- nice DISCatcher baskets in good shape
- well incorporated mature tree obstacles
- area mostly devoted to disc golf
- no major safety hazards
- some minor amenities like picnic tables and garbage cans
- fairly picturesque setting in well maintained park along Rock River
- next tee markers on baskets helpful with elevation
- hole numbers on baskets also helpful
- ample parking

- funky turf/carpet style tees are not the best
- very short, which may be a con for some people
- almost entirely flat
- ideally would incorporate adjacent land to make a more interesting course
- no real tee signs

First review for Shorewood Park! I may be a bit biased here, having recorded my first Ace on this course after 18 years of suffering. But enough about me - I don't think this affected my review.

Shorewood Park is a reasonably fun 9 hole course though there is nothing overwhelmingly unique about it. As is typical for Illinois, it is very flat. However, the park is in good shape, with ample parking and seating, and nice mature tree obstacles throughout. Some line shaping is forced, but this course is still easy enough for beginners to enjoy.

I suspect one of the main cons would be the length - most holes are under 200'. If you know this going in, it's a fun pitch and putt and I threw 2 discs at a time and got through in 30 minutes. Mid ranges and putters handle almost everything, with some occasional fairway driver use.

The course is near the Rock River and could be busy during the waterski team season - the stands for this are right behind the course. When I was there midday Friday in April, it was deserted except for a few lurkers in their cars who may have been taking a lunch break or something. Navigation is pretty straightforward - despite the fairways being less defined with all the open space, the next tee indicators on the baskets and the numbered baskets made this pretty easy.

The thick turf sort of tees here were a bit weird, but serviceable. I guess I should have taken some new pictures, as the ones from only 2 years ago don't show any more than wood headers on the ground. Tees like this tend to get uneven over time, but they are in good shape for now. They all have different white/red color patterns - not sure what the significance is. There are no tee signs, but rather a hole number and distance in small print on a piece of wood set in the ground at the head of each tee. Things like this tend to wear poorly over time, so without updates/maintenance these may be pretty hard to see in a few years. The distances are already getting dim.

One thing that killed me was right next to all of this flat open space, there was a more wooded gully with a creek running through it that looked like beautiful DG real estate. It reminds me of a course in Oklahoma where I had the same pain in my mind. I don't know if the park district owns that land, but expanding into it would make for some really neat holes and bring in water hazard and a bit of elevation change. Ah well.

All in all, I had a really fun time here, and obviously the ace was part of it. An intermediate or better player should be able to record a 2 on virtually every hole - I think I was 8 under which is a testament to the course being easy more than my skill. This isn't anything to write home about but it's a respectable course for a quick round. I also saw a large owl feeding its baby a fresh kill so that was cool too.

This certainly won't be a destination but if you're in the Rockford area for Anna Page or another course, I'd drop by here for a fun break.