Kress Creek Farms reviews
3
7
thomaso
Experience:
15.6 years
101 played
9 reviews
Thomaso 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 21, 2015
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Solitude! Big throws required over scenic rolling Oak Savanna. Always windy. This course plays tough!
Cons:
Bug Spray is a must. Spotter is required on about 4 drives, so bring a reliable partner.
Other Thoughts:
Good Cart Course!
13
3
Much Improved
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Nov 21, 2020
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
- Reasonable mix of open and wooded holes
- Nice, isolated plot of land
- Good distance, let's you open up your arm
- *Update* Multiple baskets on many holes
- *Update* Well maintained
- Nice, isolated plot of land
- Good distance, let's you open up your arm
- *Update* Multiple baskets on many holes
- *Update* Well maintained
Cons:
- Tall grass as rough means lost discs or a long time spent looking for them.
- Very few holes with any actual line shaping
- No concrete teepads *Update* New Concrete Tees
- Almost all the signage on posts is completely destroyed or unreadable *Update* Tees could use an update but are serviceable
- Very few holes with any actual line shaping
- No concrete teepads *Update* New Concrete Tees
- Almost all the signage on posts is completely destroyed or unreadable *Update* Tees could use an update but are serviceable
Other Thoughts:
I last played this course with 3 other people and we are by no means beginners. However, even employing spotters, we lost track of several discs into the long grass being used to shape fairways. This does not make for a fun round of disc golf. we probably spent half an hour wading through the rough looking for our plastic, lost one disc, and easily could have lost more.
The strong winds during most of the round didn't help in our attempt to keep discs out of the long grass, but it has been windy every time I have gone here, and that is likely a very common scenario with such open holes.
There are a handful of interesting holes once you get out of the open fields, but they are few and far between, and in my opinion not worth suffering the mostly boring open holes, many of which include the chance of losing discs.
The grass tee pads don't help matters providing a much less than ideal run-up as you are trying to drive.
I could understand frequenting this course if it was the only course near you, but for most people I imagine there are better options (Madison Meadows, Katherine Legge, Eagle Ridge, Wheeler Park, Central Park or even Highland Park for example)
Having recently moved, this is the closest park to me, but I am not sure I will return. Playing this course was only slightly better than going to the large field just to the north, and working on my drive where I do not have to spend 10min wading through tall scratchy grass filled with bugs. I would much rather spend an additional 10-15min in the car to play an enjoyable round of golf.
**** UPDATE 11/2020 ****
I recently played this course for the first time in 6 years after a couple conversations with local players advising me to give it a second look. There have been a handful of improvements since I last played over half a decade ago: new tee signs with hole number and distance(s), new concrete tee pads (tho only for the short positions, long positions are listed on many tee signs), more regular maintenance/mowing. These improvements address many of the "quality of life" issues I previously had with the course.
The golf is still mediocre, without much line shaping required, but I enjoyed my round much more than previously. The time of year likely also affected my perception, as there were no bugs and much less undergrowth during my mid-November round, but the improvements are still enough for me to bump up my rating half disc. I will be playing this course more regularly, and hope that the level of maintenance is maintained going forward. There were quite a few people out enjoying the course on a late Saturday morning, great to see the improvements have been well received, I certainly appreciate them.
****Update 7/2023 ****
Leaving the entirety of my old review for posterity, but it could be entirely re-done at this point. I don't think I have had my perception of a course change so much, and it is entirely due to all of the work put in by the local clubs. Since my last review, permanent alternate pin positions have gone in on many holes along with new baskets. The course has been cleaned up a lot with new landscaping and benches on many holes. Hard to see baskets have had big flags added to the top to aid visibility. There is a sneaky amount of challenge present here. The tall grass can still be a pain, but in general is maintained better and really only a big threat on four to six fairways. This course went from one I never wanted to play, to somewhere I get to frequently. Well done to all involved in the fantastic face lift and course improvements.
The strong winds during most of the round didn't help in our attempt to keep discs out of the long grass, but it has been windy every time I have gone here, and that is likely a very common scenario with such open holes.
There are a handful of interesting holes once you get out of the open fields, but they are few and far between, and in my opinion not worth suffering the mostly boring open holes, many of which include the chance of losing discs.
The grass tee pads don't help matters providing a much less than ideal run-up as you are trying to drive.
I could understand frequenting this course if it was the only course near you, but for most people I imagine there are better options (Madison Meadows, Katherine Legge, Eagle Ridge, Wheeler Park, Central Park or even Highland Park for example)
Having recently moved, this is the closest park to me, but I am not sure I will return. Playing this course was only slightly better than going to the large field just to the north, and working on my drive where I do not have to spend 10min wading through tall scratchy grass filled with bugs. I would much rather spend an additional 10-15min in the car to play an enjoyable round of golf.
**** UPDATE 11/2020 ****
I recently played this course for the first time in 6 years after a couple conversations with local players advising me to give it a second look. There have been a handful of improvements since I last played over half a decade ago: new tee signs with hole number and distance(s), new concrete tee pads (tho only for the short positions, long positions are listed on many tee signs), more regular maintenance/mowing. These improvements address many of the "quality of life" issues I previously had with the course.
The golf is still mediocre, without much line shaping required, but I enjoyed my round much more than previously. The time of year likely also affected my perception, as there were no bugs and much less undergrowth during my mid-November round, but the improvements are still enough for me to bump up my rating half disc. I will be playing this course more regularly, and hope that the level of maintenance is maintained going forward. There were quite a few people out enjoying the course on a late Saturday morning, great to see the improvements have been well received, I certainly appreciate them.
****Update 7/2023 ****
Leaving the entirety of my old review for posterity, but it could be entirely re-done at this point. I don't think I have had my perception of a course change so much, and it is entirely due to all of the work put in by the local clubs. Since my last review, permanent alternate pin positions have gone in on many holes along with new baskets. The course has been cleaned up a lot with new landscaping and benches on many holes. Hard to see baskets have had big flags added to the top to aid visibility. There is a sneaky amount of challenge present here. The tall grass can still be a pain, but in general is maintained better and really only a big threat on four to six fairways. This course went from one I never wanted to play, to somewhere I get to frequently. Well done to all involved in the fantastic face lift and course improvements.
3
0
jareddeanwilson
Experience:
16 played
1 reviews
Distance Variety 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Sep 7, 2013
Played the course:once
Pros:
The course is located on a large lot of land that contains the course and a walking path, so the course is not very crowded at all.
You can use just about every disc in your bag as the distance ranges from 180ft-600ft. There is a good variety in the way the holes are set up: there are several that are fairly open, some that are fairly narrow guarded by trees, and several where prairie land, or marsh, come into play.
You can use just about every disc in your bag as the distance ranges from 180ft-600ft. There is a good variety in the way the holes are set up: there are several that are fairly open, some that are fairly narrow guarded by trees, and several where prairie land, or marsh, come into play.
Cons:
The tees are grass and not always clearly marked, I could not find all of the blue tees, and although I did not play from them, I only saw 2 or 3 of the red tees.
Other Thoughts:
The prairie grass is extremely thick and if you throw a disc in it, you will be searching for a long time. There are several patches of prairie grass and it comes into play on half of the holes.
13
1
My Home Course 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Sep 24, 2012
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
-Lots of walking
-Mild elevation change that is not present at nearby courses
-Huge old oak trees that come into play in the earlier and later holes
-Plenty of holes where you can really arm some plastic
-Course has an odd secluded feel that is unique to the area
-While there are alot of wide open holes there are some holes that require either nice straight shots or hyzers or anhyzers or flicks.
-Mild elevation change that is not present at nearby courses
-Huge old oak trees that come into play in the earlier and later holes
-Plenty of holes where you can really arm some plastic
-Course has an odd secluded feel that is unique to the area
-While there are alot of wide open holes there are some holes that require either nice straight shots or hyzers or anhyzers or flicks.
Cons:
-Lack of teepads... They did a good job getting this course up and running but they need to compliment their work by adding some pads. I emailed the director of parks and rec last spring about pads and he said they would have some in by early summer.. And it is now fall.
-The grass patch that exists between 16 and 17. That thing swallows discs and never spits em out. If your wearing shorts, forget it. Your legs will be cut to pieces by the razor grass.
-Some holes where distance is quite literally the only obstacle between you and the basket.
-The grass patch that exists between 16 and 17. That thing swallows discs and never spits em out. If your wearing shorts, forget it. Your legs will be cut to pieces by the razor grass.
-Some holes where distance is quite literally the only obstacle between you and the basket.
Other Thoughts:
This is my home course, and it's responsible for getting me hooked on disc golf, So naturally I am partial to this course.
This course needs solid pads, Badly. I like playing here but it has come down to the point where I will go play other courses in the area simply because they have solid pads. The dirt pads here have been rutted out for as long as I can remember and when you have a run-up that you plan around starting and finishing points on a pad, that really messes with you.
This course needs solid pads, Badly. I like playing here but it has come down to the point where I will go play other courses in the area simply because they have solid pads. The dirt pads here have been rutted out for as long as I can remember and when you have a run-up that you plan around starting and finishing points on a pad, that really messes with you.
3
5
kress creek update 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Oct 6, 2012
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
-good location on an old farm
-there are never crowds here even when the parking lot is full you rarely get stuck behind people
-hole 1 is an open field shot with a small hill that is just big enough so you cannot really see the basket from the tee off the only obstacle is a small patch of brush around an old tree about 15 feet to the right of the basket
-holes 2-3 are both fun holes that are underneath some massive oak trees but as long as you keep your shots low they don't effect your shots much
-hole six is surprisingly fun for an open shot. it shoots down into a valley and the only brush on the this hole are two 15 foot tall bushes on ether side of the basket.
-hole 7 is decently fun just a basic tunnel shot not very long and easy if you can throw a disc straight
-9,10,and 11 are all decent holes all three of them are short with some cover around them that makes you throw a decent line
-hole 13 if my favorite hole on the course it can be really hard to find if you have not played the course before being behind some tall bushes and some time after the course was put in a massive oak tree fell in front of it making it imposable to throw straight at but the left side is open and the right side has a small hole in the brush that can be thrown into if you have an accurate arm
-hole 14-15 are both very good holes for this course being similar to 2,3 also being under huge oak trees. the basket for 14 is also hard to see being behind some trees and thick brush but if you angel your shot ether way you can make it near the basket. 15 is still under the trees with the basket out in the open and there are some huge trees that make it hard to get a good line.
-there are never crowds here even when the parking lot is full you rarely get stuck behind people
-hole 1 is an open field shot with a small hill that is just big enough so you cannot really see the basket from the tee off the only obstacle is a small patch of brush around an old tree about 15 feet to the right of the basket
-holes 2-3 are both fun holes that are underneath some massive oak trees but as long as you keep your shots low they don't effect your shots much
-hole six is surprisingly fun for an open shot. it shoots down into a valley and the only brush on the this hole are two 15 foot tall bushes on ether side of the basket.
-hole 7 is decently fun just a basic tunnel shot not very long and easy if you can throw a disc straight
-9,10,and 11 are all decent holes all three of them are short with some cover around them that makes you throw a decent line
-hole 13 if my favorite hole on the course it can be really hard to find if you have not played the course before being behind some tall bushes and some time after the course was put in a massive oak tree fell in front of it making it imposable to throw straight at but the left side is open and the right side has a small hole in the brush that can be thrown into if you have an accurate arm
-hole 14-15 are both very good holes for this course being similar to 2,3 also being under huge oak trees. the basket for 14 is also hard to see being behind some trees and thick brush but if you angel your shot ether way you can make it near the basket. 15 is still under the trees with the basket out in the open and there are some huge trees that make it hard to get a good line.
Cons:
-just dirt pads that can be kinda rough
-can get very windy
-hole 5 is just an open field shot that does not even have much distance
-holes 8,12 are both just big bomber holes with a narrow fairway and prairie on both sides and with a strong wind can make for very long holes. but if you like longer holes you might like these two
-holes 16,17 eat discs. there is a marsh(not so much this year with the dry weather) with tall grass that i am constantly seeing people lose discs in and have spent many hours myself looking for shots that i threw poorly or that the wind took.
-18 is nothing special. it is just an open field up shot throwing up the hill that you threw down on hole 6.
-can get very windy
-hole 5 is just an open field shot that does not even have much distance
-holes 8,12 are both just big bomber holes with a narrow fairway and prairie on both sides and with a strong wind can make for very long holes. but if you like longer holes you might like these two
-holes 16,17 eat discs. there is a marsh(not so much this year with the dry weather) with tall grass that i am constantly seeing people lose discs in and have spent many hours myself looking for shots that i threw poorly or that the wind took.
-18 is nothing special. it is just an open field up shot throwing up the hill that you threw down on hole 6.
Other Thoughts:
-i play this course at least 2 times a week and although i am getting use to it i still find it to be decently challenging
-one of my good friends threw a disc into the woods off of 10 he told us to keep playing we are not sure if he found his disc but the police found his body three days later
-one of my good friends threw a disc into the woods off of 10 he told us to keep playing we are not sure if he found his disc but the police found his body three days later
7
0
4_Of_Spades
Experience:
15.9 years
36 played
28 reviews
Kress Creek Birdies 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 18, 2012
Played the course:once
Pros:
Located on an old farm. Unique location from other courses.
Nice length, but mostly open.
Some moderately wooded holes and longer open holes.
Good signs and baskets.
Has some narrow fairways and long grass to punish you for errant drives.
Challenging course due to its windiness and length, but still fun to play.
Good mix of RHBH, RHFH, and straight shots.
Nice length, but mostly open.
Some moderately wooded holes and longer open holes.
Good signs and baskets.
Has some narrow fairways and long grass to punish you for errant drives.
Challenging course due to its windiness and length, but still fun to play.
Good mix of RHBH, RHFH, and straight shots.
Cons:
Big marsh with tall grass and weeds in the middle of the course that border a few holes.
Lost my disc in the marsh on hole 16 and found that a red-winged blackbird was hovering 5 feet above me. It then proceeded to keep dive bombing my dad and I from the trees between the basket for 16 and tee off for 17. Most scared I've been from a bird in my life. We ended up not playing these two holes as I had to sprint around the bend to pick up my dad's disc by the basket while trying to out run a dive bombing bird on my ass. Made it out safely but many other red winged black birds were spotted around the whole course. If you don't know, they are extremely aggressive and territorial so if you see one be prepared to defend yourself. They like to make nests in the marshy stuff on the ground because they are stupid and will defend that nest to the end. they are also a protected species so you can't hurt them. Also saw a kildeer bird on hole 5 and if you go near them, they act like they have a bum wing and flop around leading you away from the nest. When a predator goes for them they just fly away so they don't get the nest or the parent bird.
Anyways, weaker arms may not like this course. It was a fun course despite the many birds, but may not be beginner friendly, especially if there's a lot of wind.
No tee pads, hopefully they will add them.
Lost my disc in the marsh on hole 16 and found that a red-winged blackbird was hovering 5 feet above me. It then proceeded to keep dive bombing my dad and I from the trees between the basket for 16 and tee off for 17. Most scared I've been from a bird in my life. We ended up not playing these two holes as I had to sprint around the bend to pick up my dad's disc by the basket while trying to out run a dive bombing bird on my ass. Made it out safely but many other red winged black birds were spotted around the whole course. If you don't know, they are extremely aggressive and territorial so if you see one be prepared to defend yourself. They like to make nests in the marshy stuff on the ground because they are stupid and will defend that nest to the end. they are also a protected species so you can't hurt them. Also saw a kildeer bird on hole 5 and if you go near them, they act like they have a bum wing and flop around leading you away from the nest. When a predator goes for them they just fly away so they don't get the nest or the parent bird.
Anyways, weaker arms may not like this course. It was a fun course despite the many birds, but may not be beginner friendly, especially if there's a lot of wind.
No tee pads, hopefully they will add them.
Other Thoughts:
This course was a fun time and I will be returning to play at some point. I enjoyed the setting of the course and the different challenges it provides and would recommend that people try it out at least once even without tee pads.
4
1
Longest Course in the Area 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 11, 2012
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Elevation, distance, variety of hole types, secluded setting, nice baskets, easy to follow holes, alternate tees
Cons:
A few too many wide open bomber holes, some excessively rough rough, lack of concrete tees, poorly groomed alternate tees
Other Thoughts:
All in all Kress Creek is an above average course. It utilizes a huge piece of land quite well to make a nice variety of holes and shot types. It is very spread out and long, so don't expect to play any speed rounds. A couple of improvements could really bring this place up to the next level. First, lay down some concrete tees. With it being so dry now it is not a big deal, but when it rains it is a mess. Also, a few trees or bushes planted on the bomber holes would really decrease the monotony.
Update 12/8/2012: Course is technically closed for construction on walking trail that winds through the plot of land. A few of the teepads have been negatively affected by this construction. Most of the long tees are completely covered by rough. Disappointing work done by the PD, but they claim it is still a work in progress.
Update 5/27/2014: No updates to design since new path was installed. Tees are rutted out and passable on dry days. Tee signs are mostly worn away. Long tees are not groomed. Rough is rough.
A lot of wasted potential here, the elevation is great, especially for the area. Concrete tee installation should be priority number one. If some trees were planted along the left side of 1's fairway (and the left side of 4's) it would greatly increase the quality of those two holes. Hole 5 also could use some some trees. Having to battle just the elevation and wind makes for a pretty bland hole.
This could easily be a 4 star course with those changes plus some more housekeeping.
Update 12/8/2012: Course is technically closed for construction on walking trail that winds through the plot of land. A few of the teepads have been negatively affected by this construction. Most of the long tees are completely covered by rough. Disappointing work done by the PD, but they claim it is still a work in progress.
Update 5/27/2014: No updates to design since new path was installed. Tees are rutted out and passable on dry days. Tee signs are mostly worn away. Long tees are not groomed. Rough is rough.
A lot of wasted potential here, the elevation is great, especially for the area. Concrete tee installation should be priority number one. If some trees were planted along the left side of 1's fairway (and the left side of 4's) it would greatly increase the quality of those two holes. Hole 5 also could use some some trees. Having to battle just the elevation and wind makes for a pretty bland hole.
This could easily be a 4 star course with those changes plus some more housekeeping.
7
2
TheForehandFlickster
Experience:
1 played
1 reviews
The West Sheezy Classic 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 25, 2012
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
This is one of the better courses that I have ever played. I thoroughly enjoy the creative use of the landscape. The rolling hills allows for fun elevation shots, whether you're shooting uphill or downhill. The forestry allows for some tight shots, and because the forest is NOT very thick, it is easy to find your disc if you miss your target. Yet, what I have found to be the best feature of this course is that virtually every hole, except (8,12,16,17), is an ace-able shot with average distances of 250-375 feet.
Cons:
Overall, I believe that it is difficult to find any true cons with this course; especially since the more I've played it, the more I've come to appreciate all the subtleties that the course has to offer. However, there are some important factors to note before one may partake in playing this course. First, all the tee's on this course are made out of dirt, which means that if there is any rain, the tee's practically become sloppy mud pits. Second, the wind will play a factor in your throws especially if you are NOT a power-thrower. Since there are several wide-open holes (1,4-6,8,12,16-18) if there is any high velocity wind, you will have a difficult time controlling your disc. Third, some of the holes in the back of this course (9-11) utilize marshy swamps as hazards that can easily swallow your disc if thrown improperly. *Warning, if you lose your disc on hole 9 to the left of the tee and it lands in the swamp, the depth of the water can reach as high as 2-1/2 to 3 feet deep. Forth, be aware of the wildlife, while you may see a deer, there are also plenty of garden snakes and ticks that run rampant on this course.
Other Thoughts:
Having visited many different courses in several different states, I have found Kress Creek Farms to be one of the most elite courses that I have ever played. The different and creative holes throughout the course allow you to test all the different throws that a disc golf enthusiast will encounter. This ranges from power-throws, finesse -throws, hyzer-throws, and anhyzer-throws. I truly recommend this course to any and all disc golfers, from the novice to experts, I believe everyone will find something to enjoy with this great course. *I recommend playing this course in the spring and early summer; because during the late summer and fall, the tall grass can grow quite high, which in turn will act as more potential hazards to lose your disc.
9
1
Three Putt
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
29.4 years
152 played
127 reviews
2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Oct 30, 2011
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
When I pulled into the parking lot I could see the baskets for #5, #17 & #18 sitting out in the wide open and thought "Oh, God...somebody made Fairfield South!" It's not exactly a fair comparison, as I found this to be better course overall. Holes #4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12,17 & 18 are pretty wide open. The rest of the holes varied from lightly to moderately wooded. There are three tees on most holes with the tee posts at the white tees and most of the red and blue tees had stakes sticking up so they could be found. There were small hole maps on the tee posts. The site had good elevation changes for the area. There were some holes that had healthy distances for you to air one out. There was a nice combination of distances on the shots. The baskets had tape directing you to the next basket, and the course was fairly easy to follow. Two tees that had a long distance from the last basket had directional signs to help you find your way.
Cons:
The major downside was the dirt tees. It rained the day before I played there, and I slipped and slid all over. They were in very poor shape after a rain.
There were at least two tees on every hole and three tees on most holes, but other than hole #11 they didn't really do much other than make the hole longer.
The tee for hole #5 was a long, long way from the basket for # 4, and there wasn't anything over there that would force the long walk. That could have been re-worked to reduce that long walk.
Not really a con, but a huge tree fell down around the basket for #13. The first time I played it I couldn't find the basket, and the rest of the time the hole seemed pretty gimmicky. I'm not sure if the tree fell before or after the basket was placed there, so the tree might be removed.
Because so much of the course is open, the course design doesn't really force you to use a variety of shots. It's a cool place to air out a long drive, but it's not going to be huge test of your skills.
I have not been in the area during a wet spring, but the area between #16 and #17 looked like it might hold water and be swampy during a rainy period. I can't call it a con, just a guess that it might be a problem.
There were at least two tees on every hole and three tees on most holes, but other than hole #11 they didn't really do much other than make the hole longer.
The tee for hole #5 was a long, long way from the basket for # 4, and there wasn't anything over there that would force the long walk. That could have been re-worked to reduce that long walk.
Not really a con, but a huge tree fell down around the basket for #13. The first time I played it I couldn't find the basket, and the rest of the time the hole seemed pretty gimmicky. I'm not sure if the tree fell before or after the basket was placed there, so the tree might be removed.
Because so much of the course is open, the course design doesn't really force you to use a variety of shots. It's a cool place to air out a long drive, but it's not going to be huge test of your skills.
I have not been in the area during a wet spring, but the area between #16 and #17 looked like it might hold water and be swampy during a rainy period. I can't call it a con, just a guess that it might be a problem.
Other Thoughts:
All in all, West Chicago is a very good option if you are in the area. I would rate it as slightly better than Shady Oaks in that general area, and Oswego would be the closest course I would say is clearly better IMO. It's not a destination course by any means, but it's a fun course and a step above what you usually get in Chicagoland.
