Round Lake, IL

Fairfield Park - Old Layout

2.925(based on 26 reviews)
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2 0
Dr.Hyzer
Experience: 13.8 years 19 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Played it before it gets changed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 12, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This was a fun course to play.
The condition of the course is pretty much great. The grounds crew keeps it manicured.
I enjoyed the well defined fairway and rough for the wide open holes. A nice touch.
The wooded holes are "beat in"
Lines are well defined from the volume of play this course gets. Not a fresh course by any means.
The park itself is a big chunk of land.
The design is "Good" for the realistate it's installed on.
The course has a mix of everything;
Uphill, downhill, valleys
Hyzer, anhyzer, flick
Tunnel shots, open fairways,
Extremely long, long, mid-length, and short holes.
Holes that have multiple routes.
Blind tee shots to hidden baskets, baskets out in plain view.
Some of the holes feel like an entire adventure in themselves. This was my favorite part.
Two extra holes as well.
Baskets are solid.

Cons:

Tee pads are undefined on some holes.
Had to look for odd shaped concrete blocks in the ground. (Some weren't visible or missing)
The signage is not great. Basically absent. Tough for the blind tee shots and hidden baskets. Not a big con, but a con (none-the-less)

Other Thoughts:

It was not packed when I played it. It was a Sunday afternoon. Although, I was going to squeeze a second round in. By the time I finished there was a pack of 8-12 people all in one group teeing off on hole 1. With another group of 6 infront of them. I turned to the parking lot and left immediately.
Heard it was going to be changed.
Had to play the original at least once.
It was worth it.
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4 0
jasonc
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.9 years 258 played 35 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Home Sweet Home 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 14, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I'd like to start by saying that I learned to play disc golf here at Fairfield. While I did not live in the area back then, nearly 10 years later, I am now a local.

The recent addition of a bike path has turned this into a muti-use park. Some players may list this as a con, but I believe it is good exposure. It will only help grow the sport. Also, the path is typically used as an OB line on #12, #13 and #18.

With the current 19 hole layout, this is only 1 of 3 disc golf courses in Lake County that features more than 9 holes.

The kiosk in the parking lot includes a course map. Even though navigation is fairly easy, I still recommend that first time players take a look at the map and/or print one from the Links/Files tab here. Most of the locals and regulars are very friendly and will point you in the right direction.

There is good variety. While the first 5 holes are similar open shots with no obstacles, things start to change on #6 with the basket at the top of the hill and a good set of guardian trees only 50' away from the teepad. Throughout the rest of the course, you will find yourself playing a combination of shorter wooded holes and longer, grip-it and rip-it holes.

While this area is notoriously flat, the available elevation is utilized nicely on at least 12 holes.

The swamp in the middle of the course comes into play on #10 and #12. Possibly #18 as well if you throw OB.

The ever-present wind provides a good challenge on some of the flat, typically easy holes.

Hole #11A takes you back to the parking lot (port-a-potty included at no extra charge!) for a nice mid-round break if needed.

Round Lake Area Park District does a great job of mowing the fairways on a regular basis.

Several garbage cans have helped keep the course looking nice. A few years ago, litter on most fairways used to be a major con.

At 845', #18 is the signature hole here. With the woods on the right the entire length of the fairway and the OB bike path on the left, this hole encourages a wide variety of scores. I have seen everything from a 3 to a 10 here. Stay out of the woods if you can!

Cons:

Limestone tee pads. Some of them are better than others. In wet, muddy, snow/icy conditions, these teepads go from bad to worse.

There are no tee signs.

The open holes (1--5, 9--11A) can easily get repetitive and boring.

In the summer, the tall grass can get frustrating while searching for discs. It is much easier to find discs here in the winter months. You don't have to get too far off of the fairway to call for the search party. This causes frequent back-ups while the course is busy.

Other Thoughts:

UPDATE--As of 10/15/2012, Hole #14A has been removed and will not be re-installed. Please proceed directly to #15.

While Pro/Advanced players may not find much of a challenge here unless the wind is really blowing, beginners and rec level players will be tested early and often.

This course gets very busy in the summer on nice weather days. It is not uncommon to see 4 or 5 groups waiting to tee off at Hole #1 on a nice Sunday afternoon.

I considered posting this review back when I first found DGCR, but I really wanted to learn more about how Fairfield stacks up against the competition. Now that I am close to 100 courses played and Fairfield is in the midst of a re-design, I felt this was a good time to post a review on the soon to be extinct layout.

If you need a guide, send me a PM. I would be happy to give you the tour.
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2 0
Leland
Experience: 12.9 years 4 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Home course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 2, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Front half has wide open holes to work on your driving (BH/FH). Back holes have woods and some good layouts/challenging. This is really a solid course for anyone at any level. Beginners should really check this out with the openness of the front 9. You can practice many throws without having to worry about trees and or losing your disk (until you play back 9). It is really a very entertaining course, and I am proud to call it my home course and play often.

Cons:

I assume like most courses, the course retains some water and has a lot of mud in spots, depending on when it last rained, of course. Hole 12 retains a LOT of water in the middle of fairway, and is challenging to wade through it to find your disk if you threw it in that area. Back 9 can get a bit muddy (but hey, this is outdoor fun). No concrete tee's. Concrete tees would be sweet! Another great addition would be descriptive whole information/length/picture, etc., at each tee, as currently, the only thing you will find is a trash can here and there with the hole # on it.

Other Thoughts:

If you are on the course, please pick up any trash you see and dispose of it in the trash cans at the beginning of each hole (well, most have one). Let's keep it clean and enjoyable for everyone. If anyone is playing a league out there or is trying to start one of interested in one, please let me know. I would love to be a part of a league and or club.
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0 3
troyd
Experience: 15.8 years 25 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Only needs luxuries 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 22, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Its a difficult course! Well sized open holes in the front allow the wind to really play a factor in your game. Not to mention simply testing your accuracy when have to throw a good distance.
In the back the baskets are placed to challenge you. Maybe, also to make you cry... Tight, sometimes blind shots with elevation changes. 7 and 15 are two of the best holes Ive played, anywhere.
The land was used to its fullest potential. Which does a great job minimizing the walking from basket to tee. Extra hole by the parking lot is a great warm-up and a much appericated place to practice. Well groomed fairways help to see which hole is for which tee.

Cons:

No tees. This place needs to get a couple bags of cement and put in some tees.
Hole markers with hole pars for amateurs would be nice.

Other Thoughts:

Course map under Links/Files tab.
Im sitting here trying to think of some real cons but there just aren't any. If you are looking for a challenge and not the same old same old this is the course.
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1 2
donnie
Experience: 20.5 years 14 played 12 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not Bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 29, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

There's a pretty good variety of holes here. The first couple holes are wide open with mild elevation changes. The wind whips around these holes, making them play much harder then they look. After the first couple open holes, the course becomes more wooded, and some of the wooded holes have significant elevation changes. A creek also comes into play on some of the forest holes. There are a few holes in the middle of the course that circle around a swamp, which adds an interesting hazard but also eats discs like a boss. One of these holes is a crazy dogleg right, probably the funnest hole of the course. The last couple of holes; 15, 16, and 17 are tightly wooded with elevation change. After playing these holes you walk out of the forest onto the 18th tee. The diversity of the course is highlighted here, the last hole is wide open but over 800ft long.

Cons:

The course is a swamp until mid-summer, or whenever it rains, wear crappy shoes and bring bug spray. Some of the holes are not well marked, and it can be easy to get lost. There are no signs and the tee pads need their own interpretation, it is very difficult to figure out where to tee off from and which direction to throw your disc. It is also easy to lose discs on almost every hole, especially holes involving the swamp. It would be much more fun to have pars on all the holes, a course sign just says all holes are par 3 which is pretty lame.

Other Thoughts:

One of the better courses in Chicagoland when dry, could easily be improved by adding signs and better tees.
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4 1
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.6 years 568 played 281 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 10, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Course makes good use of all available land to provide a wide range of shots. A good mix of wide open holes, heavily forested holes, and a lot in between. The first 4 holes are in the wide open, and are short enough to rack up some birdies. Then next 3 or 4 are in the forest, then back out again, then back in, then back out. I really like this design, as it is not just 9 holes in the field, and then 9 holes in the forest.
- Holes in the open provide a lot of different challenges. There are three bomber holes with large obstacles, and the last hole is unreachable for anybody out there. Bring the longest disc you have for that one. The other two longer ones involve avoiding water and deep rough, laying up can be a wise decision. A few others in the open have some minor elevation changes, including a gentle upshot and a shot down a hill. Good variety of different tosses for most of these, even without many obstacles.
- Most of the forest holes are pretty short, so elevation changes, obstacles, and tight fairways make for the challenge. There are some decent up and down shots, usually coupled with a slight curve either left or right. Most of the time, the challenge is to avoid hitting any trees that litter the fairway. Personally, I felt there was a good amount of tree-littering; any more would have been overkill and any less would be too easy.
- A couple of holes go into and out of the forest as well, which make great use of the trees to demand a certain line.
- Practice basket is present, port-a-potty, and plenty of parking.

Cons:

- The first four holes of the course can be found anywhere else. Pretty flat, wide open, and on the shorter side. The only real point of the holes is to tackle the ever-present wind, otherwise it feels like practice. It is good for a warm up, but that's 20% of the course right there.
- The short holes are pretty short throughout the course. While there are a good amount of obstacles in the forest, and some elevation throughout, it seems like a lucky shot can produce a birdie just as easily as a well placed one.
- No tee pads and no signs never really bothered me, but I know it is a major turn off for other players. The tee areas are completely destroyed and rutted in the open, not so bad in the forest. I feel like it is a minor problem, but that's just me. As far as the signage, I can see how people would be frustrated as well. If I hadn't been shown around my first time, I am sure I would have missed at least one hole, if not more.

Other Thoughts:

- In spite of all its shortcomings, I still really enjoy playing this course. Lots of different types of shots needed - almost any combination of uphill, downhill, left, right, straight, open, and wooded can be found here. There are a bunch of shorter, technical holes, but also some epic ones that dare you to throw over some nasty, swampy rough.
- I think this course is one of the most subjective courses to review... if you have a big arm, it might seem like 3 good holes and that's it. If you need perfect tee pads and signs, you will hate it. But, for a casual player like myself, it really has everything I need to feel satisfied.
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3 0
Jax11
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 103 played 35 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Rough Around the Edges 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Fun hole design
- Solid elevation changes
- Great variety (open, wooded, long bombs, short technical)
- Well groomed and defined fairways. (except 12)
- Wind becomes a factor on the open holes.
- Swamp and small creeks make for interesting water hazards.
- Solid baskets
- Friendly locals

Cons:

- Very sloppy and muddy after rainfall.
- Tee pads were terrible and many were flooded.
- Few baskets were flooded
- No tee signs.
- Garbage cans were insufficient at signifying teepads.
- Navigation issues (both finding the next hole and the physical trek of getting to it.)

Other Thoughts:

I personally considered this course "roughing" it in the disc golf world. To me, Fairfield has some fairly interesting shots and some really neat disc golf holes, but the course just doesn't seem complete. The tee pads are a disaster, some have eroded into strange lumps of gravel where others were completely flooded. This course needs tee signs to help navigation. My group found tee #7, but we all threw drives in the wrong direction until we saw a pair of locals throw a different way off the tee behind us. (They must have thought we were idiots). We met some other locals later on that helped us through the back half of the course. Besides, not being able to find the next hole physically getting there can be a challenge with all the standing water after a rainfall. Hole 12 is a mess with no direct route across soggy ground and chest high grass without going right through. If you don't want to get dirty, or swampy don't even think about coming here after a rainfall. I really hope tee signs and better teepads can be put in at some point because I believe Fairfield has a lot to offer if standard disc golf equipment is put in and some drainage problems are solved. It might be able to hit a 4/5 discs if some of the amenities I mentioned were added. It is definitely worth a play once if you live within an hour, but be prepared to get messy.
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1 0
TheWCG
Experience: 15.8 years 369 played 14 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Dang SWAMP! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 11, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Every hole is a good "par 3". Rolling hills were REAL rolling hills that make for some decent elevation changes, nothing too dramatic. Definitely a must play course! Kinda far from me but I still liked it!

Cons:

SWAMP!!! The wind was blowing just enough to pick it up and toss it right in the pond. The group in front of me went in and the group behind me went in.... Lost my trusty surge. And hole 18 is a ridiculous par 3. but paring the course is a definite possibility. Just not that day for me.... And LOTS of people and BIG groups by mid afternoon. Kind of a given for the weekends anywhere.

Other Thoughts:

I like the course! Definitely has it's own challenges. I'll be up there again!
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3 0
steven2361
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.9 years 286 played 53 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Open and mostly short 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 31, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

20 holes

Garbage Cans have hole number on them by almost every tee.

Somewhat wooded

Good Discatcher Pros

Some long holes: 13 (about 600') and 20 (about 850')

Uses what elevation is available in the land: 2: down and then up, 4: slightly up, 5: slightly down, 6: moderately up, 7: 30 foot drop or so through a tight opening, you get the picture...

Variety of shots needed for birdies ON THE WOODED HOLES. Most of the wooded holes are pretty fun.

Large Parking lot

This is a disc golf only park

Wind can add chalenge on the open holes.

A fun course

Some swamp adds to challenge in the middle of the park. Especially hole 12, although open is a good risk reward shot. When there is water in the fairway you either try to throw 400' over the wetland or lay up about 300'. Perhaps hole 10 is a better example. Dogleg right 377' unless you can bust out a superman hyzer over huge trees and the swamp on the right side. It you come up short on the turnover shot you are probably in water. The more safe you play it the less likely you will birdie this hole. There are many other fun holes just not the majority.

Cons:

Tee pads are BAD. They are like 30 foot long strips of gravel that get muddy and eroded. There are ruts from water damage on many tees. Bricks try to show you where to throw from but it isn't always fesable to throw from the marks. Many tees are dirt which are sadly better than the gravel.

Whenever you go into the woods, the holes get shorter and whenever you are in the open, the holes are longer. The con is that most of the wooded holes are shorter just because they are more technical.

Most of the course is rather short. There is distance variety but sometimes all similar distances go in a row. For example holes 2-7 are all between 230 and 300', mid range shots for most people. Also 14A-17 are all 200' or under. It gets repitive. It shows the generalization I made above.

This course gets very busy in the summer mostly with chuckers and huge groups golfing together. Sometimes there are even backups at the first tee.

Prairie rough in the open holes is very annoying in the summer. It is infuriating to throw your disc and not be able to find it even though the area is completely open. It is mowed occassionally. It is not like 3 feet tall priairie grass adds any chalenge except for finding your disc.

Course is right next to the road, not secluded.

No signs except for 1 randomly in the middle of the park that says no drinking and that the park closes at sundown.

This course can get very flooded. When it is super flooded is is not much fun to play. Definately go somewhere else if it is raining or after a rain, or in the spring when all the snow melts.

Other Thoughts:

For now, if you are around here go to Lippold or Crystal Lake or Bevier in Waukegan over fairfield. Some good local 9 holers include Warren in Gurnee and Adler in Libertyville.

There is a possibility of a redesign, we'll have to wait and see for now.

Local club Discontinuum put in 11A and 14A. (11A is the basket that double functions as a practice basket)
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10 0
#19325
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 351 played 175 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Frustrating Fairfield as the Swamp Thing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 20, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Please read in other thoughts about the swamp, course map, and course tour.

Practice basket near tee #1 comes in handy when you are waiting on large crowds.

Last spring the park district placed a garbage barrel near each tee. They painted the hole # on each barrell to mark each tee. There has been a lot less trash.

Distance. This course has 5 holes over 350ft.

Although mostly open, the wooded holes of 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, & 17 are solid. You will pay the price on bad shots.

Risk/Reward Holes. There are several holes where you can take a chance to throw over trees or the swamp to net birdies. If you make a mistake you can land in some heavy rough or The Swamp and pay the price. These holes include 6, 10, 12, 14, & 18.

Altough this course is pretty flat it utilizes minor elevation very good.

Cons:

The tee pads are one of the most frustrating and ongoing problems at Fairfield. They are limestone tee pads that are not boxed in. They are very uneven and have ruts. Often they get washed out by rain. They are much better than the old dirt/mud tees but they are still in bad condition. Please be careful.

Navigation of this course can be very difficult. There are no tee signs.
Print a map at the below.
http://discontinuum.org/index...amp;Itemid=60

This course can be very muddy after rain and especially during the early spring.

This course gets an unbelievable amount of play. They had to expand the parking lot a few years ago. Be prepared to wait and be patient during prime evening hours and weekends.

Overall there are way too many open holes which leads to repetitive shots.

If this course had cement tee pads and tee signs i'd rate it 3-Good.

Other Thoughts:

I live about 2 miles from this course and play this course often. If you need a guide send me a message.

Watch out for "The SWAMP" !!! This is a disc eating swamp and you do not want to go in there. It smells and it's nasty. It comes into play on #'s 10, 12, & 18.

The skeeters can get pretty bad during the warmer monthes. Bring bug spray.

Here is a photo tour with description of each hole. The baskets have been painted and restored since they were taken.
http://discontinuum.org/index...amp;Itemid=60

I have talked to the park district and there is a possibility of the total redesign if the forest preserve builds a bike path to link millenium trail. There will be a bridge built that will access the wooded area across the creek. The bridge would also span the swamp on hole #12.

Check out my Illinois Top 10.
http://discontinuum.org/index...1486.msg68704#msg68704
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7 0
Three Putt
Staff member
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 29.2 years 152 played 127 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Wide Open Spaces 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 9, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Fairfield does an OK job of utilizing what they have to work with. It has some nice elevation changes, some longish shots and a few tight wooded holes. The course is very popular and has done a good job of promoting the sport in that area. When the wind is blowing it can present a good challenge of your skills. There seems to be a good variety of distances and uphill/downhill shots. The swamp is used for a pretty good risk-reward shot on hole #10. At least I think it is hole #10, there are no tee signs so it is easy to lose count. Given that many of the Chicagoland courses are short, flat 9-hole courses, the elevation changes and distances makes it a very good course for the area.

Cons:

A lot of the course is set on a completely open hillside. Holes 1-5 & 11-12 and the alt shot using the practice basket are completely open with not a single tree in the design. Holes 6, 9,13 & 18 are mostly open. That's 12 out of 20 shots that you basically grip it and rip it with only wind and elevation changes adding to the challenge. It gets pretty repetitive and boring. The fairways on these holes are mowed with "rough" to the sides, but there is no penalty for throwing from the rough. It does make it hard to find shots out of the fairway, which backs the course up frequently.

The course has no tee signs. The mowed fairways lead you from hole to tee, so it's relatively easy to follow the course but you have to judge the distance yourself. The tees themselves are natural and are in disrepair. There are blocks to mark the actual tee, but huge areas of compacted soil surround them making them hard to find on many holes. In wet weather they are huge mudpits.

The some of the wooded holes are really tight, # 7 in particular. This adds to the "lost disc" problem and helps back the course up further. In general the wooded holes are pretty nice and they have trash cans with the hole number painted on them. Due to the lack of tees, it is easy to lose track of how many holes you have played. The "14A" shot needs to be cleaned up, at least weed-whacked. I could swear I have heard banjos playing back there after I trailblazed my way through the downed trees and knee-high weeds on that hole. If someone would hide back there and say "I bet you can squeal like a pig" I would scream and run for my life!

The extra hole between #11 & #12 that shoots back to the practice basket is confusing. Because there are no tee signs, there is really no way for a first-time player to know it's going to take you to a dead end at the parking lot and you will have to walk back down the fairway to play # 12. If you play that hole, you are likely to either have someone shooting at you as you walk back down the fairway or encounter a back-up at #12 once you walk back to that tee (possibly both.) IMO that should remain a "local" hole and the fairway should not be cut to help players know which way they are supposed to shoot when they reach the tee area for those two holes.

Other Thoughts:

All-in-all Fairfield is a pretty good course compared to other courses in the area. If you are a Chicagoland-area player it's a pretty good choice for a course to go to. However, it is not a very good course when compared to other courses around the country, which is how I rated it. I can see why a local who has never played outside the area would regard this course very highly, but looked at from an overall perspective it has too many open shots, no tee signs and terrible tee-off areas. Those factors have to figure into the rating. Despite the loyal following it has from the local disc golf scene, I'm afraid travelers from out of town will be disappointed in what this course has to offer.
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0 3
Michler
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.7 years 247 played 35 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Okay, not great. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Many opportunites to bust out long drives. A little bit of elevation change. Variety of anhyzer/hyzer shots to work your game. Some tight short wooded holes on the back and some wide open deuce holes on the front. Wind will play a part in most rounds here. Hole 18 is an 800 footer going way downhill with a swamp on the left and then way uphill with woods on your right the length of the fairway. Wide variety of scores on this excellent hole.

Cons:

Very open and boring course on alot of the holes. Not alot of excitement in a round out here and its not going to make you think much. Alot of long grass defines the fairways which can make finding your discs difficult in the summer. Tees are limestone and in pretty terrible condition.

Other Thoughts:

Pretty boring, needs a couple more holes that make you think and get your heart pumping to make this a better course. Way too many wide open hyzer shots.
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7 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.2 years 1508 played 475 reviews
3.00 star(s)

King of variety! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Garbage Cans are everywhere keeping this course fairly clean. And they are numbered to help the newcomers figure out where they are!

2) This course has a wide variety of terrain, foliage type and density, water is in play on a few holes (depending on time of year you play). There are even some decent elevation changes on a few holes. They also have some long distance holes that add the the challenge of this course. It supposedly is the longest hole in IL, (or used to be). They even have a few holes shorter than 200' which is a nice change of pace from all of the 250-300' holes out there, they really give you a chance at birdie or a shot at an ace which improves peoples morale!

3) There are little pavers set into the soil to show you the tee area as the dirt areas have been expanded with more traffic so it would be hard to determine where the actual tee area is.

4) A few of the wooded holes have some really challenging layouts. I always like to see some wooded holes on every course and this is no different. They add a lot to the course that 50% of the holes are kind of wide open pasture.

5) Swamp on the right of #11 is a great feature and truly is risk reward. I threw way out to the left of the swamp and laid up for a par, but if you can anny it around the corner or throw a long sidearm you have a real chance to park it for 2, but that is the risk.reward.

6) #12 at different times could also be very truly risk.reward. Throw short of the wetland runoff area and try and get your second close to the basket or try and shoot right up to the basket in 1 risks the tall grass/marshy plants grabbing your disc. I did walk through the area but it hadnt rained in weeks.

7) I was glad to be able to play the alternate #14 hole. It is set right in the flood plain of whatever river goes by the course.

8) Nice river flowing behind the 14th green and to the right of #8 basket also. It isn;t really in play unless you throw a bad shot, get a bad break off a tree.

Cons:

1) The tagline of having the longest hole in Illinois is actually a detractor for me after playing there. It may be over 800' but it is dead straight with only a few trees on your right and a wide open pasture on the left. Basically throw it hard 3 to 4 (for me it took 5) times to get close to the basket . . . that isn't that much fun.

2) Dirt tees leave a lot to be desired.

3) First 6 holes and a couple holes later in the course are simpl wide open pastures with mowed fairways. I have played quite a few courses with this setup and they are getting more and more repetetive and boring. The mowed fairways mean almost nothing to me . . . I will throw as direct of a line as possible. It is not punishing to land in the rough!

4) I would take the 20th hole out of play (its just another wide open pasture shot and is also the practice basket).

5) A couple of the dense wooded holes seem a little too dense. They all had lines you could hit but it was pretty tough to find the lines.

6) Not very beginner friendly. Long distances, water in play, tight wooded holes with dense severe shule on either side of you. Lots of buckthorn to poke your eye out.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I was impressed with this course. It isnt really near any large suburbs or cities and it seems to be one of the better overall courses in the area. It has a large variety in hole type, challenege, shot requirement, elevation changes, foliage density and type. It offers some nice ace/birdie runs and also has the longest hole in Illinois at 845'. I would go back if I was in the area, but the only reason I was in the area was to try 8 new courses in 1 day. If they could improve a few of the pasture holes by adding a couple well placed trees this coulrse would be much better. As I said above the mowed fairways arent challenegin and the rough isnt punishing, a couple of trees would make you stay closer to the fairway rather than throw it far and hard!
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8 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Ok course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 29, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a large area used only for disc golf, with rolling hills, a swampy pond, and a creek running through. There is a mix of wide open space and heavily wooded areas, and the course plays on both. The wooded holes are shorter and technical, and reward accuracy while punishing errant shots with dense trees and brush. The open holes give some space to air it out, and most have some elevation change.

The variety of the course was nice, with holes ranging from under 200' to over 800'. There were some ace run holes, and some where most players would have to work for a 4. The swamp provides a nice hazard on one hole, and a couple holes play near the creek adding a nice risk/reward element.

There is a basic course map by the first tee, and numbered trash cans on all but the two added holes. The baskets were in decent shape and caught well.

Cons:

The course had way too many holes in the open area, and not enough in the woods. A few open holes would be fine, but more than half the course is made up of wide open straight ahead shots that are easily reachable. The woods holes seemed pretty well designed, but there simply weren't enough of them.

Navigation was a little odd in spots, especially in the woods with multiple paths leading away from baskets and no marking to indicate the direction of the next tee. The course info on this site talks about the two added holes, otherwise I would not have known about them as they are not marked nor are they anywhere on the map or info board at the park.

The tees were terrible, almost none were level and most had ruts through them. They were generally very large, and it was not clear on many where the actual teeing area was supposed to be. The baskets were covered in graffiti. There were a very large number of casual players in giant groups who played very slowly and refused to let faster groups through, so our round took close to three hours.

The rough was mowed down, and the course was mostly dry when I played, but I could see water being a real issue after a rain, and if the rough was allowed to grow on the open holes it would definitely eat discs.

Other Thoughts:

This course is definitely accessible to beginners, especially the open holes. There are only a few places where lost discs are at all likely, and they are avoidable. More experienced players won't find a lot of challenge at this course, especially on the shorter wide open holes.

Don't drive out of your way to play this one, especially if it's rained recently. It's not a terrible place to get in a round if you're in the area, but it's not a course that really had any kind of 'wow factor'.
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9 1
Texconsinite
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.1 years 138 played 77 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Welcome to Atlantis, the Sunken Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 21, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Some of the more wooded holes are fairly cool, and force some interesting lines.

Essentially, this course has all three main elements I look for in DG courses. The bog in the center of the course, and river are both in play on multiple holes for soem water hazards. Elevation is a factor on most holes, and used in interesting ways. The open shots here spice things up by having many hilltop pins for added putting and upshot challenge. The wooded holes on the second half of the course mix things up with some tight curves and well-guarded baskets to keep big arms honest.

Cons:

Where to start...
The tees here are some of the worst I've played on anywhere. They are sand/gravel with the front corners sometimes? marked by two small L-shaped concrete blocks stuck in the ground. When I played, the tees were completely washed out and not even close to level, to the point that it was hard to tell exactly where the tee was in many cases.

There is no hole number at all, except for on the trash cans at some holes. No tee signs whatsoever. The course map at the entrance shows 18 holes and a practice basket, so I'm not sure where the 20th is, but by hole 14, I was thoroughly miserable and called it quits. As i towelled the mud off my arms, face and legs, i was thinking, my day really started to go downhill after I got off work and went to play disc golf. That is so, so awful, but it speaks volumes about the playing experience here.

Also, the course holds water extremely well. Great for the green grass, bad for you as a player. In several spots it forces you to jump creeks, or walk through puddles that stretch across the whole fairway. There was a dead fish floating around on one fairway, thats how bad it is.

Though this is a general state of affairs, I took issue with several holes in particular.
On hole 12, a 40ft low-lying section of the fairway is kept as long uncut grass, presumably to add challenge to an otherwise straight on 350ish hole in a field. Instead, you end up trudging through head-high grass and knee-deep water, as there is no way around it, or even a mowed path with stepping stones through it that keeps you out of the water. Also, the combo of tall grass and deep water makes it super easy to lose discs in there. Fun!

Hole 8, if bone dry, would actually be a kinda cool hole. The problem is the basket is on a low area that presumably is normally on the riverbank. When i visited, the basket was in the middle of a 30ft wide, 2 ft deep lake that the river had turned into. Even if it hasn't rained for awhile, how much can you legitimately expect that water-level to go down? Another case of poor drainage and poor basket location combining for extra awfulness.

The field holes are mostly just straight, boring shots, where the only things you contend with are the wind, and the long grass that likes to eat discs. And the water, of course.

In general, this course is very good at eating discs, between the water everywhere and the long grass, so be prepared to donate some plastic to the course if you decide to play here.

The few holes that are moderately interesting are not nearly enough to make up for the dearth of boring field holes, and the extreme frustration of trudging through water on almost every hole.

Other Thoughts:

Admittedly, I probably played the course at its worst, since heavy rains had just swept through the area, but I've played many houston courses, where it rains ALL THE TIME. To contrast, some of the Houston courses are submerged up to the tops of the tee signs at times (Moffitt, TC Jester), RIGHT AFTER A RAIN, but within a day or two, they are just fine again with only scattered puddles or ankle deep water. In Houston, they plan for their courses to get drenched, (shoot, Mozola is ON the bayou, for pete's sake) and thus design the courses to handle it. The way this course is designed, it seems like even when the water recedes some, it would still be a soupy mess, forcing players to walk through marshes and rivers on the fairways, with no bridges, raised paths or stepping stones even.

I would say this course is virtually unplayable for the two weeks following any kind of rain.

Were this course bone dry, it would probably get a 2.0-2.5 from me, as some of the more wooded holes seem kinda cool, and several of the open holes are decent as well, but I will never, ever set foot on this course again to find out. Ever.

I hate to be so negative, but this course really made an impression on me, and it was pretty much all bad. I find it hard to believe that there isn't another park with some kind of drainage that these baskets might be better served at. It seems like a very basic factor to overlook when building a course, but it doesn't matter how amazing your course is designed if its underwater all or most of the time.

Several reviewers have said, its good for IL, or most terrain in IL. I disagree with both. There are some amazing courses in the Chicago area, with TONS of terrain. Head down to Highland Park in Joliet if you dont believe me, or want to see what a great IL course looks like.
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0 7
RUABadFish2
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

One of the best courses in the area! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 5, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Droppin' bombs for sure, tight hole's in the wooded area. Hole 18 is amazing and very, very long nice smoke spots for sure.

Cons:

The swamp is the worst thing there. Be careful on nice days there are lots of people there, if you loose a disc don't expect to get it back.

Other Thoughts:

Make sure that you bring extra disc's for sure. Sometimes you'll see some cops there so be careful if you know what i mean. Fun course and the best in the Lake and McHenry County.
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3 1
niknak
Experience: 5 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

My home away from home 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is my home course, and has been for the past few years, I love the variety of the holes and the general layout of the course. You have a stretch of long fairways and tight forest challenges back to back. The baskets are quality and there have been many recent improvements on the course. (Cedar chips at all the backets and consistent manicuring)

Cons:

Mesquitos are horrible June-September.
The parks department hardly maintains the course. This course can be a nightmare when it comes to having to wait in line. Some people do not respect the course, there is always garbage laying around.

Other Thoughts:

Lately i've seen a lot of younger kids at the course who do not seem to respect the game, the course or other people in general. The parking lot is turning into a "Scene" where these kids go to drink beer (and leave the emptys strewn about) I often go to this course with small groups and I often get stuck behind large groups who rarely let you play through. This course has great potential and for some reason gets worse each year rather than better. I would recommend checking this course out.. it does have the longest hole in IL, 800 feet!
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1 7
Nigel
Experience: 7 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hard! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

If you're looking to launch some bombs, look no further! Hole #18 is the longest hole I've ever seen.

Cons:

You can lose a disc in the prairie grass, but the worst is the marshy swamp smack dab in the middle.

Other Thoughts:

Give it a try, bring a doobie and smoke in the open no one will give you a second glance (unless they want a hit)
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3 0
Brook
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Adventurous and fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This was my first course ever, I love it. There are so many different aspects of this course. You have a little bit of everything. Easy, being the straight aways in the beginning. You head into the woods which I feel is a nice challenge. I don't do well in there, but I try! You have lots of water and tall grass and a few hills. The scenery is nice too, especially if your on a date. Great sunsets! But playing there is alot of fun, this is my favorite place to play. It makes you work hard to hone in on your craft. People are friendly. You can buy discs there. Nice potapotty.

Cons:

The only thing negitive to me would be the mosquitos. Part of the game is getting into the muck of it. Be prepared for that. If you want something nice and neat this is not the place for you. Bring extra shoes or clothes and bug spray if it's a concern.

Other Thoughts:

If you don't try it, you won't know what your missing. It's really a cool place.
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3 9
Dave242
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 29.8 years 393 played 271 reviews
2.00 star(s)

C+ = As average as the come 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 19, 2006 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

What I personally like and how this course stacks up:
1) Holes with good risk/reward -- C-
2) Holes that have rewarding birdie opportunities -- C
3) More wooded than open - lots of variety of shots required caused by hole shape and topography -- C
4) Natural beauty (Appalachian beauty preferred) and seclusion -- C+
5) Multi-shot holes with defined landing zones, good risk/reward and multiple options to play them -- C-

Other Thoughts:

I ranked this course subjectively based on my own personal enjoyment factor...more accurately my "personal addiction factor". Since I have played a decent number of courses (115 18-hole, 50 9-hole as of early 2009), my hope is that players/explorers who have similar tastes will find my ratings list helpful as they chose courses to play and explore.

Over time, I expect to fill some of my reviews in with more descriptive verbiage...if what I say adds anything to what has already been written. For now, my list is more important to me than the verbiage of my reviews.

I fully expect others with different tastes/philosophies to disagree with me. See my profile for my rating philosophy.
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