Pros:
Course Design/General Thoughts:
- championship level course with absolutely breathtaking natural beauty
- impeccably manicured course with pristine fairways, no trash, and no details overlooked
- high technical challenge on many wooded shots
- multiple water hazards including multiple ponds and a deep creek/retention gully
- many tee areas are given special attention with woodchips, rock retaining walls, etc.
- almost no muddy areas, turf/wood chips applied wherever needed
- towering pines give this course its iconic feel and name
- multiple pin positions that are changed regularly
Basics:
- blue prodigy baskets in good repair (some people don't like these, but they caught my discs very well)
- very large brick paver or concrete tees
- very reasonable $8 price tag
- next tee signs where needed
Amenities/Extras:
- practice basket and practice netted driving area
- pro shop with wide variety of discs, apparel, drinks, and other souvenirs
- bathrooms
- benches at many holes
- snack shop at halfway point open on weekends (includes alcoholic beverages)
- garbage cans
- some baskets on moveable bases to reconfigure holes
- rakes provided to get discs out of deep moat
- mini kids course by snack shack
- protective mesh on many trees that could be damaged by drives
Cons:
- pay to play could be considered a con by some, but the $8 is extremely reasonable for the level of maintenance on this course
- almost no elevation change
- some of the holes crossing the open field are pretty basic/repetitive, but the deep moat adds some intrigue
- maps on tee signs could be a bit more detailed
- can be extremely busy
- have to enter hole 3 fairway to get to tee
- low lying open areas around moat can get a little wet
Other Thoughts:
This course was unquestionably the highlight of my road trip and the primary destination through northern Wisconsin/Minneapolis. While I've played other courses of similar technical complexity and pedigree, what pushes Blue Ribbon Pines over the top and earns it my first ever 5 is the genuine care and attention to detail. For $8 a person, they are doing a heck of a job maintaining this course. No detail has been overlooked, with pristine fairways and basket areas, no garbage, good water drainage, etc.
The amenities list here is a mile long. Things you don't see most places include the snack shack, mini kids course, driving range, and moveable baskets out on the open holes.
Most of my cons are nits. This course really is almost as close to perfect as it's possible to be. There are a few minor safety/navigation issues, but they're minor. The layout/design of this course is fantastic, with the pontential low point being the open field holes connecting the 2 sides of the course. However, the moat out in the field adds some challenge, as it's right in that distance where a lot of people's first drive will land. The moat is pretty nasty - you do not want to go in there. The course provides rakes on very long (10'?) poles to drag discs out.
The biggest con here is the lack of elevation change - I think the course designers did the best they could with the land available, and this is such an incredible course that I think it still warrants a 5 despite this.
I found hole 4 particularly brutal - but I also think it's an iconic hole on this course, a narrow shot through rows of towering pine trees. It's exactly what you think of when you hear "Blue Ribbon Pines." Unfortunately, my performance was anything but blue ribbon - despite playing quite well on this course, I scored an 11 on this hole, which I think is a new record for me.
Hole 16 is supposed to have a hanging basket which currently isn't hanging. Hoel 18 had a mandatory landing zone around the basket to mix up the openness of the hole. I find things like this a bit gimmicky, but it does make the otherwise open hole more challenging and it can be fun.
Depending on the configuration of the day, hole 15 can be incredibly long - throw across the field and moat, into the woods, and then back several hundred additional feet in the woods to the basket.
This course will challenge your game, but it is fair. At 27 holes, it's a very long course and there is usually a wait behind other groups. I would budget at least 3 hours to play here. I was alone but it didn't speed things up much since there are so many people playing. Don't let that scare you off, though. This course is too amazing not to put in the time. I highly recommend making this a destination no matter how far away you live. This course is right up there for me with Idlewild as the best I've ever played. Hats off to the owners of this incredible disc golf gem.