The Canyons is a 27-hole course that snakes through the woods, fields, hills, and canyons (of course) of Dellwood Park. This course might be familiar to folks who have watched coverage of the annual Clash of the Canyons tournament, which regularly attracts pros and has been a silver series event in the past. This course is widely regarded as one of if not the best in the Chicago area and Illinois as a whole and is certainly one you should add to your wish list to play.

Location of The Canyons is within Dellwood Par, which is on the southern side of Lockport along State St./Route 171. For the disc golf course, you'll actually want to turn on Dell Park Ave., a bit south of the main park entrance. There are signs to point you in the right direction from 171, and the parking lot will be at the end of the road. There are plenty of gas stations and restaurants nearby, as well as a pro shop on site with some drinks and snacks on site, including Dippin' Dots, the ice cream of the future since 1988. The pro shop on site, Dellwood Disc Golf, also has plenty of disc golf brands, even more than their site says. For those making a trip out of their visit, southwest Chicago has arguably the strongest collection of courses in the area, giving you plenty of options when deciding what courses to bag. The jail from the opening scene from the Blues Brothers is also just down the road, so if you're a fan, be sure to go get a photo!

Amenities are robust across Dellwood's 150 acres. Nice playgrounds shelters, a skatepark, ballfields, and an amphitheater are just some of the things this park provides in addition to disc golf. There are also bathrooms near the course as well as more trash cans, benches and tables than you could ever ask for.

Course Equipment might be better at The Canyons than any of the other 138 courses I have played to date. Each hole varies between one to three tee pads, with each being concrete and in fantastic shape. Each tee pad also has its own sign, showing which tee you're at, the distance and par, a nice graphic of the hole layout, and directions to the next tee. There's also some additional signage on 11 asking to respect neighbors' privacy, a nice touch for a course trying to maintain good relationships with nearby homeowners. Outside of that, there's enough directional signage throughout the course that I never had to check udisc for directions despite some longer or awkward routes between holes. The course has Mach X baskets and has numerous holes with multiple pins to choose from, a welcome discovery as I tried to figure out on hole 2 why they wouldn't have a way to show which pin was in use. Outside of that, there are also various infrastructure touches include multiple large staircases that make navigating this course very easy despite the elevation changes. There are also 3 practice baskets around the pro shop and parking lot, making it easy to avoid stepping on other people's toes when warming up.

Course Design at The Canyons is a delightful mix of wooded and park style holes, many of which use the Canyons and large hillsides around the Fraction Run Stream that shoots off the nearby Illinois and Michigan Canal. These features make for a nice mix of elevation changes as well as some beautiful scenic views from the tee pads that complement the great mix of fairway shapes you'll find here.

Elevation is the biggest aspect of the course design that comes to mind for me. Having one hole on a course that is a big downhill shot is a huge plus for me. The Canyons has four of these, with two from the blue tee, 4, 6D, and 16 all having significant drop-offs from the tee and make for very fun shots you'll want to empty your bag on. There are other holes like 3, 6b, and 10 that have more uphill fairways. A lot of the remaining holes play relatively flat but have plenty of slopes for roll-aways or tricky lies.
Shot-Shaping is a must for this course, as you'll need just about every shot in your bag whether you're laying 9, 18, or 27 holes for your round. Righty Backhands will have a fun time with left turning shots on the left pin of 2, the left pin of 6, the left pin of 10, and 15. This course had a surprising number of right turning shots as well, including 3, 5, the long tee of 7, 9, 16 (unless you're a thrill seeker, and 18 if you're playing the right pin. Outside of these holes, plenty of others will require particular lines for your best chance at a birdie or will require you to navigate guardian trees. The downhill shots will also test your skills of managing your discs flight if you're unfamiliar with such a shot, especially on 2 and 4 with the stream going along at least one side of each fairway.

Level of Openness/Obstacles also provides plenty of variety, as this course transitions nicely between more open park style holes and tighter wooded shots. The two loops around 6 and 8 provide some nice woods, along with 5, 6, 9, and the long pin on 13. Other holes 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, and 17 are much more open but still provide some variety in either fairway shape or distance. With the remaining holes falling somewhere in between, there's really something for everyone here.

Distances range from under 200 feet on holes 6B and the red tees on 14 and 15 to 678 feet from the blue tee of 17. Most of the holes play between 250 and 325 from the white tees and go into the 300s a bit more from the blues, with some 400 to 500-foot par 4s thrown in. Overall, the course is actually fairly birdie-able from a distance perspective, with most of the holes playing on the short side and shot shaping being where the fun and trickiness comes in.

Difficulty Level of The Canyons casts a wide net, with the red and white tees playing pretty forgiving for novice and intermediate players respectively, and the blues providing more challenge from either a distance or shot shape perspective. Pro-level players will likely score pretty low on this course, as evidenced by the Clash At The Canyons results, but from a rec to advanced player perspective, there are enough options with tee pads and pins to either find a combo that works best for your skill level, or to work your way up overtime.

Course Highlights include a few holes that immediately come to mind. Hole 4 is an absolute beautiful sight from the tee with the height along with the stream the runs along the right and rear of the fairway and green, and is an immensely fun hole to throw from whether you're playing it safe with a righty hyzer or running the basket. Hole 6D has a lot of similar attributes to hole 4. Hole 16 is an interesting one with tree protection at the green, extreme downhill elevation, and a short distance, requiring a touchy drive to not require a scramble for a par. Hole 17 is gorgeous with the canyon setting. Hole 18 is one of the more interesting and fun finishing holes I've ever played, throwing under a bridge and over the stream to the green. One of the best uses of in place park land and infrastructure I've ever seen on a disc golf course.

Setting/Aesthetic isn't something I typically make note of, but I will here. This is one of the most fun settings I have every thrown in. The Canyons, the stream, the older bridges around the course – it's one of the prettiest courses I have thrown at, especially the west half of the course. 17 and 18 are sublime and will have you question if you are actually in the Chicago suburbs.

Course Flow is really the biggest con I can think of for The Canyons, as there are some very long walks between certain holes. Navigation isn't an issue due to the robust signage, but the walks from 4 to 5, 12 to 13, 13 to 14, and 16 to 17 to a lesser degree are all long walks that may have you double checking a course map to make sure you're going the right way. There are actually options for layouts on UDisc that are labeled "efficient" to cut down a bit on steps.

Course Design is exceptional, but the one thing missing in my opinion are holes that require two separate drives on longer holes. Hole 13 kind of achieves this with the longer pin placement, but holes 3, 8 and 11 are all par 4s that really have straightforward strategies given their openness. If there is one thing this course could have to elevate it even further, it would be pin placements that require multiple shots to get to the green that have more than just distance to them.

Infrastructure is pretty great already, but given what's in place, bridge crossings for the 6 and 8 loops would be great to see included. Dellwood Disc Golf's website has a full list of improvements over the years, so hopefully the sheer amount of attention this course has gotten means that this is on the to-do list. Apparently, the stairs on hole 4 are new as f this past Spring – that's a very solid addition.

Crowdedness – this course is rated 37 on DGCR before my review and has consistently been top 25 on UDisc and is easily the best course this side of Chicago, so there will absolutely be plenty of other folks playing when you are. I played this course on a Tuesday afternoon, and it was packed. I don't see this as a con personally, as I love seeing any course getting some love. Just make sure you plan plenty of time to get through this course, especially if you're playing all 27 holes.

Interactions With Other Park Uses can come into play, mainly with pathways. Holes 3, 7, 12, 13, and 17 play near or over pathways, and while many of these paths are in areas that are mainly just disc golf, they do gt plenty of use still given the popularity of the overall park. It seems like folks in charge of the course and the park district/other park goers have a very positive relationship, so make sure you don't ruin it by hitting someone. Overall, these interactions didn't detract from my round.

Difficulty and Accessibility may come into play for brand new players a well as those who don't handle stairs or elevation well. The difficulty is hardly a con given the range of skill levels tis course caters to, but newer players may benefit from playing easier courses nearby before giving this course a go given the woods and water hazards. Given the elevation and amount of stairs, along with the creek crossings, those with mobility questions may have a hard time here.

Poison Ivy/Oak is present in parts of the woods here. I, as someone wo is hilariously allergic, didn't have an issue with it on this course, but I was unusually accurate with my throws during my round, so be careful and vigilant if you have a bad shot.

Chicago has long been known as a region with quantity but not necessarily quality when it comes to disc golf. Look on the course map of DGCR and you will see a sea of subpar to okay 9-hole courses, with mid 18 holes scattered in between. You could argue the southwest side with the likes of Highland Park, Community Park and Eagle Ridge is the strongest area of the region, but the region was missing a true flagship course. And then in 2014, Fairfield Park and The Canyons both opened, and that quickly changed. I can't speak for Fairfield Park yet, but Th Canyons has quickly changed this area into a place worth dedicating a road trip to.

Dellwood Park itself is over a century old now and was originally built up to promote ridership on an electrical line. 100 years later, and Dellwood is now a great example of a spectacular city park with numerous playgrounds and ballfields. It's incredible to think that a park like this could find room for a top-tier disc golf course 100 years into its life, but Sean Callahan and Steve Matul found a way to do so, and we should all be thankful they did.

I have debated for a couple weeks what to rate this course and have concluded that if I had not played courses like Idlewild or Harmony Bends before The Canyons, this would be an easy 5 out of 5. The lack of multi-shot holes brings this course down a bit from being truly among the best of the best from a design standpoint.

That being said, the fun factor when playing The Canyons is a perfect score. The setting is superb, the transitions from open/park holes to woods are nice and keep things interesting, and the variety of shots will keep you entertained and asking for more after playing 27 holes. Some courses just have an "it" factor, or intangibles that other courses can't match no matter what a course designer or parks district can throw at it. The Canyons is one of those courses. Some course owners and designers build a five-tier cake of pavers and gravel to make a signature hole on their course. Others like the canyons take a bridge constructed who knows how long ago and have their final hole go under it, while folks heading to hole 14 can spectate. As someone who has played both, I'll take the latter every day.

The Canyons should be on every disc golfer's bucket list and has unlimited replay value given the sheer number of tee pads and pin locations. You could spend numerous rounds just playing all the variations or get hooked on how fun the first layout you tried is. I think anyone from rec players who just learned how to throw drives somewhat consistently to pro level players will find immense enjoyment on this course, and I am already wondering when I'll get to play here again.

If you're in the area or can find time to travel, make time to play The Canyons. It is easily one of my top 5 favorite courses I have played, and it'll take a lot to bump it down. Its ranking on DGCR and UDisc is well deserved, and you will not be disappointed.

On my trip to Illinois I had to make a pit stop at this beautiful disc golf course. I've been sitting on this review for a little while but found the time now to reflect on this adventure. Truly some of the most unique lines I've seen in all of the years of playing disc golf. A stunning piece of property this course is on with the Des Plains River running through this course offering for a challenging couple of holes, but also makes this course quite magnificent. The first time I pulled up in the parking lot I knew this was a special course. The pro shop is also a big plus as it's filled from floor to ceiling with racks of discs, bags, equipment etc.

There are quite a few options in terms of tee pads you can choose from. As well as there is also a lot of different loop holes. Having a lot of options in terms of holes to play from was cool. I really liked all the different shots and lines you could carve up through the woods. There's a nice change of pace as well since it goes from from wooded to open. Holes 7, 8, 11 and 12 are a nice break from the technical wooden holes. A great course that really works all aspects of your game.

Great hardware on this course as well. I love how they put mulch around the tee pads so that water and mud don't gather around it in the winter time. Spacious concrete tee pads and great Mach X baskets. The tee signs here are very helpful and very detailed which really goes to show how much work they put into this course. A big plus is that the tee signs also show the different tee pads on each hole with the distances from those tee pads.

Although water hazards might be a con for some people, I enjoyed having the challenge of a different style of hazard than I'm used to. I haven't really played a lot of courses that have water as a hazard so it made for a fun challenge for me. Beginners though might find this challenging since water is a factor on a few of these holes.

Elevation and terrain on this course is perfect. Good mix of flat open shots. Holes 2, 4, and 16 in particular offer some great elevated tee shots. Some wooded style courses that I have played felt like they built the course around the location. At The Canyons though, it really felt like they spent a lot of time to make sure that each hole was cleared and crafted for the disc golf course.

The course upkeep is phenomenal. The grass was nicely mowed on the open holes and I didn't find myself walking through any part of the course that wasn't well maintained. Props to the maintenance workers of this park, they do an excellent job. Playing this course at the end of summertime/start of fall time, was gorgeous. The water in the river wasn't too high so I didn't have to worry about loosing a disc.

There's good navigation on this course as well. I would recommend a course map since the layout jumps around and there is a bit of a hike between a few holes. Lots of signage though so you won't have too much difficulty getting around. The natural beauty in the many wooded holes is something that made the trip just perfect. You're surrounded under this amazing canopy of trees and listening to the water flowing through the river just made my round super peaceful.

I was warned by some locals that poison oak is found a lot throughout the course. I did spot some so I guess just know what you're looking for and stepping on, and try and stay in the fairway as much as possible.

Obviously no course is 100% perfect, but I wouldn't say this course is super beginner friendly. It's nice that they have different length tee pads to choose from if you aren't as experienced. But overall it's a challenging course. I don't want to knit pick a lot but I don't particularity enjoy holes that go 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D for example. It's nice that there's a lot of options, but I find it a little overwhelming.

All in all I'm glad I made the trip out to play this amazing course. I'm quite jealous of the folks that live across the street from Dellwood Park. Having such a prestigious course to have access to everyday must be quite nice as well as a place to browse for new plastic. The course was quite busy on a nice day which would make sense. I had to wait on a few tees for large groups to finish.

I would love to play here again sometime, if I have the opportunity although it is quite far from me. It was quite the treat to play this course and browse through the pro shop at the end. I would definitely recommend stopping by, as this is definitely one of the best courses I've played!

Great variety of challenges across holes. Has a pro shop which is well staffed and equipped. Course is in a giant beautiful park. Very well maintained.

Some holes require either a hike around the entire hole to get to the lower fairway area or risk a steep incline without stairs.

This is probably the most beautiful park I've been in. Heavily wooded with several elevation changes. This is extremely challenging and best for intermediate/pro level players. There's also a disc/snack shop midway through the round. I haven't been to many but this is by far my favorite course about an hour outside of Chicago. Will def be back.

There's not always stairs when needed to descend from tee pads to fairways for holes. This course is not for novices either unless they can handle hitting a few trees or retrieving discs from heavy shrubs or brooks.

(4.482 Rating) A breathtaking course that indeed plays through a canyon.
- RAW BEAUTY - It's absolutely stunning in spots. Thus I found myself pulling up the thesaurus several times to write this review. This course plays up, down and through a 50 foot deep gorge that was created by an offshoot creek of the Des Plaines River. Some of the canyon walls are basically vertical rock faces. Thank the lord that these fantastic features were intertwined into the layout. There are 4 or 5 blow you away tee shot views on this course and all of them could be the signature hole on over 90 percent of the courses out there. The tee view from white tee (4) and (6D) both make my all time top twenty out 6000 plus unique holes played! Overall, I scored this polished beauty a 4.875 out of 5. Which is in my personal top ten as of this review (421 courses.)
- UNIQUENESS - This course has incredible hole type variety. Several 40 foot plus down shots, One nice up shot, water clears, parallel water plays, big open bombs, crafty wooded lines, hooking lines and several par 4s. If I were too nit-pick and compare this course to just my other 4.5 scored courses, I'd say that the multi-play holes here are sub-par in that acclaimed grouping. Regardless, the other variety elements on the course are knocked out of the park and overall the diversity here would still make my top 20 as of this review.
- 6A THRU 6E - Players that have time, need to play this 5 hole loop. It's exquisite. I probably added a good two tenths of a point to the score just because of these holes.
- CHARACTER - Normally when a course has this nice of equipment, kept grounds and a bunch of extras, it's a pay to play course. Shockingly, this one is not. When arriving and walking down to tee (1), there's a nice course map of the original 18 hole course. The tees are concrete and the signage is aesthetically pleasing. There are picnic tables at just about every concrete tee and this is the most I've ever seen of them on a course. Such a great feature to have for a course that's as hilly as this one. Most holes now have two paved tees. Baskets are DISCatchers and there were six holes that had two baskets in place on my appearance. The alternate new basket placement on (4) is just as flip'n awesome as the original placement. Off the course there are restrooms, shelters and a pro shop.
- NAVIGATION - Really good. Informative tee signage with next tee direction. Lots of extra navigational signage. As noted above, a course map, but it needs an update to include the 9 extra holes from the 2 loops. I'd also like to see cues at the baskets.
- CHALLENGING - I played the White tees and thought they were upper Recreational level. The Blue tees probably amp the course difficulty up to lower Advanced level. The course requires a good mix of technique and power, but not to the extent of Championship level. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but Pro level type players will be underwhelmed by the challenges.
- SKILL LEVEL FRIENDLY - The Canyons is going to appeal to a very wide swath of players. I predict that Novice players through Advanced players should all overwhelmingly enjoy the course.
- MAINTENANCE - Incredibly well maintained grounds for my appearance.

The pros for this course far far far, overshadow everything I've listed below. Several listed below have no effect on my score and are listed for information purposes only.
- STAIRS - First time players, (me), could make some traversable errors. I nearly wiped it three times getting up or down the canyon on holes (4), (6D) and (18). Pretty sure (6D) and (18) had better options had I looked harder, but it would great if there were some better navigational aids or some more stairs located at ideal locations.
- TERRAIN - I could not recommend this course to those with foot or knee pain. The (6B) to (6D) loop and (8A) to (8D) loop require hopping large stones in the creek. These loops are thus not cart friendly.
- LAYOUT FLOW - There's some significant jumping around on this course. Getting to (6A) requires a bit of back tracking. Hole (12) to (13) and (13) to (14) are both over 500 feet apart basket to tee. There are several other plus 200 flow gaps as well.
- LACK OF TOUGH PAR 4s - One thing that Chicago's Fairfield course has on the Canyons, is the multi-play hole. The par 4s at Canyons are too light on the cerebral challenge in my opinion. From the Whites, I was inside the circle for birdie on all of the par 4s except (13) placement b, which was in a new alternate location 200 feet further down fairway from the original (13) b location. The Blue tees here are not championship course caliber like the Gold's at Fairfield
- RED TEES - It took me till hole (15) to finally spot a red only tee. (note, I wasn't looking too hard for them) These tees use red painted concrete test cylinders driven flush into the ground. The paint is nearly all peeled off, there is no sign and the tee surface is natural. Good luck finding them on first play.
- WATER HAZARDS - I could see some lost discs if the creek water level is high. On my appearance, It seemed like that if any disc went in, it could be retrieved by a long stick. I added substantially more score for the water features than took away.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - I'm sure beginners have been brought here before, but I think this course is too unforgiving in spots for new players.
- OUT OF PLACE HOLES - I don't like using the term filler as every hole between first and last hole on every course are technically fillers. Anyways, holes (3), (14) and (15) just seem out of place on this amazing course. These holes are just run of the mill park style shots.
- TIME PLAY - I spent 108 minutes on this course as a solo with an empty course at the break of dawn in December. I could have bagged 3 nearby niners in that time.

One of the better courses I've ever had the pleasure to play. I was skeptical coming in that this course was in the same league ratings wise as Fairfield. Overall, I felt it was. In fact, I thought it was slightly better overall, but for strengths in different aspects. One reason I feel this way is the sheer quantity of bombshell views from the tees. I visually relived some of these tee shots for weeks after. I just wasn't expecting this type of terrain in this part of the country. Anyways, visiting disc golfers that find themselves in the Chicago area need to find a way to get in a round here. I personally would mark this as the anchor destination on any road-trip to the Chicago area.

The Canyons is a course that has been on my hit list for years now. I was supposed to play it a year ago but got rained out on my last day back from Idlewild. I was pretty disappointed to say the least. I made it a priority to play it this year. Everything I heard about it was great and I seemed to keep hearing about it. I had played Fairfield park probably 5 or so years ago. Could it be better than that.

The answer is an overwhelming YES. This is by far and away the best course I've played in Illinois. This is a destination course in fact. The course consists of 27 holes through a beautiful park that is immaculately maintained. The course is well mowed, has gorgeous mulched walking paths and greens, plenty of benches and trash cans, next tee signs, etc. There is a very nice, well stocked pro shop by the parking lot as well.

Now onto the golf itself. This is as well a rounded course that you'll find anywhere. There are uphill, downhill, blind, dogleg left, dogleg right, you name it it's here. There is a great deal of elevation throughout and a creek that meanders all over the place it seems. The holes play as 1 through 6, then 6A through 6E, then holes 7and 8 before crossing the creek for 8A to 8D then back across the creek again for 9 to 18. This may seem confusing but it's not with how well marked it is. The baskets are DISCatchers that are all in great shape and catch well. A few holes have 2 per hole. The tees are all large concrete pads. All are level and well done. Not all but a lot of them have 2 per hole. The tee signs are some of the nicer ones I've seen in quite awhile it feels like. They consist of a nice looking topographical view of the hole with a flight path to the basket from the tee. It shows red, white and blue tee locations with it being split colored red/white, for example, designating a dual pad location. On the left of each sign it shows the distance and par in a color coordinated box for the tee position. The hole number is big and bold on each as well. Some of the better signs I've seen anywhere. The flow of the course is actually really intuitive even with the 2 lettered hole loops. It's hard to get lost or turned around here.

I don't know if I can pick a signature hole. There are so many awesome ones here, but hole 4's downhill shot through a tight gap to a pin position right next to the creek is a good one. Hole 6A is epic too. I loved 13 with the 2 basket locations. But 16 is a killer downhill throw and then you understand the name the canyons, it makes sense now. And I don't think there could be a better finishing hole than 18. Pucker factor, risk reward. Oh 6E is stellar...I mean, they're all pretty awesome really.

The first con I can think of is that there is no bridge crossing the creek for the 2 bonus loops. There has been a lot of rain this spring so the creek was more like a river when we played. There are nice large rocks for the crossing for 8A-8D, not so much for the 6A-6E loop. They're there but if the creek is high it's sketchy to say the least. Not cart friendly! I have a cart and I wasn't going to be denied this year so I threw my shoes across both spots and portaged my cart across. It was fine I guess but even 1 small bridge between the 2 spots you cross would be fine. The course is going to be busy during peak hours and conditions. This is not a con per se but is worth noting for the fact that it will take a few hours to play minimum depending on your group size and speed of play. The only other thing I got as far as cons is that a walking trail does wander through parts of the park so you have to watch for pedestrians in a couple spots. And a couple holes play a bit close to each other and almost overlap. This is stupidly nitpicky I feel on my part but is worth noting. The downhill throw on 16 for a RHBH player will tend to fade into 17's fairway. Just be smart and it's not really an issue.

This is an absolutely magnificent course. How this is not rated higher is beyond me. It has to be due to it's relative infancy compared to some other top courses. This is a course any serious disc golfer should play. It's worth a trip, even extensive trip to play and if you're anywhere near here or when traveling through...just play here if you can. The Joliet/Lockport or whatever you want to call it area seems to have some good to great disc golf. I'll be back here for sure in the near future for this course plus I haven't even scratched the surface on the other courses but there are some high rated ones very nearby.

- ample parking
- pro shop on site
- not one, but THREE practice baskets
- concrete tees, mostly (some alternates are not)
- multiple tees and basket locations for some holes
- meticulously maintained and continuously being improved
- picnic tables and garbage cans at most tees
- excellent tee signs
- some very nice permanent stairs on a few holes
- incredible elevation change for northern Illinois
- some water hazards with creek
- great technical challenge on mostly wooden shots, but still a few long bomb holes too
- transition areas between wooded locations turned into long open holes
- wood chips around most tees generally keep the area dry even when it's a little damp

- a few rather treacherous descents that could use permanent stairs
- a few long walks between holes
- navigation to 8A-8D is a little odd since you hit hole 9 first
- 1-2 holes unplayable during certain special events

This is one of those courses where pictures just don't do it justice. It's the best course I've played in Illinois and probably one of the top 5 I've played altogether. It has that intangible wow factor the best courses have. Yes, the elevation change and natural beauty is amazing, but there's even more to it. You have to play this course to see how awesome it is.

It is clear that the course designers/maintainers are continuously improving this course and maintain it very well. There are a few cons to this course and it isn't QUITE on the level of "5 disc" courses I've played, but it is pretty darn close. I think this is about the best that could ever be achieved in Illinois with the terrain we have to work with.

The main cons I have are mostly nits - there is lots of parking, but it definitely fills up (though I doubt it would run out) and the course can get very busy in the middle of the day. I started playing before 8 AM and it was pretty dead at that time but by the time I left it was quite busy. This is to be expected on a course of this caliber. Sometimes, it is confusing where some of the alternate tees are, since they don't all have clearly marked concrete tee pads - though most do. As the maintainers continue to improve this course, I suspect they may add more concrete tees anyways.

The course has alternate baskets on some holes but often these aren't marked on the tee signs.

The walks between 4 and 5 and between 13 and 14 are a bit long, but it's not that big a deal. Some navigation for the 9 holes added after opening the course is slightly confusing, but the course does a great job of using next tee signs to make it clear. I really appreciate the extra 9 holes too - all too often I see 24-27 hole courses that just added "filler" holes to have more. This is not the case here - all of the additional holes are fun, technical and challenging.

There are about 2 long holes in wide open spaces that sort of connect different wooded areas - in principle I don't love wide open "arm tester" type holes, but I don't mind a couple like this - if you have to walk, why not be playing disc golf? It adds some variety to the course and was only used where necessary.

On the Sunday I was here, there was some sort of classic car show going on in Dellwood Park- this didn't affect most of the course, but it made hole 14 absolutely unplayable - I would have been throwing directly over all of the vintage, classic cars with their proud owners standing right there - nope. Hole 3 likely was also unplayable by that point, but since I played it closer to 8 AM, nobody was really set up yet. This likely will rarely be a problem, but it just happened to be this day.

Some specific hole tips/comments...

The descent on hole 4 seems like it could use some permanent stairs - just a place to exercise a bit of caution.

Watch out for the steep drop off on the left side of the Hole 6 fairway - otherwise there's a pretty steep and sometimes muddy climb down and a tough shot back up.

6D was one of my favorites - somewhat of a bomb you can throw from high elevation, but you have to watch out for the creek if you throw too far and it's still a bit wooded at the tee.

Hole 16 was another throw from high elevation, and the permanent stairs to go down to the fairway are excellent.

The pro shop on site is excellent - not the best one I've ever been to, but it's rare to have one of these at the course. The selection is just so much better than any general sporting goods store. The hours are a bit limited, but it's great to have a location onsite to buy discs. They also have accessories, apparel, and some drinks and snacks too.

All in all, I loved this course and would like to play it again. As a first time player it took about 2.5 hours, so allow some serious time. This is a definite destination course and is worth traveling some distance for. It is challenging, but a lot of the holes aren't all that long and while technical, won't completely destroy newer players. If you can accept some higher scores and some challenge, I think anyone could play The Canyons - I give it my highest recommendation.

One of the sad realities of disc golf is that the game has evolved into something that doesn't fit very well into multi-use parks. You get people walking dogs, having picnics, riding bikes, playing softball, all peacefully coexisting and then BAM! Somebody chucks a Boss into the middle of it. We just don't fit in. To make us fit takes some work. Usually to make it work, you have to compromise the golf. Dellwood Park is a great example of how you can make it work AND have great golf.

The Canyons has the advantage of having some great terrain for disc golf. The site has some epic spots for elevated tees and tough uphill shots, a nice mix of park-style and wooded holes, a couple of long open holes to crank on, and the Fraction Run creek provides some water hazards. The designers took full advantage and created some great golf shots. 2 Blue, 4, 6A, 16, 18...over and over the course delivers memorable shots. The pin placements are set to create some treacherous approaches. There is a variety of distances to the shots, and the variety helps sets the course apart. For great golf, this course delivers.

But...it's a busy, multi-use park. To accommodate these shots, there is some wandering around that needs to be done. The flow isn't very intuitive. The park accommodates this weakness with copious amounts of directional signage. Despite the weird flow, it's actually hard to get lost out there (except for the confusing number/letter thing.) On top of that, the park has two sets of concrete tees per hole (white and blue) and both have good tee signs. The baskets are Mach X. A large parking lot was created and paved for the course with a directional sign on 171 to the disc golf parking lot. A park building has been converted to a pro shop. A lot of resources were used to create the course, and the park is investing resources to maintain the course. The upkeep here is top-notch. It's a great course in a great park.

My complaints are nit-picky, but here they are:

There are three holes that IMO don't fit with the park. Hole 3 plays too close to an amphitheater-type structure, which is a wrist roll turnover gack from people being thrown at. Hole 14 feels like a filler hole to get you to hole 15, but hole 15 is a contrived OB shot stuck between a building parking lot and a road. You walk a long way to get over to 14's tee to play those two shots, and they just don't deliver. All three of the shots could easily be eliminated, the flow would be no worse if you went from hole 2 to hole 4, and it's just as easy to walk from hole 13 to 16's tee as it is to walk from hole 13 to 14's tee.

Those shots could be eliminated because there are 27 shots here. The course plays holes 1-6, 6A-6E, 7-8, 8A-8D, 9-18, The letter holes have been added and making them letter holes means you don't have to renumber and replace all the tee signs, but every time I have been there I've run across confused golfers on the letter holes, not sure where they were supposed to go. It would be nice if they were all numbered 1-27, but I'm not volunteering to buy 54 new tee signs so...

Hole 5's pin is really too close to a set of stairs where pedestrian can walk down into the shot, and the visibility there isn't great for golfers to avoid them if they do. It's already a short shot, but that pin really needs to be moved up away from the stairs. Holes 7, 12 and 13 shoot over paved walking paths and hole 17 has a walking path running down the right side of the fairway, but there is better visibility in those places so attentive golfers shouldn't have any issues in those spots.

The white and blue tees here are paved. The sign mentions red tees, and in a couple of spots I saw something that might have been red tees. Maybe. Don't quote me, though. I'd imagine that if you are a red tee kind of golfer, trying to find the tees would be frustrating. Some work could be done to make those easier to find.

Dellwood Park has a cool history; it was created by the Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway Co. as an amusement park in 1906. The idea was to get urban Chicagoans to ride out for a day of recreation, and the attractions were there for around 30 years. Fraction Run Creek was dammed to create a small reservoir; the lower area where 16-17-18 was the site of that. The ruins of the dams are behind 17's blue tee and where you walk out after playing 18, and some bridges in the park are from that era. It gives the park a cool historic vibe.

Dellwood Park is the south border of Lockport, butting up against Joliet. Just minutes south on 171 is Joliet Correctional Center. You can literally pull over at the spot where Elwood was standing when Jake was released from prison in The Blues Brothers. With an extra five minutes out of your life, you and a buddy can recreate the scene (although hugging in the middle of 171 might be a trick.) Why this isn't mentioned in every Canyons review is beyond me. After I found out, I told the guy I was meeting at the course about it and he was all "Oh, everybody knows that." Uh...dude. I don't know what Father's Day was like in your family, but I don't know where any prisons are. That this information was not disclosed to me in any previous review makes me ashamed to be a disc golfer.

Joliet used to be a good spot for disc golf when Channy was the best course in the area. Now with the Canyons and Highland, Joliet really is a top-notch place for a day of disc golf. Fairfield Park probably is the best stand-alone Chicago course, but J-Town has a lot of good disc golf courses. The Canyons is the best of those. I don't think any disc golfer is going to be disappointed with the experience of playing this course.

Probably my favorite course to play. Rewards just as much as it takes away on every hole. If the one tree kicks wrong. You easily can bogey. Just like if it gives you love. Under par.
Mix of incline and decline throwing with many baskets featuring, a good amount of trees, and drop offs, and also water hazards. Very well thought out, and clearly marked course.
We played a mix of the tee pads for distance.
SIx and eight are short, and precise additions.
The addition of a shop just off the parking lot with its selection of discs and refreshments is a great addition to the course.

Trails going through equals joggers, and students. Active park.

Enjoy how well maintained this course is. We didn't have the water hazard of the stream in play this time due its being dry. But, that made our round that much more interesting to play from, and nothing floated away.

- signage. Holy cow. Cannot say enough good things about how well this place was marked. Getting lost here means not paying attention.
- Concrete tees on every hole. Perfectly finished and very well constructed.
- Loved some of the elevation changes. 6d was an absolute riot to throw being that its only 250' and dead straight with what is likely a 90' drop from tee to green.
- The scenery was epic for being a Northern Illinois course. There are limestone cliffs everywhere. IMHO 18 was the most pretty.
- There's a cool little creek that wanders throughout the park and was used extensively in the play of this course.
- Don't skip the added holes off of 6 and 8. You will not be disappointed.
- Benches on almost every tee pad. My 46 year old knees and ankles thank whoever is responsible for this.
- 13s pin placement is brilliant with the long down hill death putt behind it.

(Before sending me hate mail about these cons keep in mind they are picky...and look at the rating I am giving the course)

- 4 has a super duper steep slope to climb down to get to the fairway. Too steep IMHO. Steps are needed here.
- I thought 8 was wide open and rather boring. Same with 11.
- Really am not liking how close the walking path on 17 is to the fairway. Although, it is possible to see walkers coming down the path for a long ways.
- 15 plays next to a building. Not sure why a hole had to be here.
- The walks between 12 and 13 then 13 to 14 were really really long.

This course is so good I have to rate it somewhere near Flip and Hickory Hills. Of the courses I've played thus far I'd have to put the Canyons in my personal second best just barely behind Flip. While it has a nearly perfect set of amenities I don't think the quality of layout is as good as Flip. That said, if I am comparing the Canyons to Flip then I think that means this is certainly a top 20 course in the world. It is truly a fantastic disc golf experience and should be considered a destination course. There is plenty of challenge especially if you play off the blue tees. Whites are for those that like to abuse themselves and the reds are for more sensible DG'ers.

This is a long course with some rather significant walking between holes and a fair amount of elevation. Solid footwear is a must. Flip flop wearing huckers are going to want to skip this place. Water is also a must. And like any other wooded course there are your typical irritants such as mosquitos, some poison ivy (didn't see a lot though) and other assorted thickets off the fairways.

Beautiful setting, great use of the terrain.
Hole 16 is an awesome hole that you have to aim just right to get it perfectly.
The Pro Shop has a great selection of discs to choose from; I picked up a new driver today for a relatively cheap price.
As a new player, and having The Oaks as my home course, it was a little bit difficult and i only birdied one hole, but the course was very long and fun.

Our group had a few instances when we were not sure where to go, as the course is a bit spread out.
There was a misunderstanding with the signs, as we thought some holes had multiple baskets but only one was present.

Great fun course and I will definitely be back in the future.

-Awesome mix of holes. Tight and technical & long and open let you use all the discs in your bag. Lots of the open drives end up in wooded baskets so you get a good variety of shots, even within each hole
- It's a good hike/long walk in the woods
- Pars are challenging but reasonable
-Really well kept & taken care of
-Great signage and baskets, multiple tee boxes and primaries are concrete.
-Bathroom, Pro-shop & lost and found right by the parking lot

-Very popular park and VERY busy, especially on the weekends. You will almost certainly be waiting at the tee's if you go on the weekend. Also a number of general park users but there are only a few holes where you have to watch out for them.

Love this course. Easily the best maintained, thought out, and fun to play course I have experienced so far.

I just wish it wasn't so damn busy! We typically have to be on the course by 9-10am on the weekends to play an unmolested round. Sometimes the parking lot is half full by this time anyway and we are usually waiting at the tees by the time we hit the last nine as many people don't play the "optional" BCD etc. holes on 6

Guaranteed awesome round though, tons of fun!

-Beautiful course.
-Nice elevation, decent distances, and slight difficulty with pin placement.
-River is clean (does not smell like s*&# like west park).
-Gorgeous cliffs and fairways.
-Benches on all holes, and garbage too
-Newest baskets, try throwing a disc through the middle of these!
-Overall a great park and course.

-Can be very crowded some times. Parking lot gets full
-The new 9 is kind of redundant.
-It is a community park and does have some traffic. Watch out for families walking the river!
-

Joliet is home to many spectacular courses in the Chicagoland area. The Canyons is the best course in my opinion. Although I do put Highland as a close second, The Canyons offers much more scenery and cleanliness. The cliffs, canyons, and bridges make for an entertaining experience. There are open, wooded, and mixed holes all along this course. This is a really nice addition to J-town's collection.

- - Very scenic park for the Chicago metro area. There is a creek winding through several holes, some nice hills and rock walls, and some untouched forest on the new 6 holes.
-- A few amazing signature holes (4 both short and long as well as hole 16) that you just want to throw again and again and again. These are both incredible holes that would stand out on any course, especially the long tee on hole 4.
-- Elevation comes into play on a handful of holes. While it isn't incredibly hilly throughout, it has more than most courses in the region and the amount that is there plays into the course very well.
-- Good hole variety. There are a lot of open holes, though a good amount of wooded ones and with water and elevation in play on a handful. The new 6 holes were a perfect addition to the course as they added a much-needed taste of more tightly wooded holes to round out the course's variety. There are holes where you can really open up a long bomb as well as more technical shots and putter/mid range ace races.
-- Multiple tees on every hole is nice, however, there is some criticism on these below in cons --Update Feb 2017-- New longs have been installed that have some really amazing shots (2, 6a)
-- Good signs and teepads (for most holes, though shorts and 8 long are just marked grass)
-- Practice basket before hole one

--Update Feb 2017-- The parks department here is probably the best I've seen in terms of maintaining and improving a course. They are constantly improving the course (see my update below in the comments)

-- For multiple tees, sometimes they feel unnecessary as they don't really add much but rather just add/remove 30 ft from the hole. Lack of consistency with some holes having 1, 2 or 3 separate tees. Reds don't have cement tees, and there are a few holes where the long tee is hard to find (like hole 8 where is no tee pad for long tees but rather a few hard to find stones in the grass marking the position). --Update Feb 2017 -- A few of the new long tees are pretty incredible (2, 6a) and while not all holes add a lot with the longer tees, the course definitely plays a lot easier from the shorts but a lot more fun from the longs.
-- It is a great park with playgrounds, pavilions, picnic tables, running trails, etc... While is makes for a beautiful park, it also adds a level of interference with the course. There are a few holes where I usually have to wait for people on the paths, and a few where people at picnic tables or pavilions are at risk in the case of an errant shot, and a couple buildings I've seen hit a few times.
-- While there good variety as I mentioned and some really great holes, most of the holes are pretty wide open. This is the nature of a course in a well used city park. The designer did a great job working with the land available, though a number of holes don't provide a lot in terms of obstacles. --Update 2017 -- There were 6 wooded holes added late 2016 and 3 new in construction for Spring 2017. This doesn't get rid of the open holes, but certainly balances them out.

--Update Feb 2017--
I have played this course a lot more and am changing the rating from a 4 to a 4.5. This is because of the constant improvements done on the course by the local park district. When I first played, it was an 18 hole course with dual tees on many holes. Then they put in 6 new holes. Then they put in new long teepads on a few holes (make sure you look for the longs on hole 2... you have to go up the hill by 1's basket and 2 long is up on top of the cliff behind the original 2 teepad). Then they added trees along 7's fairway to close off the wide open shot a bit. They are always out there putting down mulch around baskets and tees. They just cleared a bunch of debris from two of the newer holes to make it even more beautiful. Now they are clearing land for another 3 holes to round it out to a total of 27. The new three should be ready in a few weeks, so I will update again once those are played.

TLDR; the park's deparment here is CONSTANTLY improving this course and deserves serious thanks

I do still agree with my original assessment that there are a number of holes out here that aren't terribly memorable (mostly the open ones like 3, 7, 8, 11, 12), but with more wooded additions being added, in the new 27 hole layout it will be nice to have at least a few of these holes where you can really air it out and not have to worry about hitting an early tree.

This is a great course and a lot of fun to play. Being in the greater Chicago area - where there isn't a ton of forested land and the courses in total probably aren't quite as outstanding as other areas I've lived - it is an excellent course.

* fun
* terrainimus maximus
* limestone walled gorge
* creek that chews discs but does not swallow them.
* multi-tees, multi-basket positions
* solid tee pads
* variety

* people and pet obstacles
* long walks between holes
* I don't live closer to the course

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.

All around great course with an array of short and long shots, one of my favorite courses in the area. Some really fun elevation shots as well in one of the most scenic Midwestern courses I've played.

No complaints other than I wish there were more holes

7 new holes added, all in the woods making it 24 holes, Also multiple new long tees have just been installed with new signs, garbage cans, and a picnic table at each tee. The new long tee on 4 is particularly epic.
Every fairway and green is mulched regularly so no muddy areas even after rains, and no skeeter issues since they spray the course down. This is the premier course in the area, Mach X baskets, superbly maintained, scenic, and historic park. Have heard rumors another 2 holes being added also ?

None really, other than pave the parking lot area.

Amenities- long, level concrete tee pads and detailed, accurate maps on each hole. Ten holes have 2 tee pads, and many have red and blue markers in the grass as well to accommodate a range of skill levels and variety. Maps give location of next tee as well, even if you miss this the course flow is intuitive and well marked to lead you to the correct next tee. Top of the line baskets catch discs perfectly. They are labeled with the hole number as well. Picnic tables and garbage cans at every tee box. Several restrooms on site. Practice basket and course map near parking lot.

Maintanence/upkeep- perfect! Gold stars around for the Lockport park district for keeping the course in such great shape. Grass is mowed, brush trimmed, no garbage lying around. Always improving, too. 6 new holes were recently added and are beautiful and well thought out. New maps are at recently resigned holes as well. Just overall fantastic job. Big kudos!

Playability/ course design- as the course name suggests, there is some drastic elevation change here and it is utilized terrifically (holes 4 and 16....WOW!!! You won't find many shots as cool as these in northern Illinois) Great mixture of open fairways playing to guarded baskets, tree scattered fairways forcing a specific line or two, and tightly wooded holes. In addition to this variety there are also ever changing distances. With holes ranging from 195 to over 600, you will use many different discs from the tee. A creek runs through the entire park and comes into play on many holes. Sometimes it's left, sometimes right, sometime you throw over, sometimes it's waiting silently just behind the basket. Really forces you to consider risk/reward (though it is almost always manageable to retrieve a disc in the creek as it is not deep or fast moving. But be warned- missing right on hole 8A may cost you a disc). Lefties and righties will be equally challenged by doglegs right, doglegs left, and straight shots. Playing this course never gets boring! Two or three holes have alternate pin locations and both locations are labeled on the map.

As amazing as this place is, there are a few things holding this course back from the ever rare 5 disc review. While I don't necessarily think these are cons, there are certainly ways is can be better....
First, this course is situated in a very beautiful multiuse park and because of this it draws LOTS of people. Runners, bikers, ball fields, dog walkers, playgrounds, photographers, day camps are some of the activities you will certainly come across while playing a round here. Mostly these other activities are out of the way and not an issue, but there are times when people don't realize they are in the line of fire (be cautious and aware of people on holes 3 & 14 especially). Despite the presence of these other park users, there is still ample opportunity for seclusion and peacefulness at this course.

There are a few long walks between holes, but really who cares. I mean, you came out to be active right? Good. And with the beauty of the park it just seems like, well, a walk in the park

I guess it would be nice to have the signs mark which location the alternate pins are in, but really this is a non issue as you can pretty much tell from the tee.

Very minor issues for such an excellent course.

Honestly, no matter your skill level or how long you have been playing, you will enjoy and have fun playing at The Canyons. No matter what your golfing preference there is something here for you to walk away and say "that was cool." This is a course that is worth making a long trip to come play. In my opinion anybody who has serious complaints about this course as a whole should probably just trade in their discs and find something new to do like knitting dog sweaters or competitive gift wrapping or Marshmellow model building or something. Anyways, happy discing!

The Canyons at Dellwood Park has quickly become a northern Illinois "destination course." The unique terrain makes for a disc golf experience that is hard to come by in northern Illinois. Here are some specific things I love about this course

*Scenery - as the name of the course indicates, there is some great disc golf terrain on site here. There are streams and rock formations that make for a very scenic walk in the park

*Fun Factor/ variety - this is where this course shines. Holes 4 and 16 feature tee shots off of cliffs!!! The drives off the tee force you to try all kinds of throws, and there's an excellent mix of long drives and shorter line-carving shots

*Challenge - while the white concrete tees are not particularly tough, the newly added long concrete tees (not sure if these are blues or golds) on holes 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14,and 17 offer something to golfers seeking a bit more challenge.

A few things holding this course back from the coveted 5.0

*Although the long tees are nice, there is no "championship caliber" option here

*Hole 14 sticks out like a sore thumb among the 17 other holes at this course. It is a very short 225 ft hole without any obstacles. It plays near what appears to be a garden that attracts lots of people taking photos and stuff.

*The course as a whole is packed in tightly with other park activities, which can make a round somewhat slow and frustrating. Lots of pedestrian traffic here.

I think that the only Northern IL course that tops this one is the course in Round Lake. The Canyons does not offer a truly challenging championship caliber layout, but what it lacks in difficulty it makes up for in fun!!! Definitely check this one out if you are travelling through the Chicago area.

VERY scenic. Almost feels like your on a hike half the time! Tons of elevation change which is very rare for an Illinois course to have any of. Some of the wooded holes on this course remind me a lot of the DG course in Plymouth,MN. Quite challenging!

-Practice basket with markers
-Standard concrete platforms for the white tees also most if not all holes have blue and red tee markers.
-Map/bulletin board
-Parking&Bathrooms

-I don't really know if this is a con but it was unusual to have to walk almost more than half the length of the course from hole 12 over to 13. Feels like the course could flow better but its still worth all the walking you have to do. After all this is not a novice course by any means.
-Very Buggy. About 3/4 of the course is in or around the woods and creek/river so prepare like every good disc golfer does and bring your bug spray.

Overall it is worth the 30min to an hour+ drive depending on where you live. Highly recommend going early if you plan on getting more than one round in. Theres always the possibility of amateur tournaments going on during the weekends here.