St. Paul (Roseville), MN

Acorn Park - Old Layout

3.365(based on 49 reviews)
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1 0
TEDIUM
Experience: 11.4 years 54 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Confusing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 14, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Dual tees at most holes
Nice use of water and elevation
Good level of challenge, not too hard or too easy

Cons:

Tees, baskets, and especially signage are in bad shape
dual tees and signage combine to make navigation difficult
None of the baskets are marked, so it can be hard to know which to throw to

Other Thoughts:

Course was pretty busy when I played it, but it was in the evening, we seemed to be able to find our way around for the most part, but baskets get confusing after the first 9, and tee 16 has you teeing off up a rather steep and heavily wooded hill. Fun advanced course, but in desparate need of a makeover
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5 0
mndiscg
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.4 years 502 played 494 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Layout is Great, Everything Else is Meh 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 27, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

+First and foremost and hopefully most important to most people on this course- The layout itself is absolutely wonderful. Most of the holes aren't too long but there are a number of tight holes, blind holes, or holes with ideal landing zones that you need to hit in order to score well. I normally throw forehand and this course made me throw 4-5 backhand shots off the tee.
+Layout is good for all levels. It does make you hit shots but isn't too long so it is approachable by many levels of players.
+Parking is adequate, there is a porta potty, first tee is right there. There is a playground, tennis courts, ball fields for the non disc golfers.
+Tees are asphalt and baskets are all there and adequate.
+Dual tees on some holes.
+Nothing huge for elevation but most holes involve some amount of up or down.

Cons:

-The flow of this course is the worst thing about it. I skipped a hole once and found it later by accident, there are paths through the woods and asphalt paths and it is hard to tell where to go. The tees are roughly labeled and you may or may not be at the right one. There are no signs and the baskets aren't labeled. You might throw at the wrong basket a few times as well.
-Garbage and graffiti are prevalent on this course.
-This course can be very busy and overcrowded.
-The tees and baskets are showing their age. The baskets are often very hard to see as they are faded and old. The tees are small and some of them are in rough shape.
-A lot of the wooded holes are very short and pretty uniform in length. This is definitely not a championship course.
-Lots of erosion here, this course is old.

Other Thoughts:

+If this course got a few upgrades, it could be a 4 disc course. I had a lot of fun playing many of these holes and would really like to see new pads and signs at least. Baskets would be nice too but things to aid in navigation and throwing would be the first priority. This course is a must play if you live in the metro or are a visitor with a few days to play here. Of course Bryant, Kaposia and BRP are the first 3 to play but this course belongs in the next ring of courses with Lakewood, Valley, Crown, CP Adams, and a few others.
+It is always fun for me to play courses that are older than I am. A piece of MN disc golf history right here.
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1 0
Blaaaake77
Experience: 13.6 years 47 played 15 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 14, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- The challenge of this course is awesome! My friend told me about this course and said it was one of the best free courses around and I can't deny that!
- Lot's of different shots using everything you got in the bag to make the hole.
- Great location, busier park but awesome scenery for a city park.
- Elevation changes all throughout the park.
- Depending on the time you go, you can fly through 18 holes quickly.
- Good mix of long and short holes, a few Ace Runs throughout.
- Lots of knowledgeable players from young and old, older guys always are telling stories of how they played this course as a kid.
- Every time I have played I haven't had to deal with bugs a whole lot, just a few.

Cons:

- A very confusing layout the first time you go, make sure you bring someone who has played it before or you will end up lost looking for some holes.
- Very hectic course come weekends, my first day playing this course I would say there was at least 20 groups of people on this course, people where everywhere.
- A few water hazards can really screw you, first hole you can have a great drive and your disc may start to fade and you'll hit a huge oak and end in the drink.
- Can get very muddy and very wet after rain, haven't had to deal with major flooding issues yet though.
- Can be a tough course some days just depends on the weather, I hate playing this course in windy conditions.
- Lot's of drinking and smoking going on, slowing down play for everyone else.

Other Thoughts:

- Add some signage for next holes.
- Clean up knocked down trees.
- Make a bigger parking lot, very small lot for being such a popular course.
- Some reconstruction to some of the tee pads would be nice, they have shown wear and tear over the last 30 years.
- Overall a great course, highly recommend playing this course if your anywhere near it, even if you aren't close it's well worth the drive. Just make sure you have someone with you who's played before, like I said it's a confusing layout for new players.
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1 3
Fepowerguy8
Experience: 10 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent Course for in the city 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Some challenging holes. Blacktop Tee-pads that aren't slippery. Very Wooded and plenty of water holes.

Cons:

Some of the holes are hard to navigate, best to find someone that knows the course. Not very well marked. Holes are too close to together on a few, so you have to keep watch so you don't get hit. Usually have to wait to play in the summer. Too many holes near walking paths.
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3 0
Mblack4
Experience: 20 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great potential, lack of maintenance 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 21, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Beautiful park
- Great hole variation
- Decent baskets
- Good mix of wooded/open holes

Cons:

- Major lack of direction/signage
- Horrible tee-pads (sometimes you're better off not throwing from the tee-pad)
- General lack of maintenance

Other Thoughts:

There are quite a few DGCs in the Twin Cities and in its surrounding areas, and most of them have the potential to be great courses. When looking at courses like Blue Ribbon Pines or Bryant Lake Park, you see a great course both from the technical aspects of the game, all the way down to the nice landscaping and navigational signs to ensure players never get lost.

When I went to Acorn Park for the first time, we weren't quite sure where the first tee was, and ended up looking around by the 18th hole for a while because the "rules" sign was by the last hole and not the first for some reason. After getting direction from another player, we found the first hole and started the course.

One thing I did not particularly enjoy about my first visit to Acorn Park was how busy it was, but honestly if it hadn't been this busy we probably would not have been able to navigate the course. At least 4 or 5 times throughout the day we ended up in a spot where we didn't quite know where to go next. The worst case was on Hole 9 where after finishing, you can see the basket for Hole 10, but there's no indication of where the tee is and you actually need to walk downhill in the woods to get there.

Other than the poor signage, the tee-pads were the only other real bother at Acorn Park. The tee-pad on hole is un-usable as it is deeply cracked right in the middle. Some other tee-pads were very short as well.

Once you've sifted out the bad about Acorn Park, you can really start to take away all the good that this course has to offer. The photos that were uploaded are a great example of some of the beautiful views offered by a few holes at Acorn Park, especially in the wooded areas, but definitely when you come out of the woods as well.

There were definitely a few tricky holes as well, some required your shot to hook far left, some far right, and others required you to throw a certain distance to avoid water (hole #1), or to avoid landing in bushes/rough (holes #8, #13?, #18).

This course also neighbors both Lakewood Hills (White Bear Lake), and Kaposia Park (St. Paul), which can provide an all-day event for disc golf for those who are up to the challenge. When we played, we hit Lakewood Hills first and then came here, and that worked out perfect.

At the end of the day Acorn Park is a Very Good course, and could easily become an Excellent course with the simple addition of some signposts. (Although some new tee-pads on select holes wouldn't hurt either).
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1 0
ajkuck
Experience: 17.4 years 55 played 31 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great Course, but Needs Improvement 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 10, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The layout of the course is great, but it needs significant improvement. The course offers a wide variety of holes and shots, both in the open and in the woods that require some technical shots. The course also offers several holes with some elevation change, which makes for some fun shots. There are also plenty of birdie opportunities out on the course, which makes it fun to play.

Cons:

The tee pads, especially on hole 2, are just awful. The walking paths and some brush throughout the course needs to be cleaned up and improved, along with some erosion control. There are many wet areas that must be avoided after a rainfall, as the course can get very muddy in the woods. Although there are plenty of garbage cans, there is also quite a bit a trash around the tee pads that could use some cleaning up. The course is also very popular and always packed on a nice day, which makes for a very slow round.

Other Thoughts:

I can't wait until they make this course pay to play so the tee pads get replaced, quality signs get put up, walking paths are improved, and to overall help clean up the course. Pay to play would also eliminate some of the riff raff and rec players. Once I see these improvements in this course, I would gladly rate this course a 4.0
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6 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.3 years 571 played 284 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beginner/Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 24, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set in a good sized park that has some hills, water, and woods. There are some extra activities away from the course, so a walking path is the only source of interference. Should be free and clear for DG.
- A lot of the holes here are set in the woods, either in a lot of skinny trees, or fairways carved out of gnarly woods. Those in the skinny trees include #1, a shot over water and through a gap or two that finishes right at the end. #2 is another RHFH shot around the trees, #3 is an uphill flick shot with lots of little trees to get around, #4 is a little bitty hyzer shot, #5 is uphill with a few lines to choose from, #10 is pretty much straight, #14 is a little hyzer that drops off to the pin behind a big tree, there is a good variety of lines here, that need good accuracy to hit the pin. Overall, these holes are pretty short, so there is a lot of deuce or die.
- The holes with wider fairways, but thicker rough, pose a different challenge - these are longer with more hazardous areas to find. #6 is a downhill hyzer with nastiness on both sides and water on the right near the pin, #7 also has a lot of crap to avoid directly on the fairway, and #8 is a hyzer over swampy water. Must stay on the fairway, but also on the 'good' parts of the fairway. #9 is trickier, a 475' toss with water left, lots of trees right, and a pin tucked under pine trees. #11 is a longer downhill hyzer over thick rough, with a gap in the woods, and #15 is a tighter uphill shot with big trouble on the right.
- A few holes are a little more open at the end of the course, but are still challenging. #16 is the most straightforward, a 327' shot up and over a hill, while #17 is a downhill shot with trees surrounding the pin. #18 is a very cool hole; the tee shot is over some woods and through a gap, to an open area. Then it is an uphill fairway, with the pin behind a large cluster of trees, open to either a righty or lefty shot, or maybe even a tall overhand, but definitely not straight.
- Elevation changes here aren't too extreme, except for the last couple holes, but it is noticeable on many holes. Uphill shots in the woods are pretty common, and some longer downhill shots over some rough areas.
- Baskets are OK, teepads are fine, signs are not so good. Map is probably a good thing to have the first time through.

Cons:

- The holes in the woods are pretty, pretty short. A lot of putter shots with five of them under 215'. The lines are tough, but they are still just approach shots for the most part.
- Seems pretty hyzer heavy, especially on the longer holes. Or, at worst, a straight shot. #1 and #12 might be the only ones that don't accept a RHBH hyzer.
- Asphalt tees jut out from the ground, and the lack of tee signs hurts. A little rough around the edges.

Other Thoughts:

- Course itself offers a good variety of holes, there are the shorter ones with good line shaping skills needed, longer holes that offer plenty of hazards on longer shots, and some open holes with tougher approaches. A few longer holes are pretty tough, mainly #9 and #18. Short tees are really short, and good for beginners, long tees are good for more experienced players. Worth checking out at least once, for any skill level, though advanced players will be able to crush the score.
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1 1
ABL Frolf
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Ghetto 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Challenging course with lots of woods area for difficult shots.
-Some open holes. 16-18 are in open fields, good finish to a long course in the thick of the woods.
-Fun intermediate course. If possible, go with somebody who has gone before. The challenge of finding your way around takes away from some of the fun.

Cons:

-There is no map and nothing is clearly marked. Most of the tee boxes didn't even have posts saying what hole you were on. Or there were posts with non-legible markings.
-Ground cover was mostly dirt, and after rain it is really messy and soft.
-Lots of graffiti everywhere. Mostly inappropriate, some of it is comical.
-Some water hazards, water looks diseased.
-Not for beginners. Unless you are a good beginner with lots of patience.
-Easy to lose discs almost every shot.

Other Thoughts:

-Basically a run down version of Plymouth creek park in Plymouth, MN.
-Bring bug spray.
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2 4
Riley M
Experience: 4 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Love it 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 12, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Benches
-Garbage Cans
-Aspalt Tee's

Cons:

I don't have any Cons

Other Thoughts:

I love this course and any time I'm in St. Paul I play This course. If your near St. Paul I really suggest this course. I also heard this course has the most foot traffic in the world.
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5 1
pfpro
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 55 played 42 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Not like I remembered it.... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 7, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Good mix of shots (nice use of the elevation that's available, good balance - seemed to be slightly dogleg right finish heavy, nice open/wooded balance, you have several ace run opportunities)
- The water hazards seem about right. Shouldn't be too much of a challenge for someone with nominal skill/control, but challenging enough to make you think twice about your shot. The pond right on hole one is a shock to the system though - would be nice to have a few holes to warm up.
- Concrete tee pads
- Multiple tee pads and pin locations on some holes.
- Laid out well enough to be challenging without being brutal. You could shoot very well, but fairways are just tight enough, trees are just in a certain location that an errant throw will cost you strokes.

Cons:

- Signs = non-existent (and therefore navigation = challenging for a visitor). I knocked the review down 1/2 point for this. There are posts, so clearly the signs have been ripped off, but what about some woodworker routing out distances and an arrow for next tee at least? Thank goodness for DGCR on the iPhone to pull up a course map.
- The walking paths could be a problem. I had a guy walk a dog right across a fairway. He was cool about it - joking "go ahead and throw". I hit most of my fairways, but with the proximity of the walking paths, I could see a slight mis-throw causing some damage (to an unsuspecting pedestrian).
- Very heavily worn (see copious comments in other reviews).
- When I played, Hole 12 had 13 written on it - wasted several minutes of my life looking for the basket.
- What's up with not throwing trash in the can that is literally 10 feet from the bench that it's sitting on?

Other Thoughts:

This was one of the first courses I "played" with a buddy before I played disc golf. Both of us lost a disc in the drink on hole one. I had some time on work travel to catch an early morning round (on the course before 7). It was a glorious morning, I only saw 3 other disc golfers (so come on a weekday morning, and you won't experience the delay that has so often been mentioned in other reviews). I remember this course as "super long - who can throw a frisbee that far". I had an enjoyable time having several deuce chances in my round without knowing the local lines - seeing some of the skill I have built up. I could see playing this course and learning the lines and arm slots to allow deuce chances on many of the holes. If the course was crowded, it may not be worth the wait, but if you ever get this course to yourself - it's well worth the time to play it.
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7 0
MNcyclone
Experience: 34.5 years 48 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

An aging classic 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Teepads on every hole are uniform in size
- Good mix of shots
- A good challenge for new players
- Its been here forever, a living piece of disc golf history

Cons:

- Way overcrowded, one of the busiest courses in the country
- Most fairways are packed dirt from overuse
- Not a challenge for seasoned players

Other Thoughts:

This was my first course back in 1990 playing with my dad. I have many fond memories of biking here after school for a round. It was re-done in the mid 90's to accommodate the changing landscape of disc golf. At the time it seemed like enough, but 20 years and warp speed drivers conspired to make the course outdated.

Here you will find a classic disc golf design. You know the shot you need to make as soon as you step up to the box. Every shot is within reach. All but 3 holes are deuce or die. But at the same time, none of the shots are the same. Acorn takes every variation of the 300' hole and puts it to use. Enjoyable if you are 8 down after 9, infuriating if you are stringing together pars.

The short holes and proximity to family neighborhoods makes Acorn a nightmare of overuse. In the peak summer hours you can expect a group of 6 on every pad and a 2 hour round. Police roam the walking paths because of the glut of humanity. The park benches are defaced and the terrain is eroded. Time has not been kind.

Despite all the shortcomings, when you play here realize that you are playing in a slice of MN disc golf history. The course was designed to accommodate the cyclone, the longest driver at the time of the renovation. Step back in time, bring a bag of lightning discs and have fun.
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4 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.7 years 831 played 777 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Short but fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 3, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a mix of woods and some more open shots. The wooded holes are short but offer some fun lines to hit and enough trees and scrubby rough that you'll have to work to recover if you miss the fairway. These holes felt pretty balanced with right and left turning holes, I mostly threw mids and putters but on a lot of different lines. There are a couple holes that let you open up and throw longer shots in the field portions of the course, most of these have some rough to contend with. A couple water hazards add some risky shots where you have to make a decision on how aggressive to be. The last hole is a fun way to end the round, 17 plays uphill and you're rewarded with a nice downhill shot to finish.

Cons:

There are several shots that play along or over a walking path that seems well-used. A couple of those shots are blind, so without a spotter the danger goes up even more. There isn't a ton of challenge here, most of the course is deuce or die and doesn't test a lot of different skills. It feels very run down, with lots of scrubby brush and weeds off the fairways, and muddy eroded fairways in the woods. The signs are nonexistent, with several blind shots you'll end up doing quite a bit of scouting to know where to throw. The tees aren't in the best shape, many were slick or falling apart.

Other Thoughts:

Beginners and intermediate level players will have a lot of fun here, it's not too punitive to be fun and the distances are reasonable. It's a great course for newer players to learn to shape different lines. More experienced players won't really be tested, but it's a nice shorter layout to work on mid and putter shots. A little work on signage and maintenance would go a long way here.
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1 1
lteppen
Experience: 22.8 years 123 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Acorn - great for all abilities 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 28, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Starts in the woods, tight and technical. Hole #1 immediately challenges you with shot over a small pond. Shouldnt be a problem for most experienced players. Hole #2 forces a hard anheiser throw for RHBH throwers.

Holes 3 thru 8 meander through the woods with slight elevation changes testing all types of shots.

Course finally opens up long on #9. You can finally put 100% into your throw. Be carefull of a small pond on the left and swampy area if you go far and then left. Multiple pin placements can make this a tough par.

Holes 10-15 snake through the woods with some long and some short holes.

16-18 are out in the open with slight elevations up and down. Watch out for wind on these holes.

18 is a monster and ends up in the woods near tee off for hole #2.

One of the twin cities more popular courses. Good variety of shots required and course gives player good diversity of looks. Worth a round of time for sure if you are in the area. Good place to meet other discers, always popular.

Cons:

Crowded on weekends. Gets bottle necked early on. Gets pretty chilly after October.

Other Thoughts:

None
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6 2
bigbeano
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.5 years 34 played 28 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Wonderful design, but old & run down 2+ years

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

Pros:

-Well designed course with a nice mix of wooded, open, long, short, hyzers, anhyzers, etc. You'll need pretty much every type of throw here.
-Decent enough tee pads, they look like chunks of old blacktop but they work
-Water hazards are nicely incorporated (however one of the ponds was dry and another one was getting pretty close). Can't fault the course for that though, it's been mighty dry here this year.
-The underbrush is cleared away fairly decently from most holes
-Many holes have benches at the tees

Cons:

-The whole course had a very run down, dirty feeling about it
-I've never seen so much graffiti in my life, and a lot of it was pretty inappropriate stuff
-Some of the baskets were getting pretty beat up
-The water hazards were extremely unappealing to look at (think fungus and algae)
-Navigation can be mildly confusing the first time here, but it wasn't terrible
-There were quite a few unsavory looking people hanging around throughout the course, and while I didn't see anybody doing something questionable it wouldn't surprise me
-The signs are pointless; half of them don't even have numbers on them

Other Thoughts:

This course is fairly old, and it shows. A lot of areas where there should be grass have been reduced to well-traveled gravel which I assume would get very muddy and nasty after a rain. This is especially prevalent around the baskets and right after the tee pads. This fact is exacerbated by all of the traffic this course gets as it is one of the most played courses around, by prepared to wait at each tee.
The course felt very dirty. It probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense but once you go there for the first time you'll see what I'm talking about. Everything has graffiti on it. The tee pads, while still acceptable, are getting worn down. The baskets are beaten up. The ponds are gross. Some of the people there look like they might have bathed in those ponds... you get the picture. I realize the only way to fix some of that is to charge a fee, but it's worth noting.
Navigation for the most part wasn't too bad, I only got turned around once; and it's possible that was because it was getting pretty dark out. The signs are 4x4s stuck in the ground that may or may not have a hole number written on it in Sharpie. The signs are worthless. Also, some of the baskets did not have hole numbers on them either, although no baskets are close enough to each other for it to get confusing in that regard.
On to some positives now: this course is a very nice layout. It provides you with the opportunity to throw all your discs using all your throwing styles. There are elevation changes on a number of holes as well as water. Between those two challenges and trees there is something to be weary of on every hole on the course; there is essentially only one "wide open" hole. I was fairly skeptical of the course after pulling into the parking lot, but give it a chance it; you won't be disappointed. With some equipment maintenance and some TLC this would be one of the top courses in the region and I would most likely consider giving it a 4.5... but, because of the general disrepair of the course I'll elect to give it a 3.5 with the potential for so much more. I certainly would come back to this course.
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4 0
sheepweevil
Experience: 16.6 years 31 played 22 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Design 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a very popular course, due to it being a good free course in the twin cities. The hole designs are very nice, and most holes have lots of trees to throw around. This leads to a large variety of throws.

The water hazards are used well (starting off right away with hole 1), and there are a few holes with interesting elevation changes. Definitely some of the best hole design I've seen in a free course (keep in mind I'm a beginner to intermediate player).

Cons:

Graffiti is rampant.
The course is crowded at most times.
The grass has been trampled down into dirt in many places, harming the beauty of the park.
Between 2 and 3 you need to walk past another tee box, which can be confusing.

Other Thoughts:

Would have rated this higher if some grass was planted and the graffiti problem was taken care of. Disregarding those issues, this is a very nice course.

Definitely worth a stop if you are in the cities and don't want to pay to play.
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6 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 46.4 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Old School Intermediate Course Showing It's Age! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

I played very early on a lovely July morning so wasn't bothered by the crowds here. I met up with Dennis part way through and he showed me the way. Everything here is showing it's age. The signs are old with lots of grafitti. The teepads are older, some are smaller than you would want. This is an intermediate length course that has had a lot of use over the years. It's fairly tight in places and has has some nice enjoyable ACE runs. # 4 and # 5 are both cool little ACE runs. # 17 was a difficult teeoff through a narrow slot in the trees with it's basket hidden in the trees, probably one of the tougher holes on the course.

And # 18 was a fun ending hole giving you (or me at least) a chance to let one rip downhill.

A doe walked out of the brush probably 75 feet from me and just sat and watched me. I looked at her and she looked at me. It was pretty cool with us just checking each other out for probably 2-3 minutes. A chance for a little nature in a metro park setting.

Cons:

Advanced to pro players won't find the challenge here that they're looking for but, Hey, there's plenty of other courses in the Twin Cities area that provides them the challenge they're needing.

Everything here felt a little dingy and old and rundown, from the signs to the pads to the baskets and combined with the litter and grafitti, it just left the experience kinda empty for me. I can't quite explain it but I wanted more because I mostly liked this course and park.

Other Thoughts:

One thing I really liked about Acorn DGC is the fact that they (I don't really know who they is) have left the orginal course in it's orginal length/distance. No-one has come in and moved this basket 50 feet farther back into the bushes to make that hole harder and thus ruined the orginal beauty or pin placement. Where I hail from, (Washington state), on a couple of my favorite courses, the advanced to pro players have moved every basket on courses like Acorn, trying to make them more challenging. And the courses are now confusing with 5 different layouts. Acorn retains it orginal solid intermediate course design. It works well.

Acorn could really be served well by putting in new signs. Many of the area courses (Brockway for one) have the simple signs that are vandal proof. Just a pole sticking out of the ground with the # and distance. The local teens seem to love to beat up the white fiberglass metal ones.
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1 1
Sargentgeneral
Experience: 14.5 years 111 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 10, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Great combo of wooded and open holes, along with a great combo of long and short holes. The mix up of holes makes for some great play.
- Some elevation changes are quite fun.

Cons:

- Extremely crowded
- Wooded areas have many bugs
- Some of the tee boxes are poor
- The course retains water after it rains

Other Thoughts:

Fun course to play. As stated by others, the traffic makes the gameplay slow and difficult sometimes, but aside from that it is a very fun course to play.
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2 2
Adontalis
Experience: 14.5 years 84 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

So Busy 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

The course it self is very fun. There are water shots, heavily wooded shots, and long bomb shots.
Multiple tee locations on most holes brings added challenge and variety to the game.

Long tee on hole 18 is downright awesome.

Cons:

The traffic there is terrible. It is ALWAYS very busy. This unfortunately brings my rating of the course down.

There is no signage there. It is very easy to get lost if you don't know where you are going. Some tee pads aren't even marked.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoy the course just wish there were more great courses in the area to reduce the traffic at Acorn.

Please get some signs.
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4 1
discgobisco
Experience: 27.2 years 38 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

the course is sufficating 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 13, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Acorn is a course that has suffered from it's popularity. As one of the old guard disc golf courses in the metro, all of the following ailments plague the course; lack of maintenance is an understatement, overcrowding (understatement), vandalism (for a good time call your mom) and litter. Beyond these characteristics that many older courses ail from, Acorn is a well designed, enjoyable course. It may lack some of the qualifiers that championship courses have these days, but it's a fun round regardless.
Acorn has great hole variety for the time it was made. Hole one starts off an easy shot over the grossest pond in the metro. I've played acorn a lot over 10 years, I don't think I've ever seen the water remotely translucent. So what could be an easy hole gets your nerves going a little bit. From there on holes alternate up and down hills, close and far range, in clearings and wooded areas.
Concrete pads- it's got them, not always the best shape, but there.
Open year round - you figure it out.
Alternative pin locations - It's nice to have things change up a bit on a course that is well known.

Cons:

Pace- Acorn is a course I find to have really bad pace. With the amount of players that move through there, there are some places for major backups. At least at most places of the most common back-ups there are makeshift benches to enjoy a refreshing drink and smoke.
Hole 4&5 are kinda garbage holes - Two shorties in a row that lead to what point 1) major backups.
The kidz - It's crowded, sometimes with folks that may not be familiar with proper disc etiquette or punks that need to be put down. I'm a fan of the classic helmet line "fire a warning shot across their nose" and if you happen to fire up it instead of across it, claim to be an asshole and play through.
Signage - is non-existent. Luckily, unless it's -20 there will probably be someone in front of you to show you where to go, just watch out for 3/10 mixup.
Pads- Signage Some of the pads really need help, and the pro tee on 12 needs to become more official.

Other Thoughts:

Acorn is a fun course, but I tend to stick away from it during peak hours of the season. Late in the year the traffic tends to die off considerably, sallys.
Also Fairway Flierz is a nice dg store about a mile away and the gas station on the corner of rice and c sells gottago discs.
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8 1
coolbrees15
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.6 years 2038 played 15 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A decent course in need of repair 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

For its age and amount of land available for use, Acorn is a well thought out and designed course. The city of Roseville really gets the most out of the land available. None of the holes are overly long and the only hole that is really championship caliber is 18 when the basket is at the long placement. The course does allow for a variety of shots and is fairly technical. It is a good step up course for newer players because it teaches accuracy and shot shaping. It is one of the few true 18 hole course on the north side of the twin cities.

Cons:

There are several problems with the course. First, the course is not well maintained. The tee pads are poor. The pad for hole 2 is often flooded with water and is not level. The tee pad on 12 is so small that you can only can take one step before you reach the end of it. The course would be much better served if all the tee pads were replaced. The signage is the second problem on the course. Most of the holes have a wooden sign that says the hole number but no distance or par is listed. The only times when the distance or par is listed is when someone has written it in with a sharpie. The third issue with the park is on hole one. I like the challenge of throwing across the pond but I would prefer the city to trim the bushes directly in front of the tee up to the pond. Beside the course not being well maintained the biggest issue with the course is how much traffic the course gets on a daily basis. There are generally long lines and waits at most of the holes on the course. Most of the people playing the course are in large groups of 5 or 6 and do not have a firm grasp on disc golf etiquette. From the amount of traffic on the course the park takes a beating. There are several holes with erosion problems that seem to only get worse each year. The course is also a swamp pit after any precipitation.

Other Thoughts:

If the course went to pay to play, I think a lot of the issues with the course could be resolved. The course is in dire need of a facelift. At one time the course was a good course but now it is merely average. The hole layouts do not need to be changed but the tee pads, signs, general wear and tear, and traffic on the course need to be improved.
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