Adler Park 9 hole disc golf sits in a multi use park that features running and biking trails , a pool , a playground and much more . There is a parking lot that everyone goes to that is very close to hole #1 . A bathroom was close by . I didn't check ,but I think it was open Covid has some of the park bathrooms on lock-down . The park itself was pretty crowded when I was here in June . This is one of the oldest course in Illinois ( 1981 ) . I played with course historian James during my round at Adler .
The Equipment : There is a large kiosk at the hole #1 tee . The tee pads a large for an old time course , 4' X 10' . Standard baskets that did their job The signage is still " old school " , and were in decent shape . The older signs that looked like they came with the course are nice to check out as long as they aren't white washed from the elements . They will still give you the Hole# , flight path , distance , and a very forgiving par .
The Landscape : Both the park and the course were mowed and it looks like the course gets pretty good care . There is a woods hole on #5 , but everything else is more park style. There is not much elevation-wise here . Other than throwing off a short ledge on hole #1 , most holes either stay flat or have slight inclines or declines . There is an open fairway that descends from the tee and goes slightly up on hole #7 . Trees become sparse after hole #6 . , . Some canopies or guarded baskets . The course is somewhat spread in the park for a 9 hole course. The rough is present here , but not awful . Try to enjoy the long walk from hole #9 to the parking lot .
The Highlights : Adler plays short , as expected , for a 40 year old course . But short can also mean fun . #1 is a tunnel shot from an elevated tee to an open fairway with rough on the right and the basket tucked into it 304' away . #4 is a tighter technical woods hole with rough on the right and some small amount of water with brush to the left and some trees in the fairway . The hole is short at 284' , so a flat low drive will keep you out of trouble . #9 is a nice descending drive , open most of the way but some rough near the end on the right and some water behind the basket . You would have to overshoot a lot to hit the Des Plaines River , though .
Signature Hole : #7 ( 382' ) The fairway declines slowly and a little more than halfway there , it starts to rise to a basket that has a couple of large trees near it , providing a large canopy to knock down high drives or approach shots with too much air under it .
The Time : I paired up so it is hard to say . Off peak , you could get through here in under 30 minutes if you know the layout . Don't come here for a quick 9 , otherwise . There were backups at several of the holes .
Disc Risk : Under Average . You won't lose a disc to water , but the rough may have you digging in it on #s 1 ( to the right)
#4 in the woods , and #8 to the left .
This course is the logical choice for the locals and newbies . Great to socialize and make fun of each others mistakes as well as applaud a good putt or drive . Players that have been around for a while will enjoy the historical significance of the course . The fun factor here is high . Short bursts of holes that give a variety of right , left and straight holes . If you ever wanted to see what disc golf was like in the early 80's , enjoy a round or 2 here .

Navigation : Without a map and groups to follow , you might have trouble finding the #4 tee pad , crossing the road to #5 , and going around the bushes to #8 , along with getting back to the parking lot . I Didn't have the experience of it because James has played this course off and on for 25 years .
Challenge : If you want to test yourself or progress to the next level , this course is NOT for you . Even though players can air out a drive , or use precision on a couple of technical holes , this will be a birdie fest for the more seasoned players .
The course is set up to not interfere with the other park inhabitants . If you encounter a stray walker , kid , or curious onlooker , please be courteous .
I wish the course was still 18 holes instead of 9 .
Anything else would be nitpicky . The course is a relic . It is what it is .

James filled me in on some of the course history here . He first learned to play on this course when he was a teenager , back in 1995 or 1996 . He said that it was an 18 hole course back then ,and 3 weeks into learning the game , the course was shortened to 9 because park patrons were complaining that disc golf was taking up too much room here .
Adler Park DGC is an icon . There are so few course that have stood the test of time I can appreciate these more than the average person because back where I live ( Cincinnati ) there is a 1979 , a 1980 and 1981 course within 20 miles from me and they are in their original placements . I play them every year . I hope the locals and travelers can keep this bit of nostalgia relevant by shooting a quick email or letter to the Adler Parks and Rec and telling them that they like the disc golf course .
The course is not fast at peak times , and is not overly scenic , but it is a enjoyable round or 2 of disc golf .
My Recommendation : A must play for the locals , the 1 discers and newbies that live anywhere close . It's short and clean enough for families to play . This course will seem too easy for intermediates and up , but I think they will still get a kick out of it . Adler is perfect for both the traveler coming off of I-94 , to stretch their legs without overtaxing , and the Course Collector , who can combine it with 6 other 9 hole courses within 6 miles . Nothing close to a destination course , but ENJOY AND PLAY !!!

9 hole course in Adler Park, in Libertyville, IL. Full service park, with running/biking trails, children's areas, and a full pool.

Concrete tee pads, nice and long. These were in very nice shape and had everything you could need. One tee per hole.

Nice signs, with all the information you'd need. They help immensely with navigation. Large and in charge for a city park 9.

There's a great use of the available elevation here. Most of the holes have some form of drop or rise, even if none of it is too extreme. Just nice rolling hills everywhere. Hole 1 is a great start with a straightish, slightly downhill shot. Neat.

Tons of mature trees to contend with. Some of the holes are tunnel, tree lines type shots, and some are random trees and lines. Most are quite fun, and demand a decent shot.

The baskets are OLD Mach 2's. They are showing their age, feel small, and could use some remounting. Hole 7's basket has taken an erosion beating and is on the verge of falling over.

Navigation is a bit wonky in spots, but nothing too crazy. Finding hole 4 took me a second, as did hole 8. Taking a picture of the map on the nice kiosk at the beginning is a solid idea.

Be careful on hole 9, as there is a jogging/biking path right behind it, and it's a downhill shot. I had somebody come zooming out from the left, blind...I was just lucky that I threw a decent shot at the time.

This is really a nice little city 9 that could use a bit of updating. There also seemed to be enough space to put in a few more holes, which would be great. This seems like it could be a busy park, so early rounds might be the way to go.

If you're in the area, it's a great spot for a couple spins!

- Nice Signs - for the normal 9 hole course there are super nice signs.

- Tee pads - Nice Teepads good space and size

- Baskets - a lot of the nine holers like this in my area don't have baskets. They are the old DGA baskets(I think) but still catch pretty good.

Navigation - It's pretty easy to find your way around the course. The only hiccup i saw was 7 to 8, as it cuts through the woods, however if you skip 8 and go to Nine, you will end up getting to 8 anyways.

- the course holds water- I went right when it got nice, but the course was pretty wet still, (It snowed a week ago but not much)

- Hole 4 - This one is kind of a pitch and pray hole. The gap is super tight, and still easy to get to but it seems like they could take a tree out and make it a little bit better.

After playing with a local at another course, I found out that there are 27 holes here, but I didn't really read into it. I think the people rating it higher are off that rating.

Overall for a nine hole course this is one of the better ones I've played. Nothing really makes you need a huge arm, but also is a little bit more challenging then your normal pitch and putt course.

My work's training office is about 15 minutes from the course, it was a bit hard to find on a GPS, but if you follow the directions on the front it's very easy to get to.

Also make sure you don't park by the pool and you park by the log cabin looking building, unless you want to get a little extra walking in.

It's well maintained and the layout is easy to follow

It's now a very short course, typical for the area.

This past June was the first time playing the course in about 11 years. I thought I was going crazy because I remembered the course differently -- much differently. I later found out that it's now a nine hole, rather than the 18 I grew up playing. The new layout takes a big hill out of play, leaving eight short holes and one that's around 350 ft. It's now just an OK worth only playing if you're in the area. It's very similar to a nearby course in Buffalo Grove.

-Holes like 1, 2, 7, & 9 were put together well and required shots that challenge you. You don't see holes as well thought out as #2 at a nine-hole course.
-Good challenge for all skill levels.
-Good mix of holes in the woods and out in the open.
-Signs and tees are in great shape.
-Locals were friendly, pointed us in the right direction when we got there.
-Short walks between holes, for the most part.

-Not all baskets were put together well.
-Some of the wooded holes (3 & 4) had that "throw at the trees and pray" feel to them, #4 in particular had no line to get you close to the basket.
-Standing water comes into play after rain
-Lots of land for this course, which leaves no excuse for mediocre hole designs.

Overall, I just didn't enjoy my experience from this course. The bad condition of the baskets didn't help, and the surplus of land in addition to the lack of design left me thinking "this course needs work".

Pretty city park that features mostly wide grassy fairways with about half bordered by trees on one or more sides, and the rest having spotted trees through some part of the fairway. This is over slight elevation changes on about half the holes as well.

Memorable holes: 2 & 3 run through a large hallway of trees (like a cathedral). Hole 2 doglegs right, and 3 doglegs left to exit the hallway.

The beginner and intermediate player will feel right at home here, though I ran into a few pro-level players who frequent the course. You won't spend much time looking for lost discs, and due to the open fairway nature - wont be banging into too many trees.

The hidden blue (alternate) tees, which are not of the regular course layout, are very interesting. If they were included as regular holes, my rating would jump a bit. Get yourself a course guide, or play on the Tuesday league night to have an easier time finding these tee locations.

The course had to be trimmed from 18 holes to 9, and though I never saw the old layout, I can only imagine what types of holes could comprise this present layout to make it better..... Now, there lacks a wow factor on many holes. There is not much punishment on most holes for poor execution. Most times, an error in driving still made par very doable.

Slight design criticisms:
Hole 4 - the woodiest hole, is a bit poke & hope.
Hole 7 - crush a drive across an open grassy field. If you have about 350' distance, all you have to do is hit the canopy of trees protecting the pin, drop down, and have your birdie putt.

League night seems well attended and a great way to meet the locals. They also had an ace pot with many very realistic ace runs - they had alternate blue tees in place and soo many aceble runs that you felt like your ace pot money was going into somebody's hands (it didn't that night). Thanks to the league night director! One tip though.....maybe best not to pair the out of town guy with the meanest guy in the Chicago area. Just sayin'.

Requires excellent shots 300+ feet through trees to card birdies. Mostly straight shots required with a couple more open hyzer holes at the end. This is one of the most fun 9 hole courses in the Chicago area. Nice long cement tees.

Only 9 holes which makes play difficult during the summer when the course sees alot of action. Baskets are in bad shape.

This is a fun wooded course that requires some technical shots, which is different from the other courses in the area. The first tee has a map showing the course that you will need to give a quick look-over before playing. Concrete teepads are always a plus.

The first hole is probably the most memorable hole on the course, allows for various different approaches. The length is pretty long compared to other 9-hole'r in the area. It is a mix of right/left, up/down, and long/short holes, which is really nice. Des Plaines River is a hazard at Hole 9.

Like I said, the first hole is memorable then it just trails down from there. It is a really old course that probably has not been maintained in a long time. The baskets here are old and can be difficult to find. I had a hard time finding hole 4, which was pretty hidden in the woods. The baskets are also not easily spotted.

It is difficult to navigate the course your first time out. I even overlooked Hole 8 coming from hole 7. *Hole 8 is on the right from the basket at Hole 7 just past a small baseball field. *

It surrounds a public park so there will be day campers running around the park along with other park goers. Not a course for beginners because they will get frustrated with the wooded holes. Hole 9 is not anywhere near the first tee so its quite a walk uphill back to your car or first tee.

Bring bug spray since it can get pretty bad during hot days. Worth a trip if you're in the area. To get to the first tee, drive past the swimming pool parking lot to another parking lot with the course map next to the first tee.

good variety of tee shots. Mostly wide open, wooded shots have huge fairways. Some elevation change, medium distance. A big driver will find every hole a possible birdie. Seven may be the only challenge, but a drive around four hundred feet will leave you with a reasonably easy putt.
If you're used to urban courses that are more like pitch and putts you will enjoy this course and think it's quite a challenge.

Only nine holes. Nothing too technical. Any advanced or open division disc golfers should shoot well under par with every hole deuceable. Don't expect to be challenged. Great course for beginners however.
The course seems to be neglected. Damaged baskets, broken signage, and graffiti all made it feel like a forgotten course well past it's prime unlike back in the nineties when it was well taken care of. I was dissapointed.

I just recently discovered this site, and haven't played the course recently. My most recent round I was only visiting the area, but it was my local course for years. It is possible improvements have been made.

A variety of shots are required; mix of wooded and open holes with obstacles; several holes require a good amount of skill to have a chance at a 2; elevation on 2 of the 9 holes; the first hole is extremely well designed; sign at parking with a course map; concrete tee pads

The holes become less imaginative and easier as you progress through the round (1 is fantastic, 2-4 require some thought and skill, 5+6 require a decent shot without much innovation, 7 is a very open driver's hole, 8 and 9 are just slightly more than open holes with a slight hill); some long walks between holes; the 9th hole isn't very close to the first tee, which is more important for a 9 hole course; most holes are in the shadows without any highlighting at all, making them very hard to find on a sunny day; the ground in the woods is completely barren and doesn't absorb water well - any rain at all will make this pretty sloppy; very dense trees and tree 'canopies' that may and will grab your disc - bring a water bottle to throw up there; buggy; can get busy (no points off for this);

I've played this course a couple of times and enjoyed myself. One of the main reasons I wanted to check this out is that someone labeled it 'very hilly' - it is not. There is one hill that comes into play on the 8th and 9th holes... maybe a tiny bit on the seventh. Other than that there is very little elevation change. That disappointment doesn't affect the score of course.

The first hole is really great - there are dozens and dozens of different ways to go off the tee and even the approach will make you think. Other than that hole, nothing really blew me away, but I did enjoy the next few holes after that. If the entire course was this good, I'd probably give it a '3.0 - good'. Unfortunately, the design really tails off on the second half. If the entire course was like the last half, I'd probably score the course a '2.0 - average' or maybe even a 1.5. Considering this, and the fact the the first hole is so memorable, I will say this course is above average - 2.5.

(We did play this course after quite a bit of rain and fallen in the past few days and this was considered. The comment about the woods' floor still stands though - bring some shoes you don't mind messing up if it had rained and some bug spray.)