Bloomington, IL

Forrest Park

2.565(based on 17 reviews)
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13 0
aren
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.8 years 98 played 14 reviews
3.00 star(s)

It's.... fine

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

- There are two great holes on this course in #6 and #9. #6 being a great speed control shot that's slightly downhill the entire way until it drops off just behind the basket toward an OB road. The trees in #9's fairway seem like they're a bit overgrown, but the additional challenge is welcome on this shorter course, and the creek behind the basket is great.

- While the rest of the holes are mostly 225-275 feet, there's enough variety that it doesn't feel stale. There are a lot of birdies available, but you do have throw different kinds of shots to get there.

- Even though this is a 9-holer, you have two tee pads for each hole and you have PJ Irvin just across a road to play another 9 holes. It would be great to have some wooded shots to make Forrest 18, but they've done a nice job giving you options to play a full 18.

- Tee signs are large and descriptive and tee pads are good compared to most 9 holers.

- There's a playground nearby, but it doesn't seem like this park gets a lot of foot traffic. Didn't have to worry about other park-goers, at least when I played.

Cons:

- I think part of the problem is it's next to PJ Irvin, and Forrest is the ugly sister of the two. Less grass, more overgrown trees - it seems like it's not maintained as well. And I believe the baskets are hand-me downs from a course that used to be at Miller Park (which is so old, it doesn't even show up on DGCR). I'm guessing 25 years old?

- I threw one driver on this course, hole #9. Some baskets were in the silver position, but I don't know if it changes things that much moving to gold.

- Going from hole to hole isn't the most intuitive, but with a UDisc map now, I feel like navigation is a thing of the past.

Other Thoughts:

Don't expect a forest at Forrest Park. This is a park-style course through and through.

There's nothing bad about this course, but nothing is exceptional either. I wouldn't travel just to play here, but if I was in town and had an hour to kill, I'd say go for it. It's vanilla ice cream.
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6 0
mrbro855
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.5 years 363 played 105 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Love the concept!! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is the second dual tee pad dual basket concept in the neighborhood. PJ Irvin, literally right around the next corner about a half mile away, has the same concept, same signage.
The various 4 combinations have different lengths and very different throwing lines.
The baskets were colored yellow (GOLD) and gray (SILVER), with the concrete tee pads designated A and B. Signage was excellent!!
Course was located in a city park with its fair share of mature trees and a quaint little creek running through it.
Oh yeah, decent amount of elevation!!
Couple of memorable holes:
#1 Moderate throw along side a creek to the left. No danger of the creek unless you really hook the throw to the left.
#3 Through a wooded area to baskets about 15 feet in front of the creek. (Creek's not so deep that you would lose a disc)
#4 The path to #4 is stepping stones across the creek and you follow the bright orange markers along the path to tee 4
#5 Low ceiling of branches and
#9 Silver basket on edge of hill with creek behind it... Tee shot from A was a blind dog leg right shot. Definitely risk- reward.

Cons:

The flow of the course was a bit off..... I think they took tee pads from an original 18 basket course and configured this course from it. Lot of walking in between the holes, sometimes past one hole to the other (ie past 6 to get to 5...)

Other Thoughts:

Wish I had had more time to play other combos.... Was returning to St Louis from a 3 week assignment in Chicago.... was trying to get a couple courses in on the way home.
Had a fun time on this one.... only the odd layout/ flow keeps this from getting my best 9 hole rating of 3.5. Definitely worth the stop, would be a go to course if I lived closer.... Add PJ Irvin to the mix and you have 8 combinations within a half mile!!!
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4 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.8 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Small City Course Offers Silver And Gold Options! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 19, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Forest Park Is a small city park with a small creek running through. It has a picnic shelter, a playground, some elevation changes, and plenty of mature trees. The course is interesting and extremely well marked. The 9 hole course has two, nice larger tee pads for each hole. Each tee pad has it's own tee separate tee sign. The metal signs are brand new and each one has a nice clear map, hole #, par, distance and a sponsor. Each hole has two baskets. One basket is a yellow Discatcher with number on top. The other basket is a pretty grey Discatcher with number on top (I have not seen this pretty color on any other course). It took me a couple of holes to figure out that these baskets were called the Gold and Silver courses. The Grey baskets (Silvers) are labeled on the tee signs as the "A" and the the Yellow baskets are called the "B". Is all this clear, thus far?
Now to help you with the navigation, each Gold and Silver basket also has either gold or silver tape on the bottom of the basket which points you toward the next tee. There is also wooden directional arrow hung below the basket pointing you towards the next tees.
The course plays somewhere between a pitch and putt and an easy rec course. I only had time to play from the "A's or Silver course.
I managed to find the creek on # 2. The creek sits probably 15' behind the A basket. I had no idea it was there. The creek could also come into play on # 9 as the basket is perched right on the edge of the creek.

Cons:

Even with all these wonderful navigational aids, it's a little tricky getting around. It took me a hole or two to notice the tape on the baskets and also to figure out this Gold/Silver thing.
The course is recreational easy.

Other Thoughts:

Hoe come with I play these simple little city park 9 hole courses, they have all these great arrows and navigational aids to guide you around and when I play some 18 hole course in the thickest forest, there's not an arrow to be found?
With two pads and two baskets, this is really an 18 hole course. It actually could or should be listed as Forest Park Silver Course and the Forest Park Gold Course. Two separate and distinct courses.

Another option (and I'm sure the locals already play this) is to play from the Silver tee to the Gold basket. And then switch it up and play from the Gold tee to the Silver basket!. Now this gives you four easy options here at Forest Gump Park DGC!

Also, these new baskets and all the navigational help must be recent upgrading as other reviewers haven't mentioned any of this in their reviews.
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5 1
JohtoVillage
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24 years 160 played 73 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Forrest Park is a short course in Bloomington/Normal that features 9 holes with two concrete teepads for each hole. This gives the course a distinct feel as the two sets of tees offer different viewpoints of each hole.

The course offers some nice scenery for being in such a crammed area. There is a nice creek that runs through the park. It actually comes into play on a few holes without being a big hazard. It would take a very errant shot to get to the creek. Of the local courses this course may have the best scenery.

I mentioned the concrete pads above and I can't stress these enough - these are really great pads, especially for a nine hole course.

Even though this course is short it is by no means easy. Of the three courses in the Bloomington/Normal area it is probably the hardest course by a few strokes. The lines are much more difficult and the course truly is more challenging. More on that below...

The two sets of tees do add value to the course. A lot of the lines are totally different and offer a different fairway compared to the other teepad. There were a few holes that were nothing like the other pad on the hole. For instance, hole 9 was vastly different from the shorts to the longs and required a completely different shot type. Hole 7 was the same way - in that both teepads were almost identical in distance but were very different holes.

I would compare this course to Bradley Park in Peoria, as Forrest Park has many mature trees that make up the course. More on that below as well....

This course actually had some nice elevation to it. Hole 7 was a neat, slightly downhill shot that really had a strong slope after the basket. Hole 9's basket also really slopes down after the basket. Hole 2 played straight up the hill so it was nice to have some elevation changes.

Favorite hole not mentioned: I was really a fan of hole 1, especially from the long tee. This was probably the best designed hole on the course. You could either take the hyzer route or the wide open anhyzer route. The hyzer route was very busy and honestly not very enticing to me. The anhyzer route was wide open but required you to flirt with the creek and the road even further left of the creek. Great hole!

Cons:

I think the main thing I can say for Forrest Park is that back in the day I think this course was probably a 2.5, keeping in mind that I typically downgrade 9 hole courses for the simple fact that they are 9 hole courses. The best 9 hole course, in my opinion, is probably a 3.5 and if that course was 18 holes and was that nice it could probably be a 5.

This course seems to have lost its luster, mainly because it seems the lines have grown in over the years with the trees getting bigger and the fairways smaller. The perfect example for this are holes 8 and 9 (specifically 9 from the longs). Hole 8 was a true poke and hope hole with no true line to hit from either teepad. Hole 9, from the longs, truly had no line to the basket without throwing a 430 feet s-curve over the trees. I think that at one point in time the lines were more clear but it seems as the trees have gotten bigger and the branches wider it has taken away from some of the holes by making them have lines that are tough to hit. Not every hole is like this but on a few holes I remember asking the local that I was playing with where the lines were.

The baskets on this course are definitely worn and beyond their prime. They are double chain baskets but they have a very shallow bucket and are very old.

The navigation on this course is very challenging. Honestly if I was playing this course for the first time I would literally be clueless where to go after a few holes. The only difference between the long pads and the short pads is that the short pads have a big green sign with the number on it. The long pads do not have a sign and are not marked. A few holes you are simply hoping that you are playing to the right hole because the signs do not indicate the line to the basket at all.

Other Thoughts:

Forrest Park is nothing to go crazy about it but its a nice, short course with a nice feel to it. The navigation is very tricky but once you figure it out its a nice course to play.
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5 0
MidwestZest
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 103 played 72 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Shot-shaping still required 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

- Nice older park with bathrooms and water fountains. Scenic, and built on the side of a hill that adds dimension and depth to the course - as does a little brook that runs through the middle of the park.
- Two tees for each hole, except for #8. Looks like it was removed recently for the vehicle turn-around. You can still play from the turn-around concrete though. The 'B' tees have actually been laid out very nicely to create a whole different layout. It really could be a different and effective 18 holes.
- Definitely some thought put into tee placement. There is plenty of shot shaping required around the big older trees.
- Most holes less than 300 ft, but it's certainly not a pitch and putt.
- Signs at the 'A' tees with just the hole number. No map needed really, as all pins are visible.
- #2 up a significantly steep hill, which probably makes the 300ish ft hole play more like 350 or 375.
- #3 pin runs up to a shallow, slow-moving creek, about 20 feet away or so. Definitely crosses your mind from the tee pad.
- #7 pin placement is challenging, as it's on the downslope of a little hill to the road. Makes putting a premium, to avoid a roll-away.

Cons:

- Finding Tee #1 was a bit difficult, for me actually. I didn't realize that the course started on the opposite side of the creek from the main park and entrance.
- Navigation is a little weird, just because since it's fit into a park, the holes don't directly lead straight to one another. #3 to #4 was probably the worst. You can hop across the creek on stepping stones, or walk around via the stone bridge.
- Older baskets in really rough shape, that it sounds like have been repurposed from and older course. Nice that they could be used to create this course though. They do have the hole number on top of them.
- Looks like the hole number and distance used to be stenciled onto the tee pads. Most have worn off completely though.
- Lots of stuff going on in this park. The pavilions and playgrounds are mostly out of the way, but if there are lots of people in the park, it could become crowded very quickly.
- A little bit of a shame that they didn't use the creek more for a couple of the holes.
- #8 has an interesting pin placement in some trees, but from the 'B' tee I don't know that there is actually a viable line through the stand of trees that guard it. Not really a fair hole, even though scoring a 3 shouldn't be much of a problem.

Other Thoughts:

- I enjoyed my round here, and I wish I would've had the time to play a 2nd round on all the 'B' tees. Solid neighborhood park 9-hole, that definitely adds dimension most don't have with another 9 'B' tees. Probably adds 0.5 to my rating, actually.
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9 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.2 years 1508 played 475 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Run Forrest Run 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 16, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Practice Basket is available
2) Long dual concrete tees are always appreciated.
3) Hole #, distance and tee are lightly painted on the teepads. Old DGA sign holders remain on most holes, but perhaps the signs will continually get destroyed so they decided to put the info on the tee itself. There also is an arrow to the Blue tees.
4) Nice use of elevation on this property going up, down, across multiple times.
5) Lots of fun throws on this course.
6) Lots of mature Oaks and other hardwood trees. I love old parks with disc golf in them, it just feels like nature was used correctly. The trees are not super frustrating, but well placed to force some shot shaping. It is the right amount of balance of fun and challenge.
8) Lots of fun birdie attempts and a few longer holes where par is acceptable.
9) Although the water is not super in play it is used well. There is the risk to have a bad drive go in on #1, go deep on #3, or also turn one over on #9.

Cons:

1) The turf was torn up on a few areas for construction and otherwise somewhat thin. I know it is the off-season so I am sure that the turf is in better condition in season. However, with semi frozen ground when I played and the mature trees with lots of leaf cover I assume the turf is not always in top condition.
2) Very dangerous in a couple of spots depending on the caliber of player. The most egregious area would be the walk from #3 to #4 which passes right across #9 fairway and the view is somewhat hidden from the tee.
3) Layout was a bit confusing. I got all turned around a couple times, partly because of no signs, no kiosk with a course map. Directionals and signs would have helped a lot for a first timer.
4) Distance variation is not very good. There are a few holes longer than others but they also play downhill which effectively makes them play about the same distance. It is old school all par 3 all 200-250 type disc golf. Nothing wrong with that necessarily but I prefer more variation.
5) The other park users might also find the disc golf to be dangerous as the course plays around a few picnic areas and some play areas.

6) DGA baskets are old, rusty and in tough shape.

Other Thoughts:

This was my first course on a month long roadtrip that saw me play nearly 100 courses. It was on my route and a quick play while my wife slept. I know things will go up from here but I had fun here despite the few issues I had. It was cold and the ground was frozen and it was the off-season so I am sure it is a pretty course to play in summer, albeit somewhat dangerous for other park users.

This was also the first park where I started my Mini Scavenger Hunt. It was found the same day by a local.
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5 0
rvan84
Experience: 12.9 years 75 played 4 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Small City Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 29, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course comes across with some reasonable holes. A couple of holes have nice tree placements to make you shape your lines and hit different shots. There are a couple of shots that allow you to power up some. The tee pads are in great shape. The dual tee pads are a very nice addition to the course.

Cons:

This course is severely lacking in the distance department. You also need to be very careful of where you throw. There are a couple of holes that play along or around the roads that go through the park. The biggest downfall to the entire course is the baskets. They are in very poor shape and severely in need of replacing. The course is also very hard to navigate. The lack of tee signs makes it even harder to figure out which hole you are at or where the next one may be. There is a lot of extra walking and backtracking to get to the next tee pad.

Other Thoughts:

About the only plus that this course really has going for it is the 2 set of tee pads for each hole. If you are coming to town to play a round I would recommend going to one of the other courses. I only play this one after hitting up the others in town just to hit another course.
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3 1
stoltzjl77
Experience: 30 years 179 played 13 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun little course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 17, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Alternate tees on every hole. Good use of elevation changes and available trees/stream.

Cons:

Park is a bit crowded with holes stuck between picnic areas, roads, and playgrounds. Long walk from #3 to #4. Baskets are old and some have bent baskets that can result in discs falling out that would be in on normal baskets.
Poorly marked - need signs back and tee pads repainted!

Other Thoughts:

This is really a nice course on the cheap and fun to play. It requires a wide variety of shots but there are no par fours. It is good at what it tries to be. I wish there were tee placements that forced you to throw across the creek once or twice.
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4 0
TheHammer
Experience: 19.8 years 14 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

simple shady fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

nice variety of shots for a small 9 hole course....concrete pads with 2 options per hole...lots of trees which add not only difficulty, but nice shade as well...you can play this course when it is smoking hot out in the summer and be shaded most of the time...

Cons:

placements of the holes can be a bit confusing for first timers...most of the holes are short and easy to make par...also you have to be careful around the playground area for holes 4-6 as there might be kids and other folks walking around...as of today...there is also road construction going on so hole number 2 is gone,,, but i used the practice basket as an alternate hole by standing from the longest pad on the first hole...

Other Thoughts:

overall, i like this course...you can play 9 or go around again if you want to make the 18...the park is pretty well maintained...and i love the shaded aspect in the summer...with some updating of signage this course would be even better...
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9 0
#19325
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 351 played 175 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Across the street from PJ Irvin 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 25, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Forrest Park is directly across the street from PJ Irvin Park. The park is free from heavy rough and has some minor rolling terrain. There are large scattered trees throughout the park and many holes play in the shade.

Practice basket.

Correctly installed concrete tee pads. 2 per hole.

Wide variety with the 2 sets of concrete tee pads.

The designer did a good job utilizing the land and making good use of the land.

This is a very beginner friendly course.

Cons:

The baskets are old Mach 1's that were used at the old Miller Park course. They don't catch like the new Mach series baskets. One of them had a broken ring with chains hanging.

There are tee sign posts at the short tee pad for each hole but there is no sign in them.

The tee pads used to have the # and distance painted on the back of them but they have strated to fade.

Without the tee signs and information on the pads it's hard to navigate.

To utilize the land and have 2 tees per hole there are some long walks. There is a long walk from #3 to #4 is the creek water is to high to pass. It's not obvious where to go and an easy place to get lost.

This is a fairly short course. Only a few holes play over 300ft.

Other Thoughts:

I wouldn't drive out of my way to play this course but with the 18 hole PJ Irvin across the street this is worth the time to play.
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7 0
Jashwa
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.8 years 173 played 86 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A course with great potential! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 24, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I will list each of these by bullet points and comment in the "other thoughts" section:

-Offers tight challenging lines for less experienced players (red tees) and for more advanced players (blue tees).
-The demanded shots for the red and blue tees are diverse enough that a fun round of 18 holes is possible!
-As mentioned, this course has a good mixture of distances
-Not very crowded
-Very scenic course. If you visit Forrest Park in the Fall, it is sure to be a beautiful array of colorful leaves!

Cons:

-Baskets are underchained and extremely shallow
-Poor signage... holes and distances are marked on the teepads. Makes navigating the course a bit challenging for first time players.
-Some of the paint on the teepads is fading, thus further increasing the difficulty of course navigation

Update 8/29/2017: The course is now equipped with improved signs and baskets on each hole!! Navigation is also improved thanks to additional signage on the long walks.

Other Thoughts:

Forrest Park is unfortunate case of a new course that could be a very highly rated one, but hasn't been given the resources to do so.

Of the three courses in the Bloomington Normal Area, it is the only one that is truly wooded and the only one that forces challenging and rewarding shots on each and every hole. It is a great place to learn to disc golf or to practice before a tournament.

Although it's relatively new, Forrest Park DGC was given recycled baskets which seem to be representative of the overall neglect that holds this course back. This neglect is also apparant in the poor signage of the park as well as the fading paint of several of the teepads.

One note: it may be beneficial to the park to not have the nice equipment of other local disc golf courses because overcrowding at Forrest Park would lead to a situation where 2 groups of golfers could be on different tees but on the same hole.

To sum things up, I believe that if Forrest Park was set on a level playing field with most new courses (given new baskets, signs, or at least upkeep of the paint on the tees) then it would be hands down the top course in the Bloominton Normal area. It is definitely worth the visit if you are in the area.
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7 1
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Decent neighborhood course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 20, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a nice neighborhood park with mature trees and a small creek. A couple holes bring the creek into play a little, making for a little bit of risk/reward. There are enough trees that you have to shape some lines, and for newer players they will find themselves scrambling to get par if they miss their line on their drive. Most of the holes are fairly short, with a couple that play longer and add a little challenge and difficulty.

The design takes good advantage of the little bit of elevation available on a couple holes. The dual tees are a nice touch, especially when both sets have nice concrete pads and offer different lines to the hole rather than just being short and long versions of the same shot. The hole number, distance, and direction to the other tee for each hole is painted on the pads.

Cons:

Navigation is a little tricky in a couple spots, especially crossing the creek from 3 to 4. There is no course map online or at the park, so you might have to do a little wandering to find all the tees. There are no signs for any of the tees, many of the red tees have sign posts, but many are broken and none have any information. The blue tees are harder to see from a distance, without even the empty posts. The course is pretty short and lacks in variety, with nearly all the holes having a fairly easy hyzer line, and most of the holes in the same distance range.

There are some safety issues here, with park roads, a street, playgrounds, and a shelter all coming into play on some holes. The park was empty when I played, so it wasn't much of an issue, but on a nice summer day if the park was used by non disc golfers, it could definitely be a problem. There was quite a bit of trash around the creek area, and the park felt a bit run down in general. The baskets are older, and don't catch all that well.

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice neighborhood course, and it's cool to see alternate tees that really attempt to add variety to the course. Some work on signage would go a long way here, both in making the course feel less run down and helping with navigation. Beginners will find the course approachable, with reasonable distances and little real punishment for errant shots. More experienced players won't find much challenge or variety to keep them coming back.
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6 0
crazypooljunkie
Experience: 15.8 years 44 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Relatively clean and well maintained park.
-Concrete tee pads.
-Two tees per hole with mostly different angles giving two quasi-unique shots, makes for a round of 18 holes.
-Mostly good navigation, with a couple of exceptions.
-Has plenty of trees, but for the most part there are clear lanes. Only a couple of shots, would I consider a bit too tight/crowded to be fair.

Cons:

-Bordered by busy roads, stray shots on 1, 5, 6, 9 and especially 7 could end up in the middle of traffic.
-Playground smack dab in the middle of course. Has been problematic often enough to mention.
-Holes are bit on the short side and a bit repetitive.
-Baskets are old and mean.

Other Thoughts:

Because the tees are usually not simply longer variations they do give more variety than multiple tees at your typical course, but in many cases the shots feel similar. Which leads me to another point...for the most part you'll only need one shot here, a low hyzer. There a couple instances where it won't do the trick, but you could certainly get away with nothing but a roc and a putter and not be much worse off.

It's nice to have a third course in Bloomington-Normal, however, it certainly isn't as good as either Maxwell or P.J. I do however think the designer made the most of what he had to work with, I don't think a better course could have been put into the ground. The park isn't particularly big nor does it have particularly interesting terrain. However it does have trees, and it will force you to learn a low hyzer, which is at least a valuable lesson.
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6 0
Cobra165
Experience: 108 played 10 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A decent neighborhood course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Alternate tees do add some variety
• Very nice semi-wooded park
• Nice restrooms
• A couple of nice shots on the course. One hole that especially stands out in memory is the red tee for hole 3. There are three legitimate routes to the basket, and I had to think for a long time before choosing a route. Love holes like this! Well done. Wish there were more like this on the course, but you take what the land gives you.

Cons:

• Layout can be confusing. There are a few spots where you have to trek a good distance backward to the next tee (navigational tip: the direction to the next tee is painted on the tines of the basket).
• The concern about hole 7 is legit. There is a narrow strip of trees/scrub protecting a grip-locked shot from cruising into a busy street. Be careful!
• Hole 3 finishes in front of a creek, and to get to hole 4 I had to walk around the woods, back up and across 9's fairway (dangerous blind spot) to hole 4. Perhaps the intent is to build a bridge across the creek at some point--until then, be careful. If there's an intended route to hole 4 there, I missed it.

Other Thoughts:

I won't repeat everything that's been said, but rather try to supplement it. I agree with what the other posters have said, with these exceptions: the course is actually pretty flat. There is one hole that plays up a modest hill. Also, there are some holes where you will need a driver, especially if you play the blues. One hole measured over 400 feet--not a mid-range hole for most throwers. I also remember a hole playing slightly uphill that measured over 300.

Overall, a nice walk in the park and some fun shots. Not a course you'll remember, but worth stopping if you are in the area and have an hour to kill.
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6 0
uigrad
Experience: 34.2 years 36 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A well-designed course in a multipurpose park. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 14, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course was just remade in June of 2009. Each hole has two tees (A and B), and both are concrete. The holes are probably Mach 4s, so a bit of accuracy is needed in putting.

The best aspect of this course is the variety. Some hole use elevation changes, and some are flat. Some have lots of tree obstructions, and some are open. Some are short, and others are long. The second set of tees are well planned, so playing through the course a second time will feel almost like an entirely different course.

This feels like a family course. There is a large pavilion in the park and playground equipment, so if the whole family goes, the older children can play the course, while parents watch the younger kids on the playground. Yet, the course is still very interesting, and any experienced golfer will enjoy it also.

Cons:

When I played, the signs were missing. There were posts to hold the signs, and it looks like they were to show a map of the hole, but the actual map was missing. I had trouble finding the tees to hole 4 and hole 6, because there is no indication where to go after finishing one hole. 4 can be found by crossing the woods area, to the main part of the park. A map at the front of the course would probably help in this regard, or arrows painted on the holes themselves pointing to the next tees.

There is a playground and road that are near enough to the course that you have to be a bit careful. Since this park is multi-purpose, you may get stares as you are playing.

I've attempted to play this course a couple of times now. Once, there was a blues festival, or something like that in the park, and the whole course was unplayable. There were a couple hundred people there, and little kids running through all the fairways.

Finding the correct parking lot (north side of the course) is tricky. Google maps shows Tanner St. connecting to Morris, but it doesn't. The road is closed. So, take Morris to Springfield Rd., then go north to Tanner St., turn left, and the entrance to the park will be on your left.

Other Thoughts:

This course is very nice for a 9-hole course. It is friendly enough to bring a new player. The park is interesting, and even has a historic building with plaque to visit between holes 2 and 3. It's close to the interstate, which is great for those of us who don't live in Bloomington.
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5 0
Dwiggy444
Experience: 17 years 90 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Tight and Technical 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

- Course is set in a public park with many, many large trees, a small creek and driveways and parking lots interpersed throughout, so there are very tight lines (narrow openings and low ceilings) and the possibility for OB on almost every hole.
- 9 baskets with 2 teepads per hole set at very different angles and distances, so you can play a full round of 18 unique holes.
- Good variety of shots required to score low (short and technical shots, long drives, left and right turns).
- A few holes (#3, #5 and #7) are long and/or require very precise drives, providing an excellent challenge for players of all skill levels and will produce score separation for tournaments and other competitive rounds.
- Very different design from the other two courses in Bloomington-Normal, so it's a nice change of pace.

Cons:

- Most holes are between 200 and 250 ft, so there are a lot of birdie opportunities if you can throw that distance accurately.
- Some of the lines are almost too narrow and border on unfair. This might change as the course matures and is trimmed.
- The baskets are "old school" and can be very unforgiving. I've only played two rounds on the course and I've personally witnessed four spit outs or rejections of dead center putts.
- A couple of holes (hole 4 & 5) are near a large children's playground. As a result, there can occassionally be pedestrian traffic to and from the playground and, because it's a new course, many people aren't aware that people are playing disc golf nearby. So...you've got to be sure the way is clear before you throw.
- Park isn't in the best neighborhood and is bordered on one side by a fairly busy street.

Other Thoughts:

I'm very glad to see another quality disc golf course in Bloomington-Normal! The course designer (Rob Strasser) worked very closely with the Parks and Rec department to install the best possible course on the land available. This course will definitely become part of the rotation for all the local players. If you want to work on your short technical game, come check out Forrest Park.
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6 0
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.9 years 212 played 197 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Blo-No's third public disc golf course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 1, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-The Bloomington Normal disc golf community really cares about the sport and it's very obvious when you see courses like this.
-The course spans over the entire park which means you should be prepared to do a lot of walking for a nine hole course.
-New teepads, and, while this course is only two days old today, there will be new maps and a big map when you come into the park.
-Alternate tees add an entirely different perspective to every hole, which make it justified that you can play 18 holes here and not get bored.
-I'm really glad that the course incorporates the little stream on holes 1, 8, and 9. They definitely add to the ambiance of the course.

Cons:

-The holes are all very short. While it spans the whole park, I don't think any of the holes are above 350 feet. I parked almost every one of the baskets on my first time playing here. There's not really a challenge.
-The baskets are old and brown and I know it's really cool that they took them from an old course and are recycling them, but with the new teepads and signs, they don't really fit in.
-There were a lot of people here and I almost hit a couple on a picnic because I didn't see them. So just be careful.
-You can see the road from every hole. There's not really that "secluded feel" that all of the great courses have. There's a risk of throwing your disc onto the street on hole #7 as the fairway hugs the street. If you accidently grip lock, you're in big trouble.

Other Thoughts:

It's great that Blo-No Recreation cooperated with the dedicated disc golfers of the area and created a new course to play on. While it's not as great as Maxwell or Irvin, it's definitely fantastic that they added this one in case you wanted to play something other than Maxwell/Irvin but didn't want to drive all the way out to Peoria. I can't wait to see the new signs and the big map of the park.
So in summary, it's a nice course to practice your short game on, but you probably won't need a driver.
Also! I'd like to add that Forrest Park is known to be a meeting place of homosexual men after the sun has set. So...be aware if you plan on playing after hours that you may be approached.
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