Illinois Courses

[#19325]

I have played all but 3 of the 18 hole courses in Illinois. Over the past few years i've tried to play EVERY course in the state but they keep popping up like crazy :doh: . I'm going to try again in the spring.

I have started reviewing the courses in my Illinois Top 10. Here is a link to my updated list with descriptions. You can check my profile for my reviews too.
http://discontinuum.org/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=1486.msg68704#msg68704

Illinois does not get much respect but there are some very good disc golf courses in Illinois.

Most quality courses in 1 area.
Peoria, IL
In order of rank.
Pekin, IL -- McNaughton Park
Morton, IL -- Northwoods Park
Eureka, IL -- Lake Eureka Park
Peoria, IL -- Bradley Park
East Peoria, IL -- ICC
Washington, IL -- Washington Park
Canton, IL -- Big Creek Park
(2 new 18 hole coures to be completed by the end of 2010 Metamora & Hanna City.)

My Top 10
1. Foundations Park DG Complex, Centralia, IL
2. McNaughton Park, Pekin, IL
3. Highland Park, Joliet, IL
4. Wildcat Springs, Hamilton, IL
5. Lincoln Park, Springfield, IL
6. Rock Springs Park, Alton, IL
7. Northwoods Park,Morton, IL
8. Woodland Park, Collinsville, IL
9. Sinnissippi Park, Sterling, IL
10. Community Park, Channahon, IL

My list of Most unique/best holes. No particular order.
#1 Wildcat Springs--Hamilton, IL
#3 Lincold Park--Springfield, IL
#5 Sinnissippi Park--Sterling, IL
#7 Foundation Park--Centralia, IL
#18 Northwood Park--Morton, IL
#5 Northwood Park--Morton, IL
#4 Highland Park--Joliet, IL
#16 McNaughton Park--Pekin, IL

Unique places to play in Illinois
Camden 2--Milan, IL (Most tight and heavily wooded course in IL. Will go into my top 10 but need another chance to play it.)
Edgebrook Golf Course Fly 18--Chicago, IL (Golf Carts on regular golf course)
Illinois Institute of Technology--Chcago, IL (Few blocks for US Cellular Field and definition of urban disc golf.)
Sipolt Memorial DGC--Macomb,IL (Middle of Western IL University Campus--Great for night golf.)


Top 9-Holers
1. Butterworth Park--East Moline, IL *Hands down the best 9 holer in IL*
2. Adler Park--Libertyville, IL
3. Central Park--Oak Brook, IL

Parks with 2 Coures onsite.
1. Centralia, IL *Has 18 & 9 now but the 9 will be expanded to 18 by next year.
2. Milan, IL
3. Rockford, IL


Other--Chicagoland.
I needed to create a category for Chicago. Uncle Joe from WI used to always call Chicago the "Home of the 9 Holer." Just take a look at the map. We have an unreal amount of courses around Chicago and include several solid courses for the land to work with.


If you have any questions about Illinois disc golf coures feel free to contact me.

 

[Apothecary]

/me shudders at the "regular golf" ref.:thmbdown:

 

[steven2361]

Springfield also has two courses on site!

 

[cooktastic]

Springfield also has two courses on site!

Three now with the expansion of Lincoln Park.

 

[REDARMY]

Three now with the expansion of Lincoln Park.

I was just at lincoln park today and cay say that the new north 18 (well 15 if you want to nit-pick) is pretty sweet.

having two courses, of that quality, at that location is fantastic.

 

[#19325]

I have absolutely been crushing the reviews that past few weeks. I'm trying to get as many of the 18 hole courses in Illinois reviewed as possible this winter. Please take a look at my reviews. I'd like some feedback of what you are looking for.

I've tried to add.
1. Basic look and feel of the park.
2. Pros
3. Cons
4. What difficulty level.
5. Additional photos.
6. Video links.
7. Any local information.

 

[Three Putt]

The reviews look good. The have good and relevant information, I'm sure people will find them helpful. I'm not sure how I feel about the links in the review since Discontinuum is already linked on the "links/files" tab. I'll let other people chime in on that.

Has the course proposal with the Lake County Forest Preserve picked up any traction? It seemed like there was some support on the Board up there, just not enough to get the deal done. Chicago is in that tough situation where the entities that have the interest (park districts) don't have the land and the entities with the land (forest preserve districts) don't have the interest.

 

[fractalzoom]

I was just at lincoln park today and cay say that the new north 18 (well 15 if you want to nit-pick) is pretty sweet.

having two courses, of that quality, at that location is fantastic.

wait wait... Lincoln Park, the Chicago neighborhood? I live in the city, and all I know of is the giant golf course and IIT.

 

[ElementZ]

Lincoln Park is in Springfield.

 

[Dave242]

I'm not sure how I feel about the links in the review since Discontinuum is already linked on the "links/files" tab. I'll let other people chime in on that.

I concur. The correct place to put links to course information and resources is in the link/files tab. People will find it there forever......but once a review gets bumped down the page (or onto page 2, 3, 4 etc) no one will ever find those links (nor will they even know to go looking).

 

[smyith]

Brett how can you not have either of Anna Page's courses in your top 10? Granted I havnt done much playing outside of Northern Illinois.
We need more quality courses up here and that wont happen without support. Those trying to get a new course installed need to get more than just the people who play tournaments or read the boards support. I spent some time living up in Minnesota and they got the system down. GottaGoGottaThrow collects names and address of people who shop at their store locally and provides incentives for them to come to city meetings to show support, not just a piece of paper. They also have signs posted at courses. Around here we need to get more chucker involvement. We have some fantastic parks in the Chicago area that would make killer DGCs but the yuppies have the power cause they show up in support. We need to show that we have support too.

Lincoln Park is in Chicago. Springfield takes a backseat to Chicago.

 

[#19325]

The reviews look good. The have good and relevant information, I'm sure people will find them helpful. I'm not sure how I feel about the links in the review since Discontinuum is already linked on the "links/files" tab. I'll let other people chime in on that.

Has the course proposal with the Lake County Forest Preserve picked up any traction? It seemed like there was some support on the Board up there, just not enough to get the deal done. Chicago is in that tough situation where the entities that have the interest (park districts) don't have the land and the entities with the land (forest preserve districts) don't have the interest.

unfortunately the powers on top of the forest preserve felt disc golf was more for local parks. it had support within but the final board shot it down. hopefully they are voted out soon and i bring in another propasal. they are our hope for quality disc golf in lake county.

 

[#19325]

Brett how can you not have either of Anna Page's courses in your top 10? Granted I havnt done much playing outside of Northern Illinois.
We need more quality courses up here and that wont happen without support. Those trying to get a new course installed need to get more than just the people who play tournaments or read the boards support. I spent some time living up in Minnesota and they got the system down. GottaGoGottaThrow collects names and address of people who shop at their store locally and provides incentives for them to come to city meetings to show support, not just a piece of paper. They also have signs posted at courses. Around here we need to get more chucker involvement. We have some fantastic parks in the Chicago area that would make killer DGCs but the yuppies have the power cause they show up in support. We need to show that we have support too.

Lincoln Park is in Chicago. Springfield takes a backseat to Chicago.

i am confident with 9 courses in my top 10. u could argue channahon. once i play camden 2 again it will go into my top 10 bumping channahon. there are several courses on the bubble that i prefer over rockford.

rockford is a fun place to play disc golf. the land offers potential for 2 top courses but they are not championship calibur.

i agree. something needs to be done in northern il. places like kc. quad cities. des moines. milwaukee. madison. etc.. have it figured out.

 

[waynewf]

Considering all the great disc golf in the neighboring states (WI, MN, IA, KY, etc.) I was always surprised that there wasn't better disc golf. I liked the Sinnissippi course when I played it a few years back and there are one or 2 courses I played in the north suburbs that weren't memorable at all.
It would be great if there were a couple high quality, serious courses closer to the Chicago metro area...

 

[smyith]

i agree. something needs to be done in northern il. places like kc. quad cities. des moines. milwaukee. madison. etc.. have it figured out.

I think our biggest problem is the destruction by the chuckers. every year lippold gets a little easier cause of it. and these stupid school courses (PR excluded) dont help the cause. i think they view that as enough. also, the fact they bust quite a few people each year getting high on the course doesnt help our image.
with pro worlds being so close to home again...i think that using lemon lake as an example and the earning potential for local businesses might help convince local park districts to install higher caliber courses. i wonder if there is a way to use that pro worlds along with the recent am worlds in milwaukee as more of a driving force on chicago to put better courses in. i can think of several parks in chicago that would make great courses. and i also think that proposing pay-to-plays would be more successful, the city would more inclined because they get something in return.
maybe organizing fundraiser tournaments for courses would help to. to be able to come to a park district and say "here are 18 baskets, that the local public paid for, we want a park put in here" would definitly help. take the IOS and say that $5 of every entry fee will go to fund basket to have a championship level course installed would be a great idea.
whatever happened to the supposed 3rd course at anna page?

 

[tallpaul]

Bush Masters aka Rockford crew has recently added new pin positions for West course. New tee signs will be in this year for both courses. Wood chipped greens on the West course. In other words, in the past year, and into this one; bush masters are working hard to improve their courses. I'll ask about the third course possibility; I hadn't heard anything about it; but they have been/and are busy, with improving what they have at the moment. Incidentally, I got one of the club leaders out to play West Lake, Devil's Glen, and Camden 2 last year; and his new/ slightly enhanced perspective may end up helping Anna get into Brett's top ten in Illinois list....!

 

[smyith]

please dear god no wood chip greens!!!!!!!!!!! i hate wood chips like everyone else. they dont improve anything. all it causes is the need to have more wood chips. if your doing it for mud purposes; just close the course for a couple months at the end of winter/begining of spring and plant grass.

 

[Dave242]

What about in the woods where the sun don't shine and the grass don't grow?

 

[tallpaul]

No choice but chips in the woods; often. Other areas, I'll agree with smiyth; but, on very heavily played courses; would require moving tees and or targets to allow grass to regrow. This is often impractical. And, in the be careful what you wish for category; many Wisconsin courses are pulling their targets for the winter these days; to allow for just such regrowth; but means you can't play the course for 1/3 or more of the year....and the areas are still worn. I have pointed out in the past; that totally rotating full courses is the best way to go; but there are few places with the land available to pull this off....much less the doubled work load this would entail.

 

[fractalzoom]

I'd take wood-chipped greens if it meant I didn't have to leave Chicago. IIT is fun and all, but an 18 hole course in a city park would be fantastic.