Pros:
Cement tee pads
Two alternate baskets locations per hole (short, long)
Challenging course design
Quality scorecards with map provided
Beautiful piece of land with rolling hills and elevation changes
Well-maintained park
Friendly and thoughtful park staff
Separate from other park activities
Cons:
Mosquitoes can be bothersome. Bring bug spray.
Other Thoughts:
A terrific new 18 hole course in a magnificent, beautifully landscaped park. Overall I rate the Grey Fox as my favorite course in the Illinois/Wisconsin area, and second only to Flip City (Shelby, MI) in the Midwest. I compare it to Brown Deer (Milwaukee, WI), as both are challenging courses in beautiful parks, but I give the edge to Grey Fox due to the variety of holes and the scenic terrain.
Fox River Park already had a nine hole course, the Red Fox, which is a nice course for beginners and casual players. Now, with the Grey Fox, we see a dramatic step up in challenge and difficulty in the front nine, and even more so in the back nine. At face value you could say the park has something for all players:
Red Fox - beginners
Grey Fox front nine - intermediate
Grey Fox back nine - advanced
The park's scheme to date has been to alternate the baskets (short, long, short, etc.) and then after a few weeks reverse them (long, short, long, etc.). I view this as a positive since you get a chance to play all the baskets.
My three favorite holes:
1. Hole 7. Perhaps the toughest hole on the front nine. From an elevated tee, the trick is to get your drive through a narrow opening with a tree ceiling. From there the hole opens up. The 260ft. short basket is an immediate blind dog leg right. The 411ft. long basket is a long dog leg right with the basket tucked in a corner of a small opening.
2. Hole 15. Perhaps the toughest hole on the course. The tee shot is through an opening to the right and then through a gap to the left. The 386ft. short basket is an extreme left. The 495ft. long basket is through a strand of trees to the edge of a hill. If you overthrow your approach or putt you may go way down the hill.
3. Hole 18. A very picturesque hole. From an elevated tee the shot is through a clearing, with a few trees to negotiate, to a moderately wooded grassy area with more trees to negotiate. 371ft. short basket. 484ft. long basket. Beautiful finishing hole.
I highly recommend the Grey Fox!!