Pros:
- nice full color tee signs
- ample parking
- practice basket
- port o potties
- course sign
- large concrete tees with nice grooves
- numbers on baskets
- dual tees (tee signs only on white tees)
- good water hazards in play
- moderately wooded with well defined fairways
- lots of wildlife viewing opportunities in a quiet, picturesque setting
- nice retaining walls built as needed around some baskets
- some garbage cans and benches
- navigation is very straightforward
- area is mostly devoted to disc golf, with very minor walking trail hazard to be aware of
Cons:
- baskets are fine, but relatively basic, not great catchers
- course can be fairly wet in some areas, though some woodchips help
- could use some next tee signs in places
- rough can be brutal in places
- pars are a bit too generous
Other Thoughts:
This is a very nice course. I had concerns it was going to be a rough round when I saw how wet the bioswale area near hole 1 was, but most of the course stays relatively dry. Some areas have woodchips to help with this. The course didn't blow me away, and sure, Canyons and others fairly nearby are better, but this is a respectable course in its own right, and given when it was installed (1982), it's that much more impressive.
I came early in the morning and there were deer everywhere, birds singing, and lots of wildlife. For being this close to the Chicago area, the escape from infrastructure was very nice. The course is well maintained overall and mowed. Some aspects of it are showing their age, such as the very faded course sign at the beginning, but for the most part the course was in good shape. The heavy grooves on the tees were really nice on a dewey morning.
The baskets are pretty basic and aren't the best catchers, but they generally were in good shape otherwise. There are lots of amenities here and it felt like a full service, well thought out course with few outside interferences like in some parks. I have to agree some of the area course ratings are inflated, and for me this course wasn't quite a 4, but it is still a very nice course. The tee signs were fantastic, and dual tees are also nice. The long tees mostly just add a bit of length if you want to play longer, and not much more than that, but the tees are also nice and large which is always appreciated.
I think one of the bigger downsides here is that there isn't much elevation change. What is here was incorporated very nicely, and some of the approach shots to the basket have some dips and hills that add a lot of challenge. It's still a fun and challenging course, and I'd probably recommend it for intermediate and up. The biggest reason I might pass on this course for beginners is the rough. It is quite bad in some areas (in the sense you "dont want to go in there if you don't have to", but still is what you'd expect from a disc golf course). Not only is it a bit thick, but it's thorny in places. I usually play alone and not having a spotter here can mean scraping up your legs pretty bad finding that disc. Definitely don't get annoyed with your shot and throw 4-5 drives like I have a habit of doing.
It seems like there are some varying views on this course, and I get some of the criticism. It didn't feel very repetitive to me, but there are courses around that have it beat, namely the Lockport/Joliet titans. Still, I felt like this course was worth the trip. The Canyons is worth a drive from another state, this course is not - but if you're within an hour, I'd still come play. I enjoyed myself and I think most people will too as long as they take care not to bury discs in the rough. The water hazards add challenge and interest for me, but might be a turnoff for some people I guess. I recommend giving this one a try.