Ham Lake, MN

Ham Lake DGC

3.225(based on 27 reviews)
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12 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 23, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Ham Lake DGC is a nicely wooded and technical 18 hole course just north of Minneapolis. The course plays on the shorter side for the most part but still offers a decent challenge for more experienced players with the shot shaping and line hitting involved. The course plays in two nine hole loops that both start and end by the parking lot. There's a more open feel on the front nine while the back nine is definitely more tight.

The baskets are older Mach's. These are showing their age a bit but being Mach's they kind of just last forever. No issues with these as far as catching or anything. One basket and pin placement per hole.

Asphalt tees on each hole. These are all decent sized and very grippy. A few of the holes had two pads, mostly on the front nine it seemed.

There's a good mix of different shot shapes required out here. It favors RHBH but there's a number of FH favorable holes here too. The distances are on the shorter end of the spectrum for the most part. Looks of sub 250' holes.

The tee signs are very rudimentary. Hole number, distance and an arrow showing the general shape. Nothing too special but these are really all you need out here.

The park was very clean and appeared to be well taken care of. The course is permanent and free to play too.

Cons:

There were a couple of questionable hole designs out here. Holes 4 and 13 are both shorter holes but there's really no good line on either. Hole 4 is a nearly impossible birdie, and 13 is almost as strange but there's a chance of getting lucky on that one at least. Both are not good though.

There were a few holes were the distance on the sign was way off. I don't recall which ones exactly, but one was easily 100' shorter than the sign said. That or I threw about seventy feet longer than I ever have before. I'm leaning towards the signs being off though.

A couple of longer transitions between holes here. A couple next tee arrows would be nice. It's managable but there's spots where there's a few different paths you could choose from. If you have a map it's no big deal, if not it could get a bit confusing in spots.

Other Thoughts:

This was a course I'd been wanting to play for a number of years now. It just never happened until today. Really fun little course though, one I'd gladly play again. This isn't a destination course or anything but is absolutely worth a visit if you're in the area. This one serves as a nice warm up or cool down round if playing the more popular course just up the road too.
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2 0
Johnsondere
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.7 months 136 played 83 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Perfect Warmup Course

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Plenty of parking available
- Asphalt Tee pads for each hole
- Layout is simple to follow.
- Beginner Friendly
- Multi-use park, but not too busy

Cons:

- No memorable holes on the course.
- Not a lot of distance or challenge required.

Other Thoughts:

Ham Lake is a decent course for beginners to learn disc golf or for a more advanced player to warm up or cool down for a round at BRP. It's well maintained, low traffic, and overall decent for what it is.
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2 1
jland969
Experience: 18.6 years 77 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Ham Lake DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Rarely high-traffic
-Clean and pretty well maintained
-Good layout
-Achievable yet challenging
-Free

Cons:

-Awkward water/marsh hazards
-Fairly short (not many to stretch a power-thrower)
-Bugs are bad, but it is the midwest so...

Other Thoughts:

Love to throw this course during winter months as the lake attached offers fun ice-fishing. Great rec course.
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4 0
C.M.L.J.
Experience: 5 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good ole Ham Lake 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 21, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I have been playing at this course for around 8 years back when it was only a 9 hole, It's great how they expanded it. -This course has a very nice layout
-It's hardly ever busy so it's great to play at when your getting sick of waiting to throw at blue ribbon
-Ham Lake has a nice Wooded Layout
-Its great for beginners and advanced players
-Usually the best time to play at this course is in the Spring and fall.
- No water hazards which honestly that can be a pro or con.
-It's free to play.

Cons:

-In the summer you should bring some bug spray because the bugs can get bad.
-Ball park fence around throwing distance at Holes 5, 6 and 7.

Other Thoughts:

It's a very underrated course.
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5 0
Stardoggy
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.6 years 1002 played 214 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Solid, quiet alternative... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Short-ish 18 hole course located on the north side of the Twin Cities.

Concrete teepads, all in were pretty solid repair. Possibly could have been a bit longer, but they served the purpose here. A few holes had multiple tees.

DGA baskets, all in good repair, and caught like you'd expect. One pin position per hole. There was some nice tucked baskets in various spots on the course.

Ham Lake has a decent array of distances, with nothing being too long. This is a par 3 course, for sure, but it's laid out well and has good flow. Tee signs at each hole, and navigation was pretty easy.

There's a lot to like here, especially if you think of it as a warmup for the big boys (BRP and VQ) up the road. It's not an overly tough course, but it has enough different shots to keep it interesting.

Nice use of the available terrain, with some small rolling hills, and plenty of trees and rough.

Cons:

One pin position wasn't awesome, but there's not a ton of extra space here for other expansion.

No water to speak of. Not a big deal in my book, especially for what this course is.

There's really nothing here in the way of 500' bomber type holes, if that's your thing.

Other Thoughts:

There's not much to dislike about this course, if you treat it for what it is, which is a short-ish, technical round. Plenty of fun factor, some tricky shots and approaches, and well thought out design.

There are far worse ways to spend an hour than to play a round here. I'd imagine it doesn't get a ton of traffic, being so close to more popular courses, and there's other things on site for the family to do if need be. Definitely worth a spin.
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2 1
SofaKing 442
Experience: 43.8 years 21 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hidden Gem of a Course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 24, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a well designed course. It is a shorter course, but you will need to make every type of shot on it if you want to do well. The course does not take a lot of time to play, partly because the next tee box is easy to find and close to the previous hole. Play it with only a Teebird and a Buzzz. My buddy and I were the only people on the course.

Cons:

There are some poison ivy patches both under some of the trees and along the tree lines in the taller grass.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed playing this course a lot more than I expected that I would. I usually play Blue Ribbon, but I will play the Ham Lake course again soon. I highly recommend giving it a try!
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1 0
jaketho
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun little coursea 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 30, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Lots of parking
- Decent mix of open/wooded holes

Cons:

- Susceptible to wet weather, lots of boggy and muddy areas. Easy enough to get your disc back if you can walk through a few inches of water
- Holes seem crowded at times. 1 & 18 throw more or less at each other, and other goals are a bit too close to the next tee.
- Signs indicating distance/path to goal seem wrong

Other Thoughts:

This was my first time playing the course, so be sure to go and form your own opinions.
While playing I got a bit of 'history' of the course, which I won't recite here. But keep in mind that as of May 2015 the course IS 18 holes. If you see someone littering, stealing, or vandalizing please say something or call the police, don't let one fool ruin it for everyone.
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1 0
Blaaaake77
Experience: 13 years 47 played 15 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- A close 9 hole course with challenging shots
- Good mix of open holes and a few wooded
- Minimal foot traffic depending on time of day and if the park is occupied by a baseball or softball team
- Fairways are cut nice, rough and fairway edges get long and never get cut, miss the fairway and lose sight of the disc can turn it into a pain to locate

Cons:

- Lost the back 9 due to vandalism
- Buggy
- Can get wet and stay wet for a long time
- If you go at the wrong time of day there can be loads of people and usually all are beginners so it takes time, which is annoying at a 9 hole course
- A few wooded holes get muddy and a real pain with low hanging branches
- Not the best maintained course, trash and high grass sucks

Other Thoughts:

Nothing really else to be added, except for maybe the back 9? Rumor has it though they could open them back up, according to a local shop, which would be great this course would be a 3.5-4.0 course with the back 9 they were so fun and challenging. I hope to see some maintenance done to this course, the city should take care of it more, since they do play baseball nightly here.
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4 1
Aim For The Chains
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 134 played 24 reviews
3.00 star(s)

18 hole history 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 8, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Quick to play with easy access and some long/short tees giving a good mix of shots as well as distances. Holes range from open to tightly wooded and a good challenge for all skill levels.

Cons:

**edit** In 2015 city put in the back 9 again with a few minor changes most notable being hole 17 shortened.. Course plays similar to the original layout with some slight "improvements" but really nothing special just some solid free DG.

City removed back 9 due to people defacing the property as well as it often becoming flooded and very tore up. Last 3 holes are also impacted by flooding with tons of bugs in the summer and lacks any solid amenities but a few signs, garbage cans and picnic tables are there -- sort of.. Tee areas are tight and could use some cleaning up of brush/trees in spots as well as deteriorating in spots due to lacking maintenance.

Other Thoughts:

A good warm-up for BRP or quick 9 holes which is step above your typical pitch & putt style course. It has always felt like the city vs DG idiots here. Odd things like chains being taken off baskets and stupid trash etc were problems in years past resulting in the back 9 being removed and front 9 somewhat neglected. Life has been brought back to an old favorite and lets hope a few stupid folks don't ruin it for everyone. Have a feeling the course will disappear all together if history repeats itself here.
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6 1
The_Babanator
Experience: 11.8 years 6 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

No back 9 ); 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 29, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1. This is a great course for beginners and advanced players.

2. Decent tees on every hole and sometimes 2 tees per hole for beginners.

3. Not as many bugs as many other courses

4. Great terrain. Hole #5 has downhill and up hill which is exciting. On hole #7 there is a huge dirt pile in the way of the course that acts like a obstacle but still possible to do great on.

5. Hole #9 has a pond to the right of it so you have to be careful. Most of the time (all of the times I have gone there) there is no water but I am sure that at times it can get high in certain areas. But it makes it more interesting.

6. Asphalt tee box was great

7. One of my favorite simply because everyone of all skill level can have a fun time here.

Cons:

1. First of all I wrote this review because no one has mentioned that there is no back 9. They have taken it out because of vandalism.

2. I do see some broken glass and beer bottles in the woods which is probably part of the reason the back 9 was taken out.

3. People have wrote on the signs and one of the signs by the old back 9 #10 says "The back 9 has been taken out due vandalism". Someone wrote "Gay!!" over it and I couldn't help but to chuckle.

4. Just went back 9-3-12 and The tee on 9 has fallen. It is still there but almost impossible to put back in the ground upright. I could not do anything about it but I hope some one will

Other Thoughts:

I have heard from others that they are not going to put the back 9 up due to the vandalism. Some guy said that they will be making more baseball fields there instead which is a real bummer. Although I have recently gone to a nearby store called disc life and they said that they are having a meeting with the city and hopefully take ownership of the course. This means that they will be charging $3 a day (Which isn't bad),possibly mowing the grassy areas and wait for... wait for it... BACK 9 WILL GO IN! But only if the city lets them. Also I heard concession stands which will be great! :)
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2 2
tarzan612
Experience: 20.9 years 157 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun course / Hidden Gem in city! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 27, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Excellent and intuitive layout, some long holes and some technical holes. A hidden gem among courses throughout the metro area. A good balance of distance and challenging holes as well.

Cons:

There is a few holes that have potential of being swampy and wet after a rain or especially during rainy seasons.

Other Thoughts:

My best score on 18 holes to date!
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5 1
Badgerman
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.6 years 550 played 62 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun, Quick 18 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 16, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Good flow to course

2) Plays very quickly, with almost no time spent looking for lost discs.

3) With the exception of #16 (See Cons) the entire course was very well maintained, free of undergrowth, only 1 downed tree(which actually made the hole better)

4) Front 9 ends at the parking lot, so it's easy to play a quick 9 if that's all you have time for.

5) Fairways are Unique. I don't think i threw the same throw twice. hole 13 is a sharp, short right angle and the elevation changes added an odd wind current.

Cons:

1) Holes 9, 10, and 16 were very muddy.

2) Hole 16 must be some sort of joke, the fairway is just a giant mess of downed trees, saplings, hanging branches and mud. Nicknamed "The Devil's Vagina", I believe that name to be much too generous.

Other Thoughts:

Except for 16, this was a very fun course, challenging holes interspersed with some easy dueces
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4 0
Timmylom
Experience: 13.6 years 23 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Water water everywhere. And not a sign in sight! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 31, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course is a great challenge for new players like myself. The fact that each hole has a track description with distance info is huge, because alot of the holes are obscured from the tee box. I liked the concrete pads with garbage cans and some benches. The fact that they added the back 9 not long ago bodes well for this course in the future. The baskets and tee boxes where in great shape.

Cons:

I like the "wild" courses as much as the next guy, but if you are going to carve the course out of the forest and place the tee boxes a considerable distance from the last hole you need to let a player know where the next tee is. If you are not lucky you will spend some time wandering from the basket trying to find your next tee. Holes 9 thru 18 are wrapped around a swamp and if there has been any rain recent precipitation, they will be wet...Hole 9,10,11 and 15,16,17 were completely submerged. 15 is ridiculous, the tee box is separated from the basket by 100' of knee deep water with no markings as to how to get around the swamp.

Other Thoughts:

I actually liked the course even though the review might not look like it. I will try again in the future, perhaps during a dryer season...maybe winter :)
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7 0
E_Rock25
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 77 played 35 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good BRP warm up 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Ham Lake DGC is a great advanced beginner course. There is a good mix of most everything a Disc Golf Course needs. I is located in a city park right next to Ham Lake "hence the name". The park is full of all sorts of other activates and make for a great day. There are gazebos, grills, volleyball courts, a fishing pier and a boat launch. Whether you are on your way to BRP or out for the day with the family this is a fun stop for all.

1.Good mix of hyzer, anhyzer and straight shots.

2.For the most part easy to fallow with good flow.

3.Great signage with distance and hole description.

4.Decent mix of somewhat long to short holes with a few ace runs.

5.Good mix of wooded and open shots.

6.Nice cement tee pads with alt pads on some holes.

7.Baskets are in good shape.

8.Not too much litter.

9.Course is mostly separated from other park activates.

10.Shot shaping is required not just a pitch and putt.

11.Well maintained and mowed when I was there.

12.Great warm up round for BRP.

Cons:

The course has a few draw back in my opinion, but it is still worth playing.

1.It is for the most part pretty short. Only one big bomber 522', everything else is under 400'.

2.No elevation to speak of. A few holes have a little bit but not more than 10' up or down.

3.A few of the wooded holes have no real line what so ever just throw and hope to get lucky. I play a lot of heavily wooded course's and really like them but hole #11 is crazy thick.

4.Pad are kind of short but most holes are too so it's not that bad.

5.The rough is thick and if you go off the fairway you could be spending some time looking for disc's. This gets worse as the summer goes on. There is also poison ivy in the rough so watch out.

6.I play this course in the morning and it is not too busy but I guess it can get really bad at peak times.

7.If there is a lot of water some of the pins get really muddy to the point where you don't want to putt.

8.No signature hole and most of the holes are close to the same length. Bring some mids and putters.

9.Bugs can be a problem because it is close to the water.

Other Thoughts:

I really like this course for what it is. It's not going to blow your mind but is nice for a free town park course. It plays quick if you play it in the morning on your way to BRP. You can get two rounds in in about an hour and a half or a bit less. It's a good course for working on your short game and there are some real fun ace runs. It is defiantly worth your time if you are in the area.
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1 3
Jboost
Experience: 12.9 years 2 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

One of my go-to courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Good flow and well marked.
-Nice signs provide all the necessary info to make sure your not going in blind.
-You can choose to play 9 or 18 even after you make it all the way to 9.

Cons:

-Mosquitoes can get pretty gnarly in some areas, bring bug spray.
-Some holes have poor drainage and are fairly muddy.

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3 1
Sargentgeneral
Experience: 13.9 years 111 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Many tight wooded shots
- Great for beginner players
- Multiple tees
- Great warm-up course

Cons:

- Never really get to let loose a big drive
- Tough to play when little league is playing (somebody parked on the tee box once when we were trying to play)
- Play can be slowed by the amount of players

Other Thoughts:

Fun course if you live there. Nothing to go out of the way to play, but a fun little course where the less experienced can still shoot a good score. Better warm up for the courses that are more advanced.
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7 0
scarpfish
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.7 years 360 played 98 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Poor Mans BRP (and nothing wrong with that) 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good recreational caliber course in the northern Twin Cities suburbs, just a few miles away from the much lauded Blue Ribbon Pines course. There's even a mock of the same short right turn hole that you'll see at BRP. Has a decent amount of woodsiness to keep you honest and rob you of parking your drive. Great for families, kids, and people out for a fun round. Lots of ace run potential if you're into that thing. Also good for working on accuracy with your mids and putters.

Cons:

Even from the long tees at under 5000' this is a very short track. Advanced/pro caliber players will find the challenge here a bit underwhelming. It was a sunny beautiful day when I was here, so you can expect one disc wonders to flock here on such a day, (but for the most part, they'll let you through). A few places where you can get led off track finding the next hole, but not overwhelmingly so.

Other Thoughts:

I actually hit here after BRP since it was in the neighborhood before driving back into the twin cities, and kind of wish that I had done things the other way around. I wouldn't call Ham Lake a must play, but if you're on your way up to BRP, this is a nice quick way to get the arm warmed up. Conveniently located just off Highway 65.
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3 1
deadbody
Experience: 20.1 years 152 played 66 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice 18 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Solid warm-up for Blue Ribbon Pines, nice 18 hole layout, multiple tees in a couple spots. Nice asphalt tees, nice baskets. Mix of tight and wooded holes, and open holes. Good signs at the tee boxes, give you distance and how the hole moves. Was well mowed when I played, but the guy who joined us mid-round said it isn't always like that.

Cons:

Short, I think the longest hole is about 380. Some of the tight holes are too tight, the lanes are really tough to hit, making a few of the holes for of a luck shot than skill. No elevation, this is a flat park, no water.

Other Thoughts:

My son said he thinks this should be a 3.5 course, and I think the lack of evelation drops it a bit to a 3, but I would have a hard time arguing against a 3.5, it is a good but not great course, you aren't really going to be able to air it out too much, but it will give you a pretty fair challenge, good course for younger players, not great for newer players as the tree filled holes would be very frustrating. Good warm up for Blue Ribbon Pines that is just a bit down the road, I could be convinced to make the 30 minute trip out to play this course another couple times because it really was pretty enjoyable.
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3 1
a_beautifulplace
Experience: 21 years 36 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course, worth whatever drive, and testing of all skills! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is great. From the first to the last, every single hole on this course delivers something new to players of all skill levels. As an intermediate player, I found myself getting very close to par on the course playing all the long shots and fell behind on a few of the more intricate woods holes that were challenging and still very fun. The notable shots for me were the double hook shot near the end and the right angle hook in the middle. Course makes sense, varies in terrain and grade, and is guaranteed to challenge anyone.

Cons:

It's far away, but I don't even care. Also, they could stand to do some mowing/trimming in a few areas as the course is riddled with poison ivy and oak. The worst thing about this course having played it two times is how much time YOU CAN spend looking for your disc here. A lot of foliage.

Other Thoughts:

This place is worth any drive you have to make. HLDGC is going to the top of my rotation for the next few weeks, and maybe longer. There are a lot of awesome shots to get here but some take quite a bit of practice.


STAY OUT OF THE TALL GRASS. A BUDDY OF MINE BROKE OUT IN HORRIBLE POISON IVY!
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1 1
pokey.mott
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Recreational Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 21, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A lot of new work has been done this year with the addition of men's tees on multiple holes and all tees cemented. Expansion to back nine is nice to have a longer course and hole fourteen is a personal favorite (skip ace'd).

Cons:

On a nice day around four o'clock this course can get crowded. Especially on weekends there can be large slow family groups.

Other Thoughts:

This course is fun if you are out in the area and want to play more than a nine hole course and don't want to pay to play. If you really want to enjoy your round I would suggest Blue Ribbon Pines.
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