Springfield, IL

UIS DGC

2.935(based on 14 reviews)
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18 0
aren
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.4 years 98 played 14 reviews
3.50 star(s)

It won't wow you, but it does the job drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 14, 2022 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- This is a solid course that has a decent variety of shots considering it's on a university campus surrounded by farmland. The addition of the back nine (I guess it's been a decade now) adds some tough par 3s (#11, #12, #13, #17) that require both some distance and accuracy.

- While much of this course is designed to have raised difficulty with the wind, there are a few holes that present some challenging shots that you can attack a variety of ways. Hole #8 is a great example of this, so is hole #3 - there are aggressive lines to go over all of the trees to get a two, or you can play up the middle for a safer route. Even hole #18 does this at a micro level (245 feet) - take the high hyzer route over the trees, or sneak under the branch tp go straight up the gut.

Cons:

- Signage. The tee signs are mounted on the tee pad and a couple are broken off. Directional signage would also help, especially going from #9 - #10 (go under or across the road to your left).

- There are quite a few RHBH hyzers - in fact, you could very much get away with not having a FH on this course and score well.

- While there are a number of challenging par 3s on the course, there's only one par 4 (#9). Would love to see a couple more here, especially considering the space available. And there are too many putter shots off the tee considering how wide open it is.

Other Thoughts:

Parking can be a hassle with the university (sometimes they check for parking tags, sometimes not), so I recommend parking by the house next to hole 10 to be safe.

I'm grown to like this course more and more over the years. It's very easy to grab a handful of birdies, but keeping that momentum can be a real challenge, especially in the wind.
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3 0
mrbro855
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.1 years 391 played 106 reviews
3.00 star(s)

NIce course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 5, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very clean, well manicured course that maneuvers around the outskirts of a college campus.
Good blend of long and short holes, including an 830 footer....
Concrete tee pads with distance and direction on a sign flush on the corner of the pad.
Couple of the memorable holes:
#3 Tight fairway with solid pine protection on both sides.
#4 Basket tucked away about 250 ft in the tree line on the left.
#8 Huge tree and some type of transformer with limited space to get it through....
#15 Downhill shot from near the pond to a basket under the trees....
Enjoyed the variety of shots created on this course....

Cons:

Needed the map to find the next hole in a few places....
Would have liked to see sign posts, would have helped navigate the course without the map.

Didn't like the 800 ft hole which was a straight 800 ft throw with no obstacles....

Other Thoughts:

All the above said, was a fun way to wrap up a 4 course Springfield trip.... Played the 2 Lincoln's first, then Douglas, and concluded with UIS.
This was definitely a different feel from the other three Springfield courses, which was a positive thing...
It's solidly a "good" course, but not enough wow to move me to a 3.5 or above...
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3 0
Jiggy202
Experience: 14.4 years 63 played 25 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Impressed @ UIS 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Enjoyable for players of any skill level.
-Beautifully maintained course that was not very busy when I played.
-The arrows on the teebox pointing to general direction of the basket with distances.
-Pin placement is well thought out here to make approach shots and putts just a bit more challenging.

Cons:

-Single tee box and one basket per hole with plenty of room for additional tee boxes and baskets
-Navigation between holes can be a bit confusing especially 9-10 and 10-11. Use the pedestrian walkway crossing underneath the main roadway after hole 9. Some next hole signs would be a good improvement for this course.
-Could use some small bridges over the little creek on #8 and when walking from 17 to 18.
-Slightly non efficient layout: ex. hole #18 was quite a walk from where we parked to start the course. Also you can't really start on 10 because 9-10 is nowhere near the first hole or any parking for that matter.

Other Thoughts:

I was actually pretty impressed with UIS DGC. It's a quality course with a few quirks and a few really decent holes. A couple holes really stand out from the rest notably #3, #9, #12. This course is easy enough for the beginner to enjoy, also challenging enough for more experienced players. While this isn't the best course in the area I would enjoy coming back and playing this course again in the future.
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3 0
Moosejuice
Experience: 12.6 years 87 played 19 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Great layout, nice tees, nice baskets, very pretty surroundings.
- Easy to find the next tee on most holes since the next pad is usually in sight from the previous basket.
- No punishing forests along the fairways so you would have a hard time losing a disc. That makes it more enjoyable for non-die-hard players.

Cons:

- Hole 8 and 10 were not easy to find at the time I played since this site had an outdated 9-hole map.

Other Thoughts:

The current 18-hole map from the UIS site is now uploaded to this site and it makes navigation easy.

Lots of deer on this course.
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5 0
Jashwa
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.4 years 177 played 88 reviews
3.50 star(s)

3.3 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 31, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

I was very pleasantly surprised with my round at UIS. Prior to this review, UIS was rated 2.72, so upon my visit, I was expecting a rather bland, but beginner friendly 18 hole course.

Instead UIS delivered quality disc golf holes that were actually really fun to play. Here are the pros from my round:

*Awesome variety of distances. Plenty of holes that require a mid-range/putter but also a few chances for the bigger arms to strut their stuff (hole nine is over 800 feet long).

*Scenic views of the UIS campus and the surrounding area

*Low traffic. The course is strategically laid out to not interfere with campus pedestrians (I should qualify this by noting that I was around while students were on their summer break, so there wasn't much campus traffic at all. Might be worse at different times of the year)

*The course is a great place to bring someone who is new to the sport. No insanely punishing roughs, but plenty of shot variety

*Hole 3 was a great hole... 383 feet down a fairway lined on either side by evergreen trees with the pin tucked back to the right.

Cons:

*Poor navigation. I actually never found hole 10, so this review is based on the assumption that hole 10 is not significantly better or worse than the other 17 holes

*Very short tee pads that do not allow for a good run-up

*With the exception of hole three, none of the holes blew my mind.

Other Thoughts:

It seems that this course is a bit underrated on this site (looks like some of the ratings might be based on nine holes from back in the day)

I would definitely recommend UIS disc golf course for anyone who is with a beginner or looking for a practice round that demands a wide variety of shots off the tee without the hassle of punishing roughs.

Also, hole 9 is a great hole to throw 15 discs on :)
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2 0
Detheos
Experience: 10.4 years 7 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Beginner Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 8, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Course has everything a new person to the sport could ask for. The first 5 hole are all unique. Hole 1 is open, with just a few trees to the right front of the hole. For RHBH you will avoid them. Hole 2 has a tree that is right in front of the hole, so RHBH its shows a first challenge to the hyzer to a disc, but after the tree it is open to the basket. Hole 3 is a long alley by trees forcing a straight throw. Hole 4 has a big left turn to get to the basket. If you go for it it is easy to get into the trees. The Hole 5 is a wide open 300 ft shot.

The course is not difficult and allows plenty of opportunities to try different throws. At some point in the course you will find where it is needed and can practice.

Cons:

Some of the holes are difficult to find. There are no signs are where to go, so you have to guess if it is your first time on a couple holes. Hole 10 is kind of secluded to the north east of the basket for Hole 9. Then Hole 11 is just on the other side of the trees for Hole 10, just go to the street and walk east and you will see it.
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4 4
DLL99082
Experience: 14.4 years 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Well manicured quarter slice of Springfields pie 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 29, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Rock solid 18 holes. Well taken care of, no bums or shady people in parking lots, also no used needles or condoms yet to be found, always a plus. Lots of challenges for beginners to more advanced players. One of the longer holes I've played is #9, clocking in at over 820+ feet.

Cons:

None that I can think of, maybe a couple small wooden pedestrian bridges could be built over very wet ditch/gullys in a couple spots. No bathrooms, literally only saw one trash can entire course (by sidewalk across from #7 basket)

Other Thoughts:

Overall I think this is an incredible addition to the Springfield golf disc community. We are blessed with 72 holes in one town, get out and throw!
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8 0
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.5 years 221 played 209 reviews
3.00 star(s)

UIS 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 7, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

For a course that is literally directly on campus, this was very fun.

The course is very nicely taken care of. The grass is mowed, no trash on the ground, the baskets are in great condition, the tees are concrete, signs are readable, etc... all of the maintenance here was top notch.

There are many birdie possibilities, but also multiple holes that are over 400 feet. The course is varied enough to the point that it doesn't favor right over left and that it doesn't get too repetitive.

Cons:

Lots of crossing the street. Since I didn't have access to the 18-hole map, I was a little confused after hole 9...the trick is to go under the street!

The tees were a little short for my taste, but there's always room for a run up behind every tee.

The 18th hole is pretty far away from hole 1. The design could have been improved a bit here to make it more efficient.

Other Thoughts:

The aggregate score of 2.1 or something largely reflects the score of this course before it was upgraded to 18 holes, but all past reviewers have been notified. I think that this course should definitely be 3.0+.

It was a very casual round. It's not very hilly or wooded, so it was a relaxing, fun round.

Coupled with the Lincoln Parks and Douglass Park, Springfield is a great place to spend the day disc golfing! :)
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7 0
Shade Seeker
Experience: 20.3 years 111 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

UIS now has 18 holes 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 23, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

UIS now has 18 holes! The new 9 add some length and challenge to the campus course, giving Springfield its fourth 18 hole course and one that is quite different from the other three. While the beauty of mature oaks won't be found here, it's a pretty setting among pines and young hardwoods. The concrete tee pads are nice, although a bit on the short side. Attractive signs are fastened flat on the tee pads and the baskets are new and numbered. There is only one tee and one pin placement per hole.

The layout is a basic loop design, but there are some long walks between holes, as I will outline below. The terrain is used fairly well. There are no woods or water holes and just a wee bit of elevation. The holes themselves have been designed well. There are interesting shapes, a few multi-line holes and plenty of trees to navigate. While the course looks clean and clear of nasty rough, the big pines can be wicked if your disc gets buried beneath them. I came out bleeding after one such mis-throw. The strength of the new nine is more length. The original nine were pretty short, with three of the first four holes under 300 feet. Most of the new holes are closer to 400 feet. The course is heavy on hyzer shots, but there are some spots that call for some right turns too. There's not much risk/reward on the course and bad shots aren't penalized much, unless you rifle one into the pines. No holes stand out as particularly impressive, so it's not easy to come up with a signature hole. My personal favorites are #6, #8 and #15, although the most memorable may be #3, a lane through the pines that is a difficult three. #15 and #16 are fun short holes that should yield their share of skip aces.

Cons:

I was disappointed that course designers didn't make use of the campus lake or its elevated banks. The short tee pads had me thinking about my footwork more than I should. I hate #9, a wide-open 830 foot hole that has no challenge beyond its sheer length. There are no "next tee" signs or naviagational aids. I don't believe the distances on the tee signs are all accurate. For example, it says that #13 is over 500 feet when it can't be any more than 400. There's not much shade, no benches and you would have to go into a campus building for water or restrooms.

Other Thoughts:

There are several places on the course where you can't really tell where the next tee is. The following navigational tips are the main reason I'm writing this reiview. (Note: When you play the long hole, notice #16 and #17 to your right.)

1) Tee #7 - As you approach basket #6, notice the road to the left. You need to cross this road and then walk to the left until you see tee boxes for #7 and #18 (remember #18 for later)
2) Tee #10 - There's a bike trail behind #9 basket. Take a left and go through the tunnel under the road to next tee.
3) Tee # 15 - Cross the road and walk toward the left and slightly uphill toward the northeast corner of the lake and you will see the tee.
4) Tee # 16 - Go back to the bike path and take a left. Tee is past the yellow posts across the path.
5) Tee #17 - Keep walking west after you finish #16 as if you were playing the long hole backwards.
6) Tee #18 - Remember seeing it back by #7 tee? Walk west toward the road

UIS isn't a spectacular course, but it's a fun, change-of-pace alternative to Springfield's park courses. And it's the only couse on the south end of town. While Lincoln Park South is worth a special trip to the Capitol City, UIS is one to play if you're already in town.
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5 1
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.3 years 571 played 284 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Beginner/Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 8, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set within the campus of this school, on a few various pieces of open land. Plays near some sidewalks, and a statue, but there shouldn't be much interference. Maybe a stray student here and there.
- Patches of forest and trees are used well to provide some interesting holes. #1 is a small RHBH anny around a bush, #2 is a bigger anny around a bunch of trees/rough, #3 is a tunnelish shot through two rows of pines, #4 is a blind hyzer into the pines, #5 is another blind hyzer into some pine trees. #7 has a few more trees, and a large statue to avoid in the fairway.
- There are a few small elevation changes here, which are used well. #2 has a slope behind the green, #7's basket is on a small hill, #9 slopes down to the left, and #8 has a decent elevated teepad. Nothing extreme, but noticeable.
- Good mix of hole lengths, there are three holes under 300', three around 300', and three more over 350' including an 830' bomber. Overall, a little on the short side, but there are chances to air a few out.
- Some tough basket placements, located near slopes or in/by trees and woods. Adds to the challenge and character.
- Good teepads, signs are OK, but some are missing. Crossing the road is necessary after some holes, the map is helpful for navigation.

Cons:

- Some holes are more or less wide open, #5 for sure, and #9 too. The hyzer/anhyzer lines are wide open either way as well, as long as you stay out of the trees, it's easy to stay clean.
- Pretty much flat terrain, with a few exceptions. Even then, it is at the beginning or end of the hole, so it's a minor feature.
- Holes by very close to the road in spots, it's not really in play, but it's an eyesore.

Other Thoughts:

- All in all, an enjoyable course that has a good mix of lines, with enough punishment to keep things interesting. There are well defined left, right, and straight shots, as well as others that have obstacles to avoid. Some short holes and long holes cater to any level of player as well. Still, definitely better suited to beginner or intermediate players.
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7 2
Martin Dewgarita
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15 years 1600 played 95 reviews
2.00 star(s)

The Champagne That Penguins Cry About 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 5, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Variety. Most holes have fairly open lines to hit with a variety of obstacles, mostly trees and the large sculpture that give an interesting look to hole 7. The wide open holes, especially hole 8 seemed a bit out of place for a beginner type campus course, but give you an opportunity to really let one rip, or it would be a perfect driving range if the course was empty.

Length. Ranges from 3-800 feet for a decent variety of distances.

Quiet. Speaking of the course being empty, it was very quiet while I was there and didn't seem like the course sees a whole lot of use, though I cannot comment on how busy it gets during/after a school day, I don't expect that this course draws huge crowds. And it didn't seem like random pedestrians would be a huge problem, though it is a college campus and I'm sure there's a variety of activity all over campus.

Beginner Friendly. This would be a great place to learn the game, work on specific lines without too much punishment, and work on open drives. Most of the holes aren't terribly long or frustrating.

Well Maintained. The campus looked very well kept, mowed grass, pruned/wood chipped trees, no trash to speak of. It is a very nice looking campus.

Access. Not far off the freeway for a quick 9.

Navigation. Mostly straightforward, the only place that was slightly confusing was after hole 6 you cross the road.

Tees. Very nice single set of concrete tees that are level and in good shape.

Signs. Each tee had a small metal plate directly on the tee pad showing a directional arrow, Hole #, and Distance.

Cons:

Amenities. Ok, so there's a college. Personally I don't feel comfortable wandering around in the campus buildings looking for a bathroom (in an emergency I'm sure it is an option). I was there during spring break and nothing was open anyway, and no matter how much the campus signage looked like a porta potty, they weren't. No other amenities unless you need a degree.

Replayablity. Sure, for a campus local this could make a fine practice course. But the relatively uninteresting lines (a hyzer can get you most anywhere) don't bring much appeal to the course, I doubt I'll ever make the effort to go back.

Long Walk at the End. Hole 9 ends nowhere near hole 1, course is designed in such a way that a hole number change could at least alleviate some of the problem.

Other Thoughts:

Not a "must play" by any means, but it was a worthwhile stop, if you're looking for a quick enjoyable round of golf, this course was a good play.
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8 2
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.7 years 831 played 777 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Decent campus course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 26, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a grassy area of the campus with no real interference from other uses. Many holes bring mature trees into play, including some nice large evergreens that make for great obstacles that really punish an errant shot. One hole plays down a long corridor of pines, great hole that catches any shot that leaves the fairway even a little.

There is surprising variety for how open the course is, with a couple easy ace runs, some holes with moderate distance, and a couple that let you open up a little (including an 800'+ hole with a fun elevated tee). There are some different lines to hit here, which is nice to see on a course that is intended to introduce new players to the sport. There are good concrete tees with basic signs bolted down on the concrete. The baskets are in nice shape and catch well.

Cons:

Several of the holes are appropriate for newer players, but hole 8 really doesn't fit with the character of the course. It's way too much length for beginners, and it has no obstacles so it's not that interesting even for more experienced players. A few other shots are wide open and could have been a little more creative with tee and pin placement to keep it a little more interesting.

8 out of 9 holes have easy straight or hyzer lines for a right handed player, so it doesn't encourage players to try different shots. The tees are a little short, especially on the longer holes where most players would want to run up. The signs are a nice idea, and seemed accurate, but when they're flush with the tee it can be difficult to find the tees under snow and ice. There are some tricky spots for navigation, and some long unmarked walks. Some next tee markers or a course map would make a big difference.

Other Thoughts:

I love seeing campus courses that can expose new players to the sport. This one is a little tough for a lot of brand new players, but isn't so punitive that it would be too frustrating. Hole 8 should definitely have a short tee or be broken up into a couple holes to fit in better with the rest of the course. More experienced players will find a few fun holes, but not enough challenge or variety to make it worth many return trips.
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6 1
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.8 years 1512 played 480 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Another OK University Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 6, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Concrete tees with a little UIS sign in the back corner. These signs had Hole #, Distance and an arrow indicating general direction of the hole.

2) Hole distances vary a little bit on the intial holes but then they throw an 830' hole at you too.

3) Mach V baskets in good condition and installed correctly, but no # plates which would be useful on 4, 5, 6 where you can see all three baskets from the other tees.

4) Very beginner friendly because it is fairly open, however #8 might get frustrating. It gave me a chance to try and learn a roller . . . and it worked ok.

5) I am not sure what came first . . . Hole #7 or the large concrete structure, but I think it was a cool way to force you to think about the shot. Normally I like obstacles to simply be natural but in this instance it reall alters the shot. You definitely don't want to hit the concrete with your disc or it will have a large gash!

6) Turf and grounds are in great shape. The trees are mature and healthy and the campus looks well taken care of. Its always nice to play through courses that have visual appeal too!

Cons:

1) Hole Signs on the teepads only had an arrow and not a fairway shape. The arrow helps but a layout of the hole would be better.

2) I do not like the concrete sewer rings around the basket filled with stone. These will leave gashes on your discs but they also act inconsistantly when throwing approaches. In general I would just like to see mulch surrounding the baskets.

3) This course is mostly open and doesn't provide much challenge other than distance. I like a little more variety

4) While I enjoyed trying to throw rollers on #8, I just do not understand the appeal of an 830' hole with little to no elevation and little to no obstacles. Throw a couple new trees out there to give something to throw around!

5) Navigation is tough in a couple spots, and the walk from Hole #8 to Hole #9 seems excessive. Then the walk from Hole #9 back to the beginning or to your car is a long walk.The course is broken up into3 different areas. #1 is on an island of its own surrounded by roads. #2-6 are on another section of the campus, then cross the street (with nowhere good to cross without trampling through shrubs) to play #7-9. Directionals might be best in those transition areas.

Other Thoughts:

This wasn't a bad course, but it wasn't very good. It had some shots that needed execution, but then there were a few with no real interest or design.

Throw a few trees into the mix on the long hole, and shorten it by a hundred or two hundred feet and Hole #8 would be better. Add a tree or two on #5 to force an anhyzer shot to add some more shot variety in shot shaping and this would be a better course. I can't imagine the open areas
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11 0
#19325
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.4 years 351 played 178 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 2, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is located on the campus of University of Illinois Springfield. It is a very nice campus and the course is very well kept. The course is flat and has a ton of mature trees and pines. This is a beginner friendly course and has enough distance and shots to keep it interesting for more skilled players.

The cement tee pads are flat.

The tee signs are located on the back left hand side of the tee pad. They have the distance and an arrow pointing in the direction of the hole.

The baskets are brand new Mach 5's. They have a nice circular base of bricks filled with rocks. It adds a nice touch.

The course has a variety of holes and distances.

Hole #3 is a sweet tunnel shot thru a row of pine trees.

A huge sculpture comes into play on #7. It looks pretty cool.

Cons:

There tee signs are not visible. It's difficult to find the next tee in a few areas.

Navigation is tough in a couple of places. See below for help. Print the map.

The finish to the course is very frustrating. Hole #8 is a long par 4. It's well over 800 feet. That is not the problem. After you play #8 you walk back down the fairway 400 feet to play #9. After #9 you have a half mile walk back to the parking lot.

The land is flat but has some interesting areas. There was potential for a very good course. I don't think they utilized the land very good.

Other Thoughts:

Use the coordinates on your gps. It will take you directly across from the 1st tee. The 1st hole is located between the parking lot and one of the dorms. I parked in the lot to the west of hole #1.

After hole #1 cross the street to hole #2. 2 thru 6 flow pretty good. After #6 cross the street to #7.
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