- two flared concrete tees per hole (blue/white)
- tee signs include full color maps and tee color (blue/white)
- older DGA baskets still catching well
- hole numbers on baskets
- next tee indicators on tee signs
- very well maintained park
- nice views of Kankakee River
- some limited technical challenge; lightly wooded in areas
- some very limited elevation change

- uneven ground from burrowing animals
- concrete tees are a little small
- could become swampy if river floods
- a couple of holes are a bit overgrown
- could be considered too short for many players
- holes start to feel a bit too open and repetitive
- not much in the way of amenities
- mostly flat

Rivals Lookout Park is never going to be a destination, but it's better than a lot of what we have in the Chicago area. Yes, it's another park course with limited distance that is mostly flat and open, but there are a few tunnel shots through wooded stands here. These areas are probably the most unkempt/overgrown, but in general the park is pretty well maintained.

The equipment is definitely showing its age here, but the baskets still catch well and the tees are in pretty good shape, just a bit small by today's standards. The tee signs are a bit small and on the rough side but they exist at both tees and have maps, so again, better than plenty of other courses.

There's not much in the way of real technical challenge here outside of a couple holes like 2 and 3 which had the tunnel shots mentioned. The distances are pretty short and while there are some obstacles, the course still feels predominantly open. This also leads to some repetitive layouts. Being right next to the river is cool but it doesn't come into play at all.

There are gates to close off part of the road through the park if there is standing water, so this course flooding if the river gets high seems like a non-trival possibility. I would assume it's still uncommon but who knows. The biggest con here is that the ground seems to be uneven everywhere due to burrowing animals. It seems very likely a few people have rolled an ankle here, so step lightly.

The navigation and signage here actually is pretty decent, and it's surprising to see dual concrete tees on a course of this caliber. With some cleanup and a bit more technical layout - which I'm not sure how you'd accomplish, short of growing some more trees over the next 10 years - this course could be more of a 2.5. As it stands currently, I did enjoy my round but it's nothing too exciting for most players.

Short and long crocrete tees.Readable signage.The geographic setting makes for good drainage.Good mix of shots.

The mando on hole 2 could be more specific on the signs. Some of the pads seemed kinda short and oddly tapered.

Love the redesign on Hole 6 and 7, and the new (to me at least) concrete pads are nice! Not much bad to say really. The camp ground is cool, but I wish it wasn't there, so the river could come into play more.

* 9 quality baskets
* Alternate tees for each hole
* Concrete tees for each hole
* tee signs for each hole (unless missing)
* Possible ace run on each hole
* Quiet secluded park from any major roads
* Only course in the area
* Chances are it will never have heavy foot traffic so you are able to practice putting and various shots with no problem
* Can't beat that view of the Kankakee river
* I live 2 minutes up the road and work across the walking bridge
* I'm a teacher, so it's nice to be able to recommend this course to students to expose beginners to the sport

* Shots are short and even though "look different"; aren't very different from each other
* tee sign for both hole 1's were missing as of 5/25/21
* the "non disc golf" crowd or travelers this park has recently been attracting the past couple years. Frequently people cruise in slowly and creepily hang out in their cars in the parking lot for a while and just leave. OR people bring their dogs here to run leash less. OR younger kids skateboard under the pavilion and shout profanity at me while I'm discing. This wasn't an issue until a couple years ago and it seems VERY common now anytime I stop by here to work on throws/shots/try out new discs.

I felt compelled to review this course due to the fact I recently moved right up the road from it and have played it heavily since moving. Also, I teach at the school right across the walking bridge. Even though I gave this course it's well deserved 1 1/2 disc rating, I actually enjoy coming here to throw. Like I said above, this course is never busy and I have noticed my game improve since I come here and practice various shots (created my own "long" shots since almost no one is here). If you're not close to this area I would NOT drive out of the way to come here, but if you find yourself cruising down route 113 or 102, definitely check it out.

The park is being continually modified and updated.
In July '12 hole 3 became a hanging basket.
Rivals now has tee signs and hole maps that our actual pictures of the course with distances, and flight paths.
The course is great for locals and people that are just learning the game.
If you need to practice any type of shot you can at rivals.
The park is rarely busy and has a nice walking path that runs next to it.
If you take the path you can go onto a bridge that overlooks the Kankakee river.

The boxes are hit or miss. I suggest you wear cleats.
The water does not come into play on any of the holes.

I am a new member of the park committee at rivals and I have personally taken the responsibility to create a better course which I worked very hard on doing last year and will continue to do so in 2013.
We will be hosting 3 tournaments this year with prizes and awards.
All proceeds go towards park improvements.
Please leave a comment in the box in the pavilion.

The course plays through a nice little park along the river. A few of the holes have river views, the water doesn't come into play though. Scattered mature trees come into play on most holes, and a line of pines makes one hole more interesting. Some of the baskets are tucked behind trees to add a little challenge. The course is clearly intended for beginners, and to that end there's a nice variety of distances without anything too long. The baskets are numbered, which comes in handy with the lack of signage, as does good course flow that makes it easy to follow.

The course is short and easy, no real challenges and only one hole that offers something other than a basic short hyzer for most players. The tees are awful, small framed in areas that are rutted out and don't provide good footing at all. There's no signage at the tees or the beginning of the course, so it's a little tricky to figure out where to start. Many of the tees are right in the potential landing area for the previous hole. I doubt this course will get a ton of traffic, but it's definitely a potential safety issue. A couple holes play next to the park road, again not a huge deal since there won't be all that many cars going by.

This is a nice little beginner course, just enough obstacles to make things interesting without much distance or punishment for errant shots. More experienced players won't find much challenge or real variety here. I wouldn't go out of your way for this one, but if you're in the area it's not a bad place for a quick putter only round.

This park is located in a very quiet area of town. The Kankakee River runs down the south side of the course and there is a fantastic walking path that goes over the river. It's a cool looking old bridge. The land is mostly flat and open. There are scattered trees pretecting a few pins and some rough lining the edge.

Hole #1's tee pad is located to the north of the pavillion with the basket on the edge of the pine trees.

Brand new Mach 3 baskets. Since the tees do not have signs having the # plate is much needed on this course.

Once you find hole #1 it's super easy to navigate.

Great beginner in an area that doesn't have a course.

No tee signs.

The tees are lined by lumber. They are dirt so when it rains it's going to be muddy! Most are very uneven and difficult to throw from.

The design of this course was pretty bad. The tee pads are only a few steps from the previous basket on several holes. The land did not offer an awesome course but it did have more. The river does not come into play on 1 hole and the rough could have been put in play.

If you are traveling down I55 and you want a quiet place to stop and have a picnic this place is for you. There is a nice walking/bike trail. If you are looking for some quality disc golf skip it all together.

++Baskets are new
+Good course flow
+It's a disc golf course
+Course plays quickly

----Tees are dangerous, small, rutted/grown over
----Layout could be much better with land available
--Most interesting features of course are not used
--Course is too far from everything for the lack of challenging/interesting holes
--Competitive rounds would average 7 or 8 down
-No signage, although not really needed with this simple of a layout

This course has the potential to be a good little 9 hole dinker course (maybe even 18 with two tee pads.) However, the current layout is barely passable as a disc golf course. Holes are very short, many wide open holes, and interesting features such as tree lines and the nearby river never come into play. The course plays way too easily. I'm an 850 rated player and felt like I was having the worst round of the month at 3 down.

Onto the infrastructure portion of the course. There is a porta-pottie on site, which is great because the course is in the middle of nowhere. The baskets are great and brand new Mach III's. The tees are absolutely awful. They aren't even sand/gravel filled, they are just natural tees that are blocked off by wood. The pads are short ~5-6' long and are horribly rutted. For safety reasons I would advise teeing behind the pad whenever possible.

I would not recommend this course unless you happen to be driving by it. I hope this course gets a face lift as it could be a great course for beginners and get more folks in the area interested in disc golf as the park was full with a family reunion when I played. I just hope some changes are made before the tees are made permanent.

RLP is my home course, and I am very happy to have it!

+Tee/basket positions make good use of obstacles. There is a good mix of holes to the right, left and center
+Rough is not too bad. Only holes 3 and 9 will leave you looking for discs
+Low traffic
+Park itself is clean and well kept- grass has been at a good length every time I've played. There is a pavilion, a volleyball court, an area to camp and a boat launch. The Wauponsee Glacial Trail hiking-biking-equestrian path runs alongside and the Kankakee River, with a canoe route, is at its back.

By far, the biggest flaw of the course is there are no posted signs whatsoever. Signs are needed for each individual hole to help with navigation, tracking par for the current hole, and the length of the hole

-Minimal changes in elevation (perhaps in the future, some hills/valleys could be created? this course has potential for change)
-Needs concrete tees
-A couple of tees, 6 and 9, are angled uphill and cause a tripping hazard
-A water fountain would be nice
-Needs more trash cans
-Could use more seating in between holes. I really like natural seating, so wood stumps or rocks would look cool and keep the natural setting
-Could use a bulletin board to share information

Hole 2 is especially tricky- there is a line of trees along the left side that make your first shot difficult

-A great first course for the Wilmington area. This out of the way park is not only great for beginners- due to the low traffic and overall ease of the course- but also a good spot for the more experienced player to hone his/her skills

-If some of the Cons get taken care of, that would bump my score up to a 3.0 out of 5

Edit: 9/1/2020 - The course now has signs and concrete tee pads at both tees on each hole, mandos have been added, a few benches were added, Hole 3 was cleaned up, Hole 6 was redesigned and is more difficult, Hole 7 is elevated. Many improvements have been made.