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B.I.G. DGC reviews
13
0
Short, Fun Romp 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 3, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
A very pleasant out-and-back strip that makes for a fun shorter round.
-Amenities: Very thorough tee signs, well-worn natural tees, decent off-brand baskets.
-Flow: I wouldn't consider navigation easy, but the course has a solid flow working down and back along the length of this thin strip of park.
-Beginner Friendly: Distances aren't too much and there's not really a lot trouble to get into (especially on the beginner-prone left side of the fairway).
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: A nice birdiefest for more experienced players. The course is basically open, but isolated trees, patches of rough, and especially hills make it reasonably interesting. The rough forces shot shapes on most of the back half. Three hills have steep greens and three holes are substantial downhill shots for a bit of fun. Ace potential is pretty decent. Perfect for a really chill and relaxing round.
-"Friendly": Easy to play, well kept up, and hard to lose discs.
-Amenities: Very thorough tee signs, well-worn natural tees, decent off-brand baskets.
-Flow: I wouldn't consider navigation easy, but the course has a solid flow working down and back along the length of this thin strip of park.
-Beginner Friendly: Distances aren't too much and there's not really a lot trouble to get into (especially on the beginner-prone left side of the fairway).
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: A nice birdiefest for more experienced players. The course is basically open, but isolated trees, patches of rough, and especially hills make it reasonably interesting. The rough forces shot shapes on most of the back half. Three hills have steep greens and three holes are substantial downhill shots for a bit of fun. Ace potential is pretty decent. Perfect for a really chill and relaxing round.
-"Friendly": Easy to play, well kept up, and hard to lose discs.
Cons:
-Shapes: Holes (5) and (7) seemed a bit unreasonable. The former has a tree canopy blocking most paths to the basket from a downhill tee, while the latter has the world's sharpest dogleg leading to a steep green (virtually impossible to manage without a massive FH spike hyzer).
-Navigation: The flow prevents long walks, but nonetheless it can tricky to figure out exactly where the next tee is, and sometimes multiple tees nearby cloud the issue. After the first time it would be easy, but I recommend UDisc for the first round to make sure you're going correct places.
-Safety: Road danger on multiple holes here. Throw with caution.
-Rough: If you do throw into the rough, it could get uncomfy.
-Navigation: The flow prevents long walks, but nonetheless it can tricky to figure out exactly where the next tee is, and sometimes multiple tees nearby cloud the issue. After the first time it would be easy, but I recommend UDisc for the first round to make sure you're going correct places.
-Safety: Road danger on multiple holes here. Throw with caution.
-Rough: If you do throw into the rough, it could get uncomfy.
Other Thoughts:
BIG is a great little course with some minor issues. Once you know where you're going, and if you're able to countenance a couple of hokey shapes, you'll have a great round chasing aces and birdies.
Side note: this course feels almost identical to one I know from GA, Village Green in Peachtree City. I really enjoy that latter course, as well. A low-barrier entry point into disc golf that's still fun for more experienced folks as well.
Side note: this course feels almost identical to one I know from GA, Village Green in Peachtree City. I really enjoy that latter course, as well. A low-barrier entry point into disc golf that's still fun for more experienced folks as well.
16
0
A Nice Ace Run Filled Course That Is Great For New Players 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:May 15, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
B.I.G. at East End Park is a short 9-hole course on the southeast side of Belleville, Illinois. This course makes the most out of the space in this small park, and provides a round of golf that proves to be accessible for newer players.
Location of B.I.G. is convenient if you are interested in playing multiple courses during your day. Between Citizens, Bicentennial, and Clinton Hills, these 4 courses are all within just a few miles of each other. This course is also just a few blocks from a couple of larger roads that each have plenty of gas and food options. This course is just off of Routes 159 and 159, which makes it fairly easy to get to. Most folks will be able to access this course from either I-64 or I-255 with the use of these smaller highways.
Park Amenities are fairly straightforward at this park. This park includes restrooms, picnic tables, and grills close to the parking lot. You'll also spot a playground and tennis courts near the parking lot as well. The rest of the park is mainly open space that the disc golf course snakes around. This park uses the space of a couple city blocks, and gets some of that space based on where a couple of lines of houses end. While there isn't too much to look at or do here, it's a nice city park that serves the neighborhood well, and has a playground if you're here with kids.
Course Equipment that is present is actually pretty impressive. The course map at the parking lot is large and easy to read, and includes rules in case newer players come along to play. The tee signs on site are exactly how they are presented currently on this website, which include pars (all 3s), hole distance, a layout of the hole, directions to the next tee, and sponsor shout outs. The baskets are all in fantastic shape, and have wraps on the bands that really add a personalized touch to the course. I'm pretty sure these are MVP baskets given the shape of the baskets, and they catch great.
Course Design at B.I.G. does about as much as you can with this plot of land, and actually includes some variety in shot shapes. Course length is just over 2,000 feet with hole 6 being the longest hole by far at 345 feet, so weaker arms or those learning their form will be at home here. After going along a hill and the tennis courts for hole 1, the rest of the holes circle the outline of the park. Holes 2, 3, and 4 go along the east side of the park, hole 5 goes along the north end, and holes 6 through 9 go back along the west side.
Variety is limited but exists here. Most of the shots are pretty straight and are welcoming for either forehand or backhand players. That being said, holes 6 and 7 are right turning holes around the treeline, which will force players to throw that specific right ending shot. Holes 1, 6, and 8 all go up in elevation from the tees as well, while holes 5 and 9 are fun downhill drives off the tee, making for some elevation action in this small course. Holes 5 and 8 are also somewhat guarded greens with the trees around those baskets, especially hole 5 which is hard to access from the tee due to its low ceiling. Hole 9 is a fun finale, as it's actually an island hole with a small section of land to land within. The grass wasn't really cut to represent this island, but you can kind of make out where it is.
Course Difficulty is not going to impress seasoned players, but this course is pretty accessible for newer players. Since most of the holes are between 180 and 250 feet, so players with less distance to their drives will still be able to score well here. Intermediate players will find this course to be a nice and quick round that can be played pretty much with putters or midranges; I think I threw my Wizard and Buzzz for all but 1 or 2 shots during my round here, and I was able to get birdies on over half the holes with just those discs without much trouble.
Location of B.I.G. is convenient if you are interested in playing multiple courses during your day. Between Citizens, Bicentennial, and Clinton Hills, these 4 courses are all within just a few miles of each other. This course is also just a few blocks from a couple of larger roads that each have plenty of gas and food options. This course is just off of Routes 159 and 159, which makes it fairly easy to get to. Most folks will be able to access this course from either I-64 or I-255 with the use of these smaller highways.
Park Amenities are fairly straightforward at this park. This park includes restrooms, picnic tables, and grills close to the parking lot. You'll also spot a playground and tennis courts near the parking lot as well. The rest of the park is mainly open space that the disc golf course snakes around. This park uses the space of a couple city blocks, and gets some of that space based on where a couple of lines of houses end. While there isn't too much to look at or do here, it's a nice city park that serves the neighborhood well, and has a playground if you're here with kids.
Course Equipment that is present is actually pretty impressive. The course map at the parking lot is large and easy to read, and includes rules in case newer players come along to play. The tee signs on site are exactly how they are presented currently on this website, which include pars (all 3s), hole distance, a layout of the hole, directions to the next tee, and sponsor shout outs. The baskets are all in fantastic shape, and have wraps on the bands that really add a personalized touch to the course. I'm pretty sure these are MVP baskets given the shape of the baskets, and they catch great.
Course Design at B.I.G. does about as much as you can with this plot of land, and actually includes some variety in shot shapes. Course length is just over 2,000 feet with hole 6 being the longest hole by far at 345 feet, so weaker arms or those learning their form will be at home here. After going along a hill and the tennis courts for hole 1, the rest of the holes circle the outline of the park. Holes 2, 3, and 4 go along the east side of the park, hole 5 goes along the north end, and holes 6 through 9 go back along the west side.
Variety is limited but exists here. Most of the shots are pretty straight and are welcoming for either forehand or backhand players. That being said, holes 6 and 7 are right turning holes around the treeline, which will force players to throw that specific right ending shot. Holes 1, 6, and 8 all go up in elevation from the tees as well, while holes 5 and 9 are fun downhill drives off the tee, making for some elevation action in this small course. Holes 5 and 8 are also somewhat guarded greens with the trees around those baskets, especially hole 5 which is hard to access from the tee due to its low ceiling. Hole 9 is a fun finale, as it's actually an island hole with a small section of land to land within. The grass wasn't really cut to represent this island, but you can kind of make out where it is.
Course Difficulty is not going to impress seasoned players, but this course is pretty accessible for newer players. Since most of the holes are between 180 and 250 feet, so players with less distance to their drives will still be able to score well here. Intermediate players will find this course to be a nice and quick round that can be played pretty much with putters or midranges; I think I threw my Wizard and Buzzz for all but 1 or 2 shots during my round here, and I was able to get birdies on over half the holes with just those discs without much trouble.
Cons:
Course Equipment, which nice, also feels incomplete since there are not established tee pads. The dirt wasn't bad to throw off of, but I imagine these dirt areas can get muddy when it rains here.
Course Difficulty, like I said previously, is welcoming to newer players, but won't make for a big replay-ability factor for intermediate to advanced players. While there is some variety here, there isn't anything that an intermediate player can't handle with 2 or 3 discs, including hole 6 which is probably the most challenging hole on course. This isn't a bad thing, per say - I think easier courses are just as necessary as challenging ones for the disc golf community. This is just a heads up for more seasoned players if they come to play here. If you're struggling for distance at nearby courses like Clinton Hills, this course will suit you well.
Safety came to mind a few times on this course. The plot of land this course design has to work with is relatively small, sand as a result, some of the holes come close to roads or other park uses. Hole 1 uses a very small plot of land between the road and the tennis courts, and with the trees along this stretch of land, it's not hard to imagine plenty of shots ending up in either the courts or the road. Holes 3 and 4 have pins that are both pretty close to a road as well, with hole 3 playing right towards the road. Hole 9 might be the easiest hole to end up in a road though, since this hole is a short and downhill drive to the pin less than 10 feet from the curb. The roads around the course are not the busiest in the world, but it's still worth noting since they do get traffic. It's also hard to see cars coming from the right on hole 9 as well, so it's hard to look both ways before throwing. The parking lot can also easily come into play on hole 9; the guy behind me had a disc fade into the middle of the lot while I was packing up my car and finishing recording my round on UDisc.
I suspect drainage and water could prove troublesome at this course. Most of the sides of this park slant inward, so mud and water may be an issue after rain. There's drainage infrastructure that goes down the middle of the course, so water is meant to collect here. Be careful with your footing after rainy days.
Course Difficulty, like I said previously, is welcoming to newer players, but won't make for a big replay-ability factor for intermediate to advanced players. While there is some variety here, there isn't anything that an intermediate player can't handle with 2 or 3 discs, including hole 6 which is probably the most challenging hole on course. This isn't a bad thing, per say - I think easier courses are just as necessary as challenging ones for the disc golf community. This is just a heads up for more seasoned players if they come to play here. If you're struggling for distance at nearby courses like Clinton Hills, this course will suit you well.
Safety came to mind a few times on this course. The plot of land this course design has to work with is relatively small, sand as a result, some of the holes come close to roads or other park uses. Hole 1 uses a very small plot of land between the road and the tennis courts, and with the trees along this stretch of land, it's not hard to imagine plenty of shots ending up in either the courts or the road. Holes 3 and 4 have pins that are both pretty close to a road as well, with hole 3 playing right towards the road. Hole 9 might be the easiest hole to end up in a road though, since this hole is a short and downhill drive to the pin less than 10 feet from the curb. The roads around the course are not the busiest in the world, but it's still worth noting since they do get traffic. It's also hard to see cars coming from the right on hole 9 as well, so it's hard to look both ways before throwing. The parking lot can also easily come into play on hole 9; the guy behind me had a disc fade into the middle of the lot while I was packing up my car and finishing recording my round on UDisc.
I suspect drainage and water could prove troublesome at this course. Most of the sides of this park slant inward, so mud and water may be an issue after rain. There's drainage infrastructure that goes down the middle of the course, so water is meant to collect here. Be careful with your footing after rainy days.
Other Thoughts:
Overall, B.I.G. is a nice neighborhood course that would be nice to have down the road for a quick round. If you come here to play, you can expect to be done in a half hour, making this an easy course to knock out pretty quick if you're in a hurry. While this is the only 9-hole among the other 18s in Belleville and Swansea, it's a nice and easy course that newer players will be able to practice driving form and putting at. It's not the most exciting course you'll come across, but any town or disc golf community can benefit from a short 9 hole at their local city park.
Check out Van Man Discs up the road if you're in the market for new discs; they're really nice and helpful if you aren't sure what you are looking for. Come to B.I.G. if you're a local looking to try new courses out. If you're visiting the area, I'd recommend prioritizing other courses before this one.
Check out Van Man Discs up the road if you're in the market for new discs; they're really nice and helpful if you aren't sure what you are looking for. Come to B.I.G. if you're a local looking to try new courses out. If you're visiting the area, I'd recommend prioritizing other courses before this one.
