- great elevation change
- great course diversity with 2 layouts in the same area
- some challenge added by water hazards
- good mix of technical and wooded holes
- excellent concrete tees
- great use of next tee signs for navigation
- generally nice baskets in good repair

- tee signs are subpar for a course of this caliber
- this course clearly is perennially wet
- a few long walks during navigation
- bike path hazards

I know I'm going to get some hate for saying so, but I pride myself on writing honest reviews: I think this course is overrated. I will caveat this by saying it is an excellent course, but at the time of writing this review it is rated a 4.61 (top in Illinois), and I just don't think it's quite that good. Without question, The Canyons is a higher caliber course and in my opinion is the best course in Illinois.

This course had a ton of upside, not the least of which is 2 (mostly) separate layouts which allow for a much shorter/easier layout and a much longer/more advanced layout. Very few courses I've seen have this sort of diversity. There is some excellent elevation change and a lot of cool wooded shots, while also including some more open shots. I especially liked how some of the wooded shots went downhill then back uphill, forcing you to deal with both types of elevation change.

The course was generally quite clean, appeared to be well maintained, and had nice concrete tee pads virtually everywhere. Although the parking lot was gravel, parking was ample, there was a main course sign with nice maps, and navigation was generally pretty easy. The extensive next tee signs were very helpful.

On the downside for this course, I'd point out the wetness factor and the tee signs. The tee signs were very basic and it was a surprising omission on an otherwise highly regarded course. They were fine, just not great.

Now for the wetness: I'll admit on the day I was here there a major snow thaw had just happened which exacerbated conditions. However, the course page on DGCourseReview recommends GoreTex shoes, so this obviously is an ongoing problem. There are a lot of low-lying areas that you can just tell are going to be frequently wet and muddy. I enjoy being outdoors as part of the experience of disc golf and I certainly don't mind getting a little dirty, but when I was playing I got absolutely trashed. My feet were soaking wet the whole game and there was standing water everywhere. I tried not to hold this against the course too much since I'm sure it was worse than usual on the day I played, and I'd rather have proximity to a creek like on this course than no water at all. Some of the muddy areas near baskets had some woodchips added but most could use some more help.

On a related note, there are definitely water hazards here where you can lose a disc. I enjoy the added challenge of this, and consider it more a pro than a con, but I suppose it depends on your perspective. I think this really adds to the diversity and appeal of the course.

It should also be noted the bike/walking path comes into play on some holes, which is not ideal. I think this only delayed me making a throw one time since it wasn't too busy the day I was there, but you do have to pay attention. Overall, this shouldn't be too big a deal.

All in all, with this course not being very close for me, I'm not sure when I'll be back. It's worth playing again, but I would go to The Canyons first in a heartbeat, which to me just has a bit more diversity and is a little more playable in all conditions. It's still an excellent course anyone passing through or in Northern IL should check out when they have the chance.

Much nicer than the old layout. I've been competing for 38 years, now a senior grandmaster, played hundreds of courses, and this was my closest good course about 10 years ago, I wasn't impressed with the old layout, so this is quite an upgrade.

Still some rough edges and sloppy wet areas from rains, open holes uninteresting. Also I am not a fan of Innova baskets.

Major upgrade and well worth playing, but this course is not even close to being in the same league as the Canyons in Lockport. Canyons has 3 new holes, 27 total, new long tees on many, now with 4 top of the cliff tee shots, new on site pro shop, food cart, real bathrooms, paved parking, etc... I also really like Highland Park in Joliet now that new Chainstar baskets and pin positions are in.

hole 4 is the first really notable hole to me ,open with down hill elevation curving around a small swamp to a cool elevated basket. hole 5 has a large open area before a gap in the woods up hill ,and hole 6 is a very funky downhill with a evil green . Then comes a river with trees and a truly messed up fairway to follow hole 7 you will remember . there is a pond shot in the next two holes with some nasty treedirection if your not on point . probably my favorite hole on the course is 11. its a beautiful long fairway with huge trees and a marsh to one side ,a little bit hilly too. hole 15 seems to curve forever im lefty and love throwing turnover shots so it amuses me. hole 16 is a fun elevated shot back over the river. this course has great content .

limited land space . [used well mind you] its got a couple safty issues that make me uncomfortable involving a bike path . some features used to design hole 13 are invasive species like buckthorn and honeysuckle.they make a sick fairway currently but they also change fast and are not good for the better trees around them[root space ect.] that being said you gotta work with what you got.

this is a well loved course with a huge local scene.For good resond ,it has something for everyone, the white course is a great beginner course that still is interesting enough to make advanced to open players want to play it. lots of work has gone into it.Designed by the best . Its the real deal . a bit over rated ,in the top 25 list i expect geographical grandness that you do not have this close to chicago .IT is however a huge asset to chicago area discgolf .Latest word is Bret the course caretaker is going to be planting some trees on the open holes that start the course . expect this location to only improve threw time

Fairfield Park has a lot to offer. The gold tees think big, with lots of distance that plays out in a variety of environments from wide open to lanes through the woods, and all manner of gently rolling hills to further mix things up. The whites reign in the distance but still offer a solid round for players of all skill levels, playing through the same kind of varied environment. Beginners can learn on the whites (though are likely to experience some rough patches), whereas more experienced players can get a quick but engaging round on them. The two layouts are distinct enough to be virtually two separate courses; they even completely diverge for a few holes.

Shot variety is a requirement here: having both a forehand and backhand is pretty much mandatory if you want to comfortably play all 18. Many lines are well enough defined to make it difficult to adapt if you don't have such versatility, meaning having a complete game is rewarded while lacking one is (fairly) punished. Big arms will get some chances to benefit from their distance, but can easily be punished if they get too sloppy with their line or landing. This variety means having a complete bag is a must. If there are gaps in your game, this course will find them.

It's a technical course in every sense of the word, with tight lanes, a variety of kinds of elevation to manage, and OB/rough/water hazards that really punish poor placement. All this is nonetheless implemented very fairly, with little to no stray branches to unfairly snatch your disc - essential for this kind of wooded environment.

The course is well broken in. Fairways are well-groomed. The concrete tees are great, parking is ample, and the course is easy to find. The course is a comfortable drive from downtown Chicago, with lots of other courses in the immediate vicinity.

I find the design to be pretty straight forward: lines are clearly defined and there isn't much chance for playing them multiple ways. This means there isn't a ton of problem-solving, a quality I find essential to a top tier course: you see your line, you throw your line, you either scramble out of a bad position in an effort to get back on track or you stay in the lane you started on. The course really tells you how to play it in its straight aheadness, whereas I prefer my courses to give me riddles and force me to make tough choices. Fairfield really just asks you to execute the shot you're given; there isn't a lot of give-and-take.

Navigation is largely fine, but I was at times confused at the difference between the white and gold courses. Sometimes they are different tees playing to the same basket, sometimes they are same tee playing to different baskets, and sometimes the holes are in completely different locations. At times, this took a bit more sussing out than it probably should have.

The starting and ending holes include some poor to average ones, in an effort to get an effective in and out in the layout. These more open holes feature some tall grass serving as rough, which can hide your disc and result in some prolonged searches even if you track its landing well.

A few of the wooded holes feature blind shots. I accidentally threw on a group as a result, even though I was scouting ahead a bit and generally being mindful. New visitors should keep this in mind on their visit.

Fairfield Park is a great course with lots of variety that is well taken care of. I can see why locals would take pride in it, and would love to have a course of this caliber in my area. I think its straight ahead design doesn't stack up against the very best courses I've played (Selah Ranch, Moraine State Park, Sugaree), but that doesn't mean I wouldn't return here in a heartbeat the next time I have the chance.

Illinois is really starting to put itself on the map when it comes to top rated courses. From the existing courses in Morton, IL (Northwood and Westwood Park) to the gem in Southern Illinois in Centralia...Illinois is really starting to add some nice courses. The redesign at Fairfield is right up there with the best in the state. With time I may actually increase this rating to a 4.5 but more on that below. As of right now this course is an Excellent course to me, worthy of being in the top 15% of the courses that I have played. Here are my pros:

1) This course is immaculate. The fairways are very well defined and everything is in really FANTASTIC shape. The baskets are awesome and the park is extremely clean and well kept. Its as good as it gets for disc golf.

2) Its not often that you get a gold level course and an easy course in the same park, but Fairfield offers that. The Gold course is a MONSTER par 65 that probably has an SSA of 58. The White course is more than a half mile shorter (that just sounds cooler than saying 3000 feet) and probably plays to an SSA 46. The two options are so much different that you could almost classify these as different courses. The Gold/White setups even veer away from each other for a five hole stretch, ala Maple Hill. You almost have two different courses here as some holes have two baskets, some holes have different fairways and some holes are just different altogether. This is a huge plus!

3) The variety is off the charts. Its like going into a candy store and having EVERYTHING you could ask for. Or better yet its like going into a disc golf shop and having 3000 discs. This course has wide open holes (literally wide open), tight, wooded short holes, tight, wooded long holes, a shot over water, downhill shots, uphill shots and everything in between. You play back to back par 3's near the end of the course and then play a monstrous par 5 with OB everywhere. The variety is off the charts.

4) The lines are very fair. There are no poke and hope holes. Even with the long, winding par 5's on the back nine I never stood there and thought the lines weren't fair. The lines are fair and the luck factor on this course is very low. If you throw a bad shot? It will be penalized. If you throw a good shot? You won't get unlucky.

5) The design of this course is PHENOMENAL. I will elaborate as best as I can but the design is a 4.5/5. The best example of this is hole 15. This is a nice par 4 with a huge dogleg to the left. Right away when you step on the tee you are thinking this is going to be a RH hyzer shot. So that's what I threw. I threw a great drive with a hyzer finish and I got to my drive and realized that I would have had a better second shot if I was 20 feet to the right. Even though the hole said "hyzer me!" when I was standing on the tee it really would have been a better shot to throw a forehand drive that actually faded back to the right at the end. To me this is the true testament of a great design. Its not that you can't throw a hyzer but its better to throw something that will finish to the right. The two wooded par 5's on the back nine were the same way: what looked like an obvious choice from the tee wasn't so obvious after I threw my drive and realized my hyzer drive finished too hard to the left. On these holes a RH hyzer shot is still a great shot but its more of a placement shot that requires a LOT OF thinking on where to land the disc. Great design!

6) Unlike some gold level courses out there this one really gives you some breather holes. Its tough to play 3 par 5's on one nine (the back nine). The designer put 4 par 3's on the back nine under 305 feet to break up the long holes and this really helped with the fun factor. You didn't feel like you were playing hard hole after hard hole because there was some nice distance variety.

7) Navigation on this course was AMAZING. There were next hole signs everywhere and even arrows painted on a few paths to direct you where to go. It would be tough to get lost at this course.

8) Even with pretty challenging rough it was easy to find discs. The prairie grass holes were not too challenging and therefore the risk of losing discs in those areas was low.

9) The addition of the 19th hole was pretty neat. This is a neat little practice hole with some cool flower features. Also the course has two practice baskets so that's a huge plus.

10) Here is the best thing I can say about this course: it WILL make you a better player and it will make you a SMARTER player. You have to think about the lines so much off of the tee because you have options on how far to throw and where to land. On some of the longer holes you can push the limit and try to get further down the fairway but you risk getting into trouble by clubbing up. That's really the best thing you can say about a course: if it makes you a better player you know its worth playing over and over again.

Favorite Holes: Hole 16 was a really neat par 3. It required you to throw over Squaw Creek to a very fast green. From the Gold design it was a slight turnover shot but the green is what makes this hole. Its a shortie but super fun to throw! Hole 11 is an awesome, wooded par 5 that has everything you would want in a challenging hole. An eagle is possible but its a legitimate par 5. Its a winding hole through the woods that's fun to throw. Hole 7 is an awesome par 4 that takes a 90 degree turn about 270 feet from the teebox. It plays over the creek and then makes a sharp turn to the right with a guarded green.

There is not a lot to dislike about this course. Just have a few cons:

1) Even though this course is easy to navigate it does require a lot of walking ahead to look at the holes because the signs do not have any markings for the fairways or the shape of the hole. A lot of the back nine holes curve in and out of the woods and having signs that detailed the lines of the fairways would be helpful.

2) The open holes were a little too open. Having some more obstacles on these holes would be helpful. Holes 1 through 4 were very open and didn't have much in the way of obstacles except for some prairie grass. Even then the fairways were generous enough to where the holes were a tad boring. Its nice to have variety but these holes were very open. Hole 1, in particular, is not a hole that you normally find on a championship level course. Its not a bad hole but its just not a hole typically found on the best courses. Hole 3 is also fairly boring. Its a par 4 but an easy par 4 because once again there's not a lot going on.

3) I would have loved to have seen the creek come more into play. I am a big fan of neat greens and baskets and while this course had some cool baskets that were elevated I think it would have been really neat to have a few baskets up against the creek. A few holes played over the creek but it really didn't come into play.

4) The course was extremely busy when I played and the course hit a little bit of a bottleneck at hole 16 (Gold). Because this hole has a shared basket with a different hole for the White Layout I could see this being a little problem with flow. Not a huge deal because I think its neat to have two distinct courses at this park.

5) I thought a few of the par 3's were average holes at best. Nothing stood out to me about hole 6, 14 and 17 but not every hole is going to be great. This isn't a huge deal but these holes are average par 3's with nothing that really screams that this is a great hole.

Honestly this course is probably more like a 4.25 and as I continue to play this course I could consider a higher rating. This course is ABSOLUTELY a gem and worth playing. The course is very fair and has very clean lines and is very well maintained. I think an Excellent rating is very fair. I try to rate courses compared to other courses I have played. I have given courses such as Idlewild, Warwick, Deer Lakes, Moraine and Tyler a 4.5 rating and I do think this course is just below those courses. However, that shouldn't take anything away from how much fun this course is. Its a gem and easily the best course in the Chicagoland area!

The redesign of the Fairfield Park Disc Golf Course is a resounding success. The addition of a bridge over Squaw Creek has opened up a large wooded area for disc golf. What was once a largely boring, wide open course; is now a diverse wooded/prairie gem. One of the greatest triumphs of the redesign is the two distinct layouts: White, which is suitable but challenging for casual players; and Gold, which is designed to challenge highly skilled golfers. This is accomplished by having two tees on some holes, two (permanent, color coded) baskets on others, and holes that are unique to a particular layout.
The Gold course is very challenging. It requires distance and control to score well (I lack in this regard and scored poorly). The White course, while much more accessible to lower skill level players, still offers some challenge and has many rewarding birdie opportunities for the rest of us. Both courses require the player to shape a variety of different lines. Wind can play a big factor on some of the prairie holes. The Gold course offers five par 4s and three par 5s split between the wooded and prairie sections for a course par of 65. The White course while mostly par 3 golf, has two par 4s and a par 5 (all of which are in the prairie section of the course) for a course par of 58.
The signage, while a little basic, is adequate to get around the course. There are next tee signs identifying the path to take for each tee (on holes with two tees). The concrete, trapezoidal tees are of adequate size and are level. Baskets are Discatchers; some are new, some are the baskets from the old course which have been repainted. There are two practice baskets between the parking lot and hole 1 and a port-a-john at the parking lot.
The course makes use of a few small ponds and Squaw Creek to add challenge. The ponds have white stakes marking the perimeter, so the OB line won't change with the water level. My favorite hole was Gold 16/White 12. It is a downhill shot (with a gap right off of the tee from the Gold tee) over the creek, with a spreading tree on the other bank forcing you to keep your drive under its branches or get knocked down short of the green.

The negatives to this course are rather minimal.
On the wooded par 4s and 5s on the Gold course, I would have liked to have a picture of the fairway shape on the tee signs. The signs only show hole #, distance and par. The printed maps at the kiosk are helpful in this regard, but there is no guarantee that they will always be available. If this is an issue for you, you could pull the map off DGCR to get an idea of the fairway shape.
Some holes throw over a walking/bike path. While this is normally a big no-no, at Fairfield, the crossing is usually within 50' of the tee (exception is Gold 18/White 17), making it difficult to hit a walker/biker unless you are totally oblivious.
While there is great next tee signage, I could see some players losing their way due to the overlapping layouts and some holes being unique to one course or another. Using the map, this should not be an issue.
The prairie section of the course has a lot of long grass off of the fairways which can make finding discs difficult.

In my opinion, this is the best course in the Chicago area. The combo of the White and Gold layouts has something for everyone. True par 4s and 5s for the respective skill levels is almost unheard of in this area and is a welcome addition. I have followed the progress of the redesign for the last couple years, and despite all of the anticipation, this course lived up to my expectations. If I could, I would rate this course a 4.75. It has a few too many (minor) issues to be a 5, but is better than the courses that I've rated 4.5. Mosquitoes were bad on both of my trips to the course so bring spray.