Carbondale, IL

SIU - Campus Lake

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1.965(based on 14 reviews)
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15 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.2 years 652 played 631 reviews
1.50 star(s)

The Only Game On Campus Now 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 17, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

(1.697 Rating) A basic campus park style niner.
- A COURSE ON CAMPUS - For students that attend Southern Illinois, this is going to be an adequate course. The game play has been tweaked a bit harder from earlier years and now offers a low-end Rec challenge. Birdies can be had and bogeys are possible on horrible shots that also have a bad follow-up approach shot.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Not a perfect beginners course, but not too bad. The course is mainly lightly wooded and has a good mix of par 3 distances. It's hard to lose a disc too. Sure there is fringe water on a couple holes, but there is plenty of bail out space. Very little overgrowth as well.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I scored this category about 45 percentile but decided to include it up here because it's one of the stronger qualities. The grounds are really well maintained which is always a plus. The greenscape was very healthy and vibrant for my July round. The detractors are modest. Lots of man-made features in view through-out the course. No part of the course is fully detached from the built environment. None of the holes have a wow element too them. It's nice, just not glowing.
- QUICK PLAY - I was done in less than twenty minutes. The walk to the course is 5 minutes though, and it's also a 5-minute walk back to the car.

Cons:

A standard small 9 holer with spacing issues.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - I played at the break of dawn and still had to wait several times for walkers. Concrete walking paths are played parallel too, and also thrown over several times. I don't recall any holes that were free of this issue. On (6), play is really close to a large playground area. In addition to these hazards, the layout is rather squeezed together. Fairway definition is either light or non-existent. Discs will find other supposed fairways. Players will need to be aware of their surroundings and be instinctive on when not to throw.
- PAY TO PARK - Visitors will need to park in visitor only parking spots and pay money. I don't recall how much it is, because I rolled the dice on a summer morning on a weekend when no one was around. In addition, tee (1) is a good 500-foot walk to the closest visitor lot.
- AMENITIES AND EXTRAS - The first amenity I saw was an updated course map. A great start that was unfortunately not followed up on in other areas. No practice basket and the baskets on the course are older mach IIIs with a couple other newer model replacements. A couple baskets appear to have taken some hits from lawn equipment. The tees are dirt and were only marked with timber tee edges about half of the time. No extra tees or alt basket placements. I'm pretty sure there was a restroom building a couple hundred feet west of tee (1), but I didn't check to see if it was open.
- NAVIGATION AND SIGNAGE - Passable. The course map as noted above, helps quite a bit. The tee signs are older but generally do the job. A sign is missing on (6), and thus it will be hard to spot on first go around. I personally teed from the wrong area on (6) as I didn't spot the throwing scar till hole (9).
- HOLE VARIETY - Below average overall, but I think it's about average among all the niners I've played. A decent mix of distances from low 200s to upper 400s. There's one par 4 that will require a strategically placed drive to leave a plausible line to attack the basket on the next shot. The holes themselves are generally park style shots with varying tree coverages. There's some mild 10-foot elevation change and some water to be cognizant of on a couple holes.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - A low end rec challenge. Mostly park-style shots that need to weave around a couple trees. Very little technical prowess is required although ripping shots plus 350 will be needed to birdie a couple holes. Overall, I think even par would equate to around an 850 rated round.

Other Thoughts:

The only course on campus now as the old nearby Rec Center course appears to have been fully removed as of this review. Overall, it feels like a 1.75ish course. The hole quality is probably good enough to deserve a 2.0 rating on my ledger, but there are just too many minor flaws bringing it back. The course should work fine for school students and faculty, but that's about it. No reason for cherry pickers to seek this course out unless that they happen to be in town. For baggers that are traveling along I57 like myself, this one will pad the courses played stats for sure. It's only a 30-minute drive from the hotels in Marion that I frequently stay at, and that's how I was able to check this one off. If I were in the area again, I'd replay Blackjack or Pharaoh again well before I'd consider here again.
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2 0
GrizzlyVepunen
Experience: 10.9 years 18 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 16, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-great place to work on new techniques and discs.
-good spot to break in noobs
-Good diversity of shots open to tunnel long and short
-natural tee pads are great for eliminating hand moisture in summer

Cons:

-short
-oblivious people
-natural tee pads get wrecked in bad weather
-parking
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5 0
schimmy
Experience: 17 years 154 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Patience is a virtue 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 3, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course is right in the middle of campus and is easily accessible for the students.

Bathrooms next to hole 1, but only open when the boat docks are open.

Some fun shots near the water make the course more exciting.

Alternate tee locations (unfortunately only the locals know where they are).

Old Tee signs denoting where the teeboxes are.

The baskets are DGA Mach Vs and they catch well.

Cons:

There are always other students or faculty walking on the many sidewalks that run through the course. Also during the warmer months there are a lot of people fishing along the water's edge.

The course can be hard to navigate. A couple of the tee signs are broken and most of them have the incorrect distances.

There are a few dangerous areas where several teeboxes and baskets are clumped together in a small area.

Other Thoughts:

I would not drive out of your way to play this course. It is much better than the other 9 hole course on campus but that is not saying much. There have been rumors that the course will get some upgrades in the future but nothing has been confirmed yet.
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4 0
gmoney1984
Experience: 11 years 308 played 26 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Good Beginners/practice course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1. Pretty area

2. In town

3. Good practice

4. excellent place to take someone that's new to the game

5. great place to get in a super quick round

6. pretty girls jogging/walking :) lol


Cons:

1. very short

2.a few holes cross over each other

3. have to wait on people jogging/walking

4. all par 4's but they should all be par 3's except for 1 or 2 holes.

5. natural tee pads although most are dirt not grass

6. tree branches hanging to low near tee pads

Other Thoughts:

Most people play the dirt all the way to were it ends not the edge of the tee signs.

You can make this course better and longer by creating your own alternate tee pads. There's alot of ways and spots to do it in but if you go on a day when college is in session your probably wont be able too

Hole #8 does not have a tee sign. You tee off from the dirt near another big flat sign explaining something in the park.
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1 0
jjacobs445
Experience: 12.6 years 76 played 7 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Busy Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- nice, pretty area
- in town
- very beginner friendly

Cons:

- very short course
- many holes overlap other holes or pedestrian walkways
- very busy with pedestrians and other players
- somewhat confusing layout
- natural tees

Other Thoughts:

it's not bad for the small area it's in, but it definitely leaves a lot to be desired. i will say that it is a great course to play with a new player. apparently there are unofficial alternate tees, but you have to get in touch with a local in order to learn them.
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1 1
macraigimm
Experience: 13.9 years 4 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

more interesting/challenging than the other course on campus. fun, quick course. almost aced one of the holes.

Cons:

VERY difficult to navigate, some holes are close to lake. dirt tee-pads.

Other Thoughts:

a full map at the beginning, and better marked tee-signs would have made this course more enjoyable. also, remove the dog-legs. i believe that you should be able to play the course however you want, and if that means you wait for someone on the sidewalk to pass, so be it.
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6 0
Jeffrey2636
Experience: 13.4 years 45 played 18 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Good little short game course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 12, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good exposure to the game of Disc Golf in the area nice addition to a college campus. There are no other courses near by other than the SIU Rec center.
-The 9 holes make use of a very small piece of land nicely.
-Holes are relatively short so a midrange and putter should be plenty

Cons:

-Navigation without a map can be difficult at times
-a few fairways cross a bit as it is a very tight use of land
-no benches or trash cans(but it is pretty short and on campus)
-Tee Pads are dirt and muddy(rain the past day)
-Tee signs had the tee pad and basket but were not oriented to the direction of play. Some were reversed so it was difficult to follow

Other Thoughts:

I am an out of towner on a business trip and had some time to kill. I packed a few discs in my bag hoping to play a little somewhere during my trip. First off, I think it should be said that this is a college campus and probably put together to expose college folks to the game, provide a rec activity on campus and maintained by the College so it falls into a slightly different category when comparing this course to most other county parks and such. You're not going to go out of your way to come to Carbondale just to play this course nor the rec center course BUT, it's a bonus when you're here. Treat it like a warm up, a "pitch and putt" to work on your game, or just a chance to play disc golf when you're in the area. Remember, it's better to play than not to play.
The holes all fall on a small piece of campus that is very flat with a good portion of trees, a nice lake and a pavilion to shoot around. It makes use of the land decently although some fairways to cross others. When I played walkers were not a factor but I can imagine it can get quite busy out there during most times of the day. Par is set too high. All holes should be par 3. If you can set a challenge to play every hole in 2, (with the exception of hole #3) it could be fun to play this course a lot. Sometimes, it's good to leave the drivers home and improve your short game.
I gave this course a "2" as I think it is a very reasonable course and offers both an opportunity to play the game, obstacles, and slight differentiation from hole to hole. It's not a place you would go out of your way to play, but if you're in town, bring a few discs and play, it's worth it.
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5 0
#19325
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 351 played 175 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Put the lake in play please! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 19, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

SIU Lake is located near a scenic lake on campus. It is a flat piece of land that has quite a few large mature trees. There are some highly used sidewalks. The grounds are mowed and clean like you'd expect on a college campus.

It's very beginner friendly and exposes the game to college kids. Most of the holes are very short but require a quality shot.

Hole #3 is a pretty nice adv/pro par 4 with the basket tucked into a nice area for a green.

Cons:

The tee pads were natural and many dirt. I'd imagine they get muddy after rain.

Many tees and baskets are close together. The addition of walkers makes this a busy place.

Navigation can be an issue for the first time playing.

I was disappointed the lake did not really come into play unless you threw a really bad shot.

Other Thoughts:

Having the Rec course right down the street is a bonus for SIU students. They are 2 drastically different courses which both offer great practice areas.

Playing from #4's tee tp #6's basket is pretty sweet!
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5 0
hognosesucker
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.9 years 443 played 85 reviews
1.00 star(s)

better than rec center but still not good 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 19, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

-some decent variety here. Some nice tight lines, hyzers, anhyzers and straight shots.
-I'm not sure if over the walking paths is OB, but if you play them that way, this course is fairly challenging and offers some risk/reward.
-Good variety of length...some holes are short and kind of technical, some are fairly long and kind of technical. My favorite hole was Hole 3. A nice 400' straight but finishing hard right into the woods, so you had to strategically place your first shot to be able to see the hole for the layup.
-Holes were fairly well designed but kind of crammed into small area.

Cons:

-Teepads are fairly nasty, it was wet when I played though.
-This seems like a fairly dangerous place to throw discs. It is all along a major walking path area with some shots crossing the paths...just be really careful not to hit walkers
-There is a fairly large pond that doesn't come into play except on horrible shots. Hole 4 and hole 6 are the only holes with remotely dangerous shots. I would have liked to see Hole 4 play to pin 6 (which would put a shot over the water), and hole 6 play to 4.
-Some super congested areas hereTee pads 6 and 9 are within 30 ft of the pin for 8...seems really poorly thought out in that regard.
-No trashcans and some litter, no bathrooms that I saw, but I guess you probably could go into the building if need be.

Other Thoughts:

This course is loads better than siu rec center, but it still doesn't justify a trip to the area.
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2 0
Arnie
Experience: 15.8 years 61 played 38 reviews
2.00 star(s)

SIU Lake 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 2, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

I did enjoy Hole 4 or 5, going over part of the lake.

Cons:

To crowded, even for a Sunday morining. The ground was to muddy, at the tee boxes. So baskets were to low. The extra tee boxes for 9 - 18 made it harder to play 1 - 9.

Other Thoughts:

Do away with the extra tee boxes. Make your tee boxes with wood chips.
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4 0
peabody
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21 years 55 played 34 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Don't Tees me 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 10, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Right on campus and next to a big lake, this course is really clean and picturesque. I think these are Mach 3 baskets and the hole number can be seen most of the time from the tee area.
The water comes into play on a few of the holes and the mando's make otherwise easy holes much tougher. Carbondale is a college town and they have great nightlife downtown which is just 5 minutes away.

Cons:

Dirt/mud tee areas. No bathroom. Hard to find you way around when you haven't played there. 9 holes are not enough to drive 60 miles for. Baskets are too low in some cases.

Other Thoughts:

Try to play this course with at least two or three other people. The comraderie makes the otherwise boring 9 holes seem fun. They do have alternate tee areas there so find someone around that plays often.
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4 0
Boostman
Experience: 18.2 years 24 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun course for SIU 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 21, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Easily the best course in the Carbondale region. Since there are only two course both of which are 9 hole course on the SIU campus you can take that statement for what it is worth. The course has its challenging holes, such as #3 which is 440ft and has 90 degree right hand turn to the pin which is guarded by trees. Hole #4 was once hard due to trees and water, but since recent storms have taken down the trees the difficulty has gone down, but water is still always a hazard on this hole.

The combination of water, trees, and the occasional walker can make this a challenging course for those new to the game and experienced as well. During the summer months the ceiling is very low on some holes making what is an easy hole during the winter months a very frustrating hole during the spring/summer months.

Unmarked alternate tees make up the back 9 which make this a fun full 18 hole course for those in the know.

Cons:

- Par 4 on every hole
- Outdated signage
- Grass/Mud tee boxes
- Walking paths can come into play
- Poison Ivy during summer
- Older. painted baskets

Other Thoughts:

Being the founder of the Southern Illinois Disc Golf club I tried to not be overly optimistic about the clubs favorite course here on campus.

Scorecards are available in a wooden box at the boat docks. We are trying to get the map that is no longer readable to be updated with the alternate tee locations.

With that said we still enjoy this course and we have been trying since the club/RSO got established last year to make this a better course but being on campus we have run into resistance due to unions. Hopefully we can change that or get a new course built on campus or in a near by park, say Giant city!
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3 1
Innovadude
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.8 years 235 played 180 reviews
2.00 star(s)

hard to find, POOR directions need updating 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

-Fun
-Quick

Cons:

-Many tees and baskets way too close to other tees or baskets, one hole having to throw right over another basket.

Other Thoughts:

I ask someone who knows the area better to please write NEW directions, starting with a nearby major highway and to the parking lot, with how to find hole #1. I will add the address of the building it is behind.
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2 2
WillA
Experience: 13.8 years 29 played 28 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 9, 2008 Played the course:never

Other Thoughts:

Par 36, but par is set way too high. Only two holes over 300. Three holes under 200. Basically pitch and putt. I do like holes 4 and 9 though.

Hole 4 is 270' and the flight path passes over an arm of the lake right before the green. You can get a 2 if you go for it.
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