- new concrete tees on almost all holes
- rough/fairways have been trimmed WAY back to make this course playable and far less frustrating
- Innova DISCatcher baskets are in good shape
- intense technical challenge as almost all holes are heavily wooded and narrow
- typical park amenities including practice basket, port o potties, ample parking, garbage cans, park benches, and picnic tables
- hole 18 loops around to start nicely
- a few open field holes mixed in for variety
- new wood chips on most fairway/path areas
- build in bridges/walkways for muddier areas
- hole numbers on baskets

- tee signs could be better, containing the most basic maps and hole info
- many will consider the fairways too tight and unrealistic, even with the cleanup efforts
- some may feel the holes are too short, although the tight fairways make up for this
- very flat
- navigation can get a little confusing; more next tee signs needed
- traversals on walking path are numerous, plus some safety hazards
- a few tee signs are missing from their posts
- mosquitoes can be very thick
- older rubber tees on a few holes are definitely inferior

Summit Park is one of the few courses within about half an hour from my house that I hadn't played yet. This was intentional, as for years I saw reviews describing insane rough, unrealistically overgrown fairways, and "mosquito hell." It sounded like such a frustrating course to play, I never ventured out, and drove to courses much further away.

Recently, a ton of work has been done to cut back the rough and clean up the fairways, as well as install concrete tees which has been done on almost every hold but appears to be ongoing. The fairways are still crazy tight, and the mosquitos are still there, but if you don't mind precision shot selection, this is a fun course in its current state. By all accounts, this is about the best it's ever looked.

The course is very flat, but hey, it's Illinois. This is made up for with some intense technical challenge. Pars are a bit over the top forgiving, as I shouldn't be recording multiple eagles in 18 holes, but this helps make up for the tight fairways and numerous trees you will contact, I guess. This course is definitely playable, but challenging to keep it on the fairway. Thankfully, finding discs is not difficult in the current state.

Holes are generally short but most of my birdies were due to overly generous pars - I only had one 2. The par 4 and 5s are presumably there because on many holes, getting to the basket in one shot is almost impossible. In particular, holes 9 and 10 curve one way and then back the other in a way that you just won't get your disc to fly with any speed/distance behind it. Maybe if you were piloting a drone instead!

All that said, I had fun here and I think if you treat this course for what it is, you can too. Some of the navigation was confusing and next tee signs are definitely needed, as there are a few long walks between holes on the walking path, and I had to use the course map on DGCR several times. There are virtually no "wide open" holes on this course; 14 and 16 are out in the open at first but both finish back in the woods. Hole 15 does more or less play out in the open but that's it.

I don't know if I've ever seen a course with such a varied review score collection - just about every score except a perfect 5.0 (which would be ridiculous, cmon) has been given to this course. It is clearly polarizing, many love it, many hate it. I came down in the middle - in it's current state, it's very playable and while pushing it on the tightness side, I think it's a fun round if finesse is your game. I can see how if it got overgrown it would be a nightmare, however.

If you're nearby, I recommend checking it out and giving it a chance. There are better courses around but Summit Park has become a respectable course.

Extremely challenging.

Tee pads are complete garbage, some of them fill up with water and mud and are not usable much of the time.Fairways and grass is not maintained and is overgrown in the summer.

This is one of my absolute favorite courses in the area, because it's the most challenging in terms of really tight fairways. Don't expect a relaxing disc golf experience, this is a place to go if you want to improve. I really can't say enough positive things about what playing here has done for my game. Most of the holes are somewhat short, but I find myself slowing down and focusing on timing and accuracy in a way that has even helped my longer game. It also takes some creativity to reach some of the baskets, which has forced me to be more creative on other courses as well.I should add the caveat that I have only played this in the fall and winter, I imagine it gets more overgrown in the summer.Update: I still love this course, but now that I've played it over the summer I have to decrease the rating. It's just not maintained. Plant growth means the fairways get even tighter and the ceilings lower, but you can't play a skip because the grass that covers some fairways isn't mowed. On many of the holes you feel like you're scrambling off the teepad. This makes 2's and even 3's on some holes very rewarding, and you learn a lot about scrambling, but I don't think I'm going to come back here until the fall. It's a shame because a little maintenance, even just once every couple years, would make this course incredible.

Great baskets including a practice basket by hole 1.

This place is not trafficked at all, I haven't seen another golfer on the course yet, there is a walking path that snakes around and through the course so you'll see people, but they are never in the way.

Really good for getting better at hitting insanely tight lines. The pars are mostly fair although you have to throw a perfect shot to get through the initial gap a lot of the time. But you aren't throwing far so if you can hit the initial gaps you should get par. I suggest just bringing a single putter and after you throw your drive go chase after your disc.

Also you will not hit all of the gaps, you will end up in the rough sometimes so you learn some outs from tricky situations. Doing forehand rollers/thumber grip rollers will be helpful.

Also birdies here feel amazing on all par 3s and some par 4s.

I feel like this has already improved my accuracy, both my release point and ability to keep a disc on a line have improved and I've only played about 4 rounds.

You will want a decent forehand for hitting tight gaps too, so this course will help you with that.

If it is rainy out and you think it will be muddy a lot of the teepads will be so slick that you can't really use them.

It is not easy to find all of the tees your first time through the course. Take a picture of the map and really think as you are navigating, I had a few hiccups finding holes, but with the map it ended up working out. Ive been to courses that were harder to navigate since they don't give you a map at hole 1 like this course.

If you don't hit the line pretty perfectly you will generally end up in the rough which is unforgiving and sometimes it can be hard to find your disc and it sucks climbing through the thick trees and bushes and then throwing from them.

It gets dark really quick when night comes since it is so dense so you can be in the middle of a round and find that you can barely see what you are doing. Easy to lose discs at that point.

Lots of spider webs you will be walking through to get your discs. I walked into one at face level, flipped out a bit and my glasses flew off (I have crappy glasses) and it was dark and I spent 10 minutes just looking on the ground for my glasses. Lots of other bugs like mosquitos too although I don't think I am getting bit too bad since the river is low (playing in August).

90% wooded tight lines off the drive, only a few shots where you have a little wiggle room.

Not beginner friendly even with short distances due to tight lines.

I hit the cage on hole 1 on the first hole on my first throw ever at this course and have become addicted since then. I play solo a lot so it is great practice for me and if im keeping my discs in the fairway it is a quick round since there is no waiting and the holes are short, plus I just use a single putter.

I definitely plan to continue going here while I feel that it is improving my ability to hit lines. It is helping me add major consistency since I have to be so accurate and careful with every drive, it is not about power, just about accuracy.

I don't recommend this course for people who dislike super tight lines or only like courses with longer holes. The holes are short and I think of it as a practice course. It is not a destination course. It is one of the only courses I can get to after work though.

I give it 3 stars because of how satisfying it is to play well here and because it is improving my game, plus it requires a variety of shots and angles even though the distances are small. It is a soft 3 though since it could use maintenance.

-Nice rubber tees
-risk reward course, the holes were short but very challenging. You would expect to play alot under negative if you look at the hole lengths and the pars, however, you would be suprised how many times you are happy to get a par on a par 4.
-even though its very challenging because of trees the short distance still makes it possible to have a good day.
-birdies are possible on most holes but also unlikely on most holes
-decent flow from hole to hole
-On holes 7,8, and 9 even though you throw along some water there are logs that help you get accross

-When you get into the trees you might spend a couple throws getting out because the woods are quite dense
-the course can be very challenging and frusturating because of the trees
-there are alot of holes that are very similar dog legs to the left so the course can get a little boring
-not a good mixture of holes, it would be nice to see holes that have a little more distance
-the air at this part smelt pretty bad most of the course

Overall I liked the course. It definatly had its weaknesses but there were alot of things to love about it. It is a different style of play from most courses and thats why it would be worth returning to.

Course will test your short game/ line shaping abilities to the limit.
You will not find a course anywhere with this short footage, that will still have you saving threes and sometimes fours on holes.
Despite being right next door to the mini golf and pool area, as well as a walking path; this course allows for a nice, secluded feel; due to the denseness of the woods.
As mentioned in other reviews; overhand shots largely negated by foliage. If offered; I would throw tomajunk on many of these types of holes. However, at Summit, this option is largely not offered...and I am proficient at nearly all levels of shots of this type...they're simply not available.
Even when you can find a path through the woods; the finishing lines here; force something that discs just don't normally do. I found this very interesting; and again, will point out that for holes of this length; this style is an ingenious way of keeping scoring realistic. I ended over par and was best in my group of three. I would bet that most players, would have a difficult time scoring under 50% of the time.
Signs basic, but show route and length.
Amount of trees in the fairways here; should allow for vandals to break many trees and still have extremely narrow fairways. I know this sounds kind of crazy, but is one thing designers must contend with....
Activities available for other members of the family in the mini golf area (mini ball golf/not disc). Good amount of people present there, even at closing time (we played very late in the day and finished in the dark).

Rubber mat tees were very slick on our visit. I have come to the conclusion that this type of tee is one of the worst out there; and footing from tee is not a big deal in my book...but, for those that require plant foot perfection; you will not be happy here, if it's wet at all.
All of the pros could be placed in the con section. I happen to find this style of course to be quite refreshing; Summit is a very unique course; but many will find it to be extremely luck based. There are no clear lines on many fairways; a lot of poke and hope....(I personally think this brings the "can you keep your attitude in check" factor into course design; but that's a preference of mine)
A couple of very scary holes; due to creek/sewer line on the right; are very rhbh bias (#7 and #8). Tough to find fairway as a right hander; lefties would be less than thrilled....These are not the only ones; the course in rhbh bias is general. I would easily see lhbh players down grading this one by .5; for this alone.
A couple other holes with pond (sewer?) in play, again favor rhbh. I went in on one with the reeds and was able to get my disc back, as it was near the edge, but that water was pretty gross. Another member of my crew lost one in their with a grip lock throw....
Some navigational issues. You won't get hopelessly lost; but we did take the wrong direction a couple of times and had to back track to find our way.

This course falls into the top ten bizarre courses I've ever played. It's not in the top five; but it is a strange course; forcing very interesting shots. I liked it, primarily for this reason. Overall rating will probably remain low; due to most feeling there is a large "luck" factor, and the rhbh bias. However, if you want to play something different than the norm, and see how to make a course with very short footage, function well regarding scoring; this is a place to hit. I believe, that were I a local, I would find myself here fairly often (may depend how often I was losing plastic in the gross water).
The rhbh bias really does bother me; and almost makes it a 2.5.

This course has a LOT of technical shot required. It also has some very interesting shots that really make you think before you throw. Definitely a risk and reward course for sure. And I love wooded courses...

First timer navigation problems and some directional arrows would be a nice touch. Some of the brush can be thick. And the water in the area (which isn't much) is just nasty. And yes my putter went in....

All in all, this course was fun. I would definitely play this course again. Im just a big fan of tight technical disc golf sometimes. And risk and reward courses in general.
This course is NOT about super hucks or long bomber shots. Don't make a move on coming out here if you wanna throw bombs.. Its just not that style of course.....The only holes I seemed to have continued difficulty with were Holes 7 & 10. Both were tough for me but not impossible..

- Extremely technical, mostly wooded course. All but a handful of holes are a clinic in missing trees and shaping lines. Tight doglegs and some s-shaped fairways make some holes almost laughable.
- Left, right, and straight mix in individual holes at times. Low tree canopy usually negates any overhand shots.
- A few holes by a narrow stretch of open land offer blind shots from the forest and back into the forest. RHBH hyzers or similar is a must on these holes by a sewer/creek, which is a huge risk for a decent reward.

- The sewer/creek is some nasty business. It's OK to land over it, as there are some logs to cross over, but I would not want to fish a disc out of there. If I couldn't see it, forget it.
- The open holes, five of them at least, all need a shot that fades left. Even for a RHBH player like me it gets a little repetitive.
- Walking path is present, but is mostly not a factor. Soccer fields also near to a hole, a bad shot could wander pretty close.
- Hard to navigate. Check map out, especially the 17 to 18 walk.

- The wooded portions of this course are some of the most intense I have ever seen. Almost to the point of being ridiculous at times. And that's what bumps my rating up to 3. I could see how some people might hate this course for that very reason, up to you.
- Bug spray a must in the warmer months.
- Supposedly a "pro shop" in the mini golf office, never been in there, not sure when/if it is open.

Nice and long challenging holes, some tight and some open. There is a little water. I had a great time and a high score at this course. This is not the typical Chicago pitch and put.

sort of dumpy, garbage around. Sort of swampy

Play it if you are in town.

Extremely challenging course that tests your ability not only to throw straight as an arrow but also having the precision to thread a whole lotta needles. Not too many newbies or kids. One of the few courses around this area. This is a place I come to learn new shots; tomahawks, rollers, thumbers, etc...If you're in Chicago on vacation or business this is a must play if you're using Midway Airport, its about ten minutes away. All in all this is one of the most challenging courses in Chicagoland and I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves wooded courses.

Most of the left-fading fairways are very similar. Caters to right-handed backhand throwers. Leftys and sidearms may never play this course twice, but a left-handed sidearm thrower might enjoy it. The trees in the middle of each fairway are very dense and present extremely grueling obstacles and challenges. Holes 1, 9, 12, and 14 require just as much luck as skill with the trees involved. It does occasionally reak in this part of town but you get used to it after 10 minutes. Creek along west side of the course appears to contain sewage! Study the map hard! Drawing a little one for yourself is good for your first time out.

The locals here are way better than they're aware of because there isn't much around summit as far as disc golf goes. The challenge of this place is something you take home with you! Truely a course that is one of a kind.