Centralia, IL

Foundation Park DG Complex - Champ 18

4.515(based on 54 reviews)
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17 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.3 years 316 played 298 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Still Maintain Canyons is Best in IL

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 9, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

- concrete tees
- significant length and some notable elevation change
- tee signs with maps are just ok but serviceable
- baskets have 3 layers of chains and catch well
- some garbage cans throughout course
- property is very well maintained
- very reasonable fairways and pars
- built-in bridge over first creek crossing
- some cool creek crossing shots
- moderately wooded with good mature tree obstacles
- forces a lot of shot shaping, though feels a bit RHFH favored
- some great water hazards
- one practice basket
- some benches throughout course

Cons:

- baskets are hard to see from a distance
- a bit muddy in places; could use some wood chips
- many secondary tees are not completely clear/easy to find
- backtracking across fairway between holes 9 and 10
- navigation could be a bit less confusing
- colorful bands on baskets would help with locating
- next tee indicators on some baskets
- long tees are blue posts and only natural

Other Thoughts:

Foundation Park is a really cool course by Illinois standards with some excellent terrain. The elevation change is good for Illinois, but not necessarily amazing by general standards. There are some good water hazards, excellent shot shaping and mature trees, and the course is set in a very well maintained area. It is an experience to be had.

All that said, I feel like this is one of those courses that has been around long enough that its rating is higher due to being evaluated in an era when there weren't as many courses. This is an excellent course, and maybe deserves as high as a 4.25, but in my opinion Canyons blows it out of the water for best in Illinois, and I've played tons of courses more worthy of a 4.5 than this one. It's certainly worth the visit, and is one of the better courses Illinois has to offer. I didn't have time to play the Rec course here but having two courses in one place is always a plus. I also enjoyed the nearby Carlyle City Park nine hole course, but it appears I was in the minority there.

The creek hazards on this course stood out to me, with throws over the windy creek on hole 7 somewhat reminiscent of scenes at Idlewild. There were a few muddy places but overall the course was pretty manageable. Waterproof shoes are recommended if things haven't been particularly dry. Navigation here could have been better. There were next tee indicators on some baskets, but some were missing or facing the wrong direction, and there were no hole numbers on these older baskets without top bands. The course is certainly showing its age, but it has been maintained fairly well.

The maps here are decent, and there are other minor amenities, such as restrooms. This is not a heavily wooded, highly technical course but does require some decent shot placement ability. Most of the shots you're capable of will be required at some point. A lot of fallen trees left in place add to the interest on this course.

This was a pretty typical length course for me at around 90 minutes to play solo, or maybe slightly less. I played the red (short) tees since they were concrete, but in either configuration this is a pretty long course in terms of hole length. Other reviewers noted poison ivy... well, I suck at identifying poison ivy, but I caught poison ivy on this roadtrip for the first time in 18 years of playing disc golf. Did I catch it here? No idea, but be aware. It sucks :)

For Illinois, this is a fairly pretty area with an above average course. However, it is not in the upper echelon of disc golf available with all of the incredible courses out there now.
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21 0
Tyler V
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 17.4 years 163 played 113 reviews
4.50 star(s)

An Absolutely Amazing Course That Will Provide A Challenging, Fun Round For Anyone That Plays Here 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 18, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Foundation Park Champ 18 is a challenging disc golf course in central-south Illinois, about an hour out of St. Louis. This course is the second highest rated course in Illinois according to DGCR, and will provide a fun secluded round for any disc golfer who makes the trip to play here.

Location of Centralia is an hour and 12 minutes from St. Louis, and a little ways off of interstates 57 and 64. While it may not be the most convenient course to get to, it makes up for its location by not being too crowded. I only ran into one other group during my solo round here, and while there were a few groups of people playing the two courses at Foundation Park while I was there, it was very light traffic on the courses for being such a nice day. There are gas stations and restaurants in town for whatever needs you have. There aren't too many courses close by if you're making a day of disc golf, but with a newer recreational 18 right next door to the champ 18, you can easily make a full day out of Foundation Park.

Park Amenities check all of the boxes for your day of disc golf. At the parking lot for the two courses, you will find a bathroom and water fountain, as well as a shelter. There are other bathrooms and water fountains around the park as well. Foundation park is actually a private park open to the public, and is very well maintained. In addition to the two disc golf courses, you will find plenty of nice features across the 300 acres of park land here, including plenty of hiking trails, an ice skating pond, a chapel in the woods, an outdoor amphitheater, restored prairie areas, and a labyrinth. This is a well taken care of and beloved park for the community, and you will see plenty of other park goers while you walk around. At the same time, the course does not overlap with other park uses.

Course Equipment at Centralia has an old school feel to it, but gets the job done nicely. The baskets at Titans, a staple for any course designed by Dave McCormack and Gateway Disc Sports. The baskets are in great shape, and have next tee directions in the baskets themselve, a great feature to have (especially when you catch on to this before hole 7). Each hole has 2 tees, with the shorts being concrete and the longs being marked by blue painted posts and ground markers. The tee signs include graphics of the hole layouts, tee and pin locations, and pars and distances, and what pin is in place. There are plenty of discrete trash cans and benches throughout the course as well. A fun feature on the tee signs are numerous ace shoutouts, which is a cool feature to see, and a great upgrade from the sharpie announcements of aces you see on other courses. Across from the Champ 18, you will also find a map of the two courses as well as the park as a whole by the other parking area.

Course Design at Foundation Park's Champ 18 makes the most out of a large chunk of land across the east side of the park. Pars can range from high 60s to low 70s depending on pin placements and the tees you play from, and the design of the course can make for a wide range of scores among your own group or a tournament. When playing from the concrete tees, you will find a mix of short and gettable par 3s, multiple difficult par 4s, and a couple of long par 5s. The course also makes some use of what elevation is present on the property, with a mix of downhill and uphill drives and approaches to go with the flatter holes on the course. In terms of fairway shapes, you will find a mix of right, left, and straight shots. All in all, this course will provide players with a bit of everything, requiring you to pull all the tricks out of your bag to have a successful round here.

Depending on your accuracy and how well you are placing drives, par can seem either forgiving or brutal on the Champ 18. Just about every par 4 and 5 on this course requires your second shot to land in a certain area to have a real shot at a birdie or par. With so many holes on the course requiring two well placed drives, you will not have much time to breathe after a good initial drive during your round. Hole 1 alone starts you off with a par 5 that has a small gap leading to circle 2, requiring you to avoid being blocked behind the trees and bushes in the fairway on your second shot. All of the different distances on the course are also spread out well, with the back 9 being longer than the front 9 while still including some shorter par 3s. As a RHBH dominant player, this course also called for many forehand drives during my round. Between the different distances and shapes of fairways on this course, you will not get bored during your round here. The variety of shots this course includes will test any player that comes to Centralia, and make for a very fun round of golf.

Course Difficulty will challenge newer players, especially with how rough the off-fairway areas can get. Newer players may want to go to the Rec-18 before taking on the Champ course. Intermediate players will likely be able to challenge for par, though any lack of accuracy will prove punishing. I managed to be a tad under par on my most recent round, but I could see how that score could have greatly fluctuated up or down depending on not only putting, but how well I was throwing my drives and approaches as well. Even experienced players should have a challenging round here, though those level of players will likely be able to get well below par.

Course Highlights for the Champ 18 may vary depending on the opinion of the player you ask. For me, hole 7 was a great design, with a landing zone just across a creek followed by a tight approach/drive to a small green. Hole 8 has a goal post tree that makes for one of the most fun natural obstacles I have seen on a course, rivaling the Y tree at Idlewild. Both par 5s at holes 1 and 12 are open with obstacles at different stages of each hole, with two long accurate drives being required to get a birdie look.

Cons:

There are not many cons to be had at the Champ 18, and largely come down to personal preference.

Course Equipment and Maintenance is great overall, but has room for improvement. Some of the signs, while still in good shape overall, are starting to show their age, with some scuffs or damaged glass fronts throughout the course. The recreational course next door has new signs with superior hole layout graphics, as well as pin distances on the alternate tee posts. When compared, the Champ 18 falls a little short of it's younger brother. Some new signage to match the newer course would significantly elevate this course, especially on the longer par 4s that are blind shots, which can be hard to locate your first time around the course. Hole 18 also sticks out considering the mowing and maintenance of the rest of the course, with the green being more overgrown than the rest of the course. I have no problem with the concluding hole from a design perspective; it's a tricky S bend to get your birdie. That being said, I think some work on the green to clean it up a bit would also elevate the look of this course, especially given how nice the rest of the course looks up to that point. Given how high of quality the course is already, adding improved long tees to either turf or concrete could also take this course to another level.

Parking is beyond the control of course designers, but can fill up fast at Centralia. I'm not sure how they handle tournaments here - perhaps by parking along the road. Just keep in mind that parking may be hard to get on a nice weekend.

Poison Ivy is in plenty of the off-fairway areas. Be careful if you throw into any rough.

Navigation and Flow can leave a little to be desired on the course, though these issues are minimal with the inclusion of the next tee markets on the baskets. A couple of holes require you to back track on the fairway to get to the next hole, and a couple of holes also have longer walks that some folks could get turned around during. If you have Udisc, navigation will be easy. That being said, regardless of your sense of direction, get ready for a hike.

Accessibility isn't a huge issue, but there are a couple spots if you have any issues in this area. A couple of creek crossings are over stones, and there are a couple of steeper hills to traverse as well. Carts will be able to navigate 99% of the course if you can carry it over a couple of creek crossings. The bridges that are in place are in great shape though, so this concern is limited.

Other Thoughts:

40% of the folks that have reviewed this course have given it a full 5 stars, and I can easily understand why. This course, from a design perspective, really punches above what you may initially assume its weight to be. This course doesn't have many flashy features, but the course design is really exceptional. There are no real in-between holes from a par perspective. Any birdie you get on a par 4 or 5 on this course will have been well earned by you. Even shorter par 3s like holes 2, 6, or 10 on this course require touchy shots that can easily get away from you.

I haven't played as many top-notch courses as many other members of this site, but this course is basically like Songebob's krabby patty(TM). Is it as flashy as King Neptune's burger operation? No. Is it better? Yes. Is Foundation's Champ 18 on par with or above 98% of other courses anywhere? I'd put my money on yes.

This course is over an hour from my house, and I have taken a long time to return to it after playing it a decade ago. Foundation Park's Champ 18 has easily convinced me that I need to make at least a couple of trips out to Centralia annually to take a break from the disc golf scene in St. Louis. If you live anywhere near this course, you should take time to go and play it. If you're a course bagger looking for great courses to try out, don't underestimate this course. Depending on who you talk to, I'm betting you'll get one of two responses if you ask a disc golfer if this is a destination course after their round here. Either you'll get an emphatic yes, or you'll get a "no, but it's really close".

Add Centralia to your bucket list if you're into fun disc golf courses. I'm betting you won't be disappointed.
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13 0
Siiimmons
Experience: 13 years 129 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

The Best Course in Illinois 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 15, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

+It is a HUGE park with disc golf seemingly the main attraction.
+Very little foot traffic apart from golfers on the Champ side.
+Large concrete teepads
+Gateway Titan baskets, deep with 3 layers of chains. My favorite basket type.
+Multiple tees, but the "shorts" are plenty tough to shoot par for a sub-960 rated player.
+Multiple pin positions that update regularly
+Many "true" par 4s and 5s (see below).
+Will throw putters, mids, fairways, and drivers on multiple lines.
+Bathrooms on hole 1 and 9.
+Trashcans and benches on many of the holes.
+ Easy to navigate and a good "flow"

Cons:

-Better parking would be needed for large tournaments, but this does not affect the course rating, as the course itself is fantastic. Plus, I'd prefer to take my time and play the 2 course on the property by throwing multiple drives rather than rush through them in a tournament setting.
-The long teepads are not concrete, but as I said earlier, the shorts play as one of the hardest courses you've played.

Other Thoughts:

I think I am up to 82 courses played thus far in 9 states. I have two 5/5 courses so far. Not Hornet's nest, not Flip City, not Dellwood or Visionquest. No. The two 5/5 for me so far are Blue Ribbon Pines and little ol Centralia. The Centralia Championship 18 plays like a ball golf course. In most courses, you have a birdie shot if one of your preceding throws are "good." At Centralia, you must string together multiple good shots to have a birdie look. The Par 4s are the best Par 4s I have played in disc golf. Typically, a Par 4 is just long, and you always break out your driver off the tee. Not here. The doglegs, S-shaped fairways, creek-in-your-landing-zone, and elevation changes allow you to attack the par 4s in multiple ways. Every disc golf course should strive to be like Centralia.

The Champ side at Centralia offers fun in a brutal way for a sub-900 player, and a challenge to shoot par for all others. A must play for all within an 8 hour drive.
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9 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.6 years 764 played 387 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great destination course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Centralia : The Gateway to Nowhere . I Put this city in my GPS and it shot back " WHY ? " . After finding this park , I realized what a gem it is . When you enter the park and park in the lot that the kiosk is at , walk across the road and up the hill to your left to find the first tee . 36 total holes , and the Champ 18 says it all . They must have poured all of their disc golf dollars solely into this one . Large tee pads flush with the ground , Gateway Titan baskets with a NEXT TEE sign on the basket . multiple pin positions and dual pro and intermediate tees . Tee signs with descriptive information and places to mark the pin position . , a place to hang bags and hidden trash receptacles . Many holes have benches . Creeks come into play on several holes . You will take steps down to cross the creek onto extended high stepping stones ( pretty cool ) . This is not a course for the weak . You might have to empty out your bag during your round here . Righty , lefty , landing zone drives . It's all there . You will have to concentrate on your throws . The total elevation of this course isn't much , but it uses the rolling terrain to it's advantage . Tunnel shots , low throws where the woods canopy comes into play . The lines to the pin are fair ( except maybe 18 ) Some bomber shots . I played a mix of the long ad short tees , mostly the cements because of the recent rain . The pin positions and course design were well thought out . My congrats to McCormack and Bunnell . The par 3's on this course ( 5 ) are overshadowed by the 8 par 4's and 5 par 5's . 9300 feet of enjoyment ( or frustration ) .there are several memorable holes on this course . Signature Hole would be #7 . a right to left ( depending on pin position ) 442' that has to span a creek and finish up on a steep hill guarded by several small trees and foilage . There is a goal post shot on 8 with painted letters on the bottom that reads " I'm in your head " . What a great touch . Several people commented on what a downer it was to have a short technical 285' tight shot through the woods for the final hole instead of a bomber hole like 1 is . You always take what the course gives you in the order it gives you in . Does it matter ? Not really . What you DO GET , are 18 very good holes of disc golf .

Cons:

I don't have much to say that's bad about this course . There were a lot of tree limbs scattered on the course , but it may have been attributed to the harsh weather the area had been having lately ( ? ) . No bathrooms near the course . Not a necessity , but ,,,,,, . Not ideal for carts . The rough can be , well , ROUGH .

Other Thoughts:

I teetered rating this course between excellent ( 4 ) and phenomenal ( 4.5 ) . Since ratings can't be 4.25 , I upped it to a 4.5 . Even though it could use a touch up or 2 , this is truly a players course . Many amenities on the course , a fun way to cross the creek .I work very close to Idlewild Disc Golf Course , considered by many to be top tier and have played it many times . It may be all of that , but I think that Champ 18 has one thing over Idlewild : Character . Champ 18 Bleeds that certain character that you want in a disc golf course . I only wish that it was close to St Louis or more accessible to the course travelers and disc golf junkies . Thanks, Centralia and Foundation Park for allowing me to be your guest for a few hours on a Saturday . My Recommendation : PLAY IT !!!!!
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14 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 694 played 680 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Tweakers In The Woods 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.756 Rating) A longer moderately wooded park style course.
- HOLE MANAGEMENT - Easily my favorite part of this course were all the par 4s and 5s that required shot placement. Throwing a long drive on many of these plus 500 footers was often not a wise idea. There were lots of tree line gaps in the woods where the second shot angled away in another direction. These holes required controlled distance to have a reasonable shot at the basket. Holes (7), (9), (11), and (17) were all pleasing plays in these regards.
- CHALLENGING - A bit difficult for me to define as all of the basket placements were in the short (A) position. I could not tell if this is one those courses that always has them in the (A's) except for tourneys or what. Anyways, there are two tee layouts here. The White Tees appear to be Intermediate level and the Blue Tees appear to be Advanced level. Conquering the back won't necessarily take massive power or extreme precision, but rather methodical smart play from a balanced Advanced rated player. Also note, I think blind first time players will struggle significantly more than normal on the first time through, as they won't know the ideal placement areas on these multi-play holes.
- NAVIGATION - Not to bad but with some flaws. For one thing, this course is not cart friendly. Several stream crossings using large cast concrete stepping stones. As for finding your way around, the thing I really appreciated was the orange tube on a basket spoke pointing to the next tee direction. Why more courses don't use this super cheap and effective tool is mind boggling. Hole signage has some good information on it, like hole number, distances and par, but it's too diagrammatic in its artistic description that players will find themselves torn on whether to run up fairways or throw blindly down the line. The tee signs however did however incorporate basket placement indicators, which will be great on a second play.
- ELEVATION - As I was driving into town, the roadside curbs felt like mountains on the Central Illinois landscape. So, I was a bit surprised by the amount of elevation change on the course. Nothing all that major, but several holes have plays with 20 foot changes and a couple probably approached 30 feet. Almost all of these slopes are very manageable to traverse being less than 15 degree inclines and declines.
- UNIQUENESS - In addition to elevation, this course has just about all the shots. Doglegs to the right and left. Pockets in every which way direction. Lots of par 4s and a couple par 5s. The holes lengths range from 250 footers to at least one tee and basket combo extending beyond 1000 feet. Water comes into play in the form of a creek a few times. I loved (7) which required smart placement short of the creek and then the approach played was up the flood plain bank and was punctuated with graceful basket placement setting. Holes (13) thru (16) were a bit of a letdown being poorly designed wider park style plays. Holes (2) through (4) were all very similar plays. I was a bit surprised that not one hole directly paralleled the creek for the entire length of the hole. Also, only one stare-down ace run on the entire layout, (6). I emptied my putter inventory on this hole and pinged a tree each time.
- CHARACTER - A great course map along with shelter and picnic table near the junction start for both the Champ 18 course and the Rec course. The Champ 18 White layout has nice sized 5 foot by 12 foot concrete tees. All of them were in great shape. Only a few benches but the circular chill area on (18) was an awesome commandeered feature. Several picnic tables and some walled off stone work. A great place to watch throwers on hole (18) consistently chuck their discs into trees. (see cons Hole 18). The baskets were mostly good but a few were showing some minor damage. There's a practice basket by tee (1). Finally, many tees had an awesome trash can that served as a duel function bag table having a nice wooden top.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - Well above average and I scored the course just above a 3.5 out of 5. The tree coverage and changing elevations were the best positive contributing factors. On the flipside, I was not overly impressed by the creek. Way too many unnatural elements in it including sand, course gravel and lots of trash has found its way in it. Also, trash in general was an issue (see cons)

Cons:

A great course that should be excellent, but there are far too many flaws.
- MAINTENANCE - The park's fairways were well mowed for my visit. However, once a player strays a bit off fairway, things get real dicey with large tree limbs and even trees down everywhere. I'm not referring to the signature fallen trees mid fairway like the one on (17), which was awesome, I'm referring to the large trees just off fairway being succumb by termites and have been left rotting for years.
- HOLE (18) - This was the least maintained hole and is almost entirely un-mowed due to lots of larger downed branches. In addition, the hole has no line to the basket being a poke and hope shot.
- TRASH - I saw a substantial amount of trash on the course. Most of it I think was from the random people just stowing around, but some of it no doubt had to have been from disc golfers. I subtracted my score for natural beauty a touch due to this issue.
- DISCONTINUITY - Lots of substantial walks between holes be sure and download the map to a phone or print one out. Even with the great navigational markers at the baskets, I still found myself referring to it several times.
- BACK TEES - I had every intention of showing up here to see what kind of licking the back tees could dish out. Realizing on hole (1) that the back tees weren't paved was a shock and disappointment. There is already a separate Recreational level course in the park, so I don't understand the reasoning for not widening the appeal of the multi-course park and giving the premiere amenities to the premiere challenge. Tees are very important to me so I ended up throwing the White layout instead. In addition, the back tees add very little additional flavor to the course often being just an additional 30 to 50 feet in length on the same line.
- FORGIVENESS - To newer players, this course can be very punishing. The champ 18 course is not the course to take a first timer too or even a tenth timer too. Way too much length and too many hazards. I never once strayed into the creek, but sending a disc into it after a string of raining days probably means a lost disc. Overgrowth is very heavy in spots. I spent a good 15 minutes looking for my discs during my round.
- POISON IVY - It's all over the place and players are no doubt going to throw into a patch or two on this long layout.
- TIME PLAY - This one took me 90 minutes blind solo first time. Figure a four some could be here 2 ½ to 3 hours to get a round in.
- LOCATION - Although not too far from I57, figure 15 minutes from the exit, the course is literally in the middle of nowhere in the center of the country. The fact that the town is named Centralia seems very fitting.
- RANDOM PEOPLE - I was a bit surprised by the sheer number of misfits blindly strolling around and chilling at the park benches. On (15), I threw my disc a bit long near the basket and when I went searching for it in the heavy overgrowth and I was startled by a couple of tweaked-out meth-heads deep in the woods.

Other Thoughts:

Foundation Park was the 7th course I visited that had a rating above a 4.5 upon my arrival. Although this is a great course and perhaps borderline excellent course, it fell well short of my expectations. Perhaps I should just chalk it up to that this is not my preferred style of course. But unfortunately, this is not the case as I've played several courses just like this one that I've rated between a 4.0 and 4.6. The holes here just don't match the vibrant epicness or amenities of the courses I've rated above a 4.0 If the Blue tees were concrete, the signage were more effective, there was seating on more holes and the trash issues were addressed, I think the holes here are just good enough to achieve about a 3.9 to 3.95 in my rating preference method. When I compare this layout to a similar style courses of a similar DGCR rating, like Hobbs Farm in Georgia, Mahr Park in Kentucky, Tom Brown in Florida or Harry Myers in Texas for example, Foundation Park is not even close. Regardless, This is still gotta be the best course within a 50 to 75 miles radius and also possibly a top 5 Illinois course.
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2 3
OldGolfer
Experience: 19 played 19 reviews
4.00 star(s)

As Good As They Say 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

All concrete tees. A well maintained course. Roughs that are indeed rough, but not forested. Pins that are challenging but playable.

This is as fantastic as the reviewers say it is.

Cons:

Only one negative. It's too far from my home.

Other Thoughts:

As a player with only two years experience -- in my late 60s -- I thought this course was brilliantly laid out, maintained very well, flowed effortlessly, and was a joy to play. I was a bit concerned about playing this course ... I didn't know how I'd perform. In fact, it didn't matter. It was just fun at every tee, on every fairway, and at every pin. I very highly recommend this course. Very challenging but very smart.
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2 5
mibo
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

foundation park central 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

nice flow. great tee pads, mowed fairways. great signage.

Cons:

nothing notable.

Other Thoughts:

I am a mediocre player at best. this is the best course. I've played in the greater ST Louis metro area (15 and counting). though I was challenged by all the holes, I never felt my lower level play was a liability. it did indeed challenge me to up my game, which is a good thing. . . . I played with a group who play together a lot and we all agreed this is the best course we've played . . .ever. . . Kudos to the Foundation for creating a very nice course. Will be returning. . . .
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2 12
jvbh792
Experience: 8.7 years 16 played 12 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Best Course in driving distance from St. Louis 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 7, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

36 holes total in the park
Challenging shot shaping
Varied terrain
Multiple lines to pin
Pro and regular tees
Concrete pads
Long course. Mostly par 4's

Cons:

I didn't see a bathroom near the start of either course?
Centralia sucks
Far from where I live

Other Thoughts:

Beautiful. Just beautiful course. Both aesthetically and technically.
Drove an hour twenty to play this course. I'll be going back as often as I can. I think that says a lot.
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5 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 21.4 years 562 played 429 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Centralia's Foundation a bit Soggy 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Foundation Park's Champ 18 course has several really nice holes. It is long and difficult. The park very nice, and has good open grassy space as well as nice tree coverage in other spots. There main tees are concrete, there are tee signs, and the Titan baskets are super solid. There is a driving range and practice baskets. Moderate elevation change on a few holes, but nothing drastic. A stream that was running high and fast from overnight rainstorms. I tended to enjoy the holes closer to the water that were not so wide open. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, and 18 were my favorites. Great use of the water and trees to shape different shots.

Cons:

Navigation was an issue in between holes in one or two places. A few more signs would be nice. Mud was bad in a few spots, but that is to be expected with the large amount of rain in the prior day or two. Long tees were not concrete all the way around.

Other Thoughts:

Really a nice course, in a nice park. Some interesting contours to the land and thick trees near the water that were fun to try and place the perfect throw. It is surely challenging. Not the most exciting course, but making great use of the space. I wish I had played when it was not so saturated from rain. A better score and dry socks would have made my visit a bit more enjoyable.
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5 1
SuperG7
Experience: 19.4 years 164 played 7 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Beautiful course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Amazing flow
-Good signage
-Tight, but fair gaps. Low ceiling shots that make you play for your par.
-Scenic shots
-STEPPING STONES THAT ARE EASY TO WALK ON!!!!! First time I have seen great passages across water.
-Variety of shots, not just a lefty or righty course.
-Water fountains

Cons:

-Some of the long tees were natural and not concrete
-Hole 18 was overgrown a bit much as my buddy was less than 20 feet away from the basket and we had to look for his disc.

Other Thoughts:

Best course I have played in a while. My buddy and I didn't want to leave, we could have easily played another round it was that amazing of an experience. There were water fountains that were around the course at crucial points in the round. I can't wait to come back and play. Words of wisdom; don't shoot off the fairway.
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8 2
chunkychains32
Experience: 19 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

home of the future disc golf world champion 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 19, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Foundation park is the best course i have seen thusfar in my 3 year career in disc golf. Anyone who successfully throws under par here will do so almost anywbere i would bet.

As you get out of the car by the sentinel shelter, youre greeted with a practice basket with markers in a semi circle around the baskt from 10-65'. Toss around a bit and find that putt before letting loose on the park's driving range. A driving range with markers marking ever 50' starting at 150' and extending out to 600' is a great way to stretch out your arm as well as testing out new plastic.

The front nine holes start off in the open on hole one before into the woods for holes 2-8. Holes 1 and 9 are semi open with the other 7 holes being pretty tight through lots of trees over a winding creek and through a couple of well planned natural obstacles. (I.e. a field goal shaped tree right off the teebox on hole 8)

The front nine ends back where you started where there are some tables, a restroom and a water fountain to refill tbose water bottles before tackling a monster of a back nine.

The back nine starts off with one of the last 2 par 3 holes remaining. (Holes 2,4,6,8,10, and 18 are the only par threes on the course. Each one CAN and HAS been aced.)

Holes 11-16 play complementary to the wooded front nine with a more open playing style. Similar to a links set up in ball golf the back nine is quite long but requirres more than just random throws to be setup nicely for your next shot. The first round will be tough due to thefact most pins cant be seen from the teebox. (Most locals will be happy to act as course guide for the day free of charge) :)
17-18 play tighter again with 18 ending with another drive back.over the creek.

Theres plenty of trash cans.. benches every few holes.. bag hooks.. next tee arrows. All th amenities a chamionsbip caliber course should have.

Cons:

As i said in the pros section.. this is the best course i have seen so i dont have many cons. Just a few picky suggestions is all... the oarking bere can get a bit out of hand when theres a tournament on site. But the oark doesnt mind temporary grass parking in tbose situations.
Also.. hole 18 is a let down. After a beatiful course with tough par threes.. long oar fours and daunting par fives... the course ends with a short par three that plays over a creek up a small incline and back down the back side. Thats all fine and dandy but the amount of trees here makes it pretty close to a poke and pray. Now in the clubs defense they HAVE taken a few saoling down along the main route but its a very tough route to hit. a hole simiLAR to hole 1 would be a much better nding. Again.. thats just oickiness.. nothing to take the rating down over.

Other Thoughts:

This course in awesome. If youre an avid disc golfer and somehow find yourself with in driving distance of centralia illinois then definetely make a stop bere. You will not regret it.
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18 0
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.2 years 316 played 268 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Journey to the Centralia of the Earth, Pt. 2 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 12, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- During my Journey to the Centralia of the Earth, I experienced spectacularly difficult championship- level disc golf, wonderfully manicured park grounds, friendly and helpful grounds crew, and concurrently had my faith restored that park-style disc golf can indeed be implemented in a thoughtful and meaningful manner. Located in Foundation Park, the championship 18-hole course is companion to the rec-level 9er across the street. One provides a fun, accessible, but challenging layout for beginners and lesser players, while the other caters to big-armed experienced players looking to air it out, without simply being a long and open bore.
- Water was used nicely where available. A creek protects the right side of the fairway on #7. Hole #8 forces a shot through a goalpost-shaped tree branch located right in front of the tee. A sign says "right now I'm in your head;" very a propos. The hole plays as a big hyzer with the creek defining the back and left side of the green. This is a great hole and among the best designed shorter holes, in my opinion. Trouble off the tee (but totally avoidable), trouble behind and to the left of the basket (in the form of water), and a shot designed to test the ability to avoid both. #11 also plays across a small creek that's located not too far in front of the tee, although this should rarely come into play.
- Elevation, while mostly of the gently rolling variety, still provides enough "up and down" to keep things from being boring. Nothing approaching epicness, not even close, but certainly enough to keep you on your toes and prevent the course from being two-dimensional. #6's downhill tunnelish shot is probably the closest the course gets to true tastiness in the elevation department. #18 also finished off slightly uphill.
- Multi-shot golf is done very well here. Landing zones are fair and obvious, and at no point did it feel unfairly punishing, even with all the long blind holes. Some multi-throw holes suffer from invisible (from the tee) punishment; I don't believe a single one of these exist here, to the designers credit. Big arms will need to throw a couple of times to reach the pin on the longer length holes, while weeny arms will be carding 5s, 6s and upward on the toughest layouts. Red tees are concrete and shorten the length of some holes significantly. The longer Blue tees are natural grass, in good shape, and make this course into a complete distance monster, especially if playing to the longer of the pin positions.
- Beauty. For a park-style course, there's plenty of natural "rough" woodsy-ness to make you feel secluded in places. Parts of the course are simply open or open-ish grassy areas, but other parts incorporate huge ancient trees, some with magnificent sagging branches that provide visual interest as well as solid fairway obstacles. The split tree by #17's pin is just one small example of the many awesome trees to be found at Centralia.

Cons:

- The major drawback to Centralia lies in its somewhat detail-lacking signage. Yes, an indicator is on each sign to denote the current pin position, but that only helps if they're kept current (some did not seem to match the actual pin position during my round, adding much confusion). With the fairly lengthy holes, and the many blind pin positions, there was a lot of walking to scope the lay of the land. This is definitely a course where a guide would be super helpful first time through. This con is mostly only valid for first time players, but the incorrect pin indicators shouldn't happen under any circumstances on a course of this quality, in my opinion.
- A stretch during the back nine (#'s 12-16) started to all blur together in the same sort of mostly open, scattered mature trees, park-styley golf. None of those holes are bad, per se, just similar enough not to really stick out in my mind as distinct holes. Maybe with more plays or different pin positions, these holes would take on a bit more of an individualistic feel.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall, Centralia comes convincingly close to true destination golf. There's certainly no other reason (that I could see) for being in that god-forsaken part of Illinois. So if you're in the area, Foundation Park is a no-brainer; if you need to make a long-haul just to play it, you'll be well-served to make time to enjoy at least three rounds on the property: one at the rec-level course, one to scope and scout the champ-level course, and a second time to truly enjoy and appreciate the spectacularly difficult discing on offer.
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13 0
JohtoVillage
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.6 years 160 played 74 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 7, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Foundation Course in the middle of nowhere Illinois is called the Championship 18. That's an understatement. In my mind its challenging to think that a course this phenomenal could be situated in the wonderfully boring state of Illinois. Illinois is known for three C's: corn, corrupt politicians and Chicago. Its not known for having beautiful, country club like disc golf courses that test every single aspect of your disc golf game. The Championship Course in Centralia, IL does that and then some. That course may not have the sexy greens that Idlewild does and it may not have the secluded feel of a Deer Lakes or Moraine State Park but I am giving this course the same rating as those courses. This course is definitely worthy of a 4.5 Phenomenal rating in my book. It also features a nice warmup 9 hole course right on the same property. Here are my pros:

1) This course is what I call "dumb" good. It means its so good that me and my friends don't even call it really good or pretty awesome. Its dumb good! In all seriousness, the main reason for this is the design. The course just doesn't have filler holes. There are no throwaways. Yeah, some people may point to hole 2 or hole 18 as letdowns but this course doesn't let you down. It simply just keeps going and pushes the limit of a great course disc course to the next level. The design is impeccable and very fair while still being very challenging.

2) Speaking of challenging....did I say challenging? How about nearly 11,000 feet from the back tees. ELEVEN THOUSAND FEET. This course is a BALL GOLF course. Its listed as a par 72 and that's probably close to accurate. This course is like Ironhill or Highbridge Gold. Its fun to say you SURVIVED this course. This course plays over 2 miles. Hole 1 is two-tenths of a mile. This course is uber challenging! But....

3) Its fun! Honestly some of these super long courses are so hard that its not fun. Think Ironhill or Idlewild (Idlewild is a great course but if you had fun at that course then good for you). Centralia has some bomber shots and the longer holes have more open lines and very clean lines. I am sure this course is hard to play in the summer when its 95 degrees but playing this course in the fall was ideal. Its hard to say 11,000 feet of disc golf "breezed" by but time flies when you are having fun.

4) Infrastructure: The infrastructure at this course is phenomenal. The baskets are super deep and are Gateway Titan baskets. There is not a better sound in the world then hitting a putt dead center on a Titan basket. The signs are super descriptive and really give you a lot of information. This is so important on such a long course because it helps avoid some super long walks ahead to scout the holes. Finally, the concrete tee pads are awesome!

5) Water: I really value having water hazards on courses and Centralia has a few water hazards that really make for some memorable shots. Its really tough for me to rate a course a 4.5 or higher if there are not shots that at least bring water into play and so this actually may have nudged the rating in my mind from a 4.25 to a 4.5. At least four holes brought water into play and even though they weren't huge ponds it was still something!

6) Variety in Distance: The distances from the long pads ranged from 305' to 1036'. There's really not much more you can ask for when it comes to variety. This course had 5 par 3's, 8 par 4's and 5 par 5's. It does not get much better than that when it comes to variety!

7) Alternate Pins and Two Tees: But here's where it gets even better. Alternate pins are great but Dave McCormack and his crew had the foresight to make sure to mark the current pin location on the teesign. This is the best way to do alternate pins in my opinion! The distances between the long and short pads was only about 1500 feet but I'd say that was worth at least 6 strokes. So instead of shooting in the 70's maybe you can shoot in the 60's from the shorter pads!

8) Practice Facilities: Not only does this course have a driving range that goes out to 500 feet (seriously????) but it has a killer practice basket. Huge kudos to the crew for getting those put in. I can't EVER remember seeing a driving range on a disc golf course.

9) Let's get to some of the holes: I literally LOL'd at hole 8 as some other reviewers have pointed out. It was pretty fun to walk up to that hole and throw that shot between the branches. Truly a memorable shot and honestly disc golf needs more of that. Hole 1 is just a beast! Its probably good to warm up on the Recreation 9 because I can't imagine having to play this course first and then starting with this hole. This is a true par 5! So many holes stood out in the middle of the round as well but I loved the second shot to hole 15. After a crush drive the second shot requires a RHBH hyzer to a guarded green. Honestly this course had SO many great to awesome holes. The par 4's were truly awesome and honestly some of the best par 4's I have ever played.

10) Controlled Distance: This course has a lot of variety but the one thing that kept sticking out in my mind was "control your distance". This course has a few holes with low hanging branches near the teepad. You know the kind I am talking about: the branches you want to RIP down with a chainsaw because it doesn't allow you to BOMB your drive as far as you want it. These kind of shots really force you to think about the distance you want to throw and really forces you to strategize your way around the course. There's lot of variety between forehand, backhand, etc. As I said, this course really forces you to THINK THINK THINK. Think about where you want to land; think about where not to land; think about how far you can push the limit off of the tee.

Cons:

Honestly this course doesn't have a lot of bad things going for it. After all, its a solid 4.5 in my book and Phenomenal courses don't have a lot to improve upon. Here are my cons:

1) Some of the navigation was a little confusing but this was not a huge con and it did not affect my rating. Just worth noting.

2) The course had many blind baskets. Even with the wonderful tee signs there was still some walking ahead to scout out the hole. The rough was also pretty rough so spotters would be advised on a few holes.

3) Some of the crossings of the creek were a little dangerous and could probably use some better bridges.

4) This course is a 4.5 - this one is not really a huge con but just something that could potentially make this course a 5.0. The greens on this course were pretty plain. There weren't any elevated baskets, swinging baskets, built up baskets, etc. This course is PHENOMENAL but one thing that has stood out to me regarding 5.0 courses are that they have EXTREMELY memorable greens and baskets. This course had nice greens but nothing stood out about this courses greens or baskets (ie, Idlewild and the beautiful rock built greens) that told me this course should be a 5.0. As I said, this is not really a huge con but more just a suggestion of what could make this course a 5.0.

5) This is not a huge con but more of just a nitpicky thing: Hole 18 was a little bit of a letdown. After playing such an epic course I expected 18 to be a monster par 5. PLEASE NOTE: With that in mind, this didn't take away from my rating of the course. If hole 1 and 18 were reversed (with hole 18 then being a monster par 5) I still wouldn't have given this course a 5.0 rating.

Other Thoughts:

Honestly, the cons on this course are just so nitpicky. There is just not a lot wrong with this course. Some may say, this is a 5.0 course then! Its close, but its not quite there. It doesn't quite have the seclusion of Highbridge or the awesomeness of Flyboy or the natural beauty of Nockamixon. Its a PHENOMENAL course that is truly up there with the best courses in the country. It truly is a GEM to play.

PLEASE NOTE: I highly recommend playing the 9 hole recreational course first. Its a great warmup and it allows you to score well before being PULVERIZED and BEATEN into the ground by the Championship Course that is Centralia. I remember being so tired at the end of the round that the thought of playing another round was deep in my dreams. That means the course did a good job!
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19 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.4 years 512 played 183 reviews
4.50 star(s)

The main course is delicious, but could give you heartburn 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 18, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Superb course in a unique, private park that's open to the public.
• Disc Play: Wonderfully comprehensive and very challenging. Distance and precision are required to score well. Great variety as far as left/right/straight and S-shaped fairways. No massive elevation changes, but there's are some substantial uphill/downhill/gulley shots to make things interesting. Hole lengths come in long and longer, with a few shorter holes sprinkled in for good measure. Feels very well-wooded, but many of the long holes are open/semi open off the tee, only to get harrowing further down the fairway. While you really want to huck it to get down there, you need to either hit a window to get through the obstacles further down (assuming you can throw that far) or hit a landing spot for a decent upshot through to set up a good putt. Missing a landing spot could cost you a stroke. Missing the window on the fly during peak growth might cost you two, and possibly your disc. Demanding as they may be, all the holes are fair- rewards hitting fairways, punishes finding the rough. Risk reward is there - you can play it safe off the tee, or go for it. Also features some rollaway potential.
• Dual tees w/ rotating pin placements provide four ways to play (to bad both pins aren't permanent). Blue tees provide significantly tougher looks, but not necessarily that much more distance (half the additional distance of the blues comes on just four holes). The longer "B" placements stretch things out even more, and yes - they're tougher to get to.
• Equipment: Gateway Titans - catch great and built to last. Red tees are concrete, nice sized, grippy, and marked with easy to spot tee signs. Blues are still natural (as of this review), and marked with 2' posts tipped w/blue paint. Single tee signs show both red and blue tee locations plus both pin positions. Current pin placement is shown on the post. Everything was well maintained.
• Aesthetics - Not picturesque, but I thought it was quite pleasant to walk through, especially #'s 6-11 which play over/around the stream. Natural features like elevation and a winding stream are used very effectively to enhance challenge and visual appeal. There's a nice bridge to cross the stream at 7 and some concrete stepping stones to cross it again further along the course - both add a bit of charm.
• Memorable holes: # 8 made me LOL: There's a weird branch growing off a tree forming a U-shaped frame several feet wide, just in front of the red tee. Didn't notice anything about a mando, but it'd be hard to play the hole well without throwing through the U. Sign painted at the bottom of the U reads, "RIGHT NOW... I'm in your head." AWESOME!! Reminded me of the THINK sign on Flyboy #25. #1's an open bomb, but features a bottleneck you have to hit from a distance to score well. #7 plays over the stream (but at an angle, making it more difficult to get over) and has some great pin placements. There was just something about 12 I liked a lot.
• Navigation: There are a couple long walks and few tricky spots, but the holes on this course are worth it. I found my way around pretty easily once I got the hang of it and the map on the scorecard will get you where you need to be.
• Pairs well with Rec 9 to take things to the next level (and then some). Having another course that plays to a different skill level in the same park is a big plus
• Separate scorecards for the blue and red tees w/map at kiosk are a nice touch.
• Bathroom near start/finish.
• Thoughtfully located across the street from St Mary's Hospital, where trained medical personnel can resuscitate you after you tally your score. Staff has experience treating severely bruised egos as well.

Cons:

Not much to complain about.
• Personally glad they poured concrete for the reds first, but this course really needs concrete for the blues (park employee told me they're coming this year).
• Oddly enough, I think one of Champ 18's biggest cons results from the confluence of several individual things they got right:
Love the Gateway Titans, but $#%! are they hard to spot when they're tucked away... well into the woods... some 500+ ft away. It's like playing "Where's Waldo." This course demands both distance and placement. That requires knowing exactly where the target is to have any hope placing a drive that sets you up for par or better. The problem's only compounded by multiple pin placements. I literally spent more time scouting ahead for baskets and back than I did looking for the next tee. With this many holes over 500, it gets old - fast. Call me a wimp, but you do enough walking playing a 9000' course - you shouldn't have to tack on another 3000 just spotting baskets... and I played early in the season, before the foliage had a chance to grow in. ANY splash of bright color would be a HUGE help. Paint the poles or the basket, add a flag - something! Locals may not care, but this place is well worth visiting, and when you're travelling, playing several courses a day, it's aggravating as hell- especially when there are easy solutions.

Other Thoughts:

The highlight of my trip to the St. Louis area, Foundation Champ 18 gets my "destination worthy" stamp, but plan accordingly. Championship all the way, beginners sure to get frustrated. Not sure I completely agree with with the score card's Par of 70, but get the idea of "everything's a par 3" right the hell outta your head - you ain't shooting 54 here. No doubt in my mind this course can create scoring separation among top level players. I was in over my head playing reds to B's; carded an 80, and loved it.

For 18 holes, this course plays looong; the shortest layout (Red to A) averages just over 430'/hole, while the longest (Blue to B) clocks in at over 600'/hole. Mix in the degree of difficulty and there's simply no rushing through this bad boy, so don't plan on it. It was cool the morning I played, but I wouldn't want to play here on a hot, humid afternoon. Bring plenty of water and maybe an apple or other energy boost. This is a big course and can take a lot out of you - it's hard to finish strong when you're gassed.

Park employee I ran into told me another park employee is very active in the local club and it makes sense. Moving through the course, I saw a lots of thorny rough that had been pruned, underbrush cleared away in likely trouble spots and things were clean. When people care, it shows.
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4 0
discdanny
Experience: 11.4 years 37 played 17 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Champ Level Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Foundation Park is a gnarly championship level course. This place will force even the most crafty veteran to really be on their A-game to shoot well on this course and can punish those less seasoned players. Out of the gate, you are faced with a 800+ monster and quickly move to gorgeous turnover tunnel shot.. You will have an opportunity to throw every disc in your bag as you wind through the gentle wooded hills of centrellia, IL. This place is really too awesome to describe and always seems to be pretty free of any other disc golf traffic at all.

Other Features:
-not so "rec" 9 hole course to warm up on!!!!!
-Concrete Tee Pads
-Multiple Pad locations
-Multiple Pin Placements
-Restrooms
-Pavilion
-Practice Basket
-Secluded/Peaceful place to golf
-Trash Cans (park is very clean)

Cons:

-Isnt closer to my house

Other Thoughts:

Personally one of my favorite places to play.. In my top 5 courses.. Thank you David Mac and Justin Bunnell.. This is really a job well done!!
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12 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 179 played 144 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Unique Course That Requires Big Arm AND Technical Approach 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Located in a pretty big city park, though it doesn't have that feel. Most of the course is pretty well secluded, except for a few holes that play near the entrance. For how empty the park feels, there is actually a good bit to do with miles of hiking trails, two stocked fishing ponds, prayer chapel in the woods, multiple memorials, multiple pavilions, and a natural amphitheater. It seems though that the two courses are the main attraction to this site. I've read that there is a clubhouse on site, but I was unable to find it. Also, there is said to be a driving range and measurements from the practice tee, which are awesome features. I assume that the numbers were spray painted because I could find nothing of the sort. There are restrooms, a course map, some parking spots, and local club/tournament information posted near the first tees for both courses. Seems like an active course because I saw multiple groups of people playing on an early Wednesday morning, though the course is so big and spread out that this didn't affect my round. The course is spread tremendously throughout and makes much of the park's space.

Foundation Park sports two sets of tees (red and blue), unique wooden tee signs at the red tees that are in good shape, give hole lengths and pars, and list the current pin position. Red tees are perfectly long and wide and made of concrete. Baskets are Gateway Titan, have hole numbers on them, and are in fantastic shape. There were benches and garbage cans near some, but not all of the tees. Navigation is good for the most part. The course flowed very well and all but two holes (7 and 18) were easy to find. Next tee signs are often used, making navigation easy for the would-be trickier spots. There are well-defined trails and bridges to cross the stream. May be dangerous for some without much balance, but I liked them.

When talking about hole and shot variety, this course sits very close to a 5. This is a very technical course that challenges many aspects of your throwing. There are 5 par 5's and 8 par 4's, all legit to me. Great variety of short and tight, long and tight, and long and somewhat open. There aren't any plain open holes, but holes 1, 12, 14-16 give you some freedom while still being super long and technical enough with the trees. Also, the low hanging branches - while frustrating - challenges controlled distance throws like I've never seen. Fantastic variation of lengths from 264 in the shorts to 1,036 in the longs. Even distribution of hyzers, straight shots, and anhyzers. Plays over stream multiple times.

Cons:

-The course isn't very scenic or aesthetically pleasing, if you enjoy that aspect as I do. Pretty dreary looking throughout.
-This normally doesn't bother me but since the course is so long, it'd be nice to have restrooms in the course.
-As I said, navigation is a little difficult in two spots, going to hole 7 and hole 18. The course map is helpful if you use that, but there weren't any next tee signs and there were multiple paths from the previous baskets, I took the wrongs ones first on both.
-One technical aspect that would make this closer to a 5 would be more elevation. However, this is in the middle of Illinois and the course has 2 or 3 holes that use the slight elevation given. Can't punish the course for this, just would make this course even a little better.
-Blue tees not present on every hole, are natural, and don't have tee signs.

Other Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed my round at Foundation Park, and if you have time I suggest warming up on the rec. course. This is truly a unique course with the type of topography and the massively long, technical holes. The middle -most wooded- holes were the staples in this course and my favorite holes were:

5-Very long hyzer with multiple lines, goes downhill then uphill
6-Super tight downhill shot, best chance at an ace here
7-Very fun hole that plays across the creek and a pin position uphill in a tight section of the woods
8-An extreme hyzer shot with a mando through a fallen down tree with a sign that says, "I'm in your head now". Nice pin position between trees
9-Open and straight then hard dogleg left uphill then downhill to pin
11-Open shot then a hyzer through the trees and over the creek
12- Super long par 5 hyzer

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1 2
cannon15
Experience: 11 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

A to Z course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 28, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has everything from A to Z.

Lets start with the courses. You have two separate courses to play. A rec 9 perfect for beginners and families. Not many courses have an area where you can play at your leisure with out feeling like your in the way of people who already know how to play. And this course has not been neglected it features the same concrete pads and tee post as the champ side.

The Champ 18 is difficult and challenging yet enjoyable to play. The holes seem to have every variety of length and shot selection. The woods is thin enough you can find your disc when you get off line. That is a huge plus. Although this course has many long holes there are many strategic obstacles that prevent big arms from dominating. The champ side is a great course for tournaments and large group play.

The Tees--On the champ side you have very separate red an blue tees. On the rec side you have red blue and even youth yellow. A person could spend a day just playing all the different tee locations.

Pin locations are also changed seasonally by the local club.

There is a club that host a league and fund raising tournaments.

This is also a great park with bike trails, fishing, pavilions, rest rooms and plenty of room to park.

Cons:

There are no cons I can find for this course or park.

Other Thoughts:

Centralia is a fairly small town with your basic fast food restaurants and a walmart.
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2 3
Almighty_Ed
Experience: 13.3 years 13 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course!!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 2, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Many different shot shapes to utilize more discs in the bag and change your game up a bit.

Nice tee pads, trash cans, signage, benches.

Love the creek play.

Great park all around.

Cons:

Too many low disc swatting branches.

Hole length on a few seemed a bit excessive but the par rating was generous enough.

That's a bout it for cons.

Other Thoughts:

I loved this course! It's about 1 1/2 hr drive but stories of the hole length always scared me away. Nah! It aint like that. You don't have to have a big arm to enjoy this course. But I do recommend just slowing down and concentrate on placement over distance.

Can't wait to go back!
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2 11
smokey102977
Experience: 19.7 years 22 played 12 reviews
3.50 star(s)

HOLY COW!!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 18, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Awesome park setting. Practice basket. Driving Range. Great mix of open and tight fairways, tight and open greens, some elevation change, and lots of shot types can be utilized around the course.

Cons:

Can be too long. When playing from the long tees to the long pins, especially during a tourney, you will wear yourself out. They need to expand the parking area.
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14 1
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.8 years 1512 played 480 reviews
4.50 star(s)

The Foundation of the Future! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 25, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Nice large grippy concrete tees on this course . . . I was tempted into playing the longs when I encountered a long concrete tee on #1, but switched right back to the short tees when I realized the concrete tees were only on the short tees.
2) Posts mark the holes with red/blue markings so you know which hole you are on.
3) Plenty of garbage cans around this course for disposal of your trash.
4) Nice feature to have two 9 hole loops that come back to the parking lot. Each 9 could almost be considered a course because they are so long and challenging. I think it took about 2 hours to play the entire 18 which s a long time.
5) Nice signs have Hole #, Par, Distance and indicate both sets of tees and alternate basket locations.
6) This course has such a nice variety from mildly wooded, to moderately wooded to tight and dense shots. You need to be able to throw all sorts of shots to play well here. The roller could be found as a great tool for you if you are good at them. It will help eat up a lot more distance than air shots.
7) Distance variation is as big as I have ever seen. This is integral to this course being so challenging and fun at the same time. There is such a huge variety in hole distances from 200's all the way up to 800's. It is a little disturbing that this course was allowed to eat up so much space. I am shocked disc golf was allowed to take over this section of the park completely, but then I realize the park as a whole is enormous and there is plenty of room for other activities. I wish we had more parks like this in SE WI.
8) Talk about a course that should be hosting all sorts of professional events. If the pros don't love this course I will . . . nevermind . . . they will love this course.
9) Road-trip worthy . . . and you could spend all day here and maybe get in 54-72 holes only. It is just that long and it takes you a long time to play it.
10) Bathrooms available at the parking lot.
11) There is a shelter, a labyrinth, and other activities and things to see in this park . . . but who are we kidding, we are here for the disc golf.

Cons:

1) This course is far from beginner friendly. The distance alone might kill some newbies . . . add in the other challenging features and it is sure to turn some people away. I like courses to have alternate tees that allows everyone to experience the same sort of experience as a better player, only shorter and less frustrating.
2) There were a couple places where the navigation was a little confusing.
3) Some of the baskets are blind from the tees so they play tougher than they need to. Sometime there looked to be an intuitive shot, that turned out to be the wrong direction slightly.
4) The "bridges" that are used are dangerous and not perfect. Two of them use concrete pillars that you need to step across . . . then there is the bridge that is a ladder with some rope to hold on to. I prefer that things be done properly the first time and these things leave a bit to be desired.

Other Thoughts:

I started out wanting to play the long tees. . . then I realized that the long tees were not concrete and that they were ridiculously long, so long that there is no good reason for me to play the long tees. I could have gotten so much practice on my rollers had I stayed on the longs, but it likely would have been a rough go of it.
This is such an epicly long course . . . however . . .it doesn't even feel like it is that long because almost none of the length is pure wide open holes. You have to work your disc in all directions around all sorts of obstacles in order to play well, so you are busy worrying about your shots, you forget that you are playing such a long course.
The design and layout of this course make it one of the best. I had a lot of fun shooting 77, something I cannot say for many courses out there. In fact I cannot say I have shot 77 at very many courses ever. This is simply put a unique experience with the length being a major factor . . . but also the fact that they made the course long without you even worrying about it. You need to focus on your shot shaping and the trouble areas more than you do the length which I think makes this course one of the best designs I have ever encountered.
The maintenance is decent but I feel like such a top notch design deserves some top notch maintenance and amenities. I hope the local club realizes what they have here and work hard at keeping this course up and displaying it for all of the disc golfers out there.

I feel like this course sits right around a 4.7 on the rating scale. There are so many things that make it great, but there are also a few things that keep it from being the best it could be. Add in all the amenities, fix the bridges and safety, and do a little bit more maintenance on trees and shrubs etc and this course would easily be in competition for one of the top courses in the country. I hope it happens and I hope to be back sometime soon.
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