Eden Prairie, MN

Bryant Lake Park

4.55(based on 105 reviews)
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2 3
mauimark
Experience: 15.4 years 17 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 19, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great mixture of challenging tees and distance tees. Very well maintained and nice landscaping. Great views of the lake and fairly close to the city. Some good elevation changes also make this a challenging course.

Cons:

There are a couple holes that I consider "disc eaters". but then again that's the challenge. Almost always crowded with waits at multiple tees.

Other Thoughts:

I play Bryant at least once to twice a month, it is definitely one of my favorites.
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7 0
whitechocolate
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.6 years 437 played 23 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Way cooler than the Mall of America 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 19, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Well manicured park
-Duel concrete tees on most holes
-Duel pin locations on some holes
-Well signs
-Easy to navigate
-Scorecards, Maps, and Pencils are course sign
-Plenty of elevation changes
-With multiple tees plenty of options for Pros to Newbies to play
-Bathrooms
-Benches
-Plenty of Trash Cans
-Mostly secluded course

Absolutely awesome course. Great opportunities to throw all different length depending on ability. A great place to be able to throw from the longs and have the wife throw from the shorts and everyone can still have a good time. Great flow, just a amazing course in the Twin Cities metro. Plenty of rough and obstacles to make it challenging with the opportunities to try for birdies and well. You will need your full bag of tricks.

Cons:

-course improvements happening on a couple of holes.
-pay to play (three bucks)

I don't find pay to play to be an issue but I know other people do. I think three bucks to maintain a course for the park district is completely fair for this type of course. The only real con I saw was the changes happening on holes 6, 8 and 15 (6 and 8 might not be completely accurate but I believe that was the holes). It is definitely not a bad thing, but the stone does take a little away from the beauty and is rougher on the disc. I believe it's all for the better, but is technically a con. I would also like to see a vending machine by the bathroom between hole 1 and 14. Definitely would be a bonus. Hole 17 is there is a risk of throwing into the parking lot. I am a truely Novice/Rec borderline player, threw a right hand forehand as hard as I could and did not feel my disc was heading for the parking lot. Although I did aim at the port-a-potty.

It could use some more convenient parking for the disc golf course but did not find this an issue at 5:30pm on a Thursday evening.

Other Thoughts:

Great overall course; One of the best I have played so far. If I lived in Minneapolis I would definitely own a yearly pass. It offers enough challenge without be self-defeating. I would rate this as a championship caliber course (from the longs to the long baskets) but still friendly enough to play for a moderately experienced player. I would recommend playing shorts your first time, especially if you are newer to the game, but any variety of teepads and baskets offer plenty of challenges. It is a must play if you want to see what disc golf is all about.
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5 1
cydisc
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.5 years 257 played 85 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Very well maintained above average course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Very well maintained
-Good balance
-Varied hole distances
-Multiple tees/baskets

Cons:

-A bit short of parking
-a safety concern with #17

Other Thoughts:

This course is located in a large regional park in Eden Prairie, easily accessible from the interstate. The beginning of the course is just inside the entrance but some signage pointing the way from the parking lot would be helpful for first-timers. The course is pay-to-play, which is a good thing when you look at all the maintenance that is being done to keep the course tidy and looking good. There seems to be a frequent mowing schedule as the course was neatly cropped in the fairways and the rough was not too terribly tall. Lots of retaining wall and steps to prevent erosion and improves the overall look of the course.

Most of the holes have two tees and two permanent baskets, providing a fair challenge for a wide range of abilities. While the look of the course is spectacular, the actual play of the course is somewhat less so. Could use some more multi-shot holes.

#17, while the most interesting hole to play, does have a safety issue in the form of the parking lot located just to the right of the landing zone at the bottom of the valley. The most desirable route to the basket actually has you throwing over the parking lot and that can be a problem if you turn it right or leave it short.

In all, it's a good round of golf that I certainly don't mind paying to play.
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1 8
D21thorpe
Experience: 13 played 13 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Well maintained fairways and tee boxes Course offers a nice mix of shots. #17 is great to just see how far you can throw it.

Cons:

You have to pay to play. It does pay for the maintance though.

Other Thoughts:

They shouldn't allow people to park in the lot by 17.
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5 2
deadbody
Experience: 20.7 years 152 played 68 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Great pay to play course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great course, multiple tees on all holes, multiple basket locations on a couple as well. Pay to play so some of the riff-raff is kept off. Great elevation changes, lots of up and downhill shots, some good technical shots with narrow openings. Good mix of long and short holes. Great baskets. Truly a gem of a course. You could play this course all day and enjoy every minute of it. The tee shot on 17 is so much fun it ought to be illegal.

Cons:

A few of the holes could stand to have more trees, some of the holes are a bit too open for my tastes.

Other Thoughts:

$3 per day or $35 for a yearly pass that also gets you into Hyland and Elm creek is a great deal. The money goes into the course and it shows. Wish it was open in the winter.
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6 0
Chillers86
Experience: 16.3 years 105 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

All Around Good Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is one of my favorite courses! It has a great mix of long open fairways and densely wooded rough. The elevation changes are great and the constant breeze coming off the lake creates a different course every time. Not to mention the spouse friendly aspect of short boxes. My wife will only ever play disc golf at a course like this if they have short boxes. If she plays more, I play more!

Cons:

There has always been one thing that bothers me about Bryant Lake and is starting to change. First of the fairway of hole #7 is always used as some sort of landscaping storage area. Piles of wood-chips and sand are always stored here. Also, holes 15 and 16 have their fairways following a gravel road up a hill. However, this summer they are finally changing them to much more challenging tee shots, but only 15's hole is being moved.

Other Thoughts:

The fact that Bryant Lake is a pay to play course is a good thing. Every summer there are new things being done to the course to make it better. I think this trend is going to be common with any new course that pops up.
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3 0
gbpremo
Experience: 20.7 years 59 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

A must play. 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This course has a beautiful layout that even the worst of critics cant complain about. It has a great mixture of long and short holes and plenty of trees to keep it challenging.

Cons:

Pay to play.. not really a con but its the only complaint I have heard about the course. I actually like it because it keeps some of the people who are likely to throw on you before you finish a hole out of the park.

Other Thoughts:

Play this course. If you dont live near by make a trip out of it there are plenty of great courses near by to make the trip worth it. Its only 3 dollars for the whole day and that pass is good for Hyland ski resort and Elm Creek Park Reserve as well.
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2 2
chad-o
Experience: 15.2 years 7 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

long long throw 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 17, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

awesome grounds, and great course layout. All tee pads are landscaped and makes you feel like a pro each time you tee off. The holes are mix of mid to harder diffaculty. And the view from hole 17 is awesome, Way up on a cliff and 540ft away from the basket shooting of a road and a parking lot towards a lush green lawn is always fun.

Cons:

busy but managable, cost three dollars a round but it didn't look like they were enforcing the pay every round thing.

Other Thoughts:

one of the best courses in minnesota .
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3 3
ReedB
Experience: 27.4 years 35 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 17, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-great design and up keep
-challenging elevation changes
-well marked holes and course direction
-challenging pin placement
-17 is one of the more exciting holes in the area
-This course is a must play

Cons:

-there can be some back up at the tee boxes from time to time. This is due to the popularity of the couse and it tough to list as a con. Even when backed up you can move at an alright pace. And besides, you get to be outside so enjoy it!!

Other Thoughts:

Great course all around. Probably my favorite in the area!
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12 0
Waddly Hobbins
Experience: 15.7 years 31 played 9 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Disc golf in style. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 7, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Your money goes to work for you at this pay to play course. There are continually improvements made to the course and it helps keep out riffraff that may grief you on other courses.
-A Beauty of a course. Tons of tasteful landscaping and scenic views. Maintenance seems always up to date.
-Dual large cement tee pads, some of the best I've seen.
-Chainstar baskets are in great condition.
-Decent signage through out the course.
-Scorecard with map found at entrance is top notch.
-Tons of erosion control put to work on this course insuring this course will stay great looking in the future. There are erosion mats, timbers, and wood chips found throughout.
-Benches and trash cans found everywhere.
-Bathroom found halfway through the course.
-Course loops back to start where parking is located.
-Great flow, no huge hikes between last basket and next tee, while also not being close enough to get hit by a disc.
-Great design requiring lots of different types of shots.
-Mix of short and long distances.
-Elevation was put to work well on this course.
-Many memorable holes, nothing feels like a "filler" hole.
-Hole 17, throwing off a cliff, is something you just have to try.
-The difficulty is varied throughout the course offering something for all skill levels.

Cons:

-Storage of wood chips and sand on some of the fairways take away from this otherwise beautiful course.
-CLOSED DURING WINTER! For those that like to disc in late fall and the winter this is a big bummer.
-This course has a great variation of holes, however, if it is missing anything from being the complete disc golf experience, it would be tight wooded holes. (minor, minor gripe)
-Hole 17, while amazing, it has a parking lot that is in play in the fairway. This means that not only that you could hit a car, but your disc will have tons of speed from throwing off the cliff and hitting the pavement will eat up a disc.
-Multiple baskets on a couple of the holes can be confusing first time through....why are they there??
-Can get busy from time to time. It is best to either hit the course early, or plan ahead of time for the wait times you may receive.

Other Thoughts:

Paying to play isn't so bad when you see your money go to work. I can't wait to see what other additions will be made to this course. I only hope that they keep the payments as low as they are now.

The only thing that really bugs me about this course is that it closes in October....I wanna play here all year.
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1 1
eric2010
Experience: 25.4 years 4 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Worth Every Penny 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Long course, couple good blind shots. A couple really long ones and the signature hole (in my opinion) hole 17.

Some fun shorter holes also and the renovations really did this course good. Especially going from 12 to 18 holes.

Cons:

Pay to play. Long, can get exhausting in the summer because there isn't as much shade as some other courses. Lots of ups and downs which are fun to shoot but not so much to walk.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I love this course. Its worth sweating it out and over packing on fluids.
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2 1
reverand_redbeard
Experience: 15.3 years 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Just Awesome 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 13, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

this course has the best mix of shots in the area, superbly maintained and well landscaped, I gained accuracy and distance on my drives because i have finally found the right course that continues to challenge my abilitys, this is the best of the Three Rivers...

Cons:

on some of the holes if you overthrow or go off the fairway there are steep cliffy hills that your disc might slide down, just off the fairways on some of the holes, and like stated before, why do they have to store sand and woodchips in the fairway of both hole #5 and #7

Other Thoughts:

they are doing some construction and i'm excited to see how they redo some of the holes
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9 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.8 years 1512 played 480 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Pay to play model for the future of DG 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 11, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Course has some of the best maintenance I have seen to date. I have played a lot of courses (good and bad) and this course is probably in the best shape. It is clean, there is not a lot of visible garbage, woodchips are used very well to cover bare areas and wash out areas. Simply put when you play this course you will actually see park workers (how often does this happen at your local course?) Like others have said it is apparent this is a combined effort of the Park District as well as the local guys who are passionate about disc golf.

2) Bryant Lake has by far the best landscaping work I have seen. It has a ton of timbers to retain some hills ( a 4 tier wall guarding #7 basket is awesome and intimidating, those timber walls also become a tough obstacle if you are to end up on the wrong side of it. It may bounce off the walls to providing you with a harder shot than you would have had if there were no timber walls. Your disc would nestle up closer to your intended target . . . but not now. I like the added challenege these walls add. It isn't just about the timber walls however, the flatstone walkway from #5 tee looks great . . .it doesn't change the play at all but it makes you feel like you are certainly in a well taken care of park. The path to #6 tee is also pretty cool with timber steps. This type of thing is what makes this course great . . . as opposed to simply walking through the tall weeds on a compacted bare soil path!
Boulder wall protecting baskets and also preventing erosion are all over this course too. The entrance to the course by the main sign is well landscaped and really gets you excited to play the course.

3) The amenities are awesome . . . scorecards and pencils are available at the pay box, an awesome sign with course diagrahm and other postings is normally an ugly thing all filled with cobwebs and the signs all faded, but not here . . . it is top notch. There is a well built restroom on hole #14 which is an added bonus to this course. It is not even an eyesore like most porto-potties.

4) Awesome, large, grippy, dual concrete tees. These are some of the best tees around. They all have mulch surrounding them where the normal wear areas show up. This course defines tee complex as opposed to teeing area!

5) Benches on every hole make for a place to sit or a convenient place to set your bag. Garbage cans at every tee also keep this course looking spotless.

6) Erosion and compaction control mats are used in several places that would otherwise be bare dirt. It is awesome to see this sort of thing show up . . . it may be expensive but it is the kind of thing that will advance course construction into the future. These mats allow for turf to grow right through the mesh holes in the wire mat. The protect the plant and buffer the weight of everyone walking across it to help keep the turf alive and growing. They are a bit slippery in the area with less turf and when they are wet so be careful . . . and they will also provide some interesting bounces for you. More often than not you will get a good skip off of these mats so knowing where they are can be helpful.

6) Here comes that word again . . . Green "Complexes" It isnt just a basket on a hill . . . it is a green complex. There is a lot of landscaping around the baskets, mulch is used in almost all circumstances.

7) Signature hole: #17 awesome 542' downhiller. It isn't like throwing off a skihill but it does have quite a bit of elevation to get some good distance out of your disc. It also isn't just a downhiller . . . it also has another tiered timber wall to protect the basket. If you are short of the wall you will have a tough time making the putt as it is up 6 feet from the ground level and still about 30-40' away. A rollaway here could be devastating!

8)Dual baskets are a novelty but you have to know he course to know where they currently are. Its nice but it is also a negative.

9) Some scenic views of Bryant Lake. The rest of the course is also very picturesqe in its surroundings. The rolling hills and wooded perimters make for a nice feel. The elevation change on #17 is also pretty cool. Just a very nice course that fits well in its natural surroundings.

10) Course is also very well mown. The fairways are clean and they have some pretty healthy turf too. It isn;t just a big weed patch of clover and miscellaneous weeds.

Cons:

1) Course could use a few directional signs . . . for the most part you can fn your way but for a beginner it might be tough to find a few of your next tees.

2) Stairs leading down from #17 could use a bigger tread. It is very steep and the treads are very close together. I am sure they did what the could with the terrain and slope, but a properly designed stairway is important for the safety on the course.

3) Not really a beginner friendly despite i it not being in dead tight punishing woods. It has more of an open feel with well placed trees and obstacles. The green complexes will certainly cause some frustration for some of the beginners. The distance of the short tees is also a tough task for a beginner discer. I recommend starting somewhere else until you have more control over your disc and then coming to play one of the better courses in MN.

4) Dual baskets in play can be confusing for people. I threw my approach on the first hole to the short basket before realizing the other basket was also in play. I thouhgt it was for another hole until I walked right past it to go to 2 tee. #6 is also very confusing as you can see both baskets from the tee.I do not have an answer for this but I do not think leaving dual baskets in the ground is necessary and can mostly provide frustration rather than enjoyment.

5) Sand piles on Hole #7 are a little annoying . . . is that really the only place that can go????

6) A few of the holes early on are kindof boring. they don't have much for obstacles and are simple open prairie shots. It is only real early in the round though and the rest of the course does not have one of those simple boring open holes.

Other Thoughts:

I am glad I waited to post my review after a little time. I think I hd some high high expectations for this course because it was ranked 8th before I left for MN. I played it and thought, that is the 8th best course in the country???? I think my expectations were built to high . . . but in the end after reading the reviews I think I just wasn't as attentive to the quality on this course. I forgot to write alot of stuff down that I remembered when doing my review. I also played with a friend so that most certainly distracted me. In the end I feel it is a 4.5 disc course for sure at least because of all of the money and maintenance that has gone into the course. I do not feel it will remain at the top of the list though because it simply doesnt have every aspect needed to stay up there. Sure it has a lot of good holes including 1 for sure signature (#17). It also have some awesome landscaping and all the amenities needed to be a top tier course. It also however does not have that ever present challenge. The course is balanced but the lack of tight tight woods on some holes keeps me from giving it a top tier vote but 4.5 is still very good and one of the top 5 courses I have played too date.

I do think this course and Blue Ribbon Pines are sure models for disc golf course development in MN and other places for the future. The pay to play models invoked here are certainly going to keep pushing these courses forward and also encourage other courses to do the same. I would never mind having to pay $3 -5 per day to play disc golf especially if it includes all the things this course has. I really did enjoy this course and will go back for sure. I am happy to say I go to MN at least 2-3 times a year so look out folks I will play. I am also glad I got to play this course before Blue Ribbon Pines because I would have certainly been affected by the awesomeness of that course that I would not have been objective about this course.

Hole 16 is being changed slightly with the teepad being moved over to the left and then a channel with a low ceiling on it throwing to a basket protected by a massive rock!
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6 0
Papa Hitz
Experience: 26.6 years 23 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bryant Lake 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 11, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Very clean and well maintained
- Good mix on short and long holes
- Great layout for a tight area in which wayward discs do not often cross fairways
- Basket placements vary for right and left fading shots
- World Class terracing and aesthetics
- Multiple pin placements

Cons:

- Crowded at times
- lacks many "wooded holes"

Other Thoughts:

I consider Bryant Lake to be my "Local Course" and I play it on average 3-4 times a week. It has dramatically improved over the last 10 years and I cannot thank the team at Par72 enough for their fantastic work on the new courses in the West Metro.

The Three Rivers Park Distict should also get our gratitude for being big supporters of placing quality disc golf courses on their property. Hopefully more money will be allocated in the future for improvements and new courses. I would love to have a wooded course ala Kaposia on the Westside!!!

Last thought - As some other reviewers have pointed out, Bryant Lake will only improve with time. Clearing the tree line on hole 3 has opened up many throw options for the alternative basket. The new #14 and #15 will be a welcome addition in difficulty and aesthetics!! And...what does the future hold for hole # 8 when the bushes and trees grow another 10 ft in the right rough? That will be one tight fairway!!!
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5 1
orcchmp
Experience: 15.4 years 24 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great attention to detail - lacks some distinct characteristics of a fully balanced course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 7, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is an absolute beauty of a course. I had to play it since I live close and have heard a lot of hype. The park has gotten a ton of attention to detail, landscaping, and upkeep. You will be inspired by the creative and detailed landscaping. Use of elevation is nice.

Cons:

I think maybe the hype might have made me overly anxious for the course, and then it just never seemed to live up to what I had envisioned in my mind. It is fairly popular and easily accessible which brings crowds, a con in my book. Pay to play has two trains of thought in my book. One, it keeps out the morons. But two, I expect that much more attention to detail like all the landscaping, pavers, retaining walls, etc. The money spent at a popular course should yield these impressive results without question. The water only slightly threatens your play. The risky greens are there with the elevated and terraced areas, but they are gimmicky, not true natural features. Overall, lack of tight and narrow woods subtracts from true balance of play.

Other Thoughts:

To rate a course a 5, i personally think it needs more than 18 holes (or an accompanying course like the Highbridge complex). Only after playing more than 18 top notch holes with all the variety and challenge I seek, do I feel fully satifsfied. To rate a 4.5 I feel a course needs long downhill ripper holes, true risky water hazards that you are very likely to land in, tight woods, and great balance of left, right, uphill, downhill, and OB. Bryant lake falls short, lacking truly tight woods and obvious water hazards. I guess I just didn't get 'the feeling' on the course. I kept seeing all the beautiful structures and details around me, but never was really blown away. Still a super sound course and worth the trip and price to play.
UPDATE: Since shifting my BRP rating, I have to move this one as well. BRP is better than Bryant Lake.
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4 1
beardown4life
Experience: 17.7 years 22 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course Indeed but not the best 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 7, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Scorecards and Map is exciting in itself
-Easy to follow
-Well marked
-Quality landscaping & scenery
-Good tee pads (not the best)
-Woodchip putting greens (awesome)

Cons:

-$$$ (though it keeps the landscaping better than most courses & we will soon see a day where most courses charge $$ anyways)
-Heavy Crowds
-Some real easy holes some fairly challenging holes

Other Thoughts:

This is a very quality course for the area it is in. I can understand why it recieves such high ratings if the people rate primarily on visuals and have not played around the country. Could be more secluded and more challenging. longer holes and more difficult pin placements could someday make this a legitimate 4.5/5 or even a 5/5 but there are many more courses out their rated lower than a 5 and are better. Still.... Tough to beat the quality of this course.
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9 0
JSL5000
Experience: 28.5 years 33 played 7 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Gotta be a 5 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 25, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Challenging course, but enjoyable for more casual players as well.

Excellent cement teepads. Grippy and big.

Dual basket placements on 6 (I think) of the holes. A couple of which might be in place at the same time, so you can choose which to shoot for. They seem to change them randomly, though it would be nice if they did it a little more often. Baskets are in good shape.

Pay to play. Yes, it is a pro. They actually put a lot of money back into the course. I have only been playing there one season, but they've already built a massive (and massively awesome) green for 17 and they are in the process of completely rebuilding hole 15 and pretty much the same with 16, presumably to combat erosion in the area. They also have these plastic mats that help to prevent the grass from eroding in quite a few spots, which actually help to get the disc to skip up on a couple holes! (#18) The landscaping and maintenance is second to none. I was playing after a rain the other day and a woman was sweeping the woodchips and mud off of the teepads. Nice.

Signage is great, with distances and map at every tee. Only exception might be finding 15 your first time.

Garbage or recycling at every tee. Only thing I would like to see would be trash and recycling at every tee, or alternate between every other. It seems to be random as to which one they have.

Benches at almost every tee.

Quite a bit of elevation change. 17, in particular, has some epic change in elevation! It's not so much, though, that you feel like you've climbed Mt. Everest after the round.

Nice variety in the holes. There are some long ones, and some shorter ones, but it all seems to flow together very well. Bryant has a nice mix of wooded and open holes, while some have trees guarding the fairway and/or thick woods or grasses on each side of the fairway. There are some definite birdies, even aces, out there, but mistakes can cost you dearly -- a sign of a great course. It feels like every hole was well thought out, as opposed to just thrown in to the space that the land provided.

Alternate teepads on most, if not every hole. This helps to make Bryant Lake a course that truly anyone can enjoy.

Some really great views of the lake. I love the view on 1 when you're teeing off. I seem to always pull out my camera there. Nice scenery in general. The lake does not come into play. I suppose you could turn around and tee off the opposite way on 7 and maybe get it in the water?

I've heard it can get really busy, but I have yet to experience it. I do usually play in the morning, but even the times I've played in "prime time" haven't been that bad. The hole spacing seems to help.

Cons:

Closes October 25th and they pull the baskets. Bummer.

Pay to play. I guess it is a con for some, but I just get the $30 season pass for Bryant, Hyland and Elm Creek. Worth it for Bryant alone. I tend to think pay-to-play helps keep the riff-raff away, anyway.

Some of the rough is pretty rough, with grasses up to your knee. Can make it tough to find a stray disc at times.

You could have a little trouble finding hole 15 your first time playing. Take the gravel road to the left, past the restroom and hole one and then across the road and you'll see a sign for 15, which is up the stairs.

The parking lots to the right of 17 and left of 18 are poorly placed. I rarely see people parked near 17, which is a good thing.

Other Thoughts:

Bryant Lake is probably second on my favorite course list, next to Blue Ribbon Pines. It definitely has a "fun factor." I think the thing that makes it so great is there are some good scores to be had, but if you screw up a couple times, you can end up with a big number at the end of a round. It's got a great balance to the holes and you can finish a round in about an hour and a half. It really is a fun course and a sign that pay to play can and does work. Good times!
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4 1
schroeder5520
Experience: 30.5 years 55 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Beautiful 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Best landscaping and tee boxes I have seen.

The Twin Cities MN is pretty big into disc golf, and I think most would consider this their "flagship" course. Also a great example of pay to play, which I totally believe in. You will too after this course.

Beautiful setting, the lake, the views, the stairs, walkways, greens. $3 can do a lot.

Hole #17. Seriously everyone should play it once if they are really into disc golf. One of the coolest holes I have seen.

Everything else said previous.

Cons:

Yes, this is not a really difficult course. I have only played it once, but could easily tell that if you played it more than a few times; you are shooting for a lot of dueces.

Parking is poorly designed. One lot by #17 and #18 is hilarious, I would absolutely NEVER park my car there. Even a really good player could throw one in there on an errant throw or a windy day. And with it being downhill oh my, funny to see maybe but serious damage will be done.

Other Thoughts:

I was recommended by a few players both up there and relocated by me, to play this course first. They were right. I played Rhyland and Kaposia after in that order, and I think they were right. I hope to see courses like this in IL soon!
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9 1
grimace
Experience: 21.4 years 5 played 5 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Simply The Best 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Beautifully groomed, mulched, landscaped, etc. Great elevation changes consistently throughout the course. Moderately wooded. Some long holes i.e. not reachable for deuce by the average player. Some short holes i.e. very reachable by the average player for deuce. Several ace chances as well.

Now about the landscaping. A few things have been done since the pay to play was started. In just a year, the course has undergone almost a complete face lift. Almost all of the holes and tees that were included in the original 12 hole layout are still there. 6 holes have been added. The following list will keep growing, but, a 100ft granite fairway strip right after the tee. two sets of granite steps. four rock face retaining walls around greens, three of which are back stops behind the baskets, retaining walls around several of the tees in order to provide a level tee, terraced retaining walls up to the pin on two holes, wood mulch surrounding pin locations, currently multiple pin placements on 8 holes, with mulch around both, wooden stairs and lined paths with nicely placed small pebbled gravel, mowed fairways, "no-mow" rough, grass covering 95% of the course. There are two holes under construction right now, and nearing completion.

This course is getting better with every day of work put into it. The thing is, three rivers is willing to actually improve all the time because they make money from all the traffic they get from all three courses they have set as pay to play.

Three Rivers Park district has made this course a pay to play course. This allows for course improvements. The foot traffic the course gets really hasn't died down too much. But the traffic it does get, is the more respectful kind. Fewer punks and vandals.

Cons:

Currently there are 3 or 4 holes that have pins in both pin placements. While this allows rec players the option of playing the shorter tee and possibly moving quicker through the course, I believe it takes away a little bit of the picturesque quality of these holes. It also adds just a little confusion into the mix as to which pin the group is shooting to.

There is access to potable water in the park. HOWEVER, it is at the pavilion near the beach and picnic area, which, on this course, a couple blocks walk away from the first hole.

Parking: While there is plenty of parking available in the park. Some parking is "in play". There is one small parking lot right next to the 18th pin which fills up. There is another slightly larger parking lot along the 17th fairway. 17 is the signature hole of the course. A tee shot from the top of the hill near 600 feet long. The said parking lot is a common landing spot for those with shorter drives i.e. rec players and sometimes on a windy day your disc does crazy things. What ever the case is the lot is not a great place for parking. There is currently an overflow parking lot on grass near the current tee and soon to be open new tee for hole 15. fine to park in right now but is a little eyesore for the course and is killing the grass which we all know will be reseeded and closed until fully grown in. There is a plethora of parking further away from the course. Several lots down the hill near the beach, pavilion, boat access. A little bit of a walk but accessible nonetheless.

Other Thoughts:

In 10-15 years, I might consider this course to be heavily wooded. It is constantly being modified for the better. Can't wait for it to be done. The pay to play aspect is well worth it on my part. Since I play all three pay courses many times over through out the year. And with the money raised, the course can be improved and groomed to look the best.
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1 5
LefthandMagic
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Pristine Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 17, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

I loved the beautiful landscaping, it just made it that much more fun to play. The alternate short tees worked really well for my mixed group of young kids and seasoned players. Each hole was marked very well which made it easy to play as a first timer at the course.

Cons:

There is absolutely nothing that could be done to improve this course.
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