ace run. 200 feet and slightly wooded. Really fun hole to empty the bag on and just try a ton of different shots.

Hole 5 plays through the woods and has a really nice hyzer line. Grab the same disc that you would use on hole 1 and keep it a little wide on the corner and you should be fine.

Hole 6 is a long straight shot that is fairly open. Whatever goes the farthest and you are most comfortable with should work. Try to stay to the more on the left side just to avoid hitting people walking in the park.

Hole 7 is great for longer hyzer flip ups. If you don't end up getting there with the first and land left, you will with the second.

Hole 8 is crazy! You can try overhanding over the trees directly to your right. I tend to follow the fairway and either forehand or go with a super understable disc on the first shot then play normally from there.

Hole 9 is another hyzer shot to an open fairway. The is a fun line I like to try every once in a while that is to the left and through some trees. If you bunk that shot, it is still pretty open and you will still have a shot at a birdie.

This course is really good for warming up before playing Blue Ribbon. There is usually a 5 dollar entry fee, but at the time I'm reviewing this, its free to get in. The tee pads are excelent and offer plenty of room for any shot you might want to do. The baskets are in great condition and the course is fairly well manicured for a park.

Poison Ivy is rampant here, luckily I am not affected by it. But for everyone else, i say wear pants and long sleave shirts. Also the pay thing is kinda annoying for the course only being a 9.

If the pay to play thing was not going on during the summer I am sure I would have played here more. Maybe doing some control on the amount of poison Ivy would help as well. Also, when you play this course you have it nearly all to your self, so enjoy the peace and quiet!

Very nice layout, not too open, not too wooded. This is inside of the Bunker Hills Regional Park, so there is a $5/day fee, or $25/year pass
I heard they do not check passes after Labor Day, but try this @ your own risk!

The holes have great tee signs (we believe some to have the incorrect distances however), and there are directional signs throughout the course.
The course is playable, but not officially open until 10/2/09, due to poison ivy.
Most of the course plays along the cross country ski trails by pavillion 2.


Hole 1
the sign says 285ish, we believe it plays over 300 (maybe 320?). Pretty straightforward shot,
Hole 2 (the tank)
the sign says 295, but it is definately shorter than hole one, the shot is slightly downhill, it opens up to your left as you near the basket.
Hole 3
sign says 325, there are pines lining the left of the fairway, there is a swampy area to the left of the pines, but it appears to be dry.
Hole 4
216, shortest hole on course
Hole 5
264, big time right to left hook is needed
hole 6
585, straight shot down the ski trail, watch for park users on the asphalt path to your right. This hole seems narrower than it is, there is room on the right (asphalt path), and a bit on the left for any wayward drives. Your approach shot will need to be more accurate.
Hole 7
395, another hole where it's more open than it seems, keep your drives (300footers) to the left, to set up a better approach shot
Hole 8
324 THis hole definately plays longer than it is. We figure it to be 200 feet straight, and then a 90 turn to the right, 200 more feet (maybe more?) to the basket. if you walk past the tee box about 35-50 feet and look to your right, you can see the basket, and a hammer toss for a drive may make it over the trees and into the open field in front of the basket.
hole 9
400 This is a open rhbh shot if you sling it way right, it ends up being very open past the trees 150 feet in front of the tee box. If you desire, you can throw it straight, saving 50 feet or so, there are openings.

Bugs, Ivy, the course seems slightly longer than it reads.

There are not any real water holes, some spots are thick in the woods, but these are few and far between.

This is a great course to add to the north metro, hopefully if we take care of it and it gets the play it deserves, the Anoka County Board will add more courses (they are monitoring the activity for this future possibility).