Foundation Park Champ 18 is a challenging disc golf course in central-south Illinois, about an hour out of St. Louis. This course is the second highest rated course in Illinois according to DGCR, and will provide a fun secluded round for any disc golfer who makes the trip to play here.

Location of Centralia is an hour and 12 minutes from St. Louis, and a little ways off of interstates 57 and 64. While it may not be the most convenient course to get to, it makes up for its location by not being too crowded. I only ran into one other group during my solo round here, and while there were a few groups of people playing the two courses at Foundation Park while I was there, it was very light traffic on the courses for being such a nice day. There are gas stations and restaurants in town for whatever needs you have. There aren't too many courses close by if you're making a day of disc golf, but with a newer recreational 18 right next door to the champ 18, you can easily make a full day out of Foundation Park.

Park Amenities check all of the boxes for your day of disc golf. At the parking lot for the two courses, you will find a bathroom and water fountain, as well as a shelter. There are other bathrooms and water fountains around the park as well. Foundation park is actually a private park open to the public, and is very well maintained. In addition to the two disc golf courses, you will find plenty of nice features across the 300 acres of park land here, including plenty of hiking trails, an ice skating pond, a chapel in the woods, an outdoor amphitheater, restored prairie areas, and a labyrinth. This is a well taken care of and beloved park for the community, and you will see plenty of other park goers while you walk around. At the same time, the course does not overlap with other park uses.

Course Equipment at Centralia has an old school feel to it, but gets the job done nicely. The baskets at Titans, a staple for any course designed by Dave McCormack and Gateway Disc Sports. The baskets are in great shape, and have next tee directions in the baskets themselve, a great feature to have (especially when you catch on to this before hole 7). Each hole has 2 tees, with the shorts being concrete and the longs being marked by blue painted posts and ground markers. The tee signs include graphics of the hole layouts, tee and pin locations, and pars and distances, and what pin is in place. There are plenty of discrete trash cans and benches throughout the course as well. A fun feature on the tee signs are numerous ace shoutouts, which is a cool feature to see, and a great upgrade from the sharpie announcements of aces you see on other courses. Across from the Champ 18, you will also find a map of the two courses as well as the park as a whole by the other parking area.

Course Design at Foundation Park's Champ 18 makes the most out of a large chunk of land across the east side of the park. Pars can range from high 60s to low 70s depending on pin placements and the tees you play from, and the design of the course can make for a wide range of scores among your own group or a tournament. When playing from the concrete tees, you will find a mix of short and gettable par 3s, multiple difficult par 4s, and a couple of long par 5s. The course also makes some use of what elevation is present on the property, with a mix of downhill and uphill drives and approaches to go with the flatter holes on the course. In terms of fairway shapes, you will find a mix of right, left, and straight shots. All in all, this course will provide players with a bit of everything, requiring you to pull all the tricks out of your bag to have a successful round here.

Depending on your accuracy and how well you are placing drives, par can seem either forgiving or brutal on the Champ 18. Just about every par 4 and 5 on this course requires your second shot to land in a certain area to have a real shot at a birdie or par. With so many holes on the course requiring two well placed drives, you will not have much time to breathe after a good initial drive during your round. Hole 1 alone starts you off with a par 5 that has a small gap leading to circle 2, requiring you to avoid being blocked behind the trees and bushes in the fairway on your second shot. All of the different distances on the course are also spread out well, with the back 9 being longer than the front 9 while still including some shorter par 3s. As a RHBH dominant player, this course also called for many forehand drives during my round. Between the different distances and shapes of fairways on this course, you will not get bored during your round here. The variety of shots this course includes will test any player that comes to Centralia, and make for a very fun round of golf.

Course Difficulty will challenge newer players, especially with how rough the off-fairway areas can get. Newer players may want to go to the Rec-18 before taking on the Champ course. Intermediate players will likely be able to challenge for par, though any lack of accuracy will prove punishing. I managed to be a tad under par on my most recent round, but I could see how that score could have greatly fluctuated up or down depending on not only putting, but how well I was throwing my drives and approaches as well. Even experienced players should have a challenging round here, though those level of players will likely be able to get well below par.

Course Highlights for the Champ 18 may vary depending on the opinion of the player you ask. For me, hole 7 was a great design, with a landing zone just across a creek followed by a tight approach/drive to a small green. Hole 8 has a goal post tree that makes for one of the most fun natural obstacles I have seen on a course, rivaling the Y tree at Idlewild. Both par 5s at holes 1 and 12 are open with obstacles at different stages of each hole, with two long accurate drives being required to get a birdie look.

There are not many cons to be had at the Champ 18, and largely come down to personal preference.

Course Equipment and Maintenance is great overall, but has room for improvement. Some of the signs, while still in good shape overall, are starting to show their age, with some scuffs or damaged glass fronts throughout the course. The recreational course next door has new signs with superior hole layout graphics, as well as pin distances on the alternate tee posts. When compared, the Champ 18 falls a little short of it's younger brother. Some new signage to match the newer course would significantly elevate this course, especially on the longer par 4s that are blind shots, which can be hard to locate your first time around the course. Hole 18 also sticks out considering the mowing and maintenance of the rest of the course, with the green being more overgrown than the rest of the course. I have no problem with the concluding hole from a design perspective; it's a tricky S bend to get your birdie. That being said, I think some work on the green to clean it up a bit would also elevate the look of this course, especially given how nice the rest of the course looks up to that point. Given how high of quality the course is already, adding improved long tees to either turf or concrete could also take this course to another level.

Parking is beyond the control of course designers, but can fill up fast at Centralia. I'm not sure how they handle tournaments here - perhaps by parking along the road. Just keep in mind that parking may be hard to get on a nice weekend.

Poison Ivy is in plenty of the off-fairway areas. Be careful if you throw into any rough.

Navigation and Flow can leave a little to be desired on the course, though these issues are minimal with the inclusion of the next tee markets on the baskets. A couple of holes require you to back track on the fairway to get to the next hole, and a couple of holes also have longer walks that some folks could get turned around during. If you have Udisc, navigation will be easy. That being said, regardless of your sense of direction, get ready for a hike.

Accessibility isn't a huge issue, but there are a couple spots if you have any issues in this area. A couple of creek crossings are over stones, and there are a couple of steeper hills to traverse as well. Carts will be able to navigate 99% of the course if you can carry it over a couple of creek crossings. The bridges that are in place are in great shape though, so this concern is limited.

40% of the folks that have reviewed this course have given it a full 5 stars, and I can easily understand why. This course, from a design perspective, really punches above what you may initially assume its weight to be. This course doesn't have many flashy features, but the course design is really exceptional. There are no real in-between holes from a par perspective. Any birdie you get on a par 4 or 5 on this course will have been well earned by you. Even shorter par 3s like holes 2, 6, or 10 on this course require touchy shots that can easily get away from you.

I haven't played as many top-notch courses as many other members of this site, but this course is basically like Songebob's krabby patty(TM). Is it as flashy as King Neptune's burger operation? No. Is it better? Yes. Is Foundation's Champ 18 on par with or above 98% of other courses anywhere? I'd put my money on yes.

This course is over an hour from my house, and I have taken a long time to return to it after playing it a decade ago. Foundation Park's Champ 18 has easily convinced me that I need to make at least a couple of trips out to Centralia annually to take a break from the disc golf scene in St. Louis. If you live anywhere near this course, you should take time to go and play it. If you're a course bagger looking for great courses to try out, don't underestimate this course. Depending on who you talk to, I'm betting you'll get one of two responses if you ask a disc golfer if this is a destination course after their round here. Either you'll get an emphatic yes, or you'll get a "no, but it's really close".

Add Centralia to your bucket list if you're into fun disc golf courses. I'm betting you won't be disappointed.

Centralia : The Gateway to Nowhere . I Put this city in my GPS and it shot back " WHY ? " . After finding this park , I realized what a gem it is . When you enter the park and park in the lot that the kiosk is at , walk across the road and up the hill to your left to find the first tee . 36 total holes , and the Champ 18 says it all . They must have poured all of their disc golf dollars solely into this one . Large tee pads flush with the ground , Gateway Titan baskets with a NEXT TEE sign on the basket . multiple pin positions and dual pro and intermediate tees . Tee signs with descriptive information and places to mark the pin position . , a place to hang bags and hidden trash receptacles . Many holes have benches . Creeks come into play on several holes . You will take steps down to cross the creek onto extended high stepping stones ( pretty cool ) . This is not a course for the weak . You might have to empty out your bag during your round here . Righty , lefty , landing zone drives . It's all there . You will have to concentrate on your throws . The total elevation of this course isn't much , but it uses the rolling terrain to it's advantage . Tunnel shots , low throws where the woods canopy comes into play . The lines to the pin are fair ( except maybe 18 ) Some bomber shots . I played a mix of the long ad short tees , mostly the cements because of the recent rain . The pin positions and course design were well thought out . My congrats to McCormack and Bunnell . The par 3's on this course ( 5 ) are overshadowed by the 8 par 4's and 5 par 5's . 9300 feet of enjoyment ( or frustration ) .there are several memorable holes on this course . Signature Hole would be #7 . a right to left ( depending on pin position ) 442' that has to span a creek and finish up on a steep hill guarded by several small trees and foilage . There is a goal post shot on 8 with painted letters on the bottom that reads " I'm in your head " . What a great touch . Several people commented on what a downer it was to have a short technical 285' tight shot through the woods for the final hole instead of a bomber hole like 1 is . You always take what the course gives you in the order it gives you in . Does it matter ? Not really . What you DO GET , are 18 very good holes of disc golf .

I don't have much to say that's bad about this course . There were a lot of tree limbs scattered on the course , but it may have been attributed to the harsh weather the area had been having lately ( ? ) . No bathrooms near the course . Not a necessity , but ,,,,,, . Not ideal for carts . The rough can be , well , ROUGH .

I teetered rating this course between excellent ( 4 ) and phenomenal ( 4.5 ) . Since ratings can't be 4.25 , I upped it to a 4.5 . Even though it could use a touch up or 2 , this is truly a players course . Many amenities on the course , a fun way to cross the creek .I work very close to Idlewild Disc Golf Course , considered by many to be top tier and have played it many times . It may be all of that , but I think that Champ 18 has one thing over Idlewild : Character . Champ 18 Bleeds that certain character that you want in a disc golf course . I only wish that it was close to St Louis or more accessible to the course travelers and disc golf junkies . Thanks, Centralia and Foundation Park for allowing me to be your guest for a few hours on a Saturday . My Recommendation : PLAY IT !!!!!

- During my Journey to the Centralia of the Earth, I experienced spectacularly difficult championship- level disc golf, wonderfully manicured park grounds, friendly and helpful grounds crew, and concurrently had my faith restored that park-style disc golf can indeed be implemented in a thoughtful and meaningful manner. Located in Foundation Park, the championship 18-hole course is companion to the rec-level 9er across the street. One provides a fun, accessible, but challenging layout for beginners and lesser players, while the other caters to big-armed experienced players looking to air it out, without simply being a long and open bore.
- Water was used nicely where available. A creek protects the right side of the fairway on #7. Hole #8 forces a shot through a goalpost-shaped tree branch located right in front of the tee. A sign says "right now I'm in your head;" very a propos. The hole plays as a big hyzer with the creek defining the back and left side of the green. This is a great hole and among the best designed shorter holes, in my opinion. Trouble off the tee (but totally avoidable), trouble behind and to the left of the basket (in the form of water), and a shot designed to test the ability to avoid both. #11 also plays across a small creek that's located not too far in front of the tee, although this should rarely come into play.
- Elevation, while mostly of the gently rolling variety, still provides enough "up and down" to keep things from being boring. Nothing approaching epicness, not even close, but certainly enough to keep you on your toes and prevent the course from being two-dimensional. #6's downhill tunnelish shot is probably the closest the course gets to true tastiness in the elevation department. #18 also finished off slightly uphill.
- Multi-shot golf is done very well here. Landing zones are fair and obvious, and at no point did it feel unfairly punishing, even with all the long blind holes. Some multi-throw holes suffer from invisible (from the tee) punishment; I don't believe a single one of these exist here, to the designers credit. Big arms will need to throw a couple of times to reach the pin on the longer length holes, while weeny arms will be carding 5s, 6s and upward on the toughest layouts. Red tees are concrete and shorten the length of some holes significantly. The longer Blue tees are natural grass, in good shape, and make this course into a complete distance monster, especially if playing to the longer of the pin positions.
- Beauty. For a park-style course, there's plenty of natural "rough" woodsy-ness to make you feel secluded in places. Parts of the course are simply open or open-ish grassy areas, but other parts incorporate huge ancient trees, some with magnificent sagging branches that provide visual interest as well as solid fairway obstacles. The split tree by #17's pin is just one small example of the many awesome trees to be found at Centralia.

- The major drawback to Centralia lies in its somewhat detail-lacking signage. Yes, an indicator is on each sign to denote the current pin position, but that only helps if they're kept current (some did not seem to match the actual pin position during my round, adding much confusion). With the fairly lengthy holes, and the many blind pin positions, there was a lot of walking to scope the lay of the land. This is definitely a course where a guide would be super helpful first time through. This con is mostly only valid for first time players, but the incorrect pin indicators shouldn't happen under any circumstances on a course of this quality, in my opinion.
- A stretch during the back nine (#'s 12-16) started to all blur together in the same sort of mostly open, scattered mature trees, park-styley golf. None of those holes are bad, per se, just similar enough not to really stick out in my mind as distinct holes. Maybe with more plays or different pin positions, these holes would take on a bit more of an individualistic feel.

- Overall, Centralia comes convincingly close to true destination golf. There's certainly no other reason (that I could see) for being in that god-forsaken part of Illinois. So if you're in the area, Foundation Park is a no-brainer; if you need to make a long-haul just to play it, you'll be well-served to make time to enjoy at least three rounds on the property: one at the rec-level course, one to scope and scout the champ-level course, and a second time to truly enjoy and appreciate the spectacularly difficult discing on offer.

The Foundation Course in the middle of nowhere Illinois is called the Championship 18. That's an understatement. In my mind its challenging to think that a course this phenomenal could be situated in the wonderfully boring state of Illinois. Illinois is known for three C's: corn, corrupt politicians and Chicago. Its not known for having beautiful, country club like disc golf courses that test every single aspect of your disc golf game. The Championship Course in Centralia, IL does that and then some. That course may not have the sexy greens that Idlewild does and it may not have the secluded feel of a Deer Lakes or Moraine State Park but I am giving this course the same rating as those courses. This course is definitely worthy of a 4.5 Phenomenal rating in my book. It also features a nice warmup 9 hole course right on the same property. Here are my pros:

1) This course is what I call "dumb" good. It means its so good that me and my friends don't even call it really good or pretty awesome. Its dumb good! In all seriousness, the main reason for this is the design. The course just doesn't have filler holes. There are no throwaways. Yeah, some people may point to hole 2 or hole 18 as letdowns but this course doesn't let you down. It simply just keeps going and pushes the limit of a great course disc course to the next level. The design is impeccable and very fair while still being very challenging.

2) Speaking of challenging....did I say challenging? How about nearly 11,000 feet from the back tees. ELEVEN THOUSAND FEET. This course is a BALL GOLF course. Its listed as a par 72 and that's probably close to accurate. This course is like Ironhill or Highbridge Gold. Its fun to say you SURVIVED this course. This course plays over 2 miles. Hole 1 is two-tenths of a mile. This course is uber challenging! But....

3) Its fun! Honestly some of these super long courses are so hard that its not fun. Think Ironhill or Idlewild (Idlewild is a great course but if you had fun at that course then good for you). Centralia has some bomber shots and the longer holes have more open lines and very clean lines. I am sure this course is hard to play in the summer when its 95 degrees but playing this course in the fall was ideal. Its hard to say 11,000 feet of disc golf "breezed" by but time flies when you are having fun.

4) Infrastructure: The infrastructure at this course is phenomenal. The baskets are super deep and are Gateway Titan baskets. There is not a better sound in the world then hitting a putt dead center on a Titan basket. The signs are super descriptive and really give you a lot of information. This is so important on such a long course because it helps avoid some super long walks ahead to scout the holes. Finally, the concrete tee pads are awesome!

5) Water: I really value having water hazards on courses and Centralia has a few water hazards that really make for some memorable shots. Its really tough for me to rate a course a 4.5 or higher if there are not shots that at least bring water into play and so this actually may have nudged the rating in my mind from a 4.25 to a 4.5. At least four holes brought water into play and even though they weren't huge ponds it was still something!

6) Variety in Distance: The distances from the long pads ranged from 305' to 1036'. There's really not much more you can ask for when it comes to variety. This course had 5 par 3's, 8 par 4's and 5 par 5's. It does not get much better than that when it comes to variety!

7) Alternate Pins and Two Tees: But here's where it gets even better. Alternate pins are great but Dave McCormack and his crew had the foresight to make sure to mark the current pin location on the teesign. This is the best way to do alternate pins in my opinion! The distances between the long and short pads was only about 1500 feet but I'd say that was worth at least 6 strokes. So instead of shooting in the 70's maybe you can shoot in the 60's from the shorter pads!

8) Practice Facilities: Not only does this course have a driving range that goes out to 500 feet (seriously????) but it has a killer practice basket. Huge kudos to the crew for getting those put in. I can't EVER remember seeing a driving range on a disc golf course.

9) Let's get to some of the holes: I literally LOL'd at hole 8 as some other reviewers have pointed out. It was pretty fun to walk up to that hole and throw that shot between the branches. Truly a memorable shot and honestly disc golf needs more of that. Hole 1 is just a beast! Its probably good to warm up on the Recreation 9 because I can't imagine having to play this course first and then starting with this hole. This is a true par 5! So many holes stood out in the middle of the round as well but I loved the second shot to hole 15. After a crush drive the second shot requires a RHBH hyzer to a guarded green. Honestly this course had SO many great to awesome holes. The par 4's were truly awesome and honestly some of the best par 4's I have ever played.

10) Controlled Distance: This course has a lot of variety but the one thing that kept sticking out in my mind was "control your distance". This course has a few holes with low hanging branches near the teepad. You know the kind I am talking about: the branches you want to RIP down with a chainsaw because it doesn't allow you to BOMB your drive as far as you want it. These kind of shots really force you to think about the distance you want to throw and really forces you to strategize your way around the course. There's lot of variety between forehand, backhand, etc. As I said, this course really forces you to THINK THINK THINK. Think about where you want to land; think about where not to land; think about how far you can push the limit off of the tee.

Honestly this course doesn't have a lot of bad things going for it. After all, its a solid 4.5 in my book and Phenomenal courses don't have a lot to improve upon. Here are my cons:

1) Some of the navigation was a little confusing but this was not a huge con and it did not affect my rating. Just worth noting.

2) The course had many blind baskets. Even with the wonderful tee signs there was still some walking ahead to scout out the hole. The rough was also pretty rough so spotters would be advised on a few holes.

3) Some of the crossings of the creek were a little dangerous and could probably use some better bridges.

4) This course is a 4.5 - this one is not really a huge con but just something that could potentially make this course a 5.0. The greens on this course were pretty plain. There weren't any elevated baskets, swinging baskets, built up baskets, etc. This course is PHENOMENAL but one thing that has stood out to me regarding 5.0 courses are that they have EXTREMELY memorable greens and baskets. This course had nice greens but nothing stood out about this courses greens or baskets (ie, Idlewild and the beautiful rock built greens) that told me this course should be a 5.0. As I said, this is not really a huge con but more just a suggestion of what could make this course a 5.0.

5) This is not a huge con but more of just a nitpicky thing: Hole 18 was a little bit of a letdown. After playing such an epic course I expected 18 to be a monster par 5. PLEASE NOTE: With that in mind, this didn't take away from my rating of the course. If hole 1 and 18 were reversed (with hole 18 then being a monster par 5) I still wouldn't have given this course a 5.0 rating.

Honestly, the cons on this course are just so nitpicky. There is just not a lot wrong with this course. Some may say, this is a 5.0 course then! Its close, but its not quite there. It doesn't quite have the seclusion of Highbridge or the awesomeness of Flyboy or the natural beauty of Nockamixon. Its a PHENOMENAL course that is truly up there with the best courses in the country. It truly is a GEM to play.

PLEASE NOTE: I highly recommend playing the 9 hole recreational course first. Its a great warmup and it allows you to score well before being PULVERIZED and BEATEN into the ground by the Championship Course that is Centralia. I remember being so tired at the end of the round that the thought of playing another round was deep in my dreams. That means the course did a good job!

Superb course in a unique, private park that's open to the public.
• Disc Play: Wonderfully comprehensive and very challenging. Distance and precision are required to score well. Great variety as far as left/right/straight and S-shaped fairways. No massive elevation changes, but there's are some substantial uphill/downhill/gulley shots to make things interesting. Hole lengths come in long and longer, with a few shorter holes sprinkled in for good measure. Feels very well-wooded, but many of the long holes are open/semi open off the tee, only to get harrowing further down the fairway. While you really want to huck it to get down there, you need to either hit a window to get through the obstacles further down (assuming you can throw that far) or hit a landing spot for a decent upshot through to set up a good putt. Missing a landing spot could cost you a stroke. Missing the window on the fly during peak growth might cost you two, and possibly your disc. Demanding as they may be, all the holes are fair- rewards hitting fairways, punishes finding the rough. Risk reward is there - you can play it safe off the tee, or go for it. Also features some rollaway potential.
• Dual tees w/ rotating pin placements provide four ways to play (to bad both pins aren't permanent). Blue tees provide significantly tougher looks, but not necessarily that much more distance (half the additional distance of the blues comes on just four holes). The longer "B" placements stretch things out even more, and yes - they're tougher to get to.
• Equipment: Gateway Titans - catch great and built to last. Red tees are concrete, nice sized, grippy, and marked with easy to spot tee signs. Blues are still natural (as of this review), and marked with 2' posts tipped w/blue paint. Single tee signs show both red and blue tee locations plus both pin positions. Current pin placement is shown on the post. Everything was well maintained.
• Aesthetics - Not picturesque, but I thought it was quite pleasant to walk through, especially #'s 6-11 which play over/around the stream. Natural features like elevation and a winding stream are used very effectively to enhance challenge and visual appeal. There's a nice bridge to cross the stream at 7 and some concrete stepping stones to cross it again further along the course - both add a bit of charm.
• Memorable holes: # 8 made me LOL: There's a weird branch growing off a tree forming a U-shaped frame several feet wide, just in front of the red tee. Didn't notice anything about a mando, but it'd be hard to play the hole well without throwing through the U. Sign painted at the bottom of the U reads, "RIGHT NOW... I'm in your head." AWESOME!! Reminded me of the THINK sign on Flyboy #25. #1's an open bomb, but features a bottleneck you have to hit from a distance to score well. #7 plays over the stream (but at an angle, making it more difficult to get over) and has some great pin placements. There was just something about 12 I liked a lot.
• Navigation: There are a couple long walks and few tricky spots, but the holes on this course are worth it. I found my way around pretty easily once I got the hang of it and the map on the scorecard will get you where you need to be.
• Pairs well with Rec 9 to take things to the next level (and then some). Having another course that plays to a different skill level in the same park is a big plus
• Separate scorecards for the blue and red tees w/map at kiosk are a nice touch.
• Bathroom near start/finish.
• Thoughtfully located across the street from St Mary's Hospital, where trained medical personnel can resuscitate you after you tally your score. Staff has experience treating severely bruised egos as well.

Not much to complain about.
• Personally glad they poured concrete for the reds first, but this course really needs concrete for the blues (park employee told me they're coming this year).
• Oddly enough, I think one of Champ 18's biggest cons results from the confluence of several individual things they got right:
Love the Gateway Titans, but $#%! are they hard to spot when they're tucked away... well into the woods... some 500+ ft away. It's like playing "Where's Waldo." This course demands both distance and placement. That requires knowing exactly where the target is to have any hope placing a drive that sets you up for par or better. The problem's only compounded by multiple pin placements. I literally spent more time scouting ahead for baskets and back than I did looking for the next tee. With this many holes over 500, it gets old - fast. Call me a wimp, but you do enough walking playing a 9000' course - you shouldn't have to tack on another 3000 just spotting baskets... and I played early in the season, before the foliage had a chance to grow in. ANY splash of bright color would be a HUGE help. Paint the poles or the basket, add a flag - something! Locals may not care, but this place is well worth visiting, and when you're travelling, playing several courses a day, it's aggravating as hell- especially when there are easy solutions.

The highlight of my trip to the St. Louis area, Foundation Champ 18 gets my "destination worthy" stamp, but plan accordingly. Championship all the way, beginners sure to get frustrated. Not sure I completely agree with with the score card's Par of 70, but get the idea of "everything's a par 3" right the hell outta your head - you ain't shooting 54 here. No doubt in my mind this course can create scoring separation among top level players. I was in over my head playing reds to B's; carded an 80, and loved it.

For 18 holes, this course plays looong; the shortest layout (Red to A) averages just over 430'/hole, while the longest (Blue to B) clocks in at over 600'/hole. Mix in the degree of difficulty and there's simply no rushing through this bad boy, so don't plan on it. It was cool the morning I played, but I wouldn't want to play here on a hot, humid afternoon. Bring plenty of water and maybe an apple or other energy boost. This is a big course and can take a lot out of you - it's hard to finish strong when you're gassed.

Park employee I ran into told me another park employee is very active in the local club and it makes sense. Moving through the course, I saw a lots of thorny rough that had been pruned, underbrush cleared away in likely trouble spots and things were clean. When people care, it shows.

Located in a pretty big city park, though it doesn't have that feel. Most of the course is pretty well secluded, except for a few holes that play near the entrance. For how empty the park feels, there is actually a good bit to do with miles of hiking trails, two stocked fishing ponds, prayer chapel in the woods, multiple memorials, multiple pavilions, and a natural amphitheater. It seems though that the two courses are the main attraction to this site. I've read that there is a clubhouse on site, but I was unable to find it. Also, there is said to be a driving range and measurements from the practice tee, which are awesome features. I assume that the numbers were spray painted because I could find nothing of the sort. There are restrooms, a course map, some parking spots, and local club/tournament information posted near the first tees for both courses. Seems like an active course because I saw multiple groups of people playing on an early Wednesday morning, though the course is so big and spread out that this didn't affect my round. The course is spread tremendously throughout and makes much of the park's space.

Foundation Park sports two sets of tees (red and blue), unique wooden tee signs at the red tees that are in good shape, give hole lengths and pars, and list the current pin position. Red tees are perfectly long and wide and made of concrete. Baskets are Gateway Titan, have hole numbers on them, and are in fantastic shape. There were benches and garbage cans near some, but not all of the tees. Navigation is good for the most part. The course flowed very well and all but two holes (7 and 18) were easy to find. Next tee signs are often used, making navigation easy for the would-be trickier spots. There are well-defined trails and bridges to cross the stream. May be dangerous for some without much balance, but I liked them.

When talking about hole and shot variety, this course sits very close to a 5. This is a very technical course that challenges many aspects of your throwing. There are 5 par 5's and 8 par 4's, all legit to me. Great variety of short and tight, long and tight, and long and somewhat open. There aren't any plain open holes, but holes 1, 12, 14-16 give you some freedom while still being super long and technical enough with the trees. Also, the low hanging branches - while frustrating - challenges controlled distance throws like I've never seen. Fantastic variation of lengths from 264 in the shorts to 1,036 in the longs. Even distribution of hyzers, straight shots, and anhyzers. Plays over stream multiple times.

-The course isn't very scenic or aesthetically pleasing, if you enjoy that aspect as I do. Pretty dreary looking throughout.
-This normally doesn't bother me but since the course is so long, it'd be nice to have restrooms in the course.
-As I said, navigation is a little difficult in two spots, going to hole 7 and hole 18. The course map is helpful if you use that, but there weren't any next tee signs and there were multiple paths from the previous baskets, I took the wrongs ones first on both.
-One technical aspect that would make this closer to a 5 would be more elevation. However, this is in the middle of Illinois and the course has 2 or 3 holes that use the slight elevation given. Can't punish the course for this, just would make this course even a little better.
-Blue tees not present on every hole, are natural, and don't have tee signs.

I thoroughly enjoyed my round at Foundation Park, and if you have time I suggest warming up on the rec. course. This is truly a unique course with the type of topography and the massively long, technical holes. The middle -most wooded- holes were the staples in this course and my favorite holes were:

5-Very long hyzer with multiple lines, goes downhill then uphill
6-Super tight downhill shot, best chance at an ace here
7-Very fun hole that plays across the creek and a pin position uphill in a tight section of the woods
8-An extreme hyzer shot with a mando through a fallen down tree with a sign that says, "I'm in your head now". Nice pin position between trees
9-Open and straight then hard dogleg left uphill then downhill to pin
11-Open shot then a hyzer through the trees and over the creek
12- Super long par 5 hyzer

1) Nice large grippy concrete tees on this course . . . I was tempted into playing the longs when I encountered a long concrete tee on #1, but switched right back to the short tees when I realized the concrete tees were only on the short tees.
2) Posts mark the holes with red/blue markings so you know which hole you are on.
3) Plenty of garbage cans around this course for disposal of your trash.
4) Nice feature to have two 9 hole loops that come back to the parking lot. Each 9 could almost be considered a course because they are so long and challenging. I think it took about 2 hours to play the entire 18 which s a long time.
5) Nice signs have Hole #, Par, Distance and indicate both sets of tees and alternate basket locations.
6) This course has such a nice variety from mildly wooded, to moderately wooded to tight and dense shots. You need to be able to throw all sorts of shots to play well here. The roller could be found as a great tool for you if you are good at them. It will help eat up a lot more distance than air shots.
7) Distance variation is as big as I have ever seen. This is integral to this course being so challenging and fun at the same time. There is such a huge variety in hole distances from 200's all the way up to 800's. It is a little disturbing that this course was allowed to eat up so much space. I am shocked disc golf was allowed to take over this section of the park completely, but then I realize the park as a whole is enormous and there is plenty of room for other activities. I wish we had more parks like this in SE WI.
8) Talk about a course that should be hosting all sorts of professional events. If the pros don't love this course I will . . . nevermind . . . they will love this course.
9) Road-trip worthy . . . and you could spend all day here and maybe get in 54-72 holes only. It is just that long and it takes you a long time to play it.
10) Bathrooms available at the parking lot.
11) There is a shelter, a labyrinth, and other activities and things to see in this park . . . but who are we kidding, we are here for the disc golf.

1) This course is far from beginner friendly. The distance alone might kill some newbies . . . add in the other challenging features and it is sure to turn some people away. I like courses to have alternate tees that allows everyone to experience the same sort of experience as a better player, only shorter and less frustrating.
2) There were a couple places where the navigation was a little confusing.
3) Some of the baskets are blind from the tees so they play tougher than they need to. Sometime there looked to be an intuitive shot, that turned out to be the wrong direction slightly.
4) The "bridges" that are used are dangerous and not perfect. Two of them use concrete pillars that you need to step across . . . then there is the bridge that is a ladder with some rope to hold on to. I prefer that things be done properly the first time and these things leave a bit to be desired.

I started out wanting to play the long tees. . . then I realized that the long tees were not concrete and that they were ridiculously long, so long that there is no good reason for me to play the long tees. I could have gotten so much practice on my rollers had I stayed on the longs, but it likely would have been a rough go of it.
This is such an epicly long course . . . however . . .it doesn't even feel like it is that long because almost none of the length is pure wide open holes. You have to work your disc in all directions around all sorts of obstacles in order to play well, so you are busy worrying about your shots, you forget that you are playing such a long course.
The design and layout of this course make it one of the best. I had a lot of fun shooting 77, something I cannot say for many courses out there. In fact I cannot say I have shot 77 at very many courses ever. This is simply put a unique experience with the length being a major factor . . . but also the fact that they made the course long without you even worrying about it. You need to focus on your shot shaping and the trouble areas more than you do the length which I think makes this course one of the best designs I have ever encountered.
The maintenance is decent but I feel like such a top notch design deserves some top notch maintenance and amenities. I hope the local club realizes what they have here and work hard at keeping this course up and displaying it for all of the disc golfers out there.

I feel like this course sits right around a 4.7 on the rating scale. There are so many things that make it great, but there are also a few things that keep it from being the best it could be. Add in all the amenities, fix the bridges and safety, and do a little bit more maintenance on trees and shrubs etc and this course would easily be in competition for one of the top courses in the country. I hope it happens and I hope to be back sometime soon.

This course has it all! Professional long holes, some technical, some wide open. Short holes too, but none are without numerous obstacles. Extremely scenic, some of the best looking holes I've ever played. The park is primarily used for disc golf, and the land itself is amazing. The creek that snakes through the entire course makes you play honestly as well. Multiple pin and tee pad placements. Right now most of the pins are in the longer "B" locations. It even has shelters, restrooms and water fountains dotting the whole park. This course right here is why I play this game. Mother nature and competitive sports in one perfect harmony. Highlight of my disc golf year so far!

The only real con I have here are the natural tee pads. I have never played a course with natural pads, excluding the course I played that was laid out on an actual ball golf course with manicured teepads. These here were earthy dirt pads. I slipped badly on one today, but that's because it had rained and I was still getting used to running up on them to throw the long holes this course offers. I understand that many of the courses in this part of Illinois all have natural pads, so I'm guessing this is more of a political thing than a desire. However, I overlooked that minor annoyance to enjoy the top caliber of a course that this place is.

Destination course? You bet! I live two hours away, and you can bet I'll be back! I just wish this course was closer. Met an older gentleman who plays the course frequently and he was gracious enough to show me around and guide me as to where to throw and was very gracious and knowledgeable. If you are ever around this area and you DON'T take the time to stop and enjoy this place, you my friend will have missed out on one of the best disc golf courses I've ever played!

This is an awesome course, defanatley worth the drive if your from out of the area like me. I love the creek that runs through the course. several shots are over the creek with little man made bridges across them (ex. ladder, big stones to hop across on) A nice mixture of holes some being open but most in the woods. Loved holes 6-8

the only con I can think of is that it would be nice if there were signs marking where to head for the next tee off position. This being due to the fact that some are around corners in the woods. Could be a little hard to navigate if you didnt have a local playing with you.

I will defantitaly be going back

This long, tough championship course will really put your game to the test. There are many multi shot par 4's and a couple par 5's on this course. The course is very long but a lot of the holes have trees and low ceilings forcing you to throw controlled shots, not just pure distance. There's a lot of places to get in trouble when you get off the fairway or throw a less than controlled drive. There's a nice variety of shots and a few doglegs. It uses the available land, elevation changes and creeks very well.

There are two tees per hole with colored markers in the ground at each. A lot, if not all of the holes have multiple pin positions. Tee signs list the distance for each tee pad to each pin position with a diagram of the hole. There were many trash cans on the course to help keep the course clean. Maps were available at the bulletin board at the parking lot, but navigating the course was fairly easy.

With all the rain we've got recently, I was pleasantly surprised with how dry the course was.

With a course of this caliber, I was really surprised it didn't have concrete tee pads. With a course full of long holes, having nice long concrete tees would be a huge addition to the course. The tees weren't in bad shape considering they're dirt, but I did move around a bit on some of them to find a better place to throw from.

The tee signs were at the short pads meaning you have to walk past the long pad to see where you're going on a hole then walk back to the long pad to throw.

At one of the creek crossings there were nice cylindrical concrete stepping stones in the creek but two of them had fallen over. If I didn't have such long legs that crossing would have been tough. But then again with all the rain we've had recently the creeks could have more water than normal.

I've never critiqued tee signs with hole diagrams before, but due to all the par 4's and 5's where the basket is far out of sight, I feel like more detailed signs could be useful here. But then again, once you've played here a few times this is a non-issue.

With the exception of the concrete tees, the rest of my cons are pretty minor.

Overall this is an excellent, championship caliber course that's definitely worth checking out.

Even with the short pads I wouldn't say this course is rec friendly, but there is a 9 hole rec course in the same park so there's something for everyone here.

I have been waiting to play this course for 2 years now and I finally found the excuse to make the 3-hour drive to Centralia. I had pretty high expectations, and the course did not disappoint in any way. The conditions were rough because it was snowy and icy, but I will try to not let those affect my review.
Tees- For natural tees, they were nice and flat--it was hard to tell in spots because of the snow, but they seemed to be level for the most part. I didn't feel like the natural tee pads were that big of a disadvantage in most places.
Terrain: The property this course is on is awesome and quite unique. Foundation features the best creek I have ever seen used in a DG course. It is wide and deep and runs throughout much of the course. They find ways to use it differently with each hole. There is a nice amount of diversity as far as holes that play in the woods and some shots out in the open...but not too many. The woods vary from densely wooded to park like. There are quite a bit of elevation changes on top of everything else, which really takes this course to the next level.
Shot Selection: You will throw every shot you have on this course. Each hole is shaped differently and it really rewards the player who breaks the holes down into manageable parts (the par 4 and 5's). If you just want to grip it and rip it, this might not be the course for you (although there are a few places where you can).
Signage: Excellent. The signs appeared to be accurate and marked for the correct basket placements. There were maps for the red tees at Red #1 and maps for Blue at Blue #1.
Flow: Good for the most part. There were a few parts where I had to walk ahead to locate baskets and a few spots where I got turned around, but there were next tee signs in places where it was necessary.
Baskets: Excellent. I am personally biased towards the Gateway Titans. I think they are the best baskets on the market and Foundation is home to the Titan. The eat discs for breakfast.

There are very few cons for me. The main one is the creek crossing. Because the creek comes into play in so many places, it is very awkward in spots. Admittedly, the conditions didn't help, but looking at it subjectively it was still pretty rough regardless of the conditions. There were a few places with bridges, but other places where there were some big stones used for the crossing. The water was up and it could be very difficult to cross for those less coordinated. Unrelated to bridge issue, on hole 7 I went down to get my disc out of the creek and slipped and submerged both feet (ankles high) in icy water. Good times.
I guess the other con would have to be tee pads. I am not sure that the rubber strips that they have out there do much for me. They were very slick and I am not sure it is that much of an improvement over throwing off the dirt/mud.

Awesome, awesome course. Now that I have played it once, I can't wait to get out there again. The guys in the area have a real gem.

You know this course is special even before you get to the parking just by looking at the beautiful park it's in.

Shortly thereafter, you see the practice basket with it's marked increments, then the driving range! A cool touch anyway, but having pavers in the ground going out to (at least) 525' is just inspired. (It does parallel 1's fairway though, so don't expect unobstructed practicing if other golfers are there.)

My favorite thing about this course? About every shot you can have is covered in the first 7 holes: 1 is an open bomb, gentle hyzer. 2, shorter, tighter anny shot with plenty of obstacles to dodge. 3, GNARLY 90 degree anny that's a mother to get a 3 on. 4 is a teeny anny with a moderately guarded pin. 5 goes up and down and through some trees before a gentle hyzer at the end. 6 is as close as you get to an ace run, but even that is a downhill tunnel with loads of ugliness off to either side. 7 gives you 2 doses of risk reward with a creek 3/4 of the way that's not easy to ascend/descend, and an elevated pin on a steep slope.

There's not another course is the St. Louis area which covers THAT much variety in such FEW holes. Hell, some entire courses around here aren't as dynamic.

Flow hole-to-hole is good (though i cheated with a guide) navigation is better, signage is a notch or two away from great.

Many kudos to whomever is responsible for the bridges/stones that have been placed to traverse the water. Wet feet is NOT a fun sensation when it's ~30 degrees out.

Tiny parking lot that must get overwhelmed in warm weather. (Never did see another place to park, but maybe i missed it)

Missing some of the amenities: concrete pads, water access, benches, open restroom (there is one right by the first tee, but it was closed).

Um, it's not closer to St. Louis???

Such a challenging and dynamic course, i'm spoiled to even have it at close as it is to St. Louis. As more and more people take the trip out here (it is kinda in the middle of nowhere), look for this course to climb up the top 10 list quickly.

If you're planning a trip out here (and you should be), send a PM to hognosesucker. Good golfer, great guide, better host.

Added bonus: if you happen upon the McDonalds a mile or so west of the park before or after your game, jog across the street to the quik-e-mart and you can pick up a bottle of genuine REDARMYVODKA! (My avatar is the bottle's logo)

Haven't seen that stuff in 10 years in St. Louis, but that store has it! (mix it with something though, it doesn't taste very good)

Comparable to West City Park in Festus, MO in regards to length and tree density, but Foundation's holes require far more shot shaping/different techniques.

A phenomenal course i hope to get back to in the very near future. Hopefully my game will have developed a little more by then as i don't enjoy scorecards starting with 8's

- Course makes great use of a lot of land to provide a wide range of holes. Pretty even mix of holes in a hilly forest and open holes with massive treelines and fairway obstacles. Good flow between the inside and outside of the forest.
- Holes outside of the forest constantly provide a ton of different shots, each presenting a good challenge. #12, for instance, is a full length dogleg right that has a well defined entrance to a second fairway. Other highlights include a z-shaped fairway and many genuine bomber holes. There is decent to very good elevation changes on most holes, and the large and low trees make for a lot of tight windows and some very precise pathways.
- Wide range of hole types inside the forest as well. There are some shorter shots, with good variety. Left, right, and straight, with some elevation mixed in at times. Other longer holes have low ceilings and hilly terrain to contend with, as well as wet and dry hazardous spots. Shot placement is critical with direction and distance both being major factors. #7 is a signature hole, which involves getting over a creek (laying up a definite option), and then getting up a hill with a pretty fast green. A few multi-shot holes to be found.
- Creekbed comes into play on a few holes in the forest, and is pretty deep. In addition to some other generally rugged terrain, there are many spots to get into trouble. The rough is not too bad, so recovery shots can be very important. The more dangerous parts are mostly on the more open holes with thick trees and bushes.
- Decent amount of protected baskets and/or sloped greens. For the most part, the baskets have pretty safe landing zones, but there is good punishment outside of the clearings.
- Great baskets and signage. Bricks point to the next tee so navigation is straightforward. Natural/dirt teepads are good when dry, at least.

- The land in general is kind of flat, so there is a fair amount of flat holes. Most of the holes outside the forest have gentle slopes, and only some of the wooded holes have hills and undulating ground to deal with. There is a good variety in terms of up or down, and left or right, though.
- Creek crossings are currently being put in, so there are some spots where you might have to walk around. Not too far out of the way, especially if it's dry.

- A championship course all the way. There is a very good amount of multi-shot holes that demand distance and accuracy, and good shot placement. Setting up for the next throw becomes very important, both inside and outside of the woods. These are complemented well by shorter, tighter holes, and longer, slopng holes. A very well-rounded design.
- This course plays tough from the shorts/shorts, and is a true monster with either of the longs (or both). You can choose from long or extra long, regardless.
- One hole plays next to the entrance road, but overall there is a good sense of seclusion.

The other many reviews on here will give you the idea.
Two tees and two pin placements per hole.
A number of true, par four shots; but not simply made long for the sake of being long. These shots require placement for a possible three, or even a four.
Club is filled with great guys. Contact them and someone will more than likely meet you for play.
Rec. nine from long tees is quite challenging. No one but this crew would call this a "recreational" course. However, after playing the toughness that is the 18, you will be relieved to play the rec nine.
Creek in play on a number of holes.
Titan baskets are quality.

Dirt tees, and it has been wet both times I've been there. This is not the fault of the club; there is a board they must answer to, which doesn't want cement tees at present. Club is working towards making this situation better. Positive response from disc golfing community at large, may help sway them toward rectifying this situation.
Some bridge work has been done since I was first here. A couple more would be useful.

Stellar, (mostly) Dave McCormick design.
Incredibly, partially due to it's location; you will more than likely have this course to yourself; though, I would suggest hooking up with a local for both enjoyment and ease of navigation.

You start out with long bombs on hole #1. If you dare to try from the Blue tee you are throwing over 1000 feet. With the pin in -b- placement the fairway tightens down drastically. A sign of things to come. You have hit the woods and tight and technical are the key words here. You have uphill shots, downhill shots. Hyzer and Anhyzer.
I used all but two discs in my bag on this course. Variety is the spice of life and this place is hot as a jalapeno.
Well maintained and very clean, this park is sweet. Trash cans in convienent places as well as a water drinking fountain and closeby restrooms round out a fantastic experience of great disc golf.

Natural tee pads. Dangerous when wet so watch your step. Not enough benches and finding the blue tees are tough sometime.

Championship quality course. A must play in Southern Illinois. You will never get bored with the variety of holes and shots here. The REC course across the street is well worth the time to play. I really want to see a major tournament held here.

Wide variety of holes from 250' tunnel drives to "bring your 450' mad drives". Beautiful hike through natural scenery, not uncommon to come across deer, owls, eagles.

First time visitors will need to scout ahead to find basket locations, though not terribly problematic. Local disc golf club, Centralia Disc Golf Club (http://www.centraliadiscgolf.com ), is in process of working out tee location markings.

Course was designed by Gateway's own Dave McCormack ('nuff said) and is frequented by Dave and a number of top pros. This course is still young, only coming into existence in 2006, but will probably be on the PDGA pro tour before very long.

This is a great course. It has a lot a variety-some open holes, some wooded holes, water, elevation, tough pin placements...it is just a fantastic disc golf course. The design is tough but fair. In the long set-up, this is a LOOOONNNNGGGG (10,000+ ft) killer of a course. However, a smart player can overcome lack of distance through course management. Several seemingly long holes require a two or three shot progression that reward accuracy over pure distance.

The course layout is very nice, but it can be hard to find your way around. There are some long walks between holes, and the course could be marked better. The type of park that it is in can leave you with the feeling that you are wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. Given the quality of the shots, a little wandering around in the woods is a pretty minor gripe.

UPDATE Spring 2009: There was a scorecard holder with a course map by #1, and there were yellow arrows on the ground to help you find your way around. It looks like the local Club is taking steps to help the flow of this course.

The tees are dirt. They were in good shape when I was there and I don't mind dirt tees, but some people get upset over dirt tees. **NOTE: Concrete tees are supposed to be poured in 2012**
There is a recreational 9-hole course in the same park, so you can combine them for 27 holes.