Rolling Knolls reviews
18
0
Rolling in the Deep (Rough) 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Oct 19, 2021
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
- Excellent use of hills and elevation change along fairways and greens throughout the course
- Good mix of hole lengths and a few more wooded fairways sprinkled in
- Two basket locations on each hole, most of which give quite different looks
- Good quality tees, baskets, and signs
- Good mix of hole lengths and a few more wooded fairways sprinkled in
- Two basket locations on each hole, most of which give quite different looks
- Good quality tees, baskets, and signs
Cons:
- Generally more open golf style fairways with rough that can easily swallow discs
- Tee signs do not indicate which basket location is in use
- Almost no benches or garbage cans and you don't loop back to the parking lot until Hole 18
- Tee signs do not indicate which basket location is in use
- Almost no benches or garbage cans and you don't loop back to the parking lot until Hole 18
Other Thoughts:
The Rolling Knolls disc golf course is fairly unique among the Chicago area courses. The old ball golf fairways and abundance of hills were used about as well as possible by the course designer. Almost every hole has elevation change from tee to basket or a sloping green with rollaway potential. There are a smattering of more wooded holes that require gaps to hit, but the main challenges here are controlling your angles while throwing up, down, and onto hills, keeping your disc out of the high-grass rough, and dealing with the frequently significant wind.
The combination of tall grass and/or thick rough and elevation change on many fairways means that lost disc potential is higher here than many courses. I would hesitate to bring newer players here and recommend the use of spotters on many holes unless playing with exclusively experienced golfers. That said, this is a really fun course for players with a bit more distance and accuracy and you by no means need to be an advanced level player to enjoy it. The variety of shots and fairway types is surprisingly good for a course on an old ball golf property, and holes 8, 9 and 10 are among my favorite three-hole sets in Illinois. These three par fours show the best of Rolling Knolls: big downhill and up-hill shots where nose angle, hitting a gap or landing zone, and staying calm if you go off the fairway are all important to score well. Big arms have a chance for eagle (at least on 8 and 9) and most players have a fair chance for birdie on these holes, but a single mistake can mean bogey or worse very quickly.
The course equipment is mostly good here. The orange Mach V's catch well and are very visible, concrete tees are generally large and grippy enough, and the tee signs look nice and show just about all the information you could want. Unfortunately, the tee signs do not indicate which of the two basket positions present on every hole is currently in use. The alternate basket placements are a mixed bag with some resulting in a significant change to the hole and others changing little other than distance. Benches and trash cans are almost non-existent.
I have found myself heading to Rolling Knolls more frequently the last few years. The course has grown on my as I have played it more, but perhaps more importantly, it has always been less crowded than the Joliet area courses that I am equidistant to. Those courses (and The Canyons in particular) have seen such an increase in players recently that rounds can take a long time with waits on many holes and backups during peak times. On the flip side, I have had Rolling Knolls and the other nearby courses mostly to myself during my recent rounds. Joliet/Lockport is still destination number one in the Chicago suburbs, but Rolling Knolls, Shady Oaks, and Black Bear make for a pretty good alternative for a great day of disc golf, especially if you value quick play and particularly on weekends.
The combination of tall grass and/or thick rough and elevation change on many fairways means that lost disc potential is higher here than many courses. I would hesitate to bring newer players here and recommend the use of spotters on many holes unless playing with exclusively experienced golfers. That said, this is a really fun course for players with a bit more distance and accuracy and you by no means need to be an advanced level player to enjoy it. The variety of shots and fairway types is surprisingly good for a course on an old ball golf property, and holes 8, 9 and 10 are among my favorite three-hole sets in Illinois. These three par fours show the best of Rolling Knolls: big downhill and up-hill shots where nose angle, hitting a gap or landing zone, and staying calm if you go off the fairway are all important to score well. Big arms have a chance for eagle (at least on 8 and 9) and most players have a fair chance for birdie on these holes, but a single mistake can mean bogey or worse very quickly.
The course equipment is mostly good here. The orange Mach V's catch well and are very visible, concrete tees are generally large and grippy enough, and the tee signs look nice and show just about all the information you could want. Unfortunately, the tee signs do not indicate which of the two basket positions present on every hole is currently in use. The alternate basket placements are a mixed bag with some resulting in a significant change to the hole and others changing little other than distance. Benches and trash cans are almost non-existent.
I have found myself heading to Rolling Knolls more frequently the last few years. The course has grown on my as I have played it more, but perhaps more importantly, it has always been less crowded than the Joliet area courses that I am equidistant to. Those courses (and The Canyons in particular) have seen such an increase in players recently that rounds can take a long time with waits on many holes and backups during peak times. On the flip side, I have had Rolling Knolls and the other nearby courses mostly to myself during my recent rounds. Joliet/Lockport is still destination number one in the Chicago suburbs, but Rolling Knolls, Shady Oaks, and Black Bear make for a pretty good alternative for a great day of disc golf, especially if you value quick play and particularly on weekends.
1
3
Nobird2210
Experience:
7.9 years
12 played
2 reviews
fun course 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 15, 2020
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Easy to find holes and fun to play. has not been busy the last times I have gone.
Cons:
very woody and not cut down always
Other Thoughts:
if you have a darker disc or green do not recommend throwing it or a one you have ace. very hard to find disc when they hit the forest.
7
0
See Me Rollin’ 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 22, 2019
Played the course:once
Pros:
• Easy to find
• All holes have multiple basket locations
• Tees are great (concrete squares with some minor seams)
• Signs are great (although a basket indicator would be appreciated)
• Baskets are in great shape
• All holes have multiple basket locations
• Tees are great (concrete squares with some minor seams)
• Signs are great (although a basket indicator would be appreciated)
• Baskets are in great shape
Cons:
• No restrooms or water (that we could find anyway)
Other Thoughts:
Tips
• Bring a spotter
• Bring a map or take a pic of the one in the parking lot and also watch this excellent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO7WYaakNxY
• Bring another spotter
• Bring water and use the restroom before you head out
• Bring another spotter
• Don't bring beginners unless their sole job is to spot
Random Thoughts:
As has been described on this site, Rolling Knolls is built on the remains of a former ball golf course, only expertly shaped to now be what I'd describe as an advanced-pro style disc golf course. By 'shaped' I mean each hole is mowed to only be a fairway for that particular hole and nothing else. There is no place here where off the fairway doesn't mean pain. You're either in the fairway, where life is good.....grass is green and short.....birds sing.....rabbits hop along peacefully munching...., or you're not on the fairway and you're in the dense forest of very tall grass/trees...evil beings hide your disc although it's right in front of you...and the forest creatures laugh at your efforts to get anything close to a clear shot at the basket. Now you may be thinking that we didn't have a good time out here. Quite the contrary. We loved this course and thought it was one of the prettiest that we have played on. The scenery is beautiful. There are critters all over the place (bunnies, deer, squirrels, etc). There are water features and nice mixes of hills, flats, forests, and wide open spaces. The course is clearly loved by all of the attention that is paid to the maintenance. We thoroughly enjoyed this course and are happy we got to visit it on our trip. What I am saying though, is this course is not easy, and will severely punish an even slightly errant shot. Dems da facts. There should be a 'Sorry, no noobies' sign in the parking lot because you're going to have a long day with probably a lost disc or two if you don't heed the warning. To play this course successfully, you don't necessarily need to throw that long. A solid 300' drive will do ya fine for most holes. But you do need to be able to throw accurately straight, and in some cases, you need some shot shapes on both your drives and your up shots to land safely. It is not an exaggeration to say that you can have a great shot turn into a terrible result by your disc being so much as 1 foot left or right of a particular landing zone. If you keep it in the fairway, you're going to have a good day. If not, you're going to have a long day of scrambling just to make par (assuming you find your disc, of course).
As for thoughts on the holes themselves:
#1 - A nice easy warm-up but you do need precision as there are guardian trees around the basket
#2 - Warm-up's over. You now have your first needle to thread or you could lay-up in the gap.
#3 - Fairly straight forward unless the basket's in the back. In that case, you need your first shot long and straight or else your second shot is going to get a lot trickier with the narrow landing area.
#4 - Pretty straight forward. Just don't be short or too long as it drops off just past the basket. Land it on the hill near the basket and tweet tweet goes the birdie.
#5 - Keep your drive in the fairway and you should be good.
#6 - Keep your drive in the narrowing fairway and you should be good.
#7 - Slightly uphill right to left shot. Obviously avoid the tree on the left and land in the short grass.
#8 - Now the fun begins as this is where you're going to want to let fly the discs of wrath. Have at it...just land in the fairway, maybe slightly left as you'll appreciate the room for your second heave.
#9 - My goodness I stared at this one for a bit. You know what I'm going to say. Fairway. But it ain't easy. You're throwing downhill which means you need a disc that's going to stay straight or maybe a slightly left turn, which means starting it at the trees on the right (yikes) and then getting it to come back only slightly left so it lands in the middle. I threw what I thought was a great shot and it still went a couple feet into the rough on the left. Ugh....
#10 - Congrats! You made it through #9. Your reward: a tougher hole. You need a great, left to right drive to ensure you don't end up in the trees on both sides. Another one I spent a fair amount of time staring at.
#11 - Now that you survived that, these next few holes give you a chance to get some strokes back. Here is a dead straight ace run. Just don't be short as the road is OB. Mean! =P
#12 - Another ace run! Except there are a gazillion trees around so ya best be straight, and don't be long. Nasty behind the basket.
#13 - Not sure I'd call this an ace run but make your way past the trees up front and collect your birdie try.
#14 - A short but tricky slight left to right shot through the trees. Don't be too far right as there's water over there.
#15 - I really like this hole. Just throw a straight 200' shot that either finishes straight or slightly left and collect your birdie. Anything right or long is getting wet.
#16 - Yea, fun's over. Your first drive needs to clear that tree straight ahead because your second shot is a blind shot over an island of nasty to a tree-guarded green on the other side. Yeegads. Easily the toughest shot on the course. Send a spotter ahead and throw your best.
#17 - Pretty straight forward. Just long and uphill. Stay straight or right and you can attack the basket on your second shot. Then enjoy the view up there. It's quite purty.
#18 - Really cool finishing hole. There's a pond just short of the green that is nasssssssty. Don't go in there. If you don't feel comfortable trying to fire right at the basket, you can always lay-up and throw across but that's no fun right? Fire at that sucker. You have room right and long. Just don't be left and short. Then....celebrate!
Bottom Line:
This was a very nice surprise for us when we played. While it is a demanding course, it is quite scenic and we thoroughly enjoyed the thought and care that went into its design and execution. We are definitely looking forward to a return visit the next time we're in the area. A hearty thank you and bravo to the course crew!
• Bring a spotter
• Bring a map or take a pic of the one in the parking lot and also watch this excellent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO7WYaakNxY
• Bring another spotter
• Bring water and use the restroom before you head out
• Bring another spotter
• Don't bring beginners unless their sole job is to spot
Random Thoughts:
As has been described on this site, Rolling Knolls is built on the remains of a former ball golf course, only expertly shaped to now be what I'd describe as an advanced-pro style disc golf course. By 'shaped' I mean each hole is mowed to only be a fairway for that particular hole and nothing else. There is no place here where off the fairway doesn't mean pain. You're either in the fairway, where life is good.....grass is green and short.....birds sing.....rabbits hop along peacefully munching...., or you're not on the fairway and you're in the dense forest of very tall grass/trees...evil beings hide your disc although it's right in front of you...and the forest creatures laugh at your efforts to get anything close to a clear shot at the basket. Now you may be thinking that we didn't have a good time out here. Quite the contrary. We loved this course and thought it was one of the prettiest that we have played on. The scenery is beautiful. There are critters all over the place (bunnies, deer, squirrels, etc). There are water features and nice mixes of hills, flats, forests, and wide open spaces. The course is clearly loved by all of the attention that is paid to the maintenance. We thoroughly enjoyed this course and are happy we got to visit it on our trip. What I am saying though, is this course is not easy, and will severely punish an even slightly errant shot. Dems da facts. There should be a 'Sorry, no noobies' sign in the parking lot because you're going to have a long day with probably a lost disc or two if you don't heed the warning. To play this course successfully, you don't necessarily need to throw that long. A solid 300' drive will do ya fine for most holes. But you do need to be able to throw accurately straight, and in some cases, you need some shot shapes on both your drives and your up shots to land safely. It is not an exaggeration to say that you can have a great shot turn into a terrible result by your disc being so much as 1 foot left or right of a particular landing zone. If you keep it in the fairway, you're going to have a good day. If not, you're going to have a long day of scrambling just to make par (assuming you find your disc, of course).
As for thoughts on the holes themselves:
#1 - A nice easy warm-up but you do need precision as there are guardian trees around the basket
#2 - Warm-up's over. You now have your first needle to thread or you could lay-up in the gap.
#3 - Fairly straight forward unless the basket's in the back. In that case, you need your first shot long and straight or else your second shot is going to get a lot trickier with the narrow landing area.
#4 - Pretty straight forward. Just don't be short or too long as it drops off just past the basket. Land it on the hill near the basket and tweet tweet goes the birdie.
#5 - Keep your drive in the fairway and you should be good.
#6 - Keep your drive in the narrowing fairway and you should be good.
#7 - Slightly uphill right to left shot. Obviously avoid the tree on the left and land in the short grass.
#8 - Now the fun begins as this is where you're going to want to let fly the discs of wrath. Have at it...just land in the fairway, maybe slightly left as you'll appreciate the room for your second heave.
#9 - My goodness I stared at this one for a bit. You know what I'm going to say. Fairway. But it ain't easy. You're throwing downhill which means you need a disc that's going to stay straight or maybe a slightly left turn, which means starting it at the trees on the right (yikes) and then getting it to come back only slightly left so it lands in the middle. I threw what I thought was a great shot and it still went a couple feet into the rough on the left. Ugh....
#10 - Congrats! You made it through #9. Your reward: a tougher hole. You need a great, left to right drive to ensure you don't end up in the trees on both sides. Another one I spent a fair amount of time staring at.
#11 - Now that you survived that, these next few holes give you a chance to get some strokes back. Here is a dead straight ace run. Just don't be short as the road is OB. Mean! =P
#12 - Another ace run! Except there are a gazillion trees around so ya best be straight, and don't be long. Nasty behind the basket.
#13 - Not sure I'd call this an ace run but make your way past the trees up front and collect your birdie try.
#14 - A short but tricky slight left to right shot through the trees. Don't be too far right as there's water over there.
#15 - I really like this hole. Just throw a straight 200' shot that either finishes straight or slightly left and collect your birdie. Anything right or long is getting wet.
#16 - Yea, fun's over. Your first drive needs to clear that tree straight ahead because your second shot is a blind shot over an island of nasty to a tree-guarded green on the other side. Yeegads. Easily the toughest shot on the course. Send a spotter ahead and throw your best.
#17 - Pretty straight forward. Just long and uphill. Stay straight or right and you can attack the basket on your second shot. Then enjoy the view up there. It's quite purty.
#18 - Really cool finishing hole. There's a pond just short of the green that is nasssssssty. Don't go in there. If you don't feel comfortable trying to fire right at the basket, you can always lay-up and throw across but that's no fun right? Fire at that sucker. You have room right and long. Just don't be left and short. Then....celebrate!
Bottom Line:
This was a very nice surprise for us when we played. While it is a demanding course, it is quite scenic and we thoroughly enjoyed the thought and care that went into its design and execution. We are definitely looking forward to a return visit the next time we're in the area. A hearty thank you and bravo to the course crew!
1
10
zackyp23
Experience:
1 played
1 reviews
Lost disc :( 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 26, 2019
Played the course:once
Pros:
Sorry not a review I just lost two of my favorite disc so figured this was worth a shot.
Black discraft Yoda on hole 10 and turquoise discraft jawbreaker on hole 18. Will pay if returned
Black discraft Yoda on hole 10 and turquoise discraft jawbreaker on hole 18. Will pay if returned
Cons:
Please help
Other Thoughts:
19
0
Three Putt
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
29.4 years
152 played
127 reviews
How does it feel to be on your own with no direction home, a complete unknown. Just like a rolling stone? 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Nov 24, 2018
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Rolling Knolls Country Club was a ball golf course that closed around '08 or '09. The 55-acre site was acquired in 2010 by the Cook County Forest Preserve District and it sat undeveloped for a number of years until 2015, when the old clubhouse was demolished and construction started on the pavilion/welcome center. The basic layout of the old golf course was still there and it's used quite a bit it the disc golf course design. Initially the plan showed the area where holes 1-4 are and the area where holes 13-18 are used for disc golf, so somebody did a good job of advocating for more space to make this a very good 18-hole layout.
The disc golf course is a mix of park-style and links-style holes. Holes 1-4 pretty much play sideways across the old golf course and have a park-style feel to them; Hole 4 shoots across a service road and gets you over to the West side of the park. Starting with Hole 5 the course starts to use the old ball golf design so you have some very pretty shots with good elevation changes and tall grass rough on the edges through Hole 10. There are some healthy distances here with Holes 8 & 9 being 600'+ downhill shots followed by a 600' uphill shot on Hole 10. Hole 11 is a weird filler hole that gets you back across the service road. Hole 12 is a short wooded shot and Hole 13 is a cool elevated tee/early trouble to a ball golf green with tall grass rough hybrid shot. 14, 16 and 17 more or less use old ball golf fairways with an ace run hole 15 mixed in. The course ends with a 200'-220'ish ace run with a water carry close to the pin. The flow is very intuitive and easy to follow, but there also directional arrows on the baskets and a bunch of extra directional signs around to help you find your way.
The tees are concrete with good tee signs, although the holes have multiple placements and the signs do not tell you which placement is in use. I recall there being a few benches but not a lot. The baskets are nice orange DGA Mach V's with number plates. There are a couple of really nice pin placements on Holes 4 and 10 with some really nice rollaway danger, and a few of the pins like 16 are tucked into some trees, but for the most part the baskets are open with not a lot of late danger. Most holes have two pin placements, but other than Holes 3 and 14 I haven't really noticed a ton a difference in how the holes play from one placement to another. I'm pretty sure several of the holes have been in the same placement every time I've played it.
What I really take away from the park is that the property is being maintained very nicely by the forest preserve. It's a really pretty park, especially on the West side on those long ball golf fairways. It's really a very visually pleasing course.
The disc golf course is a mix of park-style and links-style holes. Holes 1-4 pretty much play sideways across the old golf course and have a park-style feel to them; Hole 4 shoots across a service road and gets you over to the West side of the park. Starting with Hole 5 the course starts to use the old ball golf design so you have some very pretty shots with good elevation changes and tall grass rough on the edges through Hole 10. There are some healthy distances here with Holes 8 & 9 being 600'+ downhill shots followed by a 600' uphill shot on Hole 10. Hole 11 is a weird filler hole that gets you back across the service road. Hole 12 is a short wooded shot and Hole 13 is a cool elevated tee/early trouble to a ball golf green with tall grass rough hybrid shot. 14, 16 and 17 more or less use old ball golf fairways with an ace run hole 15 mixed in. The course ends with a 200'-220'ish ace run with a water carry close to the pin. The flow is very intuitive and easy to follow, but there also directional arrows on the baskets and a bunch of extra directional signs around to help you find your way.
The tees are concrete with good tee signs, although the holes have multiple placements and the signs do not tell you which placement is in use. I recall there being a few benches but not a lot. The baskets are nice orange DGA Mach V's with number plates. There are a couple of really nice pin placements on Holes 4 and 10 with some really nice rollaway danger, and a few of the pins like 16 are tucked into some trees, but for the most part the baskets are open with not a lot of late danger. Most holes have two pin placements, but other than Holes 3 and 14 I haven't really noticed a ton a difference in how the holes play from one placement to another. I'm pretty sure several of the holes have been in the same placement every time I've played it.
What I really take away from the park is that the property is being maintained very nicely by the forest preserve. It's a really pretty park, especially on the West side on those long ball golf fairways. It's really a very visually pleasing course.
Cons:
I guess the main con is that big ball golf fairways don't really give you early or late danger. Really the danger is getting off the mowed fairway and tromping around looking for your disc in the tall grass, which on a recreational round is meh. I could see this course decked out in yellow rope O.B. to increase the challenge and being used for some more serious events with just a little tweaking, but for everyday play about half of the shots are very open.
There are a couple of iffy shots. Hole 11 doesn't really have a fairway; it's a 250'-280' "chuck it back over the road" shot with the road probably 230'away to clear from an elevated tee. If you don't make it over the road, there is really no good place to be. Hole 16 is a nice uphill shot, but the tee is in a weird place and it doesn't really give you a very good look at the fairway. If you are right-handed, it almost forces you to flick the drive. Hole 18 is debatable, but I guess people nowadays like to throw over water so I'll give it a pass. There is just room for it to be a more legit wooded hole without the contrived water "hazard."
Hole 10 is a really cool shot, but it has an early ditch you have to throw over that is overgrown; it's pretty easy to clear the ditch with your tee shot but it should have a walking path through it for people like me that seemingly can't avoid screwing up their drive and throw in the ditch. Every. Single. Time.
The path from Hole 8 to Hole 9 is pretty steep and gets really treacherous in wet and muddy weather. Some steps there would be a nice upgrade. The site in general tends to hold water in places, so it can be pretty sloppy at times. That isn't really a con but I need to mention it someplace. Also not a con is the fact that the larger lake you used to hit golf balls over is not used in the course design; the whole southern end of the park is bordered by Poplar Creek and is a native riparian restoration area that wasn't available for disc golf use. The lack of access to that larger lake probably is why hole 18 has a water carry, they really didn't have a better spot to work with for that.
There are a couple of iffy shots. Hole 11 doesn't really have a fairway; it's a 250'-280' "chuck it back over the road" shot with the road probably 230'away to clear from an elevated tee. If you don't make it over the road, there is really no good place to be. Hole 16 is a nice uphill shot, but the tee is in a weird place and it doesn't really give you a very good look at the fairway. If you are right-handed, it almost forces you to flick the drive. Hole 18 is debatable, but I guess people nowadays like to throw over water so I'll give it a pass. There is just room for it to be a more legit wooded hole without the contrived water "hazard."
Hole 10 is a really cool shot, but it has an early ditch you have to throw over that is overgrown; it's pretty easy to clear the ditch with your tee shot but it should have a walking path through it for people like me that seemingly can't avoid screwing up their drive and throw in the ditch. Every. Single. Time.
The path from Hole 8 to Hole 9 is pretty steep and gets really treacherous in wet and muddy weather. Some steps there would be a nice upgrade. The site in general tends to hold water in places, so it can be pretty sloppy at times. That isn't really a con but I need to mention it someplace. Also not a con is the fact that the larger lake you used to hit golf balls over is not used in the course design; the whole southern end of the park is bordered by Poplar Creek and is a native riparian restoration area that wasn't available for disc golf use. The lack of access to that larger lake probably is why hole 18 has a water carry, they really didn't have a better spot to work with for that.
Other Thoughts:
In the Chicago 'burbs (not counting Indiana courses) I'd have to rank Fairfield, the Canyons, Highland, Rolling Knolls and Oswego as my personal top five.
I went to a wedding reception here once when it was a Country Club and watched some guys back a golf cart into a tree, then gun it forward into the lake. It was a good time.
Rolling Knolls is a bit open and the tall grass rough can be annoying, but overall I think the course delivers. I can nit-pick the design in places, but I don't think most players would be upset to make the trip to this course. It's a significant step up from Shady Oaks and worth the trip to play.
I went to a wedding reception here once when it was a Country Club and watched some guys back a golf cart into a tree, then gun it forward into the lake. It was a good time.
Rolling Knolls is a bit open and the tall grass rough can be annoying, but overall I think the course delivers. I can nit-pick the design in places, but I don't think most players would be upset to make the trip to this course. It's a significant step up from Shady Oaks and worth the trip to play.
4
1
Tyler4587
Experience:
22 years
12 played
5 reviews
2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 13, 2018
Played the course:once
Pros:
Hole #18 is probably the best hole in all of NW Chicago.
Great utilization of different throwing techniques and disc selection.
Blaze orange baskets, nice amenities, good signage, and beautiful scenery.
Great utilization of different throwing techniques and disc selection.
Blaze orange baskets, nice amenities, good signage, and beautiful scenery.
Cons:
I've only played in early spring where the vegetation is sparse, but I can see how not being able to keep your disc in the fairway could be problematic.
Other Thoughts:
I joined this website just so I could review this course. I've lived out in the NW suburbs for three years now, and I'm pretty much in the middle of this course, Riemer Reservoir, Lippold Park, and Black Bear, and I can tell you this is without a doubt the best of the four.
Beginners will find it tough (and long), but if you're a beginner you probably just like to play anyway.
The par fours are legit par fours. I'm usually skeptical of labeling a hole par four, but these holes deserve the designation. #10, given it is uphill could even be a par five for players rec or below.
I can't wait for a tournament here, and it better not be a shotgun start (have to finish on #18).
Beginners will find it tough (and long), but if you're a beginner you probably just like to play anyway.
The par fours are legit par fours. I'm usually skeptical of labeling a hole par four, but these holes deserve the designation. #10, given it is uphill could even be a par five for players rec or below.
I can't wait for a tournament here, and it better not be a shotgun start (have to finish on #18).
2
11
TomGronski
Experience:
63 played
1 reviews
2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 4, 2017
Played the course:once
Pros:
The course flows nicely. Great use of elevation and the existing vegetation. Nice mix of long and short.
Cons:
Tee pads are too small for my liking and some tee signs are innacurate in their illustrations.
10
1
mcastigl521
Experience:
11 years
154 played
3 reviews
Great course for the area! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jun 16, 2017
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Great to have a decent 18 holer in the area, giving an alternative to shady oaks. The flow is great, but make sure to follow the tee signs to the next tee. Plenty of bomber holes for the more advanced players. Elevation was used beautifully, so carts are a bit of work, if you use one. Amenities look like they will be abundant once the clubhouse officially opens.
Cons:
Not sure that I'd recommend this course for beginners, since any errant shots will be eaten up by the very lush rough. If this course does not get the maintenance it needs, it will be a jungle! UPDATE March 2018: Cook County Forest Preserve along with the local clubs have made this a destination course for the NW Suburbs! Fairways are mowed consistently, and baskets have been moved to alternate locations!
Other Thoughts:
Apparently, one of the residents neighboring the course is not a nice person. Haven't run into any issues, but some have had encounters with him.
10
0
Icky
Experience:
11.1 years
12 played
7 reviews
Awesome Course 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jun 17, 2017
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
The pars at this course are on point
Par 3's are all birdie-able
Par 4's are difficult enough to prevent too many eagles (17 could be an exception)
A lot of ace run holes
Well thought out basket placements
Alternate pins add the possibility for variety
Most fairways are well manicured
Par 3's are all birdie-able
Par 4's are difficult enough to prevent too many eagles (17 could be an exception)
A lot of ace run holes
Well thought out basket placements
Alternate pins add the possibility for variety
Most fairways are well manicured
Cons:
Not for beginners
Lush natural OB that will only get worse if not maintained
Tee sign graphics make it hard to tell where the basket actually is
Lush natural OB that will only get worse if not maintained
Tee sign graphics make it hard to tell where the basket actually is
Other Thoughts:
You should wear pants if you play here. The natural OB can scratch you up pretty bad.
I had a tick on my thigh when I left the course so make sure you check yourself over after playing through.
The 18th basket is right near the start of the course and makes for a great practice basket if you need to wait for other parties to throw. Just make sure no one is trying to tee off on 18.
I had a tick on my thigh when I left the course so make sure you check yourself over after playing through.
The 18th basket is right near the start of the course and makes for a great practice basket if you need to wait for other parties to throw. Just make sure no one is trying to tee off on 18.
