Pros:
SIU Rec Center is located on a very flat open piece of land. The grounds are mowed and clean like you'd expect on a college campus. Holes 1 thru 5 play on one side of Grand Ave and 6 thru 9 play on the other side. We parked right by Hole #1's tee pad.
The course is located near some dorms and the rec center. It's a very beginner friendly and exposes the game to college kids. There are no places to lose discs.
There are several holes that you can bust out the driver and rip it. Those are the 1st 5 holes. When you cross the street the last 4 have more obstacles to contend with and are shorter.
I printed a map from this site and had no issue navigating it. There are general tee signs. Without a map it might be hard to find hole #2 and crossing the street to #6.
The Mach 1 baskets are in good shape. They are painted Saluki Maroon.
Cons:
The tee pads are natural grass.
There are not enough obstacles to keep this 9 hole course interesting. It'd get boring playing a lot.
There are a few long walks between holes. You have to cross a busy street as well.
Pedesrians, roads, and walking paths come into play. Be careful!
Other Thoughts:
Having the Lake course right down the street is a bonus for SIU students. They are 2 drastically different courses which both offer great practice areas.