- Dual tees for about half of the holes, and a few with alternate baskets

- Good range of fairway types from mostly open to tightly wooded

- Rolling hills are used pretty well to give some interesting looks off the tee and at the green

- Average hole length is on the short side, some repetitive shots

- Navigation can be tricky in a few places your first time out

- Some fairways play close to roads

The updated design for West Park kept many of the elements from the original layout, though there are some things I definitely miss (I liked old holes 5, 11, and 16 more than just about any of the remaining or new holes). That said, I tried to review this course for what it is and not what it used to be/what it isn't.

The new equipment is the best upgrade from the old course. The concrete tee pads are sufficiently large and grippy and the tee signs are large and colorful and show the distances from each tee, though the signs are only present at one tee per hole where there are dual tees. The red banded Chainstar Pros catch great, and there are two or three holes with alternate pins using older model Chainstars. These alternate pins do not have distances on the tee signs, and some signs show alternate pin locations in the overhead view where I have never seen a basket. There is a new railing to help you navigate the rough stairs down the hill to 2's basket but crossing the creek can still be a little sketchy. This is really the only problematic area for those using a cart.

The dual tee pads are nice in that they usually provide a slightly different look or completely different angle to the basket. The choice of which is the Red and which the White tee is at times confusing, and finding the alternate pad for the hole that doesn't have a tee sign can be a little tricky your first time out. Routing to the next hole can also be difficult in a few spots if you are not familiar with the course.

There is a pretty good mix of open, to moderately wooded, to tightly wooded fairways at West Park. Generally the tightly wooded fairways are short enough to not be overly discouraging to newer players, and I have seen families and other less experienced players having a great time during each of my rounds. There are still enough interesting features to keep more skilled players entertained. Angle control and line shaping is definitely required, but there are a few too many open, parks style holes that begin to feel a little repetitive by the end.

This is a nice park, and the recent improvements definitely gave it a much needed face lift, and helped make West into a true multi-use park. It is a bit less challenging than nearby Channahon, Trinity, Highland, or Dellwood, but fits in well with the area courses. Definitely still worth playing for those living nearby. For those traveling, if you only have the time for two or three rounds, I have trouble recommending West Park over the other courses mentioned above, but hopefully you have time to include the oldest course in the state in your play schedule.

Good old West Park, the first disc golf course in Illinois circa 1979. It's historic! It's nostalgic! It's...gone. Kinda. Sorta. Not really. It's still there with a "NEW FOR 2018" design. If you only casually played the old course and don't have the shots drilled into your muscle memory, the shots on this new course are going to remind you a lot of the old course.

WHAT'S NEW?: Concrete tees in the long and short position. YEAH!

New Chainstar baskets. I don't remember the old baskets so that might be a yeah.

WHAT'S OLD?: The shots for the most part felt familiar. 12 of the holes seemed like holes I had played before. The tees or pins might have been moved a bit and some of the shots might have been stretched by a few feet, but the vibe of the course was the same.

The distances for the most part were those 250'-270' park-style shots. Holes 3.4.15 & 18 have one 300'+ tee each, and the new hole 11 stands as the 400' shot in the design. There is some challenge in the design, but not Open Pro challenge. It's a solid recreational/Intermediate design.

It seemed like a lot of the old "this tee is pretty close to the last basket" issues had been improved. I also didn't notice as much erosion as I remember the old course having. I consider the overall effect more of a "refresh" than a "redesign." If you had fun at the old West Park, you will have fun at the new West Park.

WHAT'S NEW?: 18 hole layout (down from 24.) Less golf=BOO!!!

There used to be a goofy downhill shot that was hole 16, it's gone. There was a long shot across a meadow to the creek in the low spot of the park (old hole 11?) that is gone. Those were signature-type shots on the old course, so they will be missed by many. The meadow has been given up to weeds and tall grass, which is aesthetically a downer. Local players will be able to note more changes and have a better perspective on what was lost.

WHAT'S OLD?: A few of the old course safety issues remain. There is still that anny uphill shot (hole 10 now, I think it used to be 17) right next to the road that dares a new player throwing RHBH not to n00b hyzer into the street. Hole 15 and 16 still throw at each other with 16's pin too close to the road. The issues are not horrible, though.

Hole 2 has a set of stairs down the treacherous hill, but even though I knew they were there I couldn't find them topside. I ran into them halfway down my trailblazing path from the tee. If there were some signs over to the stairs, that would be great.

West Park pretty much still does what it has been doing for the last 40 years. It's a cool, fun recreational to intermediate-type course. Enough of the old course is in the design of the new course for it to retain the vibe it always had. Old disc golf courses get run down and need attention, even "first in the State" courses. I think they did a great job of keeping the experience the same while giving the course needed updates.

West Park is dead, long live West Park!