Northwood Blue is a pretty fantastic course. It has two sets of concrete tees on many holes, and there is good signage. A comprehensive map of the blue and black courses is posted next to the practice baskets. Front and back nines converge near the parking lot so you can visit the car mid way if necessary. The layout is not too hard to follow.

The terrain features fairly heavy woods on the majority of holes, and moderate elevation changes on a few. Hole 5 does have a crooked gooseneck turn halfway followed by good size drop down hill toward a basket placed near the edge of a stream. It was my favorite hole after one round, and a tough test of placement.

Several holes have corridors lined with trees on either side. They're wide enough to be manageable and they rarely pinch down into a narrow window. There is a flat grassy section that is a bit more open starting the back nine. It has a good number of mature trees to dictate flight paths and create a bit of a ceiling in spots. 16 and 18 also have enough open air to allow an attempt at a big throw. I liked the elevated tee on the last hole that crosses a stream right away.

It is a challenging course, especially from the long tees. You will have birdie opportunities if you take advantage of the shorter holes and play with controlled well placed shots consistently.

I can't nitpick too much on this one. It makes great use of the land. The super flat more open portion on holes 10 to 13 is kind of a lull compared to the rest, but uses what is there to make holes that are still good.

Northwood is a great destination for and serious disc golfer. I only played the Blue course and it was terrific. If you need a step up, there is the ultra lengthy Black course onset as well. I wasn't brave enough to take it one on since I had played two other nearby courses that day, and did not want to blow out my arm or risk lost time searching for discs in the heavy carpet of fallen November leaves.

I only managed to make one birdie, and if you added all of my par holes to that they're still in the minority. I was 14 over with a 72. I enjoyed it all the same and would recommend a trip if you have the chance. I will likely return at some point to check out the Black course and see if I can maintain a score under triple digits.

-- Excellent use of the land: water, trees and elevation. This is a wooded course, so there is no big body of water for a giant water carry, but a creek borders many holes and crosses some fairways.
-- Excellent distance variation: From the shorts, three holes are less than 250 feet and four are longer than 400 (two longer than 600). From the long tees, one hole is shorter than 250 and six are longer than 400 feet.
-- Two concrete tee pads on eight holes, all plenty big and with nice grip.
-- Decent navigation with next tee signs to help. One exception is noted below.
-- Doesn't favor one throwing style (RHBH, etc.).
-- Excellent baskets with orange bands to help with visibility.
-- Tee signs are excellent. Big enough to help you see from a distance as you approach. They include a nice map of the hole shape, locations of each tee, distances from both tees and pars from each.
-- Signature holes abound: Hole 5 (419 feet) requires good placement off the tee before a shot through a tree-lined gap down into a big ravine to the basket with water on three sides and thick brush on the other. Don't go straight down the ravine to the basket; there is a path to the right, but it is not obvious. Hole 11 (603) feet is much more open but has a low ceiling and still has trees. The final hole of the course is the longest (660 feet) and has an initial gap over the OB creek. Though it plays mostly open after the drive, more OB on the right side of the pine-tree lined fairway comes into play as you go uphill to the basket.
-- Creek crossings all have nice sturdy bridges.

-- The Blue and Black courses cross some, so there can be some minor confusion (and added congestion).
-- Not cart friendly. The bridges help, but you've still got steep hills and some narrow paths. If it has rained recently, those hills are going to be treacherous.
-- Disc loss potential is high. Long throws, often blind to the basket, combined with some thick rough and ravines mean you will likely spend a lot of time looking for discs.

-- There are a few long walks (including parking to No. 1, depending on your parking lot) that combined with the length of the holes and the up and down nature of the terrain make this physically demanding to traverse.
-- Two great course in the same park. Blue appears to be the easier of the two but was still a huge challenge for this low 800s player.

Concrete pads, tee signs, bright orange Mach X's.
Two layouts with multiple tees on both to cover a wide skill set.
Incredible wooded holes consisting of tight lines, length, elevation, water, and everything in between.
Blue hole 18 is what a finishing hole should be.

Punishing rough, multiple drop offs where discs are never to be found again.
Muddy and slick after rain.

With much deliberation, Northwood is the lone Peoria area course I have given a 4.5 rating.
Its masterful use of the landscape, iconic holes, balance of challenge and fun are indeed phenomenal.
While once standing as a peer to McNaughton as the area's toughest course, the work put into this course over the last few years has been astounding and worthy of the next level of rating
The original hole 5 (now Blue 5) was once the iconic hole that showcased how disc golf holes can be carved out of the dense rolling hills is now usurped by multiple holes of unimaginably higher caliber.
With the original layout nearly restored as the Blue layout alongside the vaunted Black layout (plus multiple tees on most holes), it is truly approachable and enjoyable for all skill levels.
Find your way down the country roads between the Central Illinois towns of Washington and Morton and play this highly touted gem of a course.

To start off with. WOW. I was expecting a challenging course but this was so much harder and tiring than I expected. In the good way though. There are 2 tee pads on most of the holes I'd say. Some could even have 3 but I assume these are from an older layout and they're not shown on the signs. The pads themselves are in excellent condition and are level and grip well. The flow from hole to hole is very easy to follow. I never got lost once on my first time through. There's next tee signs where needed but it's pretty straightforward to find the next tee. The baskets are Mach X's that are all in great shape and catch fantastically. These are some of my favorite pins out there. The tops and cages are a bright orange which stands out really nice against a green backdrop. The tee signs here are, again, top notch. These are plenty big enough with a nice map of the hole shape, locations of each tee, distances from both tees and pars from each. All the info you'd need. The big orange circle around the hole number makes spotting them from a distance pretty easy. There is every type of shot required here. There are left turning, right turning, uphill, downhill. Downhill then back uphill? You name it they probably have it here. There are even 2 holes over 1000 feet. The distances are all over the place. No 2 holes really feel the same except maybe 7 through 10. These are more open park style holes. Hole 9 is 600 some feet though, I believe it was, and they all have some trees in the fairway to contend with. Great design here. There are numerous places where the creek winds through. Every hole that it does there are some steps or bridges to get you over to the other side. And I mean REALLY nice bridges. The course is in a very secluded area, therefore it's very quiet and serene. About the only thing you'll hear is other disc golfers. The course was in fantastic shape and everything was mowed to perfection. There are actually 3 additional holes that appear to be the old 1-3 with yellow Machs which we played first and are kind of a nice warm up for the new layout.

The number one thing about this course is that it's NOT for beginners. This is a pro level course even from the short tees. This course will challenge even experienced amateur players. This isn't a con at all but expect a couple hours to finish a round and expect a workout. It's a very challenging course. The rough can get pretty thick in spots making losing a disc very possible. There are also numerous drop offs right off or even in the middle of fairways. Very treacherous walking down and up these. Again not really a con per se but worth mentioning. This is what makes this course such a challenge. Just know this going in, that's all.

This would seem to be the destination course in the Peoria area. I haven't played them all but I can't imagine there's anything as beautiful and challenging as this place. This course is definitely worth a stop if you're anywhere near here. It's an absolute gem of a course. Pair it with an of number of other nearby courses and you're in for a great day of disc golf. Must play for sure.

Nice Tee pads
Nice baskets, bright orange easy to see in all the woods
Nice tight woods shots
Some more open, but still technical
Some long and low ceiling holes
Very Clean Course
Nice Park
Ample Parking
Not busy, sort of secluded
Lot's of elevation changes
First 4 holes are tight wooded holes
All holes are hard but fair
18 is a long bomb, but not just wide open and fun

None, only minor tweak would be walk from 18 tee pad to field where thrown you have to walk around on the road, but very minor knit

Great course will be back for sure when in town

Nothing to say that hasn't been said already. I absolutely love this course. Challenging, fair and fun. Course gives you a little bit of everything, tight wooded holes with narrow gaps, to open bombers, low ceiling technical shots, you name it, it's probably there.

I really can not think of any.

If you are in the area, you have to play this course.

And in case you didn't know, the course is being updated later this summer in preparation for hosting Pro Worlds in 2019.

Great course, good mix of woods and open areas. I like the baskets. Front 9 could be the best I have played. Everyone says hole 18 is the signature hole, but I would have to disagree. HOLE 5 IS A BEAST.

Holes 10-14 are a little crowded.

Awesome course!!!!!

- Located close to the interstate, in a nearly dedicated park for disc golf. There are some playgrounds and pavilions near the start, but out the way. The only other conflicts are some hiking trails, some of which coincide with a few paths between holes.
- Two tees for most holes. Some of the long tees are dirt, however, marked with two blue pavers. They'd be pretty difficult though.
- Tee signs are minimal, but do the job. Just tee positions and arrows indicating the line.
- Wonderful elevation used on parts of the course. (3, 5, 9, 17, 18)
- #1, talk about a starting hole! Warm up putting, and then bring your A game right away. Very tight window from either tee.
- #3, a nice blind uphill. Just trying to get through the trees and up to the top of the little hill for a shot at the basket.
- #5 is one of the couple signature holes on the course. To be honest, it is probably one of the most memorable, signature holes on any course in central Illinois. It plays first across a small gully, which hosts an 8 ft wide gap on the other side, probably 60 feet in front of you. Clear that gap and get yourself on top of the next hill and into a clearing. From there, you shoot down into the ravine, hoping to land on the 15 foot deep peninsula that hosts the pin. I remember my first time ever playing this hole, and feeling it was too difficult and unfair. Years later, with a slightly more refined game, I partially recant that position. Difficult and a challenge, yes. Unfair, no.
- #8, just approaching this hole is chilling. It almost looks like a tunnel or portal to somewhere. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe type of stuff. 300 feet long, 20 feet wide the whole way. Blue paver-marked tee is another 100 feet back, making the hole even more difficult. Pretty demanding for just a straight hole.
- I had not yet played the course with some of the more recent changes. I'm a big fan of losing the old #16, and adding the new #17.
- #9, new to me, and a very nice addition to the course. Definitely an upgrade. Shoots over a small hollow, but a deceivingly long hole.
- #17, also new to me on this course. You just stand on the tee pad, wondering how in the heck you're going to make a three. Tight windows and some rolling hills with small watershed channels carved deep into the earth. Only 330 feet, but uphill, and ending in a relatively wide open clearing.
- #18, also a very memorable hole, from a bluff shooting through a window over a small creek, and out into a wide open fairway. Once you've landed in the fairway though, you've still got your work cut out for you, throwing a few more shots uphill to reach the pin. I think that window has gotten smaller since the last time I played, but still very manageable. (Which doesn't mean I still didn't hit a tree and have to retrieve a disc from the creek bank...because I did.)

- Underneath some of the baskets is worn down, especially on some hillsides.
- There is some graffiti on some of the baskets and signs.
- No benches on the course, although there are some stumps here and there. Doesn't bother me a ton, but I did notice a lack of them.
- Getting down into the ravine on #5 can be a little dicey, especially when wet. There is a long way around if you keep walking straight through the fairway, which isn't entirely obvious. At least, until you get to the bottom and realize, "Oh, well I could have just come down that way." Some recessed wooden stairs would certainly take this hole up a notch. There are some nice small foot bridges at the bottom.
- Did not locate the short tee that was listed on #6's sign, but it may have just been a paver-marked dirt tee that was covered in leaves.

- #10 through #14 are just fine holes, but not particularly memorable. They do require different shots, and vary in length, which keeps them viable. Some low ceilings increase their difficulty, for sure. Some of these are new, or have been revamped. All for the better. #13 is deceivingly long.
- This course is straight up fun to play. I did not score well on my most recent visit...and kind of hardly even noticed, if that's possible. Enjoyed the grandeur of the course that much.
- Some upkeep and additional amenities could really push this course to the absolute, ultimate level. My initial thought is to score this a 4.25. However, I find it a step above McNaughton and Lake Eureka which I rated 4.0. Also, two finishing holes like 17 and 18 really leave you with a good taste in your mouth, almost unlike any other course I've played. So a 4.5 it is!

**Northwood Park in Morton, IL. is a beautiful, secluded dual-use park with Disc Golf and walking trails which rarely if ever conflict with each other.
**The course flows well, even better since the recent (5/2012) redesign.
**You have to be able to throw straight and do some line shaping to score well here... there are quite a few straight shots, quite a few anhyzers to go along with a few hyzers.
**A good mix of wooded tight Holes, Open Holes and several in between
**Restrooms and a nice pavilion on site, always a plus...
**Close to Wal-Mart and fast food if you need it.

**HOLE #5...One of the crazy-toughest holes I've ever played. I've seen everything from deuces to Snowmen on this hole, there's really only 1 legitimate route to take if you're going to try to get all the way down to the basket (which is surrounded by an "unforgiving" 20ft island green with a creek around it) in 1 throw for a look at a deuce, miss that line and...there's some pretty brutal rough and gullies waiting if you get too far off of the fairway. Easily one of the most unique holes in the state...

**HOLE #17...Is a make or break hole in your round, hit the gap and you're looking at a 2 or 3. Miss the gap...an you're looking at a couple of extra strokes if not more...GOOD LUCK

**HOLE #18... is a GREAT finishing Hole...A 660ft dogleg right teeing from a 40ft elevated tee through an ample hole in the trees to a large fairway landing area. You've got to bomb that first shot out to 400+ to get a good look at an upshot to the basket.

**This has always been one of my favourite courses in the area.
The original course designer Greg Nettles just did some revamping. 4 brand new holes and a simple redesign of Hole 1...
**Hole 1 which is much improved from the Poke-And-Hope hole that it used to be...the tee has been pulled straight back 75-100ft from where it used to be. It is now a tight 300ish tunnel shot with the basket tucked off of the fairway to the right on the edge of the fairly steep hill that the basket used to be at the bottom of.
**Hole 9 is a tight 350ish anhyzer shot over a small gully.
**Hole 10 is a 300ish anhyzer shot full of trees to avoid.
**Hole 13 is a 603ft shot right down the middle of the orchard section with 2 large trees to avoid at about 250-300ft.
**Hole 17 is a tight, tough uphill 320ish straight shot over a 5-6ft deep creek and all kinds of trees to avoid.

Really not very many...
Could use some wood chips around the practice Basket, and, most of the other baskets as well, gets pretty muddy after a rain.

As far as OPs comments about the parking for winter play...
most people drive around to the back side of the course by turning right on Lakeland Avenue, the last right before you get to the course, follow the road around and turn left into the Hirstein Cemetary, there's a gate in the fence so that you can start on Hole #8 and finish right there on Hole #7.

**Lots of other great courses nearby:
1) Eureka Lake Park - Eureka, IL. Yet another GREAT Greg Nettles design (you won't be disappointed here either)
2) McNaughton Park - Pekin, IL. They call it McNasty for good reason. A tough championship level course with McNasty Rough ! ! !
3) Bradley Park - Peoria, IL. One of the old guard courses. Has stood the test of time...

**I can't give this course a 5 because, I don't think there is really a "perfect" course, but, this is about as close as it gets IMHO...

* Nice concrete tees
* Great layout. This course flows very nicely, and combines wooded shots, open shots, elevation, and water.
* Very clean course
* Secluded area that makes you feel like you're "getting away to play"
* Holes 1-3 are a fun way to get the course started with elevation changes in the woods.
* Hole 5 is breathtaking! Getting a 3 on hole 5 is not an easy task.
* Hole 8 is a challenging 300ft. tunnel shot through the woods... very cool!
* Hole 17 is a bomb of a shot with the alternate pin placement on the back side of the large hill. Though a large fairway makes this hole manageable.
* Hole 18 is a stunner! 600+ft. shot from an elevated tee through a wooded area over a creek, opening up to a huge fairway! And you still ahve 2 shots before you're within putting distance!

* Parking in the winter monts is inconvenient. You have to park at the park entrance. This is where hole 18 is located, so we typically play 18 first and finish up on hole 17, thus reducing the walk from 18's basket all the way back to the parking lot.
* Some signs have damage/grafitti. I believe this is due to the fact that the park is secluded, and does not seem to have many park employees or police drive throughs.

This is by far the best course in the central Illinois area if not the entire state. The fact that there are at least 3 other escellent DGC's within a 30 min. (McNaughton, Bradley Park, and Eureka Lake) makes it very easy to play multiple great courses in one outing. This course is definitely worth playing. GREAT COURSE!

After playing this course twice, I've decided to make it my absolute favorite. I have about a bajillion reasons to justify this and here they are:

*Scenic. Absolutely beautiful park with all kinds of elevation and trees.
*Challenging. Every hole (yes even the meadow holes) require you to hit a line. Most of the holes punish bad drives and so disc choice and shot selection are crucial here.
*Hole 18. This is the most beautiful hole I have ever played. Roughly 650 foot bomb down a massive hill. First part of the fairway consists of about 100 ft of moderately wide, but scary tunnel going downhill, severely punishing griplocks and forcing an accurate shot (in my opinion a super mental challenge) Then the valley of the hill bends right up a smaller hill to the hole. OB on the right, trees on the left. Simply beautiful!
*I could write similar raving reviews of most of the holes on this course. Hole 5 is a beast of a hole that is super rewarding if you get a 3
*Although some people complain about the meadow holes, I actually find them some of the most enjoyable, and nervewracking on the course. In order to get a good score here, you MUST deuce these holes, which puts a lot of mental pressure on during the middle of the round.

*Signs are a bit underequipped, not giving a whole lot of information, which was frustrating when I realized there were huge dropoffs next to a few of the fairways.

*Man... this would be one epic course to play from the blue tee markers that they have in place, but I hate playing from natural tees, especially when some of them are covered or obstructed from allowing much of a run-up. If every hole had an awesome pro concrete teepad, it would definitely satisfy some of the reviewers who say that a few of the holes here aren't difficult enough.

This area is great for disc golf, but I find Northwood Park to be more enjoyable round than its neighbors Eurkea and McNaughton (though those are both great courses).

This is a phenomenal course!

Proximity to McNaughton in Pekin makes for a great disc day. WalMart is a mile away for all the last second things. Not sure if they sell discs; forgot to check.

I love practice baskets! Every course needs them!! Nothing worse than schtoinkeling a putt due to lack of practice.

Incredible mix of open and tight shots. The front half of the course is in tight, wooded areas. The middle and end of the course open up. The holes in the middle, especially, appear to be easy because the fairways are well manicured and obstacles appear minimal. Looks are deceiving! These holes can be very difficult if your disc placement is off.

Hole 1 is nearly a blind toss; throwing downhill amongst big trees. Perfect hole for a roller, if you have a good one...

Hole 2 is a tricky, short hole throwing uphill. Basket located 2/3 up the hill. Your putter will slide/roll down far if you're not careful.

Hole 5 is one of my favorite holes ever. Wish there wasn't a Gatorade bottle in the stream or a broken basket. Dang hoodlums!

Hole 18 is confusing if you've never been here before. It's a rough, yet pretty, hole that lets you 'grip n' rip'.

Cement tees are nice. Signage is good. Aside from holes 17 & 18, you won't get lost.

Lots of graffiti. Vandals need to go elsewhere.

Litter is abundant due to lack of garbage cans. My memory isn't the best; can recall garbage cans on holes 8 and 15 or 16. If there was a garbage can on every other hole, litter levels should decrease.

Wish the basket on 5 wasn't broken. That's a great hole.

Anything else is just being nitpicky. This is a phenomenal course! I wish it wasn't over two hours away.

Go here and Pekin. Your arm might fall off later, but it's well worth it. Said it before but this course warrants me being repetitive: This is a phenomenal course!

Good disc golfing here! Bring your A game!!

***Update
Love the new holes, and the bright yellow signs to help with navigation! Thanks! Three years later, the trash is gone, the graffiti mostly removed, and the fairways were well cut back through the woods. Hole #5 is just as good as I remember.

--> Original Review, from 2009
Natural Terrain --- This course design made beautiful use of the natural terrain available. The first couple holes are in the woods, with solid elevation changes and plenty of mature trees in the fairways forcing you to shape your shots... Hole #5 is easily the most beautiful hole that I've ever played on. A long teeshot slightly to the left sets a player up on top of a hill overlooking a winding stream, bridge, and basket out on a bend. *Breathtaking* Other holes take you through what feel almost like an orchard of some kind... tall grass, smallish trees planted almost in straight rows. Hole #14 follows a mound to the right, and holes #16-17 let you really rip it with some nice open holes. Hole # 18 is back up the road to your left, but its >600ft provides an elevated tee, over water, out into an open landing area, a long second shot to an uphill basket right next to the shelter you started at. Again... WONDERFUL use of the varied terrain in this park.

Hole Length --- This course really takes advantage of varied hole length (ranging from <200ft to >600ft).I literally used every single disc in my bag on this course at some point, from the longest of drivers to the most technical of hyzer/anhyzer midrange shots.

Signage --- Basic hole signs at the white tees, were overshadowed by the full map by hole #1 and online map that I printed. Something that I really liked (and appreciated my first time out) was the brick showing "next tee" direction by each basket.

Cement Tees --- These are excellent long, narrow tees on every hole, located at the white tee. The blue / red tees where applicable were painted cinder blocks set into the ground, and I think are meant to simply be grass tees.

Baskets --- Yellow targets were easy to spot for a first timer. They were in good shape, with no rust or other weathering apparent.

***Update:
Dust, dead grass and heat (101 degrees) couldn't take away from the greatness of this course.

--> Original Review, 2009
Mud --- I played when things were mostly frozen, but be ready for plenty of mud in the woods. Steep slopes, streams, and little to no grass will make about 1/3 of the holes downright treacherous after any recent rain.

Trash --- It made me really sad that there was so much trash on this course. There were probably 4-6 trash cans available throughout the course, which were 2/3 full, but there were so many beer cans, and plastic bottles strewn *everywhere* that it made made me wonder who the general player population is on this course. (*note, I have also now committed to carrying a garbage bag for trash with me on all casual rounds... if trash bothers you too, do something about it!)

Sharpie Graffiti --- Now, I'm all for noting Aces and Dates somewhere (I prefer on the bottom of the disc at hand, but could see the potential of an interesting public sharpie board added onto hole signage somewhere in the future...) but the Graffiti on this course went well past this type to include plenty of pot leaf drawings, "XYZ loves BCD" (and the seemingly requisite profanity or lewd comment that joined it soon after) or random other comments on *most* signs and baskets,... It seems that our artists got tired of their own voices partway through, because the back nine was noticeably cleaner.

Baskets --- A couple of baskets are in need of some repair work. One loose/leaning basket, and a chain single hanging down unattached, were the most noticeable.

Overall, the cons I felt were completely cosmetic... the play and course design were awesome! If I get to play this course again, and the trash is cleaned up, it will get a 4.0 or 4.5. ***Update...changed the review score!

***Thanks for the invite back to play from Cobra165... I had a great time at this course!

(my first written review)

This course was basically within sight of the Highway Exit, and the directions from DGCR were spot on. After playing on only my local courses for so long, it felt strange to pull off the highway, drive out into the farmland and basically stumble upon this absolute *gem* of a course.

I was forced to park at the south lot, and walk up hole #18 to get to the main lot and shelter due (I think) to it being rather off season when I played (Feb-28).

Looking at the course map, I was a little mystified about the layout of holes 6-7-8... why play 7, and then walk back up the hole to #8 tee? ... however, I realized immediately upon walking up to 7 tee that the layout is set that way to force all players to throw *away* from the cemetery located outside that corner of the park. It felt very respectfully laid out when walking through it... strong cudos to the designer of the course for that fact. More people should be as considerate.

I liked this course enough that I would drive from Indianapolis to play this course again if there were a 36/54/72 hole tournament over a weekend..