Played on June 13 and August 30, 2020
Reviewed by the Pink Putter
During the pandemic days of summer 2020, we took a few day trips up to Green Lagoon (formerly Highway 8), a course we’ve played and reviewed multiple times – once back in 2013 and again in 2015, with some updates from 2018. Now under new ownership and with an added 9 hole challenge course, we thought it’d be nice to revisit and update our history of reviews.
Update August 2024 – This 9 hole course was dismantled and/or repurposed in part on the other Green Lagoon courses. The full 9-hole course is no longer on the property
Rating
New Challenge Course (9-holes)
At a first glance, the new 9 hole challenge course’s new turf and fresh mulch are an appealing contrast to the older, original course. Once we got onto the course, we found that some of the wooden structures that were designed for players to stand on felt a bit unstable. There were some creative and fun elements, but the lack of craftsmanship in the hole builds resulted in some frustrating gameplay. We’ll be curious to see how this course holds up through the winter and into another season. While the challenge course nice attempt to add something new, our go-to is still the original 18 hole course.
Original Course (18-holes)
The original course has seen bad days and better days over the years. Its play is varied and fun, with lots of kitsch and many classic tropes such as a metal loop, a windmill, a church, a volcano, and more. During our visit back in the fall of 2014, the course was in good shape as it had been freshly painted, broken holes had been repaired and you could tell a lot of work went into the landscaping. During our visits in 2020, some new elements had been added while some other parts had gone back into disrepair. One new element that we did enjoy was the variety of hand-painted balls to choose from in the clubhouse. There were also shaded sitting areas added to the course, which used parts of an old oversized golf ball as cover. Unfortunately, the Hen House hole which includes a motorized, rotating obstacle was out of order. There was also some new pipe play on Hole 10, but we found it to be a bit frustrating. The original course could definitely benefit from some further updates and repairs.
8640 Green Lake Trail | Chisago City, Minnesota 55013
Pros
Sincere, Mom and Pop course
At $5/round it’s a decent bargain
Fun, classic kitsch with regional themes
Cons
In need of maintenance and upkeep
Some obstacles do not work
Turf and wooden structures in poor condition
Nerdy Notes
- 18 Hole course: $5 – Single Round, $7.50 – Unlimited; Challenge 9 Hole Course: $3.50 – Single Round, $5 – Unlimited; Both Courses: $8 – Single Round (27 holes), $10 – Super Unlimited
- 9 holes, par 22
- 18 holes, par 46
- Bonus final hole on main course collects ball with chance to win free ice cream
- Metal putters
- Plastic cups
- Tee-off mats
- No flags in holes
- Driving Range and Pro Shop on-premise
