Pros:
* fun
* terrainimus maximus
* limestone walled gorge
* creek that chews discs but does not swallow them.
* multi-tees, multi-basket positions
* solid tee pads
* variety
Cons:
* people and pet obstacles
* long walks between holes
* I don't live closer to the course
Other Thoughts:
Bag used/needed: carried 17 discs, used 15. I did not need the two floating discs I carry whenever I play a new course with water, the water here was not deep enough to bother.
Impression: Wow. Just wow.
This park is a ridiculously sweet place to put a course. A few times I had to stop to let non-golfers clear out of the path of my throw, but other than that, this was everything that I like in a course.
I did not expect to find such a severe up/down/sideways course in this part of Illinois. And the course designers really used all of it to maximum advantage. While the limestone walls were certainly the star of the show, that creek was the monster in the closet lurking in every dark and forgotten location. I hooked up with another first time visitor, and his disc ended up wet at least five times, and he got lucky and landed on the bank another three times.
I played this course on a VERY windy day, and the holes in the woods and along the banks of the creek were sheltered enough to make it a fun day to play with discs. The open holes with the high grass were brutal, of course, but even there we did fine as soon as we realized that all we needed to do was to take turns spotting.
This course is FUN. Very very fun. Fair lines, lots of variety, no two holes alike, no big long stretches of bomb/approach/putt, no "claustrophobia forever" stretches, nothing too stupid. I have played more challenging courses, but this course did a incredibly good job of completely testing my ability to throw a disc in every way I that I know how.
This was a stop that I am very glad that I made on my way to Madison.
On a scale of 0 (horrible) to 5 (heavenly):
Scenery:5
Ease of navigation:4 (but just because of the slippery clay and long paths that wind back and forth as the designers take advantage of the terrain)
Tee pads:5
Baskets (catchability):5+ (best I've ever used)
Baskets (location):5
Variety:5
Bomb factor:5
Risk/reward opportunities:4 (yes, there were some, but not many of those enticing but tiny windows leading to certain birdies, not many choose your best path out of many possible paths holes. Mostly the risks were just part of the path to the basket that everyone has to take)
Fairness:5
Use of terrain:5++
Amenities:5
Beginner friendliness:5
Non-disc golfer opportunities for fun:5
About the reviewer: I've been playing for over 20 years, and playing seriously since 2007. I throw RHBH predominantly, with a wide arsenal of other shots that I use when I need them; my drives average about 320 feet +/- 30 feet on flat ground. My PDGA rating hovers around 900, which means on good days I shoot a few below par, on bad days a few above.
About my preferences: In my opinion the perfect disc golf course is an interesting walk in a natural space, with a wide variety of challenging but fair opportunities that test ALL of your shot making skills regardless of which hand you favor for throwing discs. I am happiest when I have to think my way from tee to basket hole after hole after hole and have to weigh risks versus rewards. In my opinion the worst disc golf courses have nothing to offer but holes that a) only test of how far you can throw b) only favor one particular type of throw on the majority of holes c) feature "plinko" lines choked with obstacles where luck is more important than skill d) are so short that a putter is all you need e) are so wide open that the only challenge is one of judging distance f) feature lines that discs were never meant to travel (such as a hole with two 90 degree doglegs in opposite directions) g) force you to lose a few discs if you dare to play. I am saddest when I feel bored or cheated by a hole.