After visiting with family during/after breakfast in our hotel, Becky and I had about 3-4 hours with nothing to do. So I looked at her, smiling as cute as I could, saying: “P-L-E-A-S-E-?!” 😀 She didn’t have anything else to do, so she said we might as well go out and check out another disc golf course in the area. And after looking at my Unplayed Courses Map in UDisc? I thought that visiting an eighteen holer called The Chain in Cold Spring, Minnesota would be the best logical choice.
I’m really glad this course was close enough away from our hotel to make sense to visit, as it was a lot of fun! And after I was finished playing it, I read a lot more positive comments from people in Minnesota who have had the chance to check it out. It is a short course (3,492 feet over eighteen holes), but it is also a very technical course. Lots of chances to play “pinball” in the trees. Those are some of my favorite courses to play. Needing to hit a ~5×5 foot opening, 75-100 feet off the tee, to have any chance at a deuce. And if you miss that window? You still have work to do to try and get your par.
Hole 3 (shown above) is a good example of a typical hole at The Chain. Only 158 feet in length. But not a “gimme.” Precision is still required to get your deuce (which I did not, unfortunately). I did manage four deuces on the front nine, though I felt as though I left at least two deuces out there.
The back nine was a little longer than the front nine, but still all holes that can be deuced by skilled players on the tee. I was impressed with the quality of the tee areas, as well as how well the fairways have been maintained. I know it is a relatively new course (opened in 2025), which helps! But I sense this course will be well-maintained and a great one for locals to enjoy for many years to come.
I finished the back nine just like I did the front nine (-4), after making a great tee shot on Hole 18 to finish the round. A -8 (46), for an estimated round rating of 928. I should have probably shot at least a -11, looking back on that round. But I’m simply happy that I had a chance to play it at all. Now it is time to clean up back at the hotel, then wait to head to the church to help celebrate Allison’s big day.
Magic Number = -82 (2,082 Courses Played)
Derek Tonn is a member of the DGA’s Ambassador Team. His company, Mapformation, LLC, has been DGA’s partner in the development of disc golf tee signage since 2012. The longer our two companies have worked together, and the more Derek has gotten to know all the great folks at DGA, the more he has wanted to formally sing the company’s praises. The more he has realized that “Steady” Ed’s (the father of disc golf and the modern-day Frisbee) vision for the sport and his company perfectly describes his own interests and priorities related to disc golf, and the more Derek has recently been encouraged to share his story.