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Entering Dennis Frandsen County Park you can hear voices and laughter through the open car window, punctuated by the clink of something hitting metal. They are not visible, but there must be a group out on the fifth or sixth hole of the disc golf course...where the course angles away from the entry road, and main park shelter area.

The entry road dissects the disc golfing course.

Frandsen Park disc golf course is in gorgeous shape this year. The course just opened last year after the Chisago County park board heard a request from a local resident involved in a Twin Cities area association of disc golfers. He convinced them Frandsen Park presented ideal terrain and space for a course. He was right.

The mowed "holes" are like secret little lanes that disappear into prairie and woods. Situated on the hilly side of Rush Lake most of the course layout gets a nice breeze.

The hole map and disc golf rules are printed on a sign next to the kiddie playground, where the course begins.

Discs can be checked out at Rush Point Store, a few miles south of Dennis Frandsen County Park, for a $20 deposit. Or you can bring your own discs. Rush Point Store, though, is worth the trip by itself. Larry McDonough opens the doors at 7 a.m. every day. Monday through Saturday the store closes at 7 p.m. On Sundays he tries to shut down at 3 p.m. It's one of those places where, if it isn't on the shelves, you really don't need it.

County Parks Director Laird Mork said he likes the course for its views of the lake. He hopes many people get to enjoy a nice day outside at the park developing skills at disc golf.

To get to Rush Point Store take old Hwy. 61 or County Road 30, all the way out of North Branch, north to Rush City. Before you get to town, turn west on #7. This road will take you all the way to Rush Point.

If you prefer you can go west out of Harris on #10 and then turn right (north) on #4. This will take you to the intersection with County Road 7 and the Rush Point Store.

Dennis Frandsen County Park is about five miles beyond the store, on #4 to County Road 2-- and then it's a right turn (east) and about a 20 second drive to the park entrance, on the south side of the road.

North Branch Harder Park also is home to a nine-hole disc golf course. This course was opened in June 2010, a little before the Frandsen Park site was completed.

The Harder Park course was a Boy Scout project. Eagle Scout Ian Maki and his fellow troop members put in hundreds of hours. The Central Minnesota Initiative Fund helped pay for the materials for the elevated wire baskets that constitute the "holes." City Hall has discs you can check out during regular business hours.

To get to Harder Park, go east out of North Branch on Hwy. 95 to Harder Avenue (on the north side of the road.) The street leads directly to the park. The course wraps in an L-shape around the ballfields, see diagram.

Disc golf is just like regular golf, minus hauling a hundred pounds of stuff. You send your disc flying from the "tee box" and basically try to end up at the "hole" or put your disc into the basket, utilizing the least number of tosses. You are allowed a run-up to get some momentum to toss your disc. For serious players there are different types of discs that are shaped better for "putting" and other maneuvers. The holes are usually made for a three or four toss "par."

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