South Elgin, IL

Village Center DGC

1.935(based on 7 reviews)
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2 0
RDHan
Experience: 10.9 years 155 played 7 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Not a destination course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 6, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The pros and cons of this course have been nicely summarized by others below so I will not repeat them all. This is the course I first went to in order to see if I would like disc gofl. Someone kindly donated me a disc to try when they saw I came with a Master Frisbee. I tossed it around and got hooked on the sport. That is the beauty of these community courses. They are in local communities to get individuals and families a fun thing to do. And that is exactly what this course does. It is clear the community took time to do a course and are doing their best to keep it up. They did not just build it and neglect it as some communities might. They have done an okay job with the space they have. I usually only play the first seven holes and there is some challenge in each of these first seven holes. But after that there is not much creativity and far too many people walking around. I actually wonder if because of safety reasons these last holes will eventually get removed.

Cons:

The one hope I would have is that tee boxes were kept up a little better or paved. But you can often stand next to them to throw if they are too bad. As mentioned by others, the first three holes do overlap so you need to watch out for others and their discs. The last holes do not really add anything interesting and they are in high used portions of the park. Lots of safety issues here!

Other Thoughts:

In summary, this is a okay course for what it is. If you are on this site looking for cool new courses to travel to and play (that is how I use this site), then this is one to skip. It is not a destination course. It will offer you nothing new. It will frustrate you in terms of layout. There are much better even short 9-hole community course in the area that you should go to for a much better experience - Campton Hills, Sunny Hill Park, and Randall Oaks and all much better. But this city should be celebrated for taking the time to provide this course to their residents and keeping it up. As one who is local I will still be using it and hope the city continues to keep at least the first section. Even though I give a very low rating, it does not reflect the courses value to the community.
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6 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Better than it was 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 10, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a decent city park (two, actually). The grass is nicely mowed, and there wasn't any trash when I played. There are framed in tee boxes and posts that are supposed to get tee signs installed. The baskets are in nice shape.

There are a couple nice holes, especially in the first part of the course. One plays into a group of dense pine trees, another offers a tunnel shot with ob on both sides and a tricky putting area next to the creek. There is a sign helping navigation between the two areas of the park.

Cons:

There are several holes crammed into a small area on the front part of the course, with less accurate players there could definitely be some conflicts with multiple groups on the course. A gravel road comes into play, another potential safety issue if there's much traffic going to the trolley museum or baseball field. The last 4 holes are in a very heavily used park, picnickers are a major issue on nice days. There are a couple fun holes, but overall it's a park course without a whole lot of challenge or variety.

Other Thoughts:

Beginners will find some challenges here, though new players will also bring more of the safety issues into play. More experienced players won't be tested here, and the couple interesting shots are some of the ones that have the most conflicts with other holes and other park uses. The long walk to the last 4 holes then another long walk back to the parking lot break up the flow of the course quite a bit.
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1 0
geognerd
Experience: 13.5 years 11 played 11 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A fair course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 20, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The creek at the south end of the course provides a hazard that is scenic. It is unlikely to lose a disc at this course. Plenty of places to park if you're willing to start somewhere besides hole #1. A mix of longer and shorter holes. The length of #9 and having to bend my shot around the berm at #10 were fun. The course has never been busy when I have played here.

Cons:

Tee #6 is in the flight line of hole #1. Basket #2 is blocked by trees on all sides except directly in front, making a shot at the basket impossible if you are along side or behind it. The grounds at Hole #8 were being used for a community event. A sign said that spot is the future home of a playground, so the course may get reconfigured again. Hole #12 is dull, a straight shot at the pin with some utility lines overhead. The tee pads seem to be made of crumbling concrete.

Other Thoughts:

The walk between #8 and #9 is longer than usual, but isn't bad. We all could use the exercise. Though it is a long walk back to the parking lot from #12. The park was pretty empty when I played, but I can see how this course could be frustrating if there were a lot of non-golfers around. The direction the top of the tee sign slants is the direction of the basket. This isn't a course I will play regularly, but it is a way to add some variety to the courses I usually play.
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1 1
FingerFlicker
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun Course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 1, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Some challenging holes. Creeks, & trees make some of the holes very tricky.

Cons:

Course split into a south 8 and north 4. (kinda far to walk) (we do it on bikes)
no directional markers or par markers.

Other Thoughts:

maybe I just don't know any better, but I have a great time every time I play this course!
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2 3
CodeBoyJace
Experience: 12.6 years 20 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Why Bother 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Its only 4 miles from where I live. Obstacles you may not have experienced before. Few chances to hit water.

Cons:

The Tees range from light gravel to loose sand. Slipping on the drives. Confusing layout at times. Few obstacles. Only one tee where you might hit an obstacle. No distances posted.

Other Thoughts:

I am new to disc golf, but I can sure say I know when a course is bad. Hole 4 is pretty unique from what I hear. You have a chnace to hit a power line, a telephone pole, baseball field fence, and wood pylons all in 1 throw. I threw mine in the creek instead. 2 holes later you can hit the park bathrooms.

Hole 7 has a Ying-Yang symbol made of weeds you can throw over. Walking to hole 9 is fun. You can throw over a partt of the fox on hole 10 that is covered in scum. That's pretty.

Trust me. Skip it. The only reason to play this course is if you live next to it and don't want to drive. I won't be coming back.
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1 5
Flying Discman
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Village Center DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is awesome...it sits on the pristine Fox River where people are fishing and bikes are passing, but in no way do they get in the way. The new hole reconfiguration was a great addition and will be enjoyed by many. The holes now are more challenging and the new tee boxes guide you to the proper throwing location. The cages all have number flags on them and there is even an occassional bench to chill. The holes are both challenging and easy with some that cross a creek, one straight down a gravel road with hazards on both sides, and some long enough that they challenge your strength. From 9 to 12 holes is a great attempt to make this course competitive

Cons:

One of the cons is the map hole signs are not installed yet, but according to the Village, they are on order and should be up soon.

Other Thoughts:

Yo need to play this course...not a good idea to play it right after their fest (Aug18-21) at least the north end as the carnival and people have trampled the course, but give it a try! You'll be happy you did!
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5 0
Three Putt
Staff member
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 29.2 years 152 played 127 reviews
1.00 star(s)

One more time, with feeling... 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 29, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

South Elgin has taken another crack at the Village Center Disc Golf Course, and some of the issues with the old layout have been addressed. The course is still made up of two independent areas with holes, but the South area has been expanded to hold 8 holes and the course overall now has 12 holes. The old hole #2 which used to shoot blindly over a creek toward a road and parking lot has been re-worked; basket #2 is now on the same side of the creek as the tee, a hole has been added and the old #2 basket is now #4 with a new tee on the same side of the creek. In addition, the playground that used to be by the old #5 basket (it's now #7) has been removed and a new hole (#8) has been added that shoots down toward the bridge. That new hole cuts down on the golfless distance you need to walk between tees. New tee areas have been added (crushed gravel in a border) with makes it easier to find the tees, and there are posts by the tees that I was told will get signs. Holes 1-9 have flags on top of the baskets to help you find them. Hole #5 (old hole #3) is actually a cool use of landscaping; it's a <200' shot but the pin is surrounded by pine trees. If you miss the gap you have no putt. It's a good example of how you can use landscaping to create a decent hole.

Cons:

While there have been improvements, this is still a classic Chicago disc golf course...flat, short, pretty wide open, not very challenging. It's an OK recreational design, nothing more.

The new #3 hole now has hole #1, #2, #3, the basket for #5 and the tee for #6 all crammed together. Holes #2 and #3 use the same fairway; you basically throw at each other. The last four holes are unchanged and old #6/new #9 has always had a problem with park users being in the fairway. The new # 4 plays down a narrow strip with a knarly creek to the left and a gravel road to the right, which will still be a conflict with traffic on the gravel road when the ball fields are in use. The new #8 hole is one of the most dangerous holes I've ever seen; the tee is too close to the #7 basket, the parking lot is n00b hyzer-distance from the tee, there is a barbecue grill with benches IN THE FAIRWAY and the basket is right next to a busy walking path. The overall effect is a course that does not fit in with other park uses and isn't at all safe; you have to watch out for other golfers and park users here.

The new tee for old #5/new #7 was moved down to a spot that is hard to find and takes away a fun elevated tee shot. The tee for old #3/new #5 has been moved back; it makes a better shot but it also would be hard for a first-time visitor to find. There used to be a sign telling you how to get to the last 4 holes by the #5 basket, and that has not yet been replaced. All of those spots could use directional signs since the course does not flow particularly well.

The crushed gravel tees are a mess; most have uneven surfaces as gravel has been kicked around. The tee for hole #6 is in what must be the wettest part of the park and holds water badly.

In the end, the main gripe I heard from others was the split park and the long walk back and forth. That still exists. You still have holes #1-#8 in one area and a long walk under a bridge and past the police station to get to holes #9-#12. The new design gives you more shots (eight as opposed to five) if you are just going to play the first set of holes and skip the long walk, and the new #8 gets you a bit closer to the bridge. That's as good as it gets. If you played here before and hated the course because of the long hike between parks, you are still going to hate it.

Other Thoughts:

According to the park department, the redesign is very recent and has not been totally completed. When I was there the old #6/new #9 did not yet have a tee, and the baskets still had the numbering from the old 9-hole course. There are posts for signs, but no information on them. I was given the impression that the park department is planning on addressing these issues.**Update-There are tee signs now with distances, except for hole #9. Hole #9 never got a tee sign or an established tee area, just a post with a sign that says "Disc Golf #9."**

I will give the parks department credit for working on the course and trying to improve it. The problem is that the site isn't really suited for disc golf, so no matter what is done to it the course is only going to be so-so. Taken shot by shot, the golf is OK. Taking the multiple safety issues into account, I'd have to list this one as a "skip."
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