I have a bit of a soft spot for Sergeant Means for a couple of reasons: its close to my house, it is my club's home course, and it is where I played my first sanctioned tournament back in 2015. So, while, I am going to try being as objective as possible in my review, consider this a warning of potential bias.

Now that that's out of the way. I honestly do believe that "Means" is a fun, serviceable course that can provide a fun, quick round any time of year.

+Truth be told, I have never visited the inside of the park district building that the entire park is centered around, but I am told they have a small selection of discs for sale inside.

+The course is 20 holes, but only one hole is 300'+ and it is 300' on the dot and wide open. So even with the two extra holes, its a quick round if you want it to be. Someone who has played the course before could easy get through in less than an hour without exerting themselves.

+While the holes are mostly on the shorter side, there is a great bit of technicality involved with a lot of the holes. A variety of lines and shot shapes are required to get a quality, under-par score here. This is a great course for a beginner to master some basic shot shapes or for a seasoned player to practice up on fundamentals that are required at any course.

+The local scene is awesome and the course gets a lot of traffic from the local club, aside from the regular Sunday leagues(+Thursday during summer!) The players at Means are typically very friendly, consisting of a wide variety of players in terms of skill level and age. Many times have I brought new players out to this course for leagues or a casual round, confident that they will be welcomed with opened arms.

+Ace Runs! For a 950+ rated player... every hole is "aceable" at this course. And for an 850+ rated player I would say up to 15 of them are still "aceable." This can make for a lot of fun and excitement during the round and contributes to making Means a fun course for doubles or a one disc round.

-Sergeant Means is operated by the park district of Olympia Fields and it is a fairly large, multi-use park. There is a walking path that crosses through the course several times, although it is typically off to the side in most cases, it comes into play on MOST of the holes at this course. With that in mind, the paths are typically played as IN-bounds by the locals and club.

-The baskets at this course are far from state of the art, but are generally sufficient enough for a course like Means While they have mostly been updated from the Mach 2 (a couple remain,) the Chainstars that have replaced them still give some trouble to a firm putter with some pace behind it.

-The teepads are fairly rough hereand often uneven. They are rubber mats in most cases-- some are in better shape than others. Again, serviceable, but far from what I would consider high-quality.

Unfortunately, given the nature of disc golf course reviews and some of the criteria that I consider to be required of a good course... some of the Pros of Sergeant Means are also cons...

-The course is short and for a 900+ rated player... its pretty easy and isn't going to offer a ton of challenge or excitement for a competitive round aside from the regular ace runs.

If you take Sergeant Means for what it is, I think its hard to beat. A quick track connected with a local park to get a quick, fun round in? Somewhere you can go to practice, forever trying to beat your 13 under par course record? A friendly, non-intimidating environment to introduce a newer player to the game? THIS IS YOUR PLACE!!

If you're looking some championship level golf, with high-quality amenities and heated competition? You might give somewhere else a try. Unless you're trying to run some $5 dubs with the locals who will gladly take a go at your lunch money....

-- Nice multi-use park. While it doesn't really enhance the disc course at all, there are nice facilities including a playground, tennis courts, soccer fields, etc
-- A decent amount of variety. There are some (mostly) open holes but also some fairly tight ones mixed in with low ceilings. I had to throw hyzers and annies, straight tunnels and spikes. Or of two of the tunnel holes would be a decent addition on a lot of courses

-- Confusing! The layout here is very untraditional. I had a hard time finding hole 1, but that was mostly due to half the parking lot being closed for construction. So I started on 4. There are some holes where other baskets were very close to the fairway leading to confusion about which to throw. This would also cause issues if there were a lot of groups on the course. There were also tee pads right next to each other and several instances where it was not at all clear what tee pad or basket was next. In some cases the tees had signs which made it clear, but many were missing. A few holes tee right next to each other in a similar direction, meaning the most efficient way to play those two is to drive both and play them at the same time.
-- A very short course. There weren't any times where I was really testing my distance shots. I teed off with a lot of mids and fairways (and some Firebird skips and spike hyzers).
-- Not terribly challenging. While there are a few low ceiling tunnel shots, most of the course is pretty easy, and even some of the tunnels aren't that hard because they're under 300. Holes 4 and 5 are tough, but mostly because there is no clear fairway or line to the basket, just a grid of trees that you have to hope to get through.
-- Tees, baskets and signs were not in very good shape. One basket's top was very bent, making it look almost like something from a Dali painting. The tees were rubber, and you could tell they've been there a while. Signs were often missing.
-- Being a multi-use park, I could see other park goers getting in the way of the course at times. I played in January, so it wasn't a problem, but in June and July, I could image it being pretty crowded.
-- There are several holes where it would be very easy to throw into someone's back yard. A few have fences (that might keep a disc in bounds, but might make it difficult to retrieve) while others have no fence but "no trespassing" signs

I played this course because I was in the area and didn't have enough sunlight left to get to a better course further away. It was decent, but not something I'd travel to or itch to play again. Most holes didn't offer much in terms of being interesting or challenging, and the layout is extremely confusing. The equipment could use an upgrade, but honestly, I wouldn't spend a bunch to replace baskets or tees here without a redesign (and maybe several trees being planted).

I've played worse, but I've played a lot better. As a beginner course this works, but it will not offer much to an experienced disc golfer.

Sergeant Means is an interesting mid-sized park bullt on the site of an old farm. There are some old buildings in the front that serve as maintenance and maybe office space. The course starts to the right of the buildings and generally plays in a clockwise direction around the entire park. There is a disc golf rules signal at the start. The tee signs are the old school fiberglass models but new colored signs have been placed in the frames. The tee pads are rubber and decent. There are a couple of holes where you're teeing off the sidewalks. The baskets are Mach IIs with the number on top. There are a couple of spots with nice shady picnic tables set. Nice spot for a cool rest break.

The course is short enough and open enough to be called a recreational level course. Most intermediate to advanced players won't find much challenge here.

# 1 is a 263' straight shot between two roles of trees. You'll find 3-5 of these types of holes. There are houses on the right side all the way down the fairway here. # 7 concerns me even more as now the backyards are on the left side. Too many players will hyser off into these yards. And there are signs posted asking players not to into the backyards. There is quite a variety of holes types and therefore different shots needed here. # 8 is just 177' but a pretty severe anhyser angle. I found a roller worked well here. 10-11-12 are all short (under 200') ACE runs.

One nice fearture here is there is usually one rung of the basket that is painted red and points to the next tee. Great navigational aid.

There is such a good chance of discs flying into yards here on 1, 2, 7, 8 and 16.

Recreational length and challenge.

Someone described the navigation as easy but awkward. That sums it up perfectly. # 5 basket is missing the red paint and then # 6 is missing the sign. Momentarily confusing.

I enjoyed this course early this AM. Hardly anyone there, perfect weather. Great, relaxing morning golfing. I'm all set to join Sergeant Mean's squadron.

20 holes so you can get a nice day in.

If you like a challenge, this will do it. You will not walk out with good numbers.

It's a par 3 course and most of them should be par 3s. If you're a prideful player who likes getting good numbers, you will not enjoy this park one bit.

Shared park so there will be kids, soccer players, and others.

Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep8w3XdPX6A

Technical course in spots with some elevation. Tight, tree-lined fairways make some holes challenging.

Not a huge fan of the layout. Kind of just looks like baskets and tees were poorly placed and the park it's in is heavily used so lots of pedestrians and distractions.

Wouldn't come back unless I was right in the area.

Fun and challenging course. Some ace run opportunities. Well manicured course. Calls for different style of shots from back hand to flick shots, ground rollers, and thumbers. Easy access with parking available at 3 locations around the course. Friendly local players are usually happy to point first timers in the right direction.

The tees are overall bad. They are rubber mats that were carelessly placed. Couple of ankle twisters. Some back track holes. Mix of old baskets of which 3 or 4 need to be replaced. Bad signage for new players navigating the course. Generally in winter the tees are mostly unusable.

Don't necessary listen to those reviews that state this park to be a beginners course. This course looks fairly innocent but does present many technical lines if the player wants to shoot under a 60. There are some drawbacks to the course, no doubt. And there are no holes over 315 but do not let that deter you from a fun experience playing a course unlike any other within the area. I am fond of this course and the more you play it the more you will appreciate what it has to offer.

Nice orchard setting in a large park.

Different shot variety used well: straight, tunnel, hyzer, anhyzer, and roller.

Not crowded when I played.

Good baskets, decent signs and tee pads.

Uses elevation it has well and the shots through the orchard were interesting.

A few holes seemed a bit impossible to find a line to the basket that took more skill than luck to hit.

Some navigation issues with back tracking and such. Didn't spend too much time finding out where to go.

Didn't have issues with other park users, but there were not many out. Just be aware of your surroundings when playing as it may be an issue.

No hole really stands out to me, but it was a solid course that was fun to play.

Not sure if I would drive 45 minutes to go back and play again. It was a nice disc golf day, it just didn't have those exciting holes that would keep me going back to play. Just felt like a decent/ average 18 hole course. It is worth at least a play to see for yourself though.

Fantastic course to learn and hone your disc golf skills. It is a well kept and easily accessible facility. Great tunnel shots, wide open opportunities. The sergeant can whip even more seasoned golfers. All rubber tee pads have been replaced as of 7-9-12

The course does leave a little to be desired in the adventurous sense. It seems a little to packed in at times. Errant discs have the potential of hitting cars or ending up in back yards here and there but that won't bother you if your aim is in check.

An underrated course that keeps so many coming back. Sergeant Mean's will always offer challenge to all levels with it's fun topography and interesting layout. You will not go there and walk all over the park. Just ask hole # 5

- Sergeant Mean's is a park style course that plays mostly around the perimeter of a nicely manicured and well-kept multi-use facility. Grassy, with no schule except for on the very edge of the park, the course's main challenges consist of decent elevation changes as well as above average tree formations.
- Vegetation: for a park style course, Sgt. Mean's has a great mix of looks into and out of stands of trees, "up and over" type shots where coming up short means losing a disc in the dense deciduous treetops, tunnel shots down two rows of trees, and "thread the needle" gap shots where hitting your line is the difference between par and a deuce.
- Variety: again, for a park style course Sgt. Mean's mixes things up nicely over the 20 holes. Nothing seems repetitive, with maybe the exception of the "tunnel shots" which kept occuring. A good mix of wooded, semi-wooded, and open.
- Elevation, while not even moderate, was nevertheless used extremely well and added many interesting shots (including one blind pin with a drop-off behind). Used very well in conjunction with vegetation.
- Amenities: a few loose chains but mostly decent baskets; adequate but sometimes missing signage; rubber mats in decent shape; playground, soccerfield, tennis and basketball courts, playground, baseball diamond, portajohns, etc. on site.

- The flow and navigation are a bit of a struggle the first (and even second) time through here, even after being guided. Several illogical back-tracks to tees. Several tees where two or three different baskets could be the potential target add to the confusion. Coupled with average signage, this could lead to shooting at the wrong basket. On the other hand, it offers up the opportunity for some crazy safari rounds.
- The bustling park doesn't interfere much with the course, but the atmosphere doesn't lend itself to relaxed, isolated "in the tank" sort of discin' that most enjoy.
- Parts of the park are bounded by private properties, some of which have fences easily capable of swallowing an errant throw.

- There's a windmill!
- Beware the dense treetops on #'s 5 and 20. "Up and over" at your own risk.
- Solid though not spectacular, the Sarge is like a crafty ol' soldier: not flashy, but with more than a few cunning tricks up his sleeve, and more dangerous than he first appears. ATTENTION!

- The course plays around a nice multi-use park just south of the city. The orchard style trees give it a unique feel

- Beginner friendly course, but it still offers enough variety to keep it interesting for experienced players.

- An excellent place to practice overhad shots, a good thumber can go a long way on the orchard section.

- Although they are all realatively short there is a good variety of lines and some elevations changes on a few holes. Also a good mix of open shots with tighter holes.

- Tee signs do a decend job of helping a first timer visit but the course doesn't always follow a logical flow.

The biggest complaint of this course is that it is very short. If there was room to add a few longer pin placements this course could be much better.

Also, being a multi-use park there are pleanty of other park users to watch out for. The course plays through soccer fields, playgrounds, walking paths ect.

The course can get really soggy with the rain

The course has a unique feel to it and a variety that makes it enjoyable. It certainly isn't a destination course but it is a solid 20 holes.

-21 very different holes
-Low trees make for difficult shots
-Few open field shots
-Left and right hand shots
-All par 3 makes for a tough course
-Most tees are rubber and well maintained

-Low trees make for difficult shots
-Houses line the perimiter of the park so be careful when throwing
-Playgrounds,Soccer fields, and a baseball diamond all within the course. Socccer fields come into play on a few holes
- Only 1 water fountain so plan ahead
-Rain destroys a few holes
-Few holes missing signs
-Very buggy in mid summer

Means is one of my favorites but is also the course i hate the most. My score changes everytime i play this course. One day ill come out down 6 the next i will be up 6. Good challanging course. For a easy way to change things up try a shotgun start at 10.

- Course is set in a medium sized park that has a walking path and some picnic areas. A few spots are meant for other uses, but not too much interference.
- Portions of the course borders a small forest area, mostly counter-clockwise, taking away a lot of easy hyzer routes. There are also some spots that require a right hook around the forest, as well as avoiding some low hanging trees.
- Other spots are densely populated by small trees in tight rows. These holes force plenty of dead straight shots, as well as others that snake left and right through the tight lines, with some hard curves in both directions. A few baskets are protected with these trees as well.
- Some holes are more open, with a few trees to force some shots. Some elevation changes are present, including a hill that has an upshot and a sloping fairway.
- Good tee signs, decent baskets, teepads are in pretty good shape where present.

- Holes are squeezed in very tightly in some spots, with a few fairways or baskets close to another. Flow is pretty funky as well; there are two spots where you must retreat down the same fairway, and going from hole to hole can be a bit of a hike. Navigation is easy but awkward.
- Overall, the length is pretty short, with a good number of pretty easy holes. Even the trickier ones are short enough where a recovery shot is not too difficult.
- Tons of man-made pavement, parking lots, buildings, and picnic tables to navigate. It is good for OB purposes, but is an eyesore and too plentiful.

- This course has a lot of variety, with a lot of different features. The rows of trees provide a ton of tricky lines, in a lot of directions. Other holes have fewer trees that are more random, so the different shots with different tree patterns have a unique feel. Not many bombers, though most have some wrinkle to add some challenge.
- Might be a tad too easy for some with the shorter hole lengths, but the tougher lines should make up for that. Should be enjoyable for most casual to experienced players.

-Beautifully manicured and maintained
-This is the only course I've really seen with this kind of "orchard"-style landscaping, rewarding accuracy to split the perfectly spaced rows of trees (especially #4) and creating some interesting lines.
-With the exception of a few unnecessary holes (see below) the limited terrain is used exceptionally well, even managing to squeeze some elevation in #11,12.
-The holes don't feel repetitive, with each one offering something new to the course, whether its a low ceiling, slightly sloped green, or guarded pin
-Even though there isn't much space, it doesn't feel like a 9 hole course where they threw in more just to make it 18

-The course was altered from 18 to 20 holes, and some of the additions leave you scratching your head. Space has always been at a premium here (the longest hole is only 315'), so cramming in holes like #2 and #10 seem pointless. Plus, these require you to walk back towards the tee to get to the next hole, forcing those behind to wait. If this gets too annoying, its easy enough to skip a few and play a solid 18.
-Baseball games and soccer games can easily get in the way of 3-5 holes, and parties at the pavilion can interfere with #3 (little kids have a blast rolling down that hill)
-As others have said, the rubber tee pads can be uneven at times and some get real slick after rain. Plus, the holes near the baseball field do not drain well and occasionally have to be skipped

-This was my home course through high school and college, and its where I learned to play. Don't let the orchard holes fool you, they were simple when the trees were young, but they're closing off space in a hurry!
-While some of the tighter holes can be frustrating for novices, the course has more than enough easy, birdie-able holes to make up for this. Though honestly, that and the lack of any challenging distance may make much of the course too easy for the more advanced player. Worth checking out if you're hanging around Chicago's south suburbs, but there are better courses around Joliet if you can make the trip.

The park is a very well kept. It is pretty flat and has quite a few trees. The fairways are mowed and this is a very nice walk in the park.

If you like overhand shots you will like this course. There are quite a few holes where throwing over the top is the best option instead of throwing thru the tight orchard trees.

There are some tight shorter holes that will work your mid range and putter game. There is a good variety of shorter holes.

This is a very beginner friendly course.

It is pretty easy to navigate and will not take long ot play.

The baskets and tee signs are adequate.

The tee pads can get very slick and muddy when they are wet.

It is very short and lacks holes that you can throw drivers. The longest hole is 315ft.

Be careful not to hit other players. Some of the holes play very close together. Tee pads can be somewhat close to baskets.

If I were traveling thru this area i'd consider playing Mokena the Oaks over this course.

This is a small multi use park and pedestrians can be a problem.

Check out my Illinois Top 10.
http://discontinuum.org/index...1486.msg68704#msg68704

The course plays through a pretty city park with nice grass and tight stands of trees that obviously used to be an orchard. There are multiple places in the park with some cool little elevation changes that are used well.

There is a nice mix of fairly open holes with some scattered trees, and some extremely tight tunnel shots and shots through the overgrown orchard section of the course, giving some variety to the holes. There are a few where rollers or big overhand shots are the best option, which was a cool design feature (not that I'm actually good at either of those shots...). Though most of the course felt pretty short, there was enough difficulty to keep it interesting, and a few longer shots mixed in. There were a few shots that dictated left and right turning shots, and these seemed pretty balanced.

Most of the course is pretty easy to follow, with decent hole signs and baskets in good shape. The landscaping and grounds maintenance couldn't be better, makes for a very nice park round.

There were a few spots where the course flow was pretty bad, you had to walk back the length of the previous hole to get to the next tee. Several of the tees didn't provide the best teeing area, with some that were not level or not large enough, and a couple where there really wasn't a designated tee.

There were way too many spots on this course where holes played too close to other park uses. The tennis courts, soccer fields, and multiple walking paths and picnicking areas are all in play, and could make for dangerous rounds when the park is busy.

Overall, this is a fun little course in a city park that does the best it can with the fringes of a busy multi-use park. There are some fun holes, that make this course worth a stop in the area, but it's a little busy, and not enough of a draw to be worth driving very far to play.

There is enough difficulty here to keep things interesting for more experienced players. Newer players may be frustrated by some of the tighter holes, but there isn't much distance to frustrate smaller arms or any real places to lose discs.

Incorporated a lot of holes with trees and had19 holes. It was a little different to play something other than the traditional 18

The tee pads were horrible, the rubber wa like an ice rink I got more grip throwing from the mud. on one hole if you are RHBH there is a light pole right in your line, and it is obvious that it gets hit. The holes with trees are ridiculous, the gaps are literally a foot or two wider than the tee pad. Not a beginner friendly course. It just seems like a lot of the holes were placed there for the sake of making a course.

They should consider moving to 9 holes and consider alternate tee pads to make it play like 18. If the park could actually turn the drainage area by 10-12 into a pond it would be neat. get rid of 10 and 11 and make 12's tee from where 10's pad is and make it a nice water hole as the alternate pad. there is a lot of space to make an excellent 9-hole course that is far better than the 18 they currently have. 3 and 19 are probably my favorite holes. good distance and accuracy is needed for a chance at a 2.

What I personally like and how this course stacks up in my list of 18 (and more) hole courses:

1) Holes with good risk/reward. Fair, but harsh punishment for bad decisions or execution. == C+
(The holes through the trees offer good punishment and require accuracy, but never enough punishment to expect a bogey for one's errors. At least half the holes are wide open and offer zilch in this department.)

2) Holes that have rewarding birdie opportunities for me. I throw 300' accurately, 360' max. == B-
(Most of the wooded holes make for fun and rewarding birdies - several are too short of my liking. About 1/4 of the open holes are challenging for me. Given the land the designer had to work with only a few small improvements could have been made in this area, IMO.)

3) More wooded than open - lots of variety of shots required caused by hole shape and topography == B-
(There are a bunch of finesse/touchy shots required that take a variety of throws - rollers are recommended on several. IMO, this is the strength of this course.)

4) Natural beauty (Appalachian beauty preferred) and seclusion. == B-
(The park is attractive and well maintained and has a nice vibe. Seclusion is poor as you are playing around ball fields and through picnic areas the entire round.)

5) Bonus points for multi-throw holes with defined landing zones, good risk/reward and multiple options to play them. == N/A

It's all about feeding the addiction, so I ranked this course subjectively based on my own "personal addiction factor". The grades above tell how well the course will draw me back to itself again and again and again. Since I have played a decent number of courses (125 18-hole, 64 9-hole as of mid 2009), my hope is that players/explorers who have similar addiction tastes will find my ratings list helpful as they choose courses to play and explore.

I fully expect others with different tastes/philosophies to disagree with me....that's the fun of things here. See my profile for my rating philosophy.

-short and beginner friendly
-creative holes for a small park
-well manicured

-a little difficult to follow in some places
-some holes throw very close to places that other park goers use (basketball courts, benches, etc)
-some signs point to wrong baskets and distances aren't accurate

This course is primarily open, with a few wooded holes, and some holes that really have no lanes to throw through and shouldn't be a part of the course. I can see where it'd be a good place for locals to start, or to take a friend that you want to teach, but this course isn't challenging enough for the advanced player.

It can be difficult to follow in some places because the paths are not always worn and there are multiple tee signs in some areas where the signs have been stolen and you don't know which hole it is.

Fun course, not worth going out of your way for.

Well maintained and open, very easy to find any stray shots. Grass is always short and trees are always trimmed, no poison ivy here.

Large amounts of trees creating unnecessary blocks on many holes, soccer and baseball game crowds may block some holes during the day. Some holes backtrack over eachother which can be confusing and cause course backups.

Good course set in what used to be an old nursery/orchard converted to a multi-use park (see cons). Terrain is used pretty well, aside from a few spots.
Good variety of holes (open, tunnel, tight).
Baskets are generally kept in good shape.
Next to no chance of losing discs, there's one really wooded area, chances are you'll stick it into the orchard trees before you lose it in schule.
Course routing is straightforward, asside from the add-on holes.
Accuracy is rewarded over power, even the open holes are deceiving.
The park district keeps the course in great shape along with the help of Red Roc DGC.
Memorable holes include...
#5 L>R shot through/over an orchard to a basket nestled in trees.
#10 tight hallway shot, should go slightly right at the end, to a pretty green
#12 Tee off in the trees to a basket on top of a mound, looks wide open and easy, but elevation change and wind will screw with this "simple" shot.
#16/17 Located in the more wooded part of the course, require very accurate tee shots.
#20 A sub 200ft shot once again through the orchard, over a fence to a basket with old guardian trees, 2 lane are provide for spike hyzers, although some will opt-out for a tomahawk.
Discs and scorecards are available in the park office.

Multi-use park, some holes are next to soccer fields/tennis courts... when the park has a game going it WILL get crowded with people roaming everywhere. Park is also available for parties.. once again people everywhere, #3's fairway seems to be the favorite volley ball area.
The holes can seem a little repetative, though not as bad as a course like The Oaks in Mokena.
Tee pads, while generally in good shape, get very slippery after rain... overall the course drainage could be better.
The "new" 20 hole routing is just senseless in spots, requiring you to play a hole, walk back to the tee and then play next hole (cough) #2,7... the 10/11 problem is usually solved by throwing 1st shots on each, then putting out, unfortunately this requires a lot of discs. I'll agree that it seems as though holes were added just to have more. (Personally I don't agree with this theory).
While not a pitch n putt, the course is very demanding on the tee shot, particularly through the orchard, this would be a turn off to novice player. Also as the trees grow in the course gets harder, once again frustrating for lower skill levels.

This is my home course, been playing it for years. I miss the old 18 hole layout, particularly old #11. The course can be enjoyed by all skill levels (I played my 1st round ever here), although it would lose it's attraction to a very skilled player (say 875+) as it's not that long. I'm going to give it 3.5 discs. If the routing was fixed as to interfere less with soccer/tennis, drainage was addressed, the port-o-potty was put back in on the far side of the course, and the routing was fixed, it could be a 4 disc course.
Parking is ample when in DG "mode"... weekdays.. when soccer/parties occur the lot fills VERY quick... additional parking is available to the north on the street that borders the course, just start your round from hole 10 (being courteous of course).

League Doubles are on Thursday nights.