Pekin, IL

McNaughton Park

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4.085(based on 32 reviews)
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17 0
PastorofMuppets
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 4.7 years 129 played 115 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Macgyver Your Way Through McNaughton

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 4, 2023 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

WHAT TO EXPECT: Public park atmosphere in the town of Pekin just a small ways from Peoria. Mix of open, long holes, rolling hills, and some technical wooded line hitting in between. Well kept property and a must play when in the area.

TEES/BASKETS/AMENITIES: Two tees per hole with a long a short option, both concrete and ample size and texture in good shape. Two pin location options with only one basket being out at a time. Baskets are Orange Discatchers that are showing their signs of age but still catch well. Some are just hard to locate, especially in the wooded section of the course. Amenities are slim here, couple nice wooden bridges over some of the small creeks and ditches but not much else. Some benches and trash cans throughout but not on every hole. Tee signs are helpful, have all relevant information, and are in good shape.

DESIGN: Mix of longer more open holes to start and finish. (Holes 1-2, then 13-18). Few trees to miss, quite a bit of elevation change, and some wide, fair, open tunnels make up the bulk of defense on these holes. Holes 3-12 are the meat and potatoes of the wooded section of this course with a wide variety of challenging, multi angle and varying distance Par 3's that range from 250 feet up to 400 feet with the occasional 2 shot (but short) Par 4's sprinkled in. Definitely protects itself well and forces you to use multiple shot shapes to succeed. This course is a shot shapers dream (well for 10 Holes at least).

SIGNATURES: I'm guessing Hole #18 (the 900 or so foot wide open rolling hill Par 5 at the end) is supposed to be the signature hole by design, but I found Hole #4 to be a much better representation of the course. A long downhill heavily treed Par 3 that requires a perfectly executed S curved shot to reach. My vote for this hole has nothing to do with my chain out ace attempt, As I hit high in the chains and it wasn't the baskets fault. lol That mishap aside, this is well designed and aesthetically pleasing hole.

DIFFICULTY: Flexible, which is wonderful. I'd say Pro caliber from the long tees to the long pin positions, and yet rec and casual friendly from the short to shorts. The sticky grass fairways, mature trees, thick underbrush on the sides of the fairways, and multiple elevation changes allow this course to have teeth without being unfair or oppressive.

EXTRAS: Tons of wildlife both times I have played here. Saw multiple deer, a racoon, and a curious rabbit this time around.

Cons:

ROUGH: Heavy underbrush lines the fairways throughout, especially in the woods. Part of the advantage this gives to the course difficulty, it also takes away from in beauty and fun. There is a chance for lost discs. There are two ponds on the course but you would really have to try to miss bad enough to bring either into play.

NAVIGATION: Despite a wonderful course map in the parking lot near hole #1, some directional signs would be a great add. Hole #17 and #18 are back across the parking lot and a long way from #16 basket. You have to walk across 18 fairway, so be aware.

HO-HUM FINISH: For a course this nice in the center, I was expecting a much more exciting finish but Holes 13-16 are kind of the same shot in varying distances and then Holes 17 and 18 are both kind of bland compared to the rest of the course. This makes them feel out of place. While still challenging, they just don't have that pizzaz one expects. Probably the main thing keeping this course at a 4.0 instead of higher for me.

BATHROOMS: No water or bathrooms available that I saw, come prepared as you will be in for a hike up and down most of your round.

Other Thoughts:

All in all a gem of a course surrounded by multiple other gems. Meggido probably takes the edge if I only had time to play one course when in the area, but McNaughton is a close second. A definite destination course in a destination city where so many good courses exist within a 30 mile radius. Do yourself a favor and make sure you bag this one.
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24 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.50 star(s)

McNaught Messin' Around

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 10, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

McNaughton Park is a killer 18 hole course. Pro caliber from the gold tees, and still a good test from the blues. Grassy fairways play through mature woods, between rows of thick brushy rough, and finishes on a mostly wide open area with a very long hole. There are fairly large elevation changes on a few holes, and water is in play on a couple of others.

Two sets of concrete tees play to Chainstar baskets. A good course map is posted near the first tee. Par is 56 on the shorter blue tees, 58 for the long gold layout. I played the gold layout, which beat me up. Four holes are in the 300' and under range. The par fours are all in the final 5 on the back 9.

I liked the way the course sort of goes through phases, changing as you play through. Holes 1 and 2 are play downhill and are pretty open. There are trees in front of the basket as you approach 1, and they can grab you if you get too far to the right or go long on 2. 3 enters the woods and uses clusters of trees to form a hard right turn in the fairway. 4 is a really fun downhill drive with a few trees to avoid on the way down to the pin. Holes 5, 6, and 7 have less change in elevation, but it's there, along with trees to shape the tee shots. The pond sits to the left of hole 7. Hole 8 plays over the point of the pond, but it's no real danger unless you miss badly to the left. Hole 9 was one of my favorite holes. It plays downhill with trees and the shore of the pond to the left, and more dense growth along the right side. A corridor is formed running down a steady slope to the basket.

10 turns and plays back uphill, with slope dropping to the right side of the fairway that can cause a tough roll. Around hole 11 majority of the rough starts to become the heavy green that can be tough to exit if you leave the fairway. The heavy fringe does serious shaping of drives and forming walls edging the grassy center lines. This portion of the course also has much less elevation change. 16 has the road on the left, the right is heavy rough and the center is sprinkled with trees. 17 and 18 are in the open grass across the street, with just a couple of trees here and there. 18 is a big arm special at 849 from the gold tee atop the hill.

Cons:

Heavy leaves drifted in places at the time of my visit in the second week of November. Not much you can do about that. It was my last disc golf road trip before the winter cold moved in for 2022.

Tee signs and directional aid would be a nice add in some spots. Some of the baskets were pretty aged visually. They all performed fine, but can be tough to spot at a distance.

Other Thoughts:

I loved all of the big hills and woods through the first 10 holes. The maze of hedgerows effect and distances on 11 through 15 are a good challenge.

The last couple of holes were sort of bland, and 18 is a doozy in terms of length, but not the most awe inspiring finisher.

I did like the course a lot in totality. It was no walk in the park, figuratively. I had no birdies, and finished at +16 (74) off the long tees. Ouch. I would like to get in a few more courses in the Peoria area, and this is one I could easily see myself revisiting.
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20 0
aclay
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 39.5 years 309 played 234 reviews
4.00 star(s)

McNaughton Park

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 11, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

-- McNaughton uses a combination of rolling hills, woods and some open fairways to create an interesting mix of holes.
-- Two concrete tee pads per hole.
-- Excellent baskets.
-- Distance variation is excellent. From the short tees, eight holes are shorter than 300 feet, although only one is shorter than 250; from the longs, eight holes are longer than 400 feet.
-- Uphiil (10, 15, 17) and downhill (1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 18) throws.
-- A few open holes, but the majority are in the woods and force/reward accuracy.
-- Course loops back near parking after hole 10 so you can restock during a round.
-- Very good tee signs: benches and a trash cans (not at every hole, but well spaced as needed), and a few nicely built bridges to cross some of the low spots.
-- Doesn't overly favor one throwing style (RHBH, LHBH, etc.).
-- Abundant wildlife. We saw several deer during our round.

Cons:

-- Finding the 17 tee (you cross the road and the 18 fairway) was a challenge, and a safety concern.
-- Nos. 13, 14 and 15 go more or less back and forth and can feel repetitive.
-- We threw to No. 2 basket on No. 1 because that was the basket we saw basically straight ahead. The No. 1 basket was left, tucked in the trees.
-- No restrooms or water that I saw.

Other Thoughts:

-- After playing 16 mostly wooded holes, it feels like a different course to end with two completely open holes. No. 18 is 849 feet (downhill and then slightly uphill), but still doesn't feel like a signature or closing hole for a course of this caliber.
-- Most of the distance is at the end of this course. From the long tees, the last six holes are longer than 400 feet.
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11 0
kevdiv48
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.4 years 263 played 30 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Long standing beast of a course

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

2 concrete teepads per hole.
New bright orange Chainstars.
Excellent landscape for disc golf. Hilly and wooded terrain results in majority of holes requiring accuracy and distance. Holes vary in left/ right, up/ down and all combinations in between.
Hole 18 downhill bomber.

Cons:

Hilly rugged landscape is slick after rains.
Teepads on the small side and not grippy, especially when wet.
Not beginner friendly even from short tees.

Other Thoughts:

McNaughton Park DGC, colloquially known as McNasty, has been a bruiser in the DG hotspot of Peoria, IL for nearly 30 years. It capitalizes on the moderate to severely hilly and wooden terrain of the Illinois River proximity to generate an excellent set of 18 holes. Besides the opening and closing holes, precise shots are required throughout and the rough is thick enough to make most recovery shots challenged.
Offering two tees per hole does a very good job of making the course more (not completely) accessible to lower rated players while the longs will challenge all but the highest caliber players.
In the end, it is a must visit for the Central Illinois / Peoria area. Bring sturdy shoes and water and be prepared for a battle with one of stalwarts in an area full of great DG.
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16 0
discNDav
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 37.8 years 436 played 91 reviews
4.00 star(s)

great terrian for DG 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 29, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very hilly terrain which makes great DG. While mostly wooded most holes had very fair lanes to navigate, the back 9 opens up on a few holes yet has some tight gaps to hit.

The baskets are orange Chainstars (not Mach 3's as listed on here) and they caught well. Most if not all holes had two sets of cements tees.

The DG course is set in a dedicated part of the park so other park activities don't interfere during your round. A large course map is located at the start.

The front 9 had a very old school DG feel feel which I appreciated very much. The course was easy to navigate (except after 16 to 17). Two holes played near water but only a terrible shot would get wet.

I pulled a cart and had no issues so it is very cart friendly, a few wooden bridges were narrow but just wide enough for my EZ cart.

The grass was cut well in late Sept.

Cons:

The tee 'signs' were simply posts with the hole number and old distances but no map of the hole. Most baskets have been extended so the distances were no longer correct.

Hated hole 11 a narrow tunnel shot.

Navigation after 16...cross the road to your left and walk down the hill crossing #18's fairway. A sign and/or arrow sure would be helpful. I walked back to the map at hole 1 to find where 17 and 18 were.

Other reviews mentioned navigation arrows to the next hole, I saw them only once.

Other Thoughts:

I drove over 90 minutes out of the way to play here and glad I did, it was a fun course to play.
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13 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 19, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is another really nice course in the Peoria area. The course is set up on some very hilly terrain running in and out of the woods on the majority of holes. The baskets were chainstars now. I'm not sure exactly what model but of the newer variety. These had orange tops and cages which stick out great. They caught awesome too. No complaints on these. The tee pads were all concrete and nice and level. Plenty big enough and gripped nicely. Quite a few holes had shorts and longs but I don't think they all did. The terrain here is great for disc golf and is used quite well. The course starts at the top of a large hill going down and across it. Hole 2 is back up to the top of the hill for a fun downhill shot. These are mostly open, then it's off into the more heavily wooded section for the next 14 holes. These holes almost all have some kind of elevation involved. All are really fun holes. As mentioned in other reviews, the last 2 holes feel kind of like filler holes. At least they made 18 an 800 plus foot par 5. A change of pace from the more technical golf on the rest of the course. The flow of the course is very easy to follow. You should have no problem finding the next hole even without a map. The only thing to remember is hole 17 and 18 are on the other side of the main park road. There are tee signs on all of the short pads. They are just big wood posts with the hole number and distance. They help finding the tee pad at the very least. You will need to be able to shape shots both left and right here. The fairways are all fair here. There wasn't a hole with a spray and pray kind of feel. But accuracy will be rewarded and, while the rough isn't terrible, errant shots will being punished. The course is free to play and seems to be well maintained.

Cons:

The biggest con for me was holes 17 and 18. It's kind of a let down after all the fun holes before. I can understand the space constraints though. Also the tee signs weren't very helpful except finding the tee pad. Just big 4x6 posts with hole number and distance. A hole layout map would be nice. Nitpicky I suppose but it's already a lot of walking just to play, then to have to walk a ways down the fairway to look for the pin.

Other Thoughts:

This is a really nice course and is absolutely worth a stop if you're nearby or passing through. Is it the best in the area? No. But it is probably top 3. I had a great time here and while not a beginner friendly course, it will be enjoyable for rec level players all the way up. This is just an all around fun course to play.
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9 0
34blast
Experience: 26.8 years 50 played 30 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 14, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice tees
Nice baskets
Good Signs
Great use of elevation
Good use of trees and landscape
Nicely mowed
Beautiful park
Long and short tees
Clean park

Cons:

Not a big con but a wide open long shots on 17 and 18 felt like field practice and not disc golfing.

Could do something like an elevated basket, make better use of the pond, or throw off a high hill like cliff for more signature type holes.

Other Thoughts:

For me every hole beside 17 and 18 were really good. The long tees combing power with placement and accuracy. SO for me there were lot's of good holes, but lacking great holes.
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5 6
Ikerid13
Experience: 7 years 6 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is a challenging course with many different types of holes! It requires you most of the time to be accurate, but also has just a few open holes. Has two different tee areas to go from. The actual area of the course is very beautiful.

Cons:

It lacks a sufficient path to the next hole very few times, but then again I've only played it twice so it may just be me! Maybe lose a disc if you throw wild. Nothing too bad really!

Other Thoughts:

This is the best course I have played on so far, and it is also the most challenging! Great area that is definitely worth a drive to! I drove almost 2 hours to play it, and would do it again! Great place to test your skills, and improve them. Hope to be back real soon!
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20 0
sisyphus
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.6 years 397 played 383 reviews
4.00 star(s)

McNasty actually has “Fair”ways 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 19, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

McNaughton ("McNasty") rolls through its wood-edged fairways a little bit like a ball golf course, but scaled correctly for disc golf. It is NOT wide open like most ball golf conversions, so don't get fooled by looking over at 17 & 18 as you park. The majority of the course will force you to hit your line accurately, and to make wise choices as to when to take down a fairway one bite at a time. Often, going for that deuce may risk a bogey, because there are some jail areas just off the mostly 'fair'ways!

Yet, it is not brutally difficult for the highest skills, even though the long tees can add a significant amount of challenge. With two level, concrete tees per hole, and bright orange Discraft Chainstar baskets (with number plates and even numbers on the poles themselves), most baskets are visible from the short tees. With very good use of elevations (the pictures on here don't do it justice), and a reasonable balance of left- and right-turning holes, McNaughton makes for an almost ideal tournament course. They even have a great deal of open space at the end of the drive to warm up. I was told that they set up a temp, glow course at that end sometimes.

Very good signage, a bench and a trash can wherever needed, and nicely built bridges to cross some of the low spots, all the needed amenities are in place. There are even yellow bricks pointing the way along the well-worn paths to the next tee, when needed. Overall, McNaughton should appeal to all tournament levels of play, but might be a little too much challenge for casual players and beginners.

Cons:

There are not a whole lot of negatives, but it does seem a bit odd to cross the 18th fairway to get to the 17th teepad. Some of the honeysuckle bushes and branches can be overly punitive for shots that simply skip a little and roll into the thick stuff. The late stretch of holes that just go back and forth can feel a little repetitive (13, 14 & 15), and even though big arms might look forward to finishing with an uphill 400 footer and a downhill 800 footer, weaker (and older) arms find them a little daunting for a finish.

Other Thoughts:

This course has several holes that might be a signature hole on many lesser courses. I loved the scenic nature of the first hole, the downhill lane on 4, and the ridge lane of 7. The tight gaps on 11 & 12 are rewarding when you hit them. Even the top of the world drive off of the hill on 18 felt fun.

Reviewer Background as of this writing: played 277 courses and written 261 reviews, with skills hovering around a 900 rating, I started playing at 50 and am now 55. I don't throw far (300 footers feel like success), but am addicted to DG, and have played with folks ranging from age 7 to 87, so I try to write reviews helpful to all.
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2 9
boston
Experience: 11.5 years 63 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

One of my first courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2007 Played the course:once

Pros:

1. Great Course Layout
2. Challenging
3. Championship Level

Cons:

It's been years since I played it and the only thing I can remember bothering me was the extreme rough. Could of been the time of year or just me being a beginner.

Other Thoughts:

Can't wait to play again, years later much improved.
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2 9
pianocomposer
Experience: 26.8 years 21 played 21 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Best pro course I've played in Illinois 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 5, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

McNasty is fair, long, with trees everywhere. Elevation changes are crazy. And it's a well designed course. It's a pro course so intermediate players can expect high scores. If you shoot below 60 you are talented or bad at math.

Cons:

Hard to find and overgrown but who cares?

Other Thoughts:

Best pro course in Illinois. Enjoy!
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7 2
JohtoVillage
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24 years 160 played 73 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Challenge 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 1, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

McNaughton Park is truly a challenging course that offers players the ability to air it out and throw some bombs. The course has two sets of tees and both sets have concrete tees, which is a huge plus. The front nine is the scoring nine while the back nine is very difficult. The course is really fair to both lefties and righties and has a good mix of options off of the tee. The course is very mature and is really fairly easy to navigate as long as you figure out where to go after hole 16. From the short tees the course really doesn't have a defining, signature hole as the course is full of really good holes. The long tees are where this course really becomes a great course. From the short tees I would give this course a 3.5 rating but the long tees are a solid 4. The long tees are an amazing test of disc golf. Holes 1, 6. 8 on the front nine really stand out. All of these holes are par 3's in the 400 foot range that require accuracy and a great shot shape. Hole's 11 and 12 are truly a test. Hole 11 either requires you to throw down a super tight tunnel or requires you to throw it over the top of two huge forest areas and carry a shot over 425 feet on a huge hyzer. Hole 12 is a 2 shot hole that requires a perfect, blind placement shot. Holes 14, 15 and 16 are three brutal holes that require low shots with perfect accuracy. The long tees are famous for being hard and they live up to their name of being McNasty.

Cons:

Because this course is a mature course the tee signs are not as useful as they once were. The navigation after hole 16 is a little tricky as you need to cross 18's fairway to get to 17's tee. Local players have obviously figured it out but if you are not a local then I wanted to give you a heads up. The main con with the long tees is that finding them can be challenging on some holes and borderline impossible on some other holes. The paths between holes always lead right to the short tee and getting to the long tee simply requires you to go backwards on a lot of holes to get to the long tee. This is not the case with every hole but is the case with holes 6, 8, 9, 12 and 15. The long tees do not have signs which makes it even more challenging to play. In particular, you can forget about finding hole 12 from the longs if you have never played the course before. The other main con is that over the last year a large tree on hole's 17 and 18 came down. This tree was the biggest obstacle on both of these holes and has truly made both holes a half stroke easier. 17 is a 450 foot uphill par 4 and 18 is a downhill 850 footer. Both holes are considerably easier with the tree gone and really can be a little boring. I enjoy throwing big bombs but unfortunately its no fun throwing big bombs with no real obstacles to manage.

Other Thoughts:

Don't take my cons too negatively. This course is a great treat! have been playing this course for 13 years and truly enjoy the test that it brings. If you are in the area its another gem to add to everything else Central Illinois has to offer.
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7 0
MidwestZest
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 103 played 72 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Extremely solid 4.0 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 18, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Amateur and Pro tees on every hole.
- Sectioned off in a portion of the park that is exclusive to disc golf. No overlapping of park space with other activities.
- Course sign and map at the #1 Yellow tee, right at the park road. Very easy to find.
- A bit of elevation on the course, especially some on the front 9, but nothing epic.
- #2 shoots from a flat, down a hill steep enough the hole is actually blind. You get a good look at the pin when you finish #1, but it disappears as you walk up the hill and stand on the tee pad.
- #4 is a relatively tight hole from the tee, opening up at the bottom of hill to the pin. Really a nice chance for great distance here, so long as you actually throw the line you intend.
- #7 has a very scenic, undulating fairway through some sparse mature trees. Quite evident that everyone plays the pro tee here, unlike the rest of the course. Don't blame them, the blue is very short and not as cool.
- #10 is a wicked uphill, left-to-right curving fairway, all the way to the pin. The intended shot is very evident.
- #11 is a very memorable hole for me. It's 15 feet wide, straight through for about 200 feet. The pro tee is also directly behind the amateur, leaving for probably a 250 foot shot straight as an arrow through that tunnel. Very daunting to say the least - and I played in April before everything greened up.
- #12 is wide open for about 150 feet, and then is dramatically closes into a 12 ft wide tunnel shot for the last 80 or 90 feet. Nice variety, even 12 holes into the course.
- Variety strikes again at #16, with a hedge row guarding the right side of the fairway about 5 feet off, the entire length of the hole.
- #18 is a huge downhill hole, 800+ ft. Certainly not something you see in a lot of places, but the requirement of essentially 3 drives in the wide open almost pushes this hole into a con. First shot is fun, the next two are just outright boring.

Cons:

- Quite a bit of erosion in places on this course, particularly around the amateur tees. It's very obvious this course gets a lot of play.
- No mapped signs at the tees, just a post with # and distance (usually at the amateur tees). Usually not an issue, but there are a few blind pin locations. (7, 9, 10)
- Quite a few tees have sunken and wallowed landing areas in front of the tee pads. Some 6+ inches deep, which could be troublesome.
- A few ho-hum holes on this course, including 6, 8, and 13. Really though, to say that only 3/18 lack something is a bit of a compliment.
- The shooting lane from #12 pro tee is overgrown, so that the only shot is a blind shot over the bushes and briar. You can't even see the open clearing from that tee anymore. I assume that was not the design intent.
- Just not the biggest fan of how the course ends with wide open holes, after the mostly-wooded first 16. Not that open holes aren't appreciated, but it does ruin a little bit of the aura for me.

Other Thoughts:

- Many of the holes on this course use hedge and thick tree-lined fairways to force your shot shape, instead of individual trees that you must avoid. While both 'wooded' courses, this is a stark difference from another area course, Lake Eureka. Very cool to have two premium wooded courses with such different design styles so close to each other. And then there's Northwood, which is very a nice blend of both.
- In the end, a fantastic course, requiring all sorts of skills and discs. Definitely a hard course, especially when everything is greened up. Great test for seasoned players, maybe a bit frustrating for newer or less skilled players.
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6 2
Horsman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 222 played 100 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Gem in Illinois 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 10, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Very good mix of short technical holes, and long bombers.

- Great use of the elevation changes

- Short and Long Teepads

- In its own section of the park, and out of the way of any busy streets.

Cons:

- Could definitely use some direction to where the next hole is after you complete one. My first time there I was pretty lost as to where I should go for the next hole a lot of the time.

- A couple of the long teepads are in some really horrible spots, that are either hard to find or are just a very very bad placement for the teepad.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this course is a must play if you are in the Peoria Il area and are looking for a good course to play. I have been in the area for a couple months now and I absolutely love the course and what it brings. I know that if I want to make the course into a birdie fest then I can play all shorts but if I want to challange myself then I can play all longs and have some real fun.
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4 2
XxBenNastyxX
Experience: 14 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good ol McNasty 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Beautiful course with the front 9 holes in the heart of the woods. Holes were very well thought out and I always have a blast playing the first half of the course. Course gives you plenty of opportunity for a wide arrange of shots to throw. I've never known anyone to come here and say they hated it. You won't regret giving it a shot!

Cons:

The back 9 is pretty much all straight shots. If you can't throw a disc nice and straight you may not enjoy the rest of the course. I personally enjoy the front 9 much more than the back 9 but it's still a beautiful course. If you have young kids it is quite exhausting to push a stroller through but it is possible. I've done it several times. Very easy to lose disc on this course especially in the summer months. They dont like to fall from the trees so you're better off shaking tree's hoping it will randomly fall out of one.

Other Thoughts:

Great course overall. It's not at all easy and I think a lot of people love it for that. It's not my favorite course to play in the Peoria, IL area but it is worth the drive. You'll have fun if you don't mind some exercise. It is VERY hilly.
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2 5
gdizzle08
Experience: 23.9 years 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Absolutely amazing, love this course and feel honored to grow up with this one so near by. its gigantic and in an area with quite a few avid disc golfer. plenty of room to launch a disc but tight enough so that you have to know wha your doing. the course is also very easy to find and great signage

Cons:

almost too big and with as many avid disc golfer that are there there are also alot of people new to the sport which isnt really a big deal unless your in a hurry

Other Thoughts:

great course, if your ever in the area deffinately hit this course up, or you'll be sorry eventually
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6 2
gregwil2
Experience: 12.9 years 61 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice Find 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 25, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has a nice fairly easy to navigate layout. Offers great scenery with a mix of technical wooded shots, wide open bomb shots, water that comes into play sometimes with errorant shots, and some elevation changes. The tee pads are nice with good signs for distance. Didn't use the alternative tees, but some were shorter than the normal tees, but at least they were all concrete pads.

Cons:

This is no beginner course. If you play a couple rounds I'm sure the holes would be easy to find, but for a first timer some were hard to find and had to walk most of the fairway to see. Going between holes on a few (especially 10->11 and 12->13) was difficult. Some signs would be nice. I didn't see any alternative pin locations, but there is defaintly room for it which could add plenty of replay value.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I enjoyed the course and would defaintly play again when I'm in the area. I would recomend it to anyone that live or passes near by. Be careful once you get off track into the woods it sometimes hard to get back on track and your better off just laying up into the fairway. Would love to get anther few throws on 18, that hole is a beast!
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7 1
Jashwa
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.8 years 173 played 86 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great DG Area 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

McNaughton is located in the middle of one of the best DG areas around, and it fits right in with some of the excellent courses around it. Its positive distinguishing features include:

*Very high difficulty.
*Two sets of CONCRETE tees, a nice feature that is often absent in courses
*An 850 foot hole that is very scenic
*Scenic holes with lots of challenging obstacles
*Distance challenge that holds back many wooded courses
*Solid elevation
*Hole 1 from the pro tee is one of my favorites... downhill bomb with some thick woods to the left and trees right in front!

Cons:

More difficult is not always better! Though difficulty is definitely one of the features that makes up the "perfect course" I gave this course a lower review than its neighbor, Northwood Park even though I found this course to be much harder. Here's what holds McNaughton back:

*Maintainance! The signs here were very bad and some of the fairways of the pro holes were completely gone thanks to fallen trees.
*Hole 2 was kind of a boring one, especially from the rec tee... wide open downhill shot that was pretty short, even from the long tee.
*A few holes on this course potentially bring the road and parking lot into play, which adds to the difficulty of the course, but also really stinks when there is league traffic.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely check this course out if you are in the Peoria area!
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4 0
Stoney311
Experience: 13.9 years 15 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Challenge Yourself 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 22, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-2sets of concrete tees,- lots of good use of the elevation, -good mix of long and shorter holes and right and left doglegs,- will challenge even the more experienced players even from the reds.-good mix of technical and grip and rip shots required -secluded park with some nice scenery

Cons:

a couple but minor cons. Very challenging, if you get frustrated easily this won't be the course for you. - not much in the way of restrooms or water so bring your own and go in the woods if you have too. -some of the nextees were not readable so could get hard to know where to go, i was lucky enough to play with some locals

Other Thoughts:

Very Nice course, argueably one of the best in the area some will say Northwoods in Morton. This is a must play if in the area as a matter of fact there are soooo many good courses around peoria you could make a whole weekend of some good DG in the area.
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9 0
Jax11
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 103 played 35 reviews
4.00 star(s)

McNaughton 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 7, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Elevation!
- Well designed holes
- Secluded and scenic
- Distance variety
- Clear defined fairways despite the tight woods.
- Challenging but fair
- Has numerous memorable holes
- Two sets of tee pads
- Concrete Teepads
- Baskets were in good condition.
Tee signs were adequate.

Cons:

- Not-beginner friendly
- Navigation (mainly between 17 and 18)
- 17 & 18 play pretty close to the entrance road.
- Long course.
- A couple of the long tees seem to be rather impossible shots.
- Can get crowded.

Other Thoughts:

McNaughton provides a great variety of shots from tight wooded shots to open field grip it and rip it shots. The elevation in the park is used brilliantly especially on hole 18 and hole 1's long tee. Despite the wooded terrain the fairways are generous and provide the thrower with plenty of room to work. On the flip side, the rough is very thick and is difficult to play out of. The two sets of tees usually make the holes seem drastically different which adds to the variety. Beginners will likely be frustrated by the length and the thick rough. I would say McNaughton is worth a trip to play if you are within 3 hours. Some navigation assistance better tee signs and reworking of some of the insane long tees could bump this course up to a 4.5 or 5 for me.
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