Pros:
This course is situated in a very nice park, with land that is GREAT for DG. Off the bat, this is a mostly wooded course, with enough length to challenge. Risk vs. Reward is a huge factor on this course.... LOTS of holes have multiple lines, despite having a single fairway/route/tunnel. At least 3 holes (5,14,17) have pins located within 10 ft of a severe slope, forcing you to reconsider that birdie run.
Course starts in woods with a tough schule lined 275' dogleg left. The next few holes are open drives into wooded "choke points" requiring finesse tee shots.... beware of #5's basket ... 5 feet later is a steep drop off you really don't want to walk down, let alone putt from...Number 6 is the first signature hole of the course, across a ravine/road... you need a straight tee shot to clear the guardian trees and then a quick bail-out left. Holes 7-9 play though parkland with huge trees (ie) canopies.. people call this the boring part of the course, as it's 3 straight holes in a row, but there's enough length and room that you finally get to air it out.. 9 finishes at parking lot, yay! The back nine starts off with 2 more holes through the park area, and then you step back into the woods to #12... Another signature hole, 12 is a shot off the top of a ravine , across a road into the valley below... feels very similar to the original #2 at West Park, accept OB road down the right side. Hole 13 features a blind tee shot quickly uphill, then flattening out to a neat par 3. Hole 14 is located along the top peninsula of a ridge, playing slightly downhill to another pin within 10ft of a hillside... Hole 15 is similar to hole 6, but a little longer and straighter. Play across a pretty ravine/road to a pin at the top, and about 50 ft beyond the top of the other side. Hole 16 is COMPLETELY NEW, when I first played this course, the basket was out, but it played as a rather boring open hole across a field. The new 16 is found by following the mowed path along the treeline to the left. It's a 225ft R>L hole that plays along a road on the center/right, and SEVERE drop and schule to the left/center. The basket is located very near a drop off again, this will put ace runs in check, along with a few trees on the right side of the road that are in the perfect spot to smack down a shot thrown too high... also, watch out for the pipes L of the teebox, they run about the first ~125ft from the tee, and it's about 8 inches off the ground. 17 is a 525ft never ending turn to the left. The basket is once again nestled on top of a peninsula, drops/trees to all sides, watch your upshot. The course finishes with a shot across/up a ravine through a fairway littered with trees.
(after proofreading) I should mention that all ravines (you have to cross to get to basket) have nice wooden steps built into them... All holes have signs that are good indicators of where to go, although tbh I'm not convinced that all distances are accurate.
Cons:
This is a new course that was set into a park notorious for "seedy" people, and sadly garbage dumping. I played here first in March of 09, and it (the complaints of garbage) showed, today the course had been cleaned up significantly! The terrain is rough, WATCH YOUR FOOTING THROUGHOUT, beware of tree stumps, branches, sticks, rocks, and RUTS on the fairways... particularly the "open hole" 7-11. The schule is still heavy in most areas, there is possibility of losing discs, but lines/paths are starting to appear in the hot spots. The natural tee pads, while still in overall great shape, are starting to erode in spots. Speaking of erosion, some major control needs to be planned, the "demonic" pins just feet away from steep hillsides can only last so long... as nice as it is, the 16th basket will slide off into oblivion soon. The parking lot isn't the largest, but I'm assuming you can park on the grass south of the lot... There is no water, or restrooms in the park, and the road into the park is rough. Also, the course is in desperate need of trash cans.
Other Thoughts:
The "new" course in Joliet lives up to expectations... I've referred to it as a "Modern West Park" ... using great wooded, hilly terrain similar to West, but enough length to actually use most of your bag. All skill levels can play this course, although I don't recommend it for beginners. I give this course a solid 4 discs+, but it NEEDS improvement for 4.5. Given another season or two to wear in, and it's one of the best courses in the state, hell, it may be now.... it is a must play if you're along the I-80 corridor.