Volunteer Park reviews
5
0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
18.8 years
256 played
243 reviews
Did Someone Say Ace Run? 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 3, 2020
Played the course:once
Pros:
- well maintained and mowed
- tee signs are decent, though could be more detailed
- fun for beginners or ace race
- decent baskets in good repair
- course information sign explaining disc golf
- tee signs are decent, though could be more detailed
- fun for beginners or ace race
- decent baskets in good repair
- course information sign explaining disc golf
Cons:
- no tees at all
- very short
- ridiculously generous pars
- only first 2 tee signs have hole distance listed
- not much flow, every shot is wide open
- sometimes challenging to tell which basket is for which hole
- very limited challenge with few obstacles
- no elevation change
- very short
- ridiculously generous pars
- only first 2 tee signs have hole distance listed
- not much flow, every shot is wide open
- sometimes challenging to tell which basket is for which hole
- very limited challenge with few obstacles
- no elevation change
Other Thoughts:
There's nothing inherently wrong with this course, it's just extremely boring. For absolute beginners or for messing around/doing an ace race, this is fine. Even beginners will quickly want a bit more challenge, however.
This course plays around a municipal park and it generally was well maintained. It's nice that they included disc golf, and if I was in the area I might throw around here from time to time, but it would mostly just be to make myself feel good about getting eagles on half the holes. The pars are unbelievably generous - I left with one double eagle, 4 eagles, and 4 birdies... something doesn't fit with my typical game!
The biggest gripe I have here is since it is SO wide open, and the holes are all short and a bit jumbled together, it is sometimes not completely clear which basket is for which hole. Add the fact that there are no tees to give you a sense of direction, and these holes seem too close together. While it appears this park is normally deserted, if a bunch of people were playing I think the risk of hitting someone with a shot would be high.
There are limited obstacles and no elevation change whatsoever. There are lots of ace opportunities and I came close on a couple, but still it eludes me. I won't come back since I don't live nearby, but it's serviceable if you want to get a quick round in on actual baskets.
This course plays around a municipal park and it generally was well maintained. It's nice that they included disc golf, and if I was in the area I might throw around here from time to time, but it would mostly just be to make myself feel good about getting eagles on half the holes. The pars are unbelievably generous - I left with one double eagle, 4 eagles, and 4 birdies... something doesn't fit with my typical game!
The biggest gripe I have here is since it is SO wide open, and the holes are all short and a bit jumbled together, it is sometimes not completely clear which basket is for which hole. Add the fact that there are no tees to give you a sense of direction, and these holes seem too close together. While it appears this park is normally deserted, if a bunch of people were playing I think the risk of hitting someone with a shot would be high.
There are limited obstacles and no elevation change whatsoever. There are lots of ace opportunities and I came close on a couple, but still it eludes me. I won't come back since I don't live nearby, but it's serviceable if you want to get a quick round in on actual baskets.
2
0
[email protected]
Experience:
3 played
1 reviews
Very difficult to find the baskets 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Feb 4, 2019
Played the course:once
Pros:
No one at the park.
Cons:
The signs don't match the course. Very difficult to find the baskets.
Other Thoughts:
Could be fun but there's no course map and the baskets don't match the signs.
6
0
A Love Letter To A Bland 9-Hole 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Aug 13, 2009
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Volunteer Park sits on a 48-acre plot of land between a subdivision, a community college, and farm fields. The park is visible from Weber Rd., but you will have to go through the subdivision to access the park, either from 135th St. or Taylor Road. Volunteer is just under 10 minutes from either I-55 or Rt. 53, though Weber Rd. can get pretty congested between the park and the highway.
In addition to disc golf, this park gets a lot of usage by youth sports thanks to its 3 baseball/softball fields and ~10 soccer fields. At the end of the parking lot, you will find a playground, "splash zone", and a concession stand and bathrooms that are open during games. The park also hosts a skatepark that the disc golf course circles around. Volunteer also sees a lot of usage from walkers and bikers, as it connects to a larger network of trails between Weber Rd. and Rt. 53. As a whole, this park gets a lot of love from the community, and can fill up on gamedays.
The Volunteer Disc Golf course uses the extra land between the skatepark and softball field that isn't dedicated to other park uses. The course start is right next to the skatepark, with hole 1's tee sign being between the skatepark gate and the covered seating area. Each tee area has a sign that has the hole number, a par, and a graphic showing the layout of the hole. The baskets are Mach 3's, and are still holding up well. While there are no actual tees, the grass in the park gets mowed regularly.
Most of the holes on this course sit between 180 and 220 feet. Hole 5 is the bomber on the course at 270 feet, with hole 6 being the shortest at 130 feet. All of the descriptions in the photos on this site by EspressoParonum include distances that are accurate; it seems that most of the signage no longer has these distances. Holes 6 through 9 have some trees that can result in a tough putt if you drive long or too far to a particular side of the fairway. Holes 1 through 5 each had a tree or 2 planted when the course went in to provide an obstacle to throw around, but overall, the course is very open.
Volunteer Park provides a great layout for novice players to learn disc golf on. While more experienced players will find the course to be easy, I think this course is a nice training ground of sorts. For instance, holes 6 and 8 can make for good tests with hitting a landing zone. any shot that doesn't land next to hole 6 will go down the berm that the basket is sat on. The first 5 holes can also provide opportunities to practice shot angles with the trees, where players can practice throwing around either side of the tree to the basket. Novice players in the area can definitely use this course as a good practice course as they work their skills up to be able to handle the 18-holes nearby.
In addition to disc golf, this park gets a lot of usage by youth sports thanks to its 3 baseball/softball fields and ~10 soccer fields. At the end of the parking lot, you will find a playground, "splash zone", and a concession stand and bathrooms that are open during games. The park also hosts a skatepark that the disc golf course circles around. Volunteer also sees a lot of usage from walkers and bikers, as it connects to a larger network of trails between Weber Rd. and Rt. 53. As a whole, this park gets a lot of love from the community, and can fill up on gamedays.
The Volunteer Disc Golf course uses the extra land between the skatepark and softball field that isn't dedicated to other park uses. The course start is right next to the skatepark, with hole 1's tee sign being between the skatepark gate and the covered seating area. Each tee area has a sign that has the hole number, a par, and a graphic showing the layout of the hole. The baskets are Mach 3's, and are still holding up well. While there are no actual tees, the grass in the park gets mowed regularly.
Most of the holes on this course sit between 180 and 220 feet. Hole 5 is the bomber on the course at 270 feet, with hole 6 being the shortest at 130 feet. All of the descriptions in the photos on this site by EspressoParonum include distances that are accurate; it seems that most of the signage no longer has these distances. Holes 6 through 9 have some trees that can result in a tough putt if you drive long or too far to a particular side of the fairway. Holes 1 through 5 each had a tree or 2 planted when the course went in to provide an obstacle to throw around, but overall, the course is very open.
Volunteer Park provides a great layout for novice players to learn disc golf on. While more experienced players will find the course to be easy, I think this course is a nice training ground of sorts. For instance, holes 6 and 8 can make for good tests with hitting a landing zone. any shot that doesn't land next to hole 6 will go down the berm that the basket is sat on. The first 5 holes can also provide opportunities to practice shot angles with the trees, where players can practice throwing around either side of the tree to the basket. Novice players in the area can definitely use this course as a good practice course as they work their skills up to be able to handle the 18-holes nearby.
Cons:
The land this course sits on is relatively small for a 9 hole, so some folks may notice safety issues pretty quickly. I think the most valid one would be the fairway of hole 1 and its proximity to the skatepark. The tee sign suggests going around the left of the tree to stay away from the fence line, but most players will likely prefer the RHBH route between the tree and the fence. It wasn't uncommon for me or my friends to land a disc inside the fence, and I'm sure it's the same case for others. The skatepark also gets some decent use by local skaters and bikers, so take a moment before throwing to see if anyone is in that part of the skatepark, and throw accordingly. The fence will also likely leave black marks on your disc if you hit it.
As for the rest of the course, a lot of the holes do play pretty close to one another. There may be a couple of places where you wonder what basket you should throw to; the answer is likely the closest one. All of the signs face the basket for that hole, so the only place I could see being confusing is hole 2, singe hole 4's basket can be seen in the background.
Since a lot of the holes play close to each other, the fairways almost overlap in some spots. In addition, some tees are right behind the previous basket. On a lot of courses, this would be more of an issue. The nice thing about the openness of this course is that you will be able to easily spot other disc golfers, and will be able to react accordingly to players that are near where you are throwing or vise-versa. This course also does not get a lot of traffic, so it's likely you will have the course to yourself.
The course is a field with next to no shade, so if it's a hot day, you won't have much shade. Luckily, this course is a quick play and can be done in under a half hour, but there is not much protection from the sun if it's a scorcher when you come here.
The tees are all natural, so throw next to the tee sign. Keep in mind that the ground this course is on is seeming to get lumpier with time, so watch your step before you run up.
Some spots in the park can get soggy or have some standing water after a storm. If it rains before your round, be wary of the areas by hole 4 and the basket of hole 6.
With how short this course plays, most players will find a round here to be bland and unchallenging. Anyone that is above a novice level will likely find minimal enjoyment from this course. There are some berms that come into play on some holes, but the berms and the trees do little to increase to the difficulty or replay value of the course.
As for the rest of the course, a lot of the holes do play pretty close to one another. There may be a couple of places where you wonder what basket you should throw to; the answer is likely the closest one. All of the signs face the basket for that hole, so the only place I could see being confusing is hole 2, singe hole 4's basket can be seen in the background.
Since a lot of the holes play close to each other, the fairways almost overlap in some spots. In addition, some tees are right behind the previous basket. On a lot of courses, this would be more of an issue. The nice thing about the openness of this course is that you will be able to easily spot other disc golfers, and will be able to react accordingly to players that are near where you are throwing or vise-versa. This course also does not get a lot of traffic, so it's likely you will have the course to yourself.
The course is a field with next to no shade, so if it's a hot day, you won't have much shade. Luckily, this course is a quick play and can be done in under a half hour, but there is not much protection from the sun if it's a scorcher when you come here.
The tees are all natural, so throw next to the tee sign. Keep in mind that the ground this course is on is seeming to get lumpier with time, so watch your step before you run up.
Some spots in the park can get soggy or have some standing water after a storm. If it rains before your round, be wary of the areas by hole 4 and the basket of hole 6.
With how short this course plays, most players will find a round here to be bland and unchallenging. Anyone that is above a novice level will likely find minimal enjoyment from this course. There are some berms that come into play on some holes, but the berms and the trees do little to increase to the difficulty or replay value of the course.
Other Thoughts:
Volunteer sits in between a number of decent to great disc golf courses in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. You have Knoch Knolls and Eagle Ridge, both decent 18s, to the North and Northwest. You have the excellent Highland Park and classic West Park down in Joliet. You have two old school courses in Community Park and Shorewood Park down I-55. And now you have The Canyons just 5 miles from Volunteer Park, a newer course that seems to be recognized as one of the two best courses in all of the Chicago area. All of these courses are much better options than Volunteer if you are in the area, and many of these courses are great options for newer players who are working on their skillset.
That being said, there should be a place in the disc golf community for courses like Volunteer. Courses like this one are a great place to learn the game and play your first rounds on. As someone who called Romeoville their home for 15 years, my friends and I found this course to be a great place to learn the game, and overtime realize that my Panther or Aviar can reach the pin instead of the Star TeeRex I thought I needed. Courses that are short and have minimal obstacles or water hazards are boring for most, but make for a learning environment that keeps a new player's moral up.
The course may not have intentionally been designed for young or new players, but it clearly serves them more than anyone else. That being said, I am not someone who is above what the tee signs say. I'm proud of my -16 rounds from high school at Volunteer, and I will keep on being proud of them.
As for the rest of you all who are not novice players, there are plenty of other courses you should hit first in the area. if course bagging is important to you, you likely won't want to play this course more than once, but it at least is a quick round that can be paired with other nearby courses for a full day or weekend of golf.
Volunteer - you're a boring course with little to no difficulty. You provide no shade during Chicago Summers. And there's thousands of other courses that are better than you. But gosh darn it, I'll always have a place in my heart for you.
Thanks for everything, you dull 9-hole.
That being said, there should be a place in the disc golf community for courses like Volunteer. Courses like this one are a great place to learn the game and play your first rounds on. As someone who called Romeoville their home for 15 years, my friends and I found this course to be a great place to learn the game, and overtime realize that my Panther or Aviar can reach the pin instead of the Star TeeRex I thought I needed. Courses that are short and have minimal obstacles or water hazards are boring for most, but make for a learning environment that keeps a new player's moral up.
The course may not have intentionally been designed for young or new players, but it clearly serves them more than anyone else. That being said, I am not someone who is above what the tee signs say. I'm proud of my -16 rounds from high school at Volunteer, and I will keep on being proud of them.
As for the rest of you all who are not novice players, there are plenty of other courses you should hit first in the area. if course bagging is important to you, you likely won't want to play this course more than once, but it at least is a quick round that can be paired with other nearby courses for a full day or weekend of golf.
Volunteer - you're a boring course with little to no difficulty. You provide no shade during Chicago Summers. And there's thousands of other courses that are better than you. But gosh darn it, I'll always have a place in my heart for you.
Thanks for everything, you dull 9-hole.
