Westview Gold Course plays host to a longer, open 18-hole disc golf course that will test your distance accuracy as well as your handling of elevation changes. This course is the longest of the three courses in Quincy, and provides some different challenges to compliment the other two park style courses.
Location of Westview is on South 36th St./IL 96, which is easier accessible from Broadway, the main drag of Quincy that connects I-172 to the downtown area, all of which makes this a pretty straightforward course to get to. There are plenty of gas stations in town, as well as food options, in case you have needs for those before or after your round. There are some refreshments for sale in Westview's pro shop as well. If you're making a day out of disc golf, Bob Mays and Moorman are close by and will keep you busy. Between Hannibal, Palmyra, and Camp Point, you can make a full day out of the area, which is full of fun, decent to great options for course bagging.
Course Equipment is limited as the course continues to be worked on. The baskets are white banded Patriot baskets from Dynamic Discs, and are both in pristine shape and easy to spot. There are no tee signs yet, though the pro shop already has disc golf scorecards with a map for those who don't have UDisc. The tees are currently natural and spray-painted, with a flag at each one to help them be more visible. While not ideal, the golf course setting means the grass is pretty much always mowed, and it was easy to throw from each one despite recent downpours of rain. The flags are also a nice touch for a wind read before your drive, and I wouldn't mind seeing those stick around as the course matures.
Course Design at Westview is open and hilly, with the lack of tree cover playing a real factor on windier days. The course plays along the back 9 of the ball golf course, mixing between playing along or across the ball golf fairways and along the edges of the property. This is a longer course at 7,728 feet, and those without a decent driving distance in their arsenal will find it tough to birdie most of the holes here.
Elevation is one of the main challenges at Westview, as the property has some rolling hills across the disc golf course. While plenty of holes play pretty flat, you will find yourself throwing either up hills or across valley areas throughout your round. Hole 1 plays decently short for a 500 foot hole, as the downhill fairway will have many folks like myself surprised at the easy of making an easy par. Hole 16 is another hole that plays downhill around the green that can potentially lead to very long comeback putts. Holes 2, 11, and 17 all play uphill, challenging you to really pump a drive to take as much of the work out of your first shot as possible for any chance at a birdie. Holes like hole 8 also have some sneaky elevation, with 8 having some valleys in the fairway that can lead to a rollaway or a tough lie for your second shot. Hole 18 is another valley shot through trees that is a tough two drive hole to get a birdie or par.
Distance, as previously stated, is the longest among courses in the area, with many holes playing longer than on paper due to the hills. At a par of 60, many holes will prove challenging to score a birdie on unless you have accurate distance of 375 to 400 feet. On a positive note, the distance may lead you to throw some discs that other local course may not require due to their relative shorter distances. Fairways and mids tend to rein supreme for intermediate and advanced players at courses like nearby Moorman, while distance drives will tend to get more love at Westview. That being said, some of the par 3s, like 14 and 15, are reachable for many players, and the par 5 on site is a great birdie opportunity at 714 feet of wide-open fairway.
Shot-Shaping isn't a particularly prominent factor on site, but some holes have do require some finesse. Hole 15 is a right turning drive that will require righties to either have a decent forehand, or a turnover that won't cut too hard given the slope of the land around the green. Hole 16 also will require some accuracy, as there are some tight gaps through the tree cover along the fairway. Other holes will have obstacles close to the tee pad that may limit options as well, but that being said, this is a course where you will mostly be comfortable and able to throw your preferred type of drive.
Difficulty at Westview is higher than the other local courses but shouldn't be overwhelming for most players. Anyone with 400-foot distance will be able to breeze through the majority of this course, while intermediate to advanced players will be able to challenge for some birdies while having par be more than achievable on most holes. Newer players working on distance may not find this course as fun as Moorman or Bob Mays, both of which have much more reachable greens.