Hickory Hill offers a fairly challenging 9 hole par 3 experience for more seasoned players while remaining accessible to beginners. The land consists of a mix of recently cleared scrub forest and grassy neighborhood park. Depending on skill level this is: an all par 3 course; (2) tweeners and (7) par 3s; or (7) 3s, (1) soft, and (1) hard par 4. Roughly half the holes do a good job of limiting the possible flight lines that could result in a birdie putt. For most players, there will be a few risk/reward decisions to be made off the tee. Tees are large, level concrete. Not super long, but plenty wide. Baskets are nice, new DGA Mach 7s (also see cons). Signs have hole #, par, and a basic map.

Minor elevation changes are in play on a few holes, but overall the course plays flat.
Hole 4 plays as a long 3, a tweener 3/4, or a soft 4 depending on how far you throw. The hole plays along the edge of the park, with a row of backyards behind low chainlink fences left of the fairway. The tee is a good way from the fence line, but the basket is close enough that the fence line cuts through the putting circle. There's a small soccer practice area to the right of the fairway, so going for the deuce could put neighbors or other park users at risk.
Hole 8 also presents some safety concerns. The tee is very close to hole 7's basket and the 2nd half of the fairway runs parallel to hole 9 with only minimal foliage to stop potential shank-->head shots. Hole 8's basket is right in noob hyzer range from 9's tee (ask me how I know).
Baskets are set in concrete that is about the same diameter as the cage and slightly mounded up like a mushroom top. Not sure if they did a surface pour or just had a ton of leftover concrete in need of a home. A few freeze/thaw cycles should give us an answer. For now all baskets are plumb.
Navigation isn't as intuitive as you'd expect for a town park niner. That may improve as the course gets some finishing touches.

As of late March 2023, 5 of 9 fairways are still quite rough. All of these holes were cleared from scrub forest within the past year. Portions of some of these fairways have been seeded and covered with hay and mesh, but other portions are still rough with a few small stumps and downed trees and brush piles. Some of the mess looks to be from recent storms, but some is clearly from clearing these fairways and must have been present since baskets and tees went in some time in the previous year.
All the other infrastructure in the area suggests that the conditions I saw are temporary and the rough edges will all get smoothed over. The course was < 1 year old when I played after all. A little spit and polish shouldn't negate the challenge though.

When I started playing, I would have loved to have a course like this around. The Chicago suburbs used to be characterized by a bunch of fairly crappy 9ers. This would have been one of the best of the bunch. Not on the level of the original Oakbrook course, but probably on par with Adler once finished.
If this course gets finished as I expect it to, my rating would rise to a 2.5. In it's current state, I considered giving it that rating. Not in the Top 10 9-Hole Course conversation, but you could do a hell of a lot worse. (I know I have)