Morristown, MN

Maiden Shade

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3.945(based on 18 reviews)
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15 0
Sethamphetamine
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 82 played 12 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Southern Favorite drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

+Nice variety of shots. Short ace runs, longer par 4s and some placement golf with a few more open field shots toward the end. Nothing incredibly challenging but ample fun. +Upkeep. Exists on a campground with a ton of other activities and is pay to play. Can see your 5 dollars at work with mowed grass and maintained garbage cans. +Good signage. Shows elevation changes along with the next tee pad. +Cool character. Lots of kitschy artifacts make many holes immediately stand out. Tipi hole, cannon hole for sure stand out among others. +Amenities. Course is situated on a campground that has a pool, mini golf, river access and the Sakata Bike Trail. Camping seemed extremely family friendly. Disc specific driving range next to the parking lot. +Short and long pins on most holes. Short baskets are blue.

Cons:

-Baskets. They look cool and are certainly functional but the King Pins will give you some putting frustrations with push outs, especially high and to the sides. Did not play short baskets but they seemed more homemade and would likely present their own challenges. -Some clusters of repetitive holes, especially toward the end. -Pars inflated. Not a big deal as it\'s the same for everyone but may bother some players for some reason. -Not a ton of challenge. A few water hazards but more for visual effect than anything. Rough was pretty forgiving. -A couple birdhouses really obstruct lines. Odd placement and odd choice of object. Weird.

Other Thoughts:

Maiden Shade finds itself about 90 minutes south of Minneapolis, with lots of courses in between. Definitely off the beaten path, the combination of distance and the plethora of other disc options has kept me from playing here for years. Was very pleased to finally get the chance to play and would not hesitate to come back if/when I find myself with a Sunday afternoon in southern MN. Would I drive specifically to play here again? Maybe not. Would I take the 20 minute detour off 35 to get another round in? For sure. The setting is one of a few passionate individuals that love providing a fun experience for others. It has a homemade, almost backyard feel that is endearing and part of the fun. The course itself is a lot of fun. Long holes, short holes, holes in the woods and holes in the open. There are places of moderate elevation change but nothing too extreme. Water will make a few appearances but never felt like throwing in it was a possibility without a gigantic shank off the tee. Would be hard to leave the course without a smile on your face, but some may crave more challenge from the track. Imagine this happens a little more with tournaments or leagues as there are some places where OB would make sense. Recommend a round here for anyone that finds themselves in the area. Would be a great spot to take the family for a weekend camping trip. Not sure I would travel from the Twin Cities to play or plan a weekend disc trip centered around Maiden Shade. Worth the visit, lots of fun, but glad it made sense to stop in the context of the drive home.
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4 0
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.9 years 324 played 189 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 21, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

- good baskets with a second set of short baskets on the front 9
- 2 sets of concrete tee pad
- tee signs at every hole
- navigation of the course is relatively simple
- great variety of shots distances ranging from 150' to 600'
- decent amount of elevation change
- good variety of lines and shots needed to score well
- well manicured and maintained

Cons:

- tee signs have very minimal information on them and some of them are sun faded to the point of not being able to read them
- the last 8 or so holes are very wide open holes and is a very boring and repetitive way to finish a course

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the first 13 holes or this course but the other 8 or so sort of ruined the course for me.
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6 0
Rabidie
Experience: 14.8 years 120 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

This place needs an update on the reviews 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Great private course (located on campground property and is pay to play)
-UPDATED BASKETS (replaced all of the old crappy baskets with the new green ones- check "cons" section in previous reviews)
-A lot of variety of holes, uses every shot in the bag
-I like how it starts out with a couple of shorter holes for warm-up, then you get to hole 3...
-restrooms on site
-Signage and bench on almost every hole
-very friendly environment
-Warm-up/ practice area/ driving range
-Randy keeps the course well manicured
-camping on site

Cons:

- To continue the complaints from the other reviews, holes 15-17 are really repetitive but I can see why they made it like that from a designer's perspective.
-Some signage is faded and could be updated
- not open year round
- not much for elevation change but utilizes what they have on a couple of holes pretty well.

Other Thoughts:

-Randy does an awesome job maintaining the course, he keeps it well mowed even during a wet season!
-They updated all of the baskets, there were a mix of baskets previously, but they are all updated
- Randy also used a lot of the old baskets to make shorter pin placements (two pins per hole) trying to cater more to the rec players that may camp at his campground

One of my favorite courses to visit in Southern Minnesota
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2 0
TCDGFAN
Experience: 19.8 years 44 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Go for a round and bring the whole family! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 16, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great mix of holes, well groomed, long and challenging.

Camping and a pool on site. Very family friendly. Owners are awesome. Nice touches like complimentary bug spray and a sign in book.

The CTP warm-up area is awesome. Hole 1 tees off near a pond and hole 2 goes right over one. Fun way to start. Great scenery, easy to follow.

Cons:

15-17 I believe are very similar 500+ footers and a bit repetitive which can be a drain at that stage of the round. Not a big deal though. Great for those with big arms.

Not a ton of elevation.

Other Thoughts:

I just want to throw a shout out to those running Maiden Shade. Easily a top 10 course in MN, if only because of the awesome and far-too-rare CTP warm-up/rec area with multiple pins at stated distances. The whole place is really nice and very family friendly. You can tell the owners care a lot about the sport so I'd highly recommend getting down there if you haven't already.
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2 0
JTRACY
Experience: 8.8 years 21 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The owners of this course are very friendly they greeted me as I pulled up to the office described the layout of the course and showed me the driving range. The driving range is an interesting addition and a great way to start a round.
The course starts and ends with several duece/ace runs at holes 1, 2, 18, 19, 20, 21 (start and finish). Hole 3 is a massive straight tunnel shot, and Hole 6 is a massive bootleg to the right and it fits right in with the more technical holes between 4-9. Hole 10 is the first of several open bombers with a single massive tree in the fairway that makes the straight drive necessary. 11 and 12 have opposite layouts one starting in the woods shooting to the open and the other heading back in both big throws. 13 and 14 get really technical (13 has the only course mando). 15-17 are all long bombers the first two have heavy woods to the right and long grass to the left of the fairway.

Cons:

The baskets were not consistent half of the holes had older practice baskets and the rest had brand new baskets both had their positive and negative features but the inconsistency can effect your game if you let it.

Other Thoughts:

The baskets that are new are there because of hole sponsorship I believe an individual or a club can sponsor a hole and receive a lifetime membership.
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0 1
oleandt
Experience: 34 years 67 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Gold Tees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Setting, variety, length.
3 sets of tees. Just played their new gold tees adding about 1000 feet - 7792.
Right now the gold tees are gravel, others are cement.

Cons:

Some "Mach -1" shallow basket with heavy chains, expect spin outs.

Other Thoughts:

Great owners and upkeep.
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1 1
regularstormy
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

great course,extremely fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

great course spread around a campground. absolutely well worth the 5 dollar charge. Very, very well kept. Owner is extremely friendly and knowledgable

Cons:

Some of the short holes might be a little too easy. If it is your first time, make sure to visually find the basket before driving because the map will get you close but is not perfect.
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3 2
2and31guy
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Best Course Played 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 2, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hands down the best course I have played in my short career as a disc golfer. From the start, the owners are extremely helpful and gracious that you are playing. Course is really well designed in my opinion, and due to the drought, there was little to no water hazards when I played it, but knowing where they would have been, it would have been more challenging with them in play. Love the distance that it plays, and also love that for the most part, you can see the basket your throwing at, even if it is a long ways away with a narrow opening at times. I enjoyed the challenge of throwing in tight fairways the first 2/3rds of the course and then getting a breather on the last 1/3 and able to just let it fly in the openness of the final holes. I bet if the wind would be howling, these holes would be quite difficult.

Cons:

The only thing I would say is a con is the basket chains are pretty unforgiving and you have to hit them right or the discs may not stick.

Other Thoughts:

The $5.00 fee is absolutely worth it when playing this course due to the owners keeping up the course as they have. I played with a four-some and I think it took us around 2 hours of pure enjoyment to play. Highly recommend this course and will definitely play it again and again when I get the chance.
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4 0
sheepweevil
Experience: 16 years 31 played 22 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great fun! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 8, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is a 21 hole pay-to-play course in a campground along the Cannon River and Sakatah State Trail, in the small town of Morristown. Without seeing the reviews from here already, I wouldn't have known this course was of such quality!

We knew we would like this course right from the start when purchasing the round. The owners were very gracious, explained everything about the course, and seemed genuinely excited we were visiting. They also have a cute dog and cat.

There is an honor box to pay if no one is in the office, and a box with score cards, pencils, and maps. They also provide bug spray (basically required for the Minnesota mosquitoes).

There's a practice driving range with tee boxes and baskets near the parking area. That's a nice touch that I haven't seen at other courses. There are also some practice baskets near the rest area halfway through the course.

The course itself is quite impressive. All tee pads are poured concrete. Each long tee has an entire course map with the current hole highlighted, and advertising for local businesses. Most of the tees have benches and trash cans. There are port-a-potties scattered around the course (though I didn't try any, so I can't vouch for their cleanliness). A rest area with tables and course photos sits halfway through the course by the hole #10 tee. I thought all of the fairways were nicely mowed, though the owner apologized about not mowing over the past weekend.

The first 14 holes are designed quite well (see the cons list for discussion of holes 15-21). #2 has a nice easy water hazard. #3 is maddening, definitely the most difficult on the course. It's 525 feet through a thin corridor - I triple bogied the par 4. Hole #6 is an extreme dog leg that does a more than 90 degree turn - I was happy to birdie it. These are all moderate to dense foliage demanding precision and shot variety to stay out of the woods, very fun.

Cons:

The baskets and chains seemed somewhat flaky - I never really trusted my putts to stay in as much as Mach baskets.

The last 6 holes are all in open field with few obstacles, and seemed somewhat repetitive, though there is a water hazard on hole 20 that did mix things up a bit. I did see some young trees planted in one of them, so they may be more interesting in 10 years or so.

Some of the rough has tall prickly weeds - try to stay on the fairway. Some of the short tees are just 15 feet or so in front of the long ones.

Other Thoughts:

They recently moved the tees on hole 11, adding about 100' to the length. I believe that the blue tee was 430', but I don't remember the red tee length.

There are lots of interesting things and signs around the course. The campground has a lot of other activities as well: swimming pool, volleyball, mini golf, etc.

I've been to many courses in Southern Minnesota and the two I would recommend the most are this one and Todd Park in Austin. Definitely worth the $5 if you are in the area, and maybe even worth the hour drive from the cities!
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6 0
Aim For The Chains
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 134 played 24 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Diamond in the Rough 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 28, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Nice/Helpful Owner (randy)
-Concrete (dual) tees
-Well maintained and designed course
-Fair mix of different shots from left, right, open, protected baskets, tunnel shots-- bring your arsenal here!
-Driving range
-On-site Camping and pool (additional fees apply)
-Nice signs
-Benches at nearly every hole
-Nice views and feeling while walking through course with rustic touches, wildlife/plants and use of land.
-Not very busy at all (we were the only ones there)
-Challenging but does not wear on you like some other longer courses.
-Well maintained and kept up.
-"lost & found" disc area
-Quiet/peaceful
-Sponsored holes
-Ample garbage cans and out-houses

Cons:

-Baskets (not horrible due to additional chains added but could be MUCH better nonetheless they work...)
-Thick rough with lots of thorn like bushes
-Last holes are longer bombs in the open campground/field area along the cannon river with minimal protection from sun and probably the most grueling part of the course, unfortunately at the END also so you are a little worn to be throwing the huge open holes. Would have been nice to see some of these worked in earlier then flow back into the woods and out again. The last holes really have no challenge other than some distance (almost filler like)
-Long walk to Hole 1 from parking and back to car anytime while playing.
-Signs slightly off in representing shot needed to reach pin but scout out the basket before and good to go.
-No food/beverage area really that we noticed other than pop machine outside.
-Some "next tee" signs would be nice as the map is a little shoddy but each tee has a large map and clearly marks where you are with navigation not an issue.

Other Thoughts:

One of the better courses in the state. Feels a lot like Blue Ribbon but actually has better scenery and feeling as well as not being so busy. The owner cares about the course as well as you coming to play and will answer any questions as well as be creeping around on his 4x4-- don't be surprised when he pops out of no-where to watch you throw your next shot and chat it up a little. Each hole felt different (other than the last few open field rips but nice to get some of those in also) Some holes will leave you scratching your head as to what line you will take and the safest way to approach the basket. Take a look from the tee at ALL your options on each hole as many times your drive will just be for good placement to make a solid upshot. Lots of birdies but also lots of chance for snowmen if you are not playing smart (and accurately lol) No major elevation but holes also are not just flat through the woods like you get at BRP and actually felt more "fun" playing here. Not a bad drive down to this course from the cities and worth checking out NO doubt. Plug your nose driving on CR 99 to this place as you will pass multiple farms and the smell coming from the land was HORRIBLE, luckily they are far enough away not to effect the course itself. Pretty secluded area with state bike trail running through it (watch out for bikers when crossing over) and good multi-use area. Not a bad vacation place in the summer for family with the pool, basketball courts, walking paths and DG course. By the time we were done here it was hard to warrant another round right away but if staying there would have no problem going through multiple times without getting boring as there are so many different shots and even lines to take on some holes. WORTH THE TRIP! GO SEE RANDY!

www.facebook.com/DiscGolfMN
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2 1
Milano
Experience: 13 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Maiden Shade 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 15, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Extremely well Maintained.
Good mix of technical shots and bomber holes.
Cheap pay to play.Saw 1 other group the whole time we played. Sick driving range with multiple baskets.

Cons:

Scary baskets... have you holding your breath even at center chain wondering if your shot was gonna stick! Too far from the truck until about hole 18 to re-fill the brew

Other Thoughts:

This course is sick. It will eat your lunch if you are off your game, or make you feel like a pro if you save par on some of the monster holes.
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1 0
grantd
Experience: 23 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 15, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

A lot of land, nice concrete pads, baskets were improved over original. Course was well kept. A lot of potential.

Cons:

Course design I think could use some work. While there are certainly some stand out holes that I really enjoyed I often felt like i was playing the same hole over and over again.

The last 4ish holes on the backside were just wide open field. From a pad you can see a hand full of baskets and its really not obvious where you're going. The wind the day that I played made it miserable to play these holes. I had to throw a Boss on holes I'd usually use a Valkyrie for. While you can't blame a guy for the wind I have a feeling it's probably windy there a lot and these holes could probably just be taken out.

I really hope the baskets get replaced. The insteps that were put in are terrible. The basket is super shallow, the basket is flimsy, and the chains don't keep what they should. I'm glad the owner modified them with extra chains but the gauge is too heavy so my putter would literally bounce off of the chains and I've played enough to know what i do and do not deserve. I didn't deserve all of them but it should've kept more of them.

The variance in holes is weird. I kept finding myself shooting birdies and double bogies. with very few inbetween. There are some short open putter shots, and some really long multiple drive hilly dogleg shots.

The price I think is a bit high too, after all who is going to play more than 42 holes to make use of the "all day." 3$ per round, 5$ for the day sounds more fair to me.

Other Thoughts:

I think it's worth the drive from Mankato or the twin cities but I don't think it's a drive you'll make very often. By the end of the course I had my fill and was ready to go home.
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3 0
Guurn
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 37.8 years 90 played 40 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Not sure 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 14, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a 21 hole course that plays in and around the slightly hilly and wooded areas near a campground. I would say that it is intended mainly for the intermediate player but players of all skill levels should find plenty to like here. As it gets upgraded I could see it turning into a solid advanced course.

This course features newly poured dual teepads on all holes, well manicured fairways and instep baskets of which most have been upgraded with inner chains. Three holes have water hazards although they aren't much of a threat for anyone that can drive 200 feet with reasonable accuracy. Some holes have kick plates that indicate distance and hole number. It looks like many were taken out when they poured the teepads, but some remain. It is a pay per play course. I mention it in the pros because the teepads indicate to me that the owner is putting money back into the course. This is how it should be.

Many holes are very well designed and hole length varies wildly. From up and over hills, through gaps in trees, and around obstacles it is just a fun place to play a round. Chuck surprised me a bit with his design here. Lately new courses in our area have featured distance and little else. This course has a lot to offer and blends distance and difficulty well. It is also very scenic.

There are bathrooms scattered around the course and garbage cans. Water hazards have paddle boats in them to help with retrieval.

Cons:

Hole 1 is 180' from the long teepad and is a very simple shot. Contrast that with hole 17 which is 570'. The problem is that they are both too simple. Just throw straight and you have it.

I am mentioning this in cons because it dovetails into my main gripe with the course, hole similarities.

Holes 15-17, for instance, all play the same. Long, open, and mostly straight. I'm not sure if there is something planned to make these better, but as it is it isn't fun. Given the design of many of the holes these simple, wide open, straight holes just felt out of place.

Other Thoughts:

It is $5 to play a round and $10 to pay all day. This pricing scheme seems a little out of whack for the current state and location of the course. Maybe make it $7 all day and people will pony up just in case they are up for a few more holes. If we play all day we will be buying other things as well. This is just a small gripe.

I am really torn about the rating for this course. I went with 3.5 since it is very high on the fun factor and I can see upgrades actively happening. Hole variation is more of a 3.0 atm though. This place has a lot of potential.

The campground has miniature golf and a small swimming pool. May as well bring the tent camp for a night.
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1 1
brass4Him
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice Challenging Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 31, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice variety of long and short holes. Brand new cement tees. Porta-potties and trash recepticles throughout course. Plenty of challenge and fun with hills, narrow tree windows and some blind tee shots. Owner loves disc golf and takes good care of the course. There's also a disc golf range which is a first for me. Pretty cool.

Cons:

Would be nice to eventually have hole information placards at each tee.

Other Thoughts:

Make sure you load up on mosquito repellent before heading out....
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0 0
Markymark
Experience: 22 years 15 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Very nice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 15, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good mix of long and short holes. You spend the first 14 holes working around trees, and the last 7 out in the open. There are even a few water hazards thrown in, just to make it interesting. The course is in good shape and I spoke to the owner who has big plans to improve the course. I would have loved to play a second round, if I didn't have to get to the cities.

Cons:

Not all of the tee boxes are cement, but those that aren't are framed up and should be ready very soon. Skeeters are as big as sparrows, but it's MN, what do you expect. A spray of OFF and you are good to go.

Other Thoughts:

This was my first pay to play course, so I was a little skeptical. To me, it was well worth the trip and the $5 to play. I would absolutely go back, the next time I'm in the area. Give it a try, you won't be dissapointed. I may need to change my review to a 5 next time I visit.
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0 1
broggs21
Experience: 15.9 years 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Unique, Fun, Good Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Laid back, low traffic, well maintained, some new concrete tee boxes, unique layout making good use of hills and trees, some ponds make fun play (hopefully you wont have to use the paddleboats), nearby pool to jump in after a hot round.

Cons:

5 dollar fee, some tee boxes need upgraded, some pins need new chains

Other Thoughts:

fun course with moderate trees and some water
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4 0
Moptop88
Experience: 17 years 15 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course Worth Playing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 3, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

- A wide variety of shots; everything from short, pin-point accuracy shots, long wooded fairways, tree obstacles, and bomber holes near the end.
- Grounds are kept in very good condition by the owners, who are very cool guys in their own right.
- A lot of decor along the course that greatly adds to it's image.
- Pro and short tees
- Not a lot of water hazards except at the last 4 holes, which run next to the Cannon River

Cons:

- Tee boxes are still a little uneven, very minor quibble though
- A LOT of trees so if you're aim is bad, your score will be decimated and you could be spending quite some time looking for your discs.
- Course can be difficult to navigate, you WILL need a course map.
-$5 per round/ $10 per day is a bit steep as far as course fees go

Other Thoughts:

My experience here was nothing short of great, this course is one of the best kept secrets in the state in my opinion. If you're in the mood to do a little bit of driving to check out a great, challenging course, this needs to be at the top of your list.
Only about an hour south of the cities on a mostly straight shot down I-35.
In addition to the disc course, the camp grounds have a pool, mini-golf, a playground and also a stage, so this could be a great week-end getaway for discers and their family.
You will come back to this course...
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3 0
Cgkdisc
Experience: 35 years 776 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Designer Notes 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 31, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Other Thoughts:

Blue level long tees, Red level shorter tees. Course has InStep baskets that have been upgraded with an inner set of chains. Course is well maintained by the owner. Course weaves mostly thru woods until final, mostly wide open, four holes. Some interesting obstacles and decor scattered thru the course like barns, wells, flower gardens and anchors. Peaceful, laid back environment with the additional amenities as part of the campground like pro shop, swimming, bike trail & mini golf.
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