- nice color tee signs with maps
- course map
- large concrete tees
- well mown and manicured
- baskets are basic but serviceable, and are numbered
- a few rolling hills
- navigation is pretty straightforward
- gravel around baskets

- very limited elevation change and a little too open
- holes get repetitive with 5-8 being relatively straight and open
- par is unrealistically generous
- some safety hazards with walking paths, though the holes are mostly designed to try to avoid this
- minimal amenities: no practice basket, no benches, minimal garbage cans

This course honestly didn't leave a ton of impression on me. It's a nice enough course, and is very well maintained. It's just so similar to all of the other suburban 9 hole courses in the Chicago area; nothing about it stuck out.

It's a bit light on amenities but I can forgive that. The general con here is the lack of elevation change and challenge. It does have a few more tree obstacles than the average park course, but otherwise it's pretty open and uneventful. This would be a good course for a beginner to learn on.

That said, the course really is well kept - the tees and tee signs are high quality and the park was in great shape. I wouldn't hesitate to play here, but definitely wouldn't go out of my way for it. Navigation was pretty clear except for the walk from 3 to 4 - after 3, follow the path to the right until you see the tee for 4 to the right of the path.

The pars are crazy high on both the Buffalo Grove courses for whatever reason. The safety hazards with the walking path aren't great, so just exercise caution. I've never hit a complete stranger with a disc and I'm really hoping I never do.

Overall, I think this course will just blend with the 50 or so others I've played in the Chicago area and sadly I won't remember much about it. It's fun enough but doesn't have anything to set it apart.

fun tight course to work on short drives

app needs to update the course stats. the pars are generous in the app

Nicely laid out 9 hole course, with a hint of challenge. I liked out it was spread out instead of compacting 9 holes in tight area. Easy to figure out where next hole (tee pad) is from cage.

Couple of holes play along walking path, keep an eye out once warmer comes and people are using the park more. If unfamiliar with area, it is but tricky driving in/thru neighborhood to play 9 holes. Hole 1 is a challenge for beginners, but #2 - #9 not to difficult. My get difficult to find a spot to park once it gets warmer.

One of my favorite 9 hole courses in Lake County, IL. Park looks to be maintained well, despite playing in March. Worth coming back to play if in the area.

Although this course is not a challenge for a more experienced player, it is fine for a short round with a friend or for practice. It has two or three long-ish holes that can let you pull out your driver rip it (at least for me), while others are shorter and don't have too much in your way. I like how the holes wind around a wooded area.

Not particularly long and not very challenging. For most holes the basket is just kinda there in front of you, you just have to hit your shot.

The first course I played on (before they changed it roughly 5 years ago), it will always hold a soft spot in my heart. And I have an ace on the newer hole #7, so, there's that too.

It's short and basic, so it's great for beginners.

It's short and basic, so if you're not a beginner you'll find it boring.

This is a course for beginners and families. It's a nice addition to the park, but this is not a destination course.

Willow Stream gives you a few opportunities to stretch your disc out alongside its more modest holes. Low ceilings produced by sprawling branches make a few otherwise-basic holes a bit more interesting. Elevation plays a role in the first few holes which jazzes things up a little. The course plays quickly.

Park amenities are prevalent and the course seems well-groomed.

The two biggest cons of Willow Stream are its openness and its proximity to non-DG park goers. Many of the holes are quite open or feature a very limited set of obstacles, so you can basically throw at will. Many of the holes are only interesting insofar as they provide ace run opportunities.

The park was well-trafficked on my visit and I had to work to avoid park goers at many points. The course's layout seems oblivious to how the park gets otherwise used.

Given that there are so many such small park courses in the immediate area, I would have a hard time prioritizing a visit here when conflict with park goers is so possible.

Course is located in a really nice city park. Has the usual pros: Decent signage, BIG tee pads (as did the other nine in the same township!) and use of elevation on the first three and last one basket. Played around a wooded area but never really utilized it.

Couple of memorable holes:
#1 395 ft up a steep hill
#2 295 ft blind shot to the right over a bit of hill
#3 195 ft downhill shot that I one hopped off the chains and out!! :-(
#9 190 ft to a berm type setting with a gully to the left.

Played it twice for an 18 hole outing. Was worth the second time through.

I used the online map... WRONG!!!
Course has obviously been remodeled since that last 2014 review.
Have to walk a ways to find the #4 tee pad.
#5 throws back towards the woods rather than the direction the map shows. The rest is easy to follow by the tee signs.

Relatively short course, but one that did not disappoint. In Chicago the last couple weeks for work... am up to 10 courses here now.... for the most part all have been enjoyable.... this was no different. If I lived here, I'd be back!!

I'd love to be a kid swimmer in Buffalo Grove. What an awesome swim complex they have here at this park. It looks more like a commercial water park. Leave the kidos while you enjoy the golf. There's also a nice little playground.

There area a nice course sign and the standard Rules of Disc Golf sign at the beginning. The tee signs are very, nice plastic ones. The pars listed are probably appropriate for middle schoolers. The baskets are older ones with the yellow band and a hole # welded on top. The tee pads are way oversized and great. Why it always that these small community 9 hole courses with little length always have the best, most overdone and over priced tee pads? These would still be very adequate if they were a full 1/3 smaller.

The park has nice rolling hills which provide the course with much of it's personality. It starts out with a 395' slight uphill hole. There are a nice variety of distances here including five shorter ACE runs (most under 200'.

Wood chips would be a great addition around the basket on # 2 and probably some other places as well.

Short, easy distances.

Park can get crowded. You might have to wait for folks on the walking path.

Willow Stream is just a very nice little, beginners type course. In other words, a typical Chicago 9'er. Partly, because this is such a nice little park with some elevation and partly because the design is solid, this course is one of the better Chicago 9'ers. I'd be pretty content to play a lot of rounds here.

Willow Stream is a 9 hole course located in a quite large city park. Several other activities in this park, with lots of open spaces.

DGA baskets, all in good repair and mounted well. The site lists some dual pin positions, but I don't remember seeing them. The baskets have really nice, bright yellow number signs on top. Very helpful with navigation.

Typical cheap-ish park signs, but they get the job done. Distance and hole number, and just having them helps with navigation, especially in the winter.

Huge concrete tee pads. Long, wide, and well constructed. One tee per hole.

Good distance variation. From ace runs, to 400+ drives. Also, good use of the little bit of available elevation. Hole 2 sticks out for this.

Very wide open for the most part. You really aren't forced to take certain lines for the most part. It's a little odd that the clump of available trees in the middle of the course wasn't utilized....it could have made for some cool pin placements, at least.

We were here on a winter weekday, and there was still people active in the park. I imagine it could get quite full during the summer.

As far as open city park 9's go, this isn't too bad. Unless you''re a beginner, you won't get much challenge here, though. If you're wanting ace runs and easy going golf, this is the spot for you.

Certainly not worth going out of your way for, but you could do worse in a pinch.

great distance variety (hole 3 is a 180 foot ace run while hole hole 8 is over 400 feet)
great tee pads
great baskets
easy navigation
great course for beginners, while more experienced players can still find some challenge
not many places to loose discs

it can get VERY crowded
all of the holes are open with only a few trees
sometimes you have to wait for bikers or runners who are using the paths that go through the course
they could have made much more use out of the forestation that they do have

This is a great course for beginners, but the openness can make some more experienced players board.

Willow Stream Park is another one of those Chicagoland 9ers, but I'll have to give the designers some credit on this one. Despite not having a lot to work with, they made a decent course. The key to that is that there is some variety in the shots. They used basically the one hill they had to work with for a 400' uphill opening shot. #2 uses the hill to give you a blind up and down shot, and #3 is a slightly downhill ace run. The course flattens out a bit from there, but the hole distances go back and forth from 220' to a 428' air-out shot. You end up with four <250' holes, two holes between 250' and 300', one 300' shot and two 400'+ shots. That helps mix up an otherwise unremarkable course. The site is lightly wooded, but holes #7 and #9 at least make you miss a few trees. The ace run on #3 uses some evergreen trees to force the RHBH hyzer line. It's not a huge challenge, but there is enough going on here to keep a round fun.

The course has the signature Buffalo Grove ginormous tee pads that are big enough to park a semi with a trailer on, so there is good footing off the tee. The course has serviceable DGA baskets in good condition, and the grounds seemed well maintained. I don't recall the tee signs but I don't recall hating the tee signs so I'm going to assume they were OK. The course flows around in a circle so it is easy to follow and you end up right back where you started.

The site doesn't have a lot of potential, so while the design does a good job of taking advantage of what the site has it still is just a so-so course. The course is lightly wooded, so you can basically throw RHBH hyzers all day. Other than the distances of the longer holes, there just isn't much challenge to the course.

Like most other parks in this area, there is a popular and heavily used walking path that winds thorough and conflicts with several holes. You have to be prepared to wait and let walkers/joggers clear the area, which is tough since the course is popular and often backed up with players.

The tee for #4 is too close to #3's basket.

The course winds around a wooded spot. It seems like maybe some of the pins could have been tucked into the woods to take advantage of that and increase the challenge of the course a bit.

I find Willow Stream to be on the better side of Chicagoland 9ers, but in the end it is still a classic Chicagoland 9er. The design does a pretty good job of utilizing what the site has to offer, but the site doesn't have much to offer. The course has some fun elements to it, so it should be an attractive spot for local recreational players. That's about it.

- Willow Stream's 9-hole course plays up and over a small knoll then around a small patch of woods, seemingly doing its best to bring as many sidewalks into play as possible. This is suburban disc golf sharing a bustling neighborhood park with a multitude of other activities. The course plays next to people's backyards on a few holes.
- Elevation. The first three holes play on a grassy knoll. Nothing to get excited about, but it adds a much welcomed 3rd dimension. #1 starts off slightly uphill with a few smallish trees to avoid on the way up. #2 offers a blind up-over-and-down shot as the knoll peaks and then drops off before reaching the pin. Using up the remaining elevation, #3 is a slightly downhill ace run. A stand of pines protect the basket from the front and left, forcing a RHBH hyzer shot.
- GINORMOUS tee pads. These things are super wide, super long. The standard signage (as well as an obvious flow) makes navigation a breeze.
- A good mix of short ace runs (#'s 3, 4, and 6) and more challenging distances (#'s 1, 5, and 8).

- Willow Stream is a crowded community park. The course follows the walking paths on many holes. Be aware of walkers and share the park. These are the type of setups that make me nervous about people getting hit. Exercise caution.
- #4's tee is pretty damn close to #3's basket. Anyone going long on #3's short downhill acerun puts #3's tee directly in the killzone.
- Goose and dog poop.

- This course wasn't bad, had some fun shots (#3 stands out in the fun-factor department), but the park was super busy on a cold icy early spring day. Our group waiting several times for walkers. I cannot imagine this gets better during the summer.

Baskets, signs, and tee pads are all good.

Course circles a patch of woods as you play around them.

Some good use of elevation on a hole or two.

Was well maintained and clean.

Easy to follow flow of the course.

Course has few obstacles to throw around.

The course was crowded when I went and it was not worth the wait to play the holes this course has to offer.

Course is very short and really does not pose much of a challenge to players intermediate and up.

I played here with my girlfriend and it was fun, but I would not come back by my own doing. I would not recommend this course to anyone who has played for over a year.

Nice park
Large tee pads
Good use of elevation
Good signage trees provide obstacles
Nice distance variety
Very hard to lose a disc

When there are swim meets holes 1 and 9 are closed
Crowded
Crowded path.
Nothing stands out.
All holes relatively straight.
Only beginner course not to much challenge here at all.
Very open

I saw woods here as well if they could expand it and make it 18 holes. This course would have more variety and be more desirable.

-Nice Concrete Tees
-Trees making it more challenging, yet not annoying
-Nice elevation changes on some holes (1-3)
-More challenge added with the near requirement to throw a nice hyzer/anhyzer
-Variety in distances for each hole
-Great for Beginners

-Potential on hole 9 to throw it into a public pool with one slip of a throw
-Usually pretty crowded
-Some tees don't have signs (anymore) showing par/distance

Great for beginners. The distances for par are a little short than other courses I've been on, so it makes for an easy birdie/eagle. However, still probably my favorite course to play.

Has some elevation changes, good challenging placement of several of the baskets behind trees. Some fun short holes that if you get around the trees have an opportunity for acing. Do not have to worry about losing discs. Beautiful park.

Only nine holes, and somewhat easy.

Willow Stream is a located in the center of a nice park. It has mild rolling terrain on the first 3 holes and the rest is flat as a pancake. There are a few scattered trees and very little rough comes into play.

The tee pads are absolutely HUGE! I have never seen bigger concrete tee pads. You can park an RV on these bad boys.

The baskets are in good shape.

There are adequate tee signs on every hole.

There is a decent variety of distances on this course. 1 hole-under 200ft. 5 holes -200ft-300ft. 2 holes 400ft+

Excellent beginner course. Very few obstacles. and easy to navigate. Very difficult to lose a disc.

This course is super popular and very busy. Be prepared to wait. On top of that there is a super busy walking path that comes into play.

It's a very wide open course with very few obstacles.

Moving a few baskets into the woods or farther back behind obstacles could add some much needed difficulty and variety to this course. Those holes included 2, 3, 4, 6, & 7.

This course will be very repetitive in shot selection. I throw a right hyzer on 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, & 9.

If you play on/over the walking path out of bounds you can add a little difficulty to this course.

There is a nice pool right next to the park. It has a pretty sweet water slide. Twin Creeks Park is right up the street and is another great beginner course.

Might sound crazy but I know a player who threw and Epic thumber on hole #8 for an Ace. Absolutely sick hole in 1.

My favorite thing about this course is its location in a very nice park with lots more besides disc golf. There are baseball fields, soccer fields, a community pool, basketball courts, a bike/walking path, and a playground. Because Willow Stream Park has so many nice features, it is very well maintained. Signs and tees are great! In fact, the tees are bigger than any I've ever played on before.

There is decent challenge in distance on two of the holes with hole 1 being 390' uphill and hole 8 being roughly 420'

The trees on this course force newer righ hand backhanded throwers to work on straight shots or anheisers.

Because it is such a nice park, Willow Stream often attracts quite a lot of people, and unfortunately the bike path of the park goes through many of the course's holes. Makes for a slow 9 holes.

Although some of the distances are challenging, I remember coming to Willow Stream as a new disc golfer and finding the distances of the shorter holes too short even then.

If you live in within 5 miles of Willow Stream, there aren't a lot of good courses to be played. As a resident of Palatine, I often choose to go to Willow Stream over my home course because it is a more enjoyable experience. A sidenote:

*The course has a random doubles league that plays on Monday nights at 6:00. They use alternate tees and therefore, on these nights, the course becomes very congested.

*Wind is of medium strength

*New waterslide to the left of hole 9 is a recipe for disaster... be sure to throw your discs safely away from it! (as if you wouldnt be able to determine that when you actually go)

Willow Stream is one of the many nine hole courses that dot the Chicagoland area and it shares many features with the stereotypical area course: mostly open, fairly easy, and good for newer players. The course does have a few nice features such as elevation on a few holes - We're not talking ski-hills here and the majority of the park is pretty flat even by midwest standards, however, the designers have done a nice job incorporating what elevation murmurs there are. Hole three is probably the most interesting in this respect because it not only has a nice downhill pitch to it but it also has a pretty view.

Challenge: The course pictures tell most of the 'con' story here, this place is wiiiide open. Rarely will the player getting ready to tee have to consider anything more than what disc will be appropriate for the distance of the shot and what the wind is doing. After that, throw a hyzer, turnover, roller, whatever really - there isn't anything but air out there unless you really shank one!

Busy: Other reviewers have commented on the course being crowded with disc golfers, I have not experienced this (having only played in late fall/winter) but I have encountered many non-disc golf users while playing because the fairways are so close to other activities. Keep a heads up especially near the walking and biking paths so that you aren't shooting when someone is biking or running towards you.

Amongst the ocean of nine hole courses in the Chicagoland area, Willow Stream is a relatively little fish. There aren't many aspects of challenge here and the replayability of the course is very low. Newer players will likely enjoy the course because of the openness and low liklihood of losing discs but experienced players will be disappointed by the lack of challenge.

-As a fairly basic course without too many hazards to watch out for and not incredibly long this is a good course for beginners to learn the game on.
-Giant cement teepads are in great condition (almost unnecessarily big).
-Elevation on first 3 holes adds some difficulty (1 is a long uphill shot, 2 has a reservoir-like area to the right, and 3 is a short downhill shot around a decent sized tree in the center that I like)
-Being more on the open side versus wooded, good winter golf location and nearly impossible to lose a disc on.
-Decent baskets and signage.
-Ample parking, and course loops around right back to hole 1/parking lot (easy navigation)
-Port-o-potties present

While this is one of the courses I learned on and play the most often due to location, the negatives pile up. I want to rate it higher and I do enjoy getting some rounds in here, just cannot rate it higher for the following reasons.

-My biggest gripe is due to the beginner-friendly nature of this course. The course gets CROWDED (sometimes you have to wait for 4 groups til you can tee off and pace can be slow). Highschoolers and beginners flood the course, which I wouldn't mind because I want the game to spread, but groups of 8 who are slow and have no etiquette annoy me.
-Course is short and overall boring. Holes 1 and 8 are really the only holes where big arms can let it rip. I don't mind short courses if they're technical, but this course is on the boring side and only uses the woods on the borders. It'd be nicer if they'd utilize the woods a little more with a few wooded tunnel shots.
-Safety-Bike path with oblivious bikers/runners crosses holes 4,5, and 7 in particular. How there have not been incidents similar to the recent problems at Lombard blows my mind. The soccer fields can pose some safety issues on holes 4 and 5 but nothing major in my opinion as long as you don't shank it to the left
-Layout does not force any good RHBH hyzer routes. Open holes you can throw whatever. Shorter/tighter holes favor a RHFH or RHBH anhyzer.
-Pool along hole 9 can have some annoying music sometime and can affect your shot if you shank it to the left.

Overall a decent 9 hole course for beginners or to use as practice. Course is set in a multi-use community park that has tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball fields, running/bike path and pool. The course itself loops around some woods. As a RHFH thrower who relies on accuracy over distance, I like 6 and 7 which are short holes with a few trees to get around. Wind can be a factor at his course as well. While I still enjoy playing there it can get boring at times, but there's not many decent courses in this area, so it's better than nothing if you live nearby.