Crystal Lake and it's surrounding area has a lot of fantastic courses and some of them get quite busy making it a challenge to get in a quick round. That won't be the case at this course. When I went by the play it I was the only person on the property. Some of the holes are good fun; most of them aren't that challenging. Holes 6 and 9 stand out above the rest.

The course is pretty dull, all things considered. There's a few holes that present a bit of a challenge, but there's not a lot of opportunity based on the land available. Hole 1 is poorly thought out in many aspects with a narrow fairway sandwiched between the church driveway and a hedge of plants alongside a stream. The first tee and the final basket could not be further from each other. It's a long walk back to the car. Also, the sign for the course isn't in a great spot and it's missing hole 10!

Hole 10 is in the woods beyond hole 8. You can't access it from hole 9, you have to walk back to basket on 8 and turn left through the woods to a clearing. I suggest playing hole 10 before hole 9.

- high quality Dynamic Patriot baskets
- some forested area incorporated on holes 6 and 10
- course is generally well mown and maintained

- no tees or signs yet
- hole 1 fairly hazardous due to throwing right alongside church driveway
- course end is very far from start
- very limited challenge here, almost entirely flat with few obstacles
- some risk of hitting building played around on holes 4-6
- hole 9 is fairly close to busy street
- no navigation aids which would help make navigation clear
- no amenities such as garbage cans, benches, etc.

This is a new course and as such, may improve with time - I think tees and tee signs are planned eventually which will be a big help. This course is not going to challenge anyone but a beginner; there are limited obstacles and most of the course is wide open and flat.

Honestly, as much as I like having nearby courses for everyone in the Chicago area, and generally enjoy variety of courses to choose from, this one seems like a course that just didn't need to be put in to me. There are quality courses all around and this one just doesn't have anything special about it. There are plenty of flat, open courses in the area, and this one wasn't particularly well thought out. Between the road hazards, ending quite a ways from the start, and the lack of challenge, there's just not much reason to pay a visit to this course.

It would have been nice to see the course incorporate more of the wooded area that is present near holes 6, 9, and 10. This comes in to play just a bit on 6 and 10, but it could have added a lot more intrigue to the course.

Beyond the baskets being brand new and nice, I'm not sure what else to say about this course. It just doesn't have anything unique to it at all. Unless you're just bagging everything in the area, I'd skip this one. Randall Oaks is just a little ways south and is a much nicer 10 hole if you're looking for something shorter. With tee signs put in at a minimum, I'd probably up this review to a 1.5.