South Pointe Park is home to a recreational 9 that snakes around various paths and park amenities. This course's set up and equipment allow for a variety of layouts you can play, allowing for golfers to pick their own difficulty and length they want to play.

Location of South Pointe is in El Paso, which is served by I-39, along with Highways 251 and 24. With the food and gas options in town, this is a great option for course baggers looking for relatively quick rounds while driving along I-39. This course isn't particularly close to others but is close enough to Peoria and Bloomington to be considered as an option at the start or end of a trip to those areas.

Park Amenities are were impressive considering the town size. In addition to disc golf, this park provides 3 baseball/softball diamonds, a basketball court, tennis courts, and horseshoe pits. There's also a playground by the parking lot, a community pool, and a lake that folks enjoy fishing in. There are also plenty of walking paths

Course Equipment was beyond what I'd ever expect from a 9-hole course, and a real highlight of the round. Each hole has 2 tee signs, two concrete tees, and two baskets. The tee signs include hole numbers, distances from that particular tee, pars, and a overhead photo of the hole, including lines and arrows to each basket from the tee you are currently at. The baskets are chainstar pros that are in great shape, with two on each hole colored completely silver or purple. The tee pads were all in great shape and nice to throw from.

Course Design at South Pointe really makes the most out of the available land in this 40-acre park. While there's not really a reasonable amount of land for a full 18-hole course, what the folks in charge of this course have done is provide two tees and two baskets for each hole. This makes for four different ways to play each hole that are always available, providing variety and difficulty options to suit what you are looking for in your round.

Distances vary greatly on this course compared to most 9 holes I have played to date. Across all the options for length, you can play holes ranging from 168ft to 451ft. On any given hole though, the range of lengths from the different tee and pin options can easily vary by over 100ft, with some holes having a much larger spread. This is a nice touch that can provide a more comfortable round for those who don't have a lot of power behind their drives yet. I went for a long purple tee to purple pin round, and my intermediate, gloriously mediocre disc golfing self was able to have a good time with a combination of birdie options and even some holes that required a decently long approach after a decent drive.

Shot-Shaping favors RHBH shots more so than RHFH as a whole on this course, though there are plenty of holes that provide ample opportunity for you to throw whatever shot you prefer. Some holes will have more of the right turn to them, like the long tee of 1 will have more of a right turning shape to the long tee given the tree location in the fairway. That being said, many holes, like 4, 5, and 7, have left turning shots that will favor righties.

Difficulty as a whole favors newer and recreational players at South Pointe, with the long tees and pins providing more distance and some tougher lines for more skilled players. With all of the options this course has, most players will be able to find a combination that works best for them. There are some chances to get yourself in trouble, like the woods along some of the middle holes, but most obstacles are pretty easily avoided, including the lake that results in a short water carry on 2 and is a backdrop for the long pins on 3 and 9.

Upkeep on this course and in the park in general is absolutely top notch. The grass was mowed, and the course looked great. There are only a couple of parks in town and this the primary one with the most amenities, and it is certainly treated as such. Even on a wet day with a decent chance for rain, this park was packed during my round.

Course Design is great overall. That being said, it feels pretty RHBH friendly, as I never felt the need to bust out a forehand. Perhaps some combinations throughout the course that I didn't throw specifically would feel different, but there isn't much incentive to throw a shot you favor on this course unless it's one of the clear backhand shots on the three holes I listed previously.

Difficulty favors new and intermediate players at South Pointe, meaning more advanced players might get bored at this course. If you're wanting a significant challenge, Northwood Black is 37 minutes to the west.

Interactions With Other Park Amenities certainly plays a factor throughout this course, primarily with the walking paths. Many of the holes play alongside or even over the paths in the park. I wouldn't necessarily say it is a safety issue, as line of sight at each tee box allows you to see when people are on a path where you're throwing, and you can wait for them to pass. With that said, it is still not an idea scenario, and the course would be even better if it didn't interact so closely to other park uses. I opted to play to the short pin on hole 9 since there were a few families fishing near the long pin, for instance.

Upkeep was great most of the time, but a couple of the holes could use a little more attention. The biggest example was hole 5, with the long basket having some shrubbery/cabbage growing right up to the basket. With most of the course looking as great as it is, I think these rare examples at this course stand out more.

I didn't pay too much attention to the picture of the tee signs that are posted on this website, so when I was driving up to this course, my expectations were certainly not high given it is a 9-hole in a rural town. That being said, when I walked to the silver tee at hole 1 thinking they actually put two holes right on top of each other, I was pleasantly surprised to see the options that I had for my round. Disc golf can easily be an afterthought in a busy park with the amount of space this one has, and that can certainly go double for a small 9-hole. South Pointe exceeded my expectations by a large margin, and made for a really fun round of disc golf.

The number of path interactions and instances of close proximity to other park uses are really the only thing keeping me from rating this course higher, but I would completely understand if other reviewers opted for a as much as a full point above my rating. This is a nice little gem along I-39 that will provide a fun round for most players. If you're driving by and want a fun, relative short round of disc golf, South Pointe won't disappoint you.

South Pointe Park is a nice little rural park, it's a well taken care of and attractive park. Sadly, the worst looking part of the park are the beat-up eyesore baskets and rusty tee signs for their disc golf course.

The course itself is seven shortish 200'-250' shots with two longer 400'ish shots. The shots are all open or park-style. There are no marked tees, you tee to the right of the tee signs off grass. There is a pond to the right of hole 5 that really doesn't come into play, but it's there.

The course is easy to get to off the freeway and makes for a quick round to walk off a Blizzard from the Dairy Queen you have to drive by to get there.

Baskets 1-7 are old, beat-up and some of them lean. The gaps in the basket attachments can allow a disc to slide out and hit the ground (don't ask how I found that out.) Baskets 8-9 are DisCatchers, but the baskets for 9 was buried with the basket attachment just off the ground.

The tee signs show you a picture of the hole from the basket to the tee, but you are standing on the tee; all the pictures are oriented backwards from what you are actually looking at.

There are no actual tees, you just tee to the side of the tee sign. This was hard in the case of hole 6 since there was no sign. The tee signs for the rest of the holes were just steps away from the last basket, so we just walked a few steps from hole 5's basket and teed off.

The basket for hole 1 is set too close to the parking lot. Hole 3 played across a soccer field. Hole 8 shot next to another soccer goal and hole 9 hyzered around a playground. There was also a walking path that so many holes threw over I lost count. It just wasn't a safe course design, and it would be unplayable if kids were playing soccer.

The shots are not challenging, so all you could get out of this course is some fun. The land available just doesn't have the elements needed to provide good golf. It's not a course that really could be improved from a design perspective; it is what it is.

I played this course the same day that I played Lincoln Christian University DGC, so it was only the second-worse disc golf course I played that day. I might be the only person who has ever been able to say that.

Natural tee courses have an easy tell if no one ever plays there; there won't be a worn-out spot where people are teeing from. El Paso's disc golf course is over 20 years old and has no sign of wear from players teeing off.

By the time I was putting at the leaning basket for hole #2, I realized that if suddenly had to move to El Paso I just wouldn't play disc golf anymore. I don't think I could make myself play this course regularly. It was an OK way to waste some time while I ate a Blizzard, though.

(0.980 Rating) A short beginner's course needing some love.
- QUICK PLAY - When I start my review pros with "Quick Play" it's not a good sign. The course can be conquered in 20 to 25 minutes by a solo played.
- MAINTENANCE - The park was in decent shape. There were no tree limbs down and trash was minimal. I can't say for certain if its mowed regularity, but considering all the other adjacent park activities I'd say it's done at least every other week.
- LOCATION - They'd have to start putting disc golf courses at rest areas to get a course more convenient off of the interstate. Less than a one-mile drive from the exit. There are also gas stations and fast food places at the exit. Thus, this is the perfect bagger stop.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Beginner distances and obstacles. A good course to learn the basics of game, but its lack of depth will stymie personal development.
- NAVIGATION - Good enough. There was a missing sign on (6) and it was the only time I had to pull out my phone to check my map.

Too small of a course to please even Recreational players.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - Despite the par listing on site, this is at best a par 28 course. Six holes are 250 feet or less. The obstacles are non-existent on several holes and the rest are comprised of a spattering of trees. Hole (3) is likely the only hole I'd personally play as a par 4 being beyond 400 feet and with a few blocking trees 100 feet short of the basket. In all, I think 840 rated players will average 27 out here.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - Baggers better hope for an empty park on their arrival. I personally got an empty park, but it was 40 degrees out. There are lots of other park elements in play from walking paths, to athletic fields to playgrounds. In addition, several tees are way too close to the prior basket and overall it feels like the holes are squeezed together.
- CHARACTER - Other than baskets and tees signs, there isn't much else. No multi-tees, no alt baskets, no practice basket, no seating and natural tees without a defined line. The tee signage is starting to fall apart and as noted above, its missing on (6).
- CHAINS - Every basket out here is either beat up, listing or both. Most of the baskets are machIIIs, but a couple are DISCatchers. The basket on (9) has the rim 18 inches off of the ground.
- UNIQUENESS - Not the blandest course I've played, but close. All 9 shots are park style plays. Every shot can be played straight ahead. The distances vary from low 400s to upper 100s. Water makes a fringe appearance once on hole (6), but it can easily be avoided with a play to the left. Elevation is no more than 10 to 12 feet on any one hole.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - Pointe Park is not going to win any awards for its natural beauty. Yes, there is a nice pond at the center of the layout, but everything else around it looks run down a touch. Back yards can be seen on several holes and I'll just say that these are not McMansion properties. The park buildings are older and a couple look in bad shape. Chan link fences are in view the whole time.

There will be no reason to check this course out unless a player's direct route to another destination is through this town, and they're out of gas, and they're hungry, and they're a course bagger. For me, I showed up here because I checked off all four of the above boxes. The course may work for newer players in town but that's it. After a town's player has advanced to the novice level they will need to start planning trips to other towns or start creating a hybrid unmarked layout here or they'll be stunted in their disc golf growth.

The course plays through a small flat park around a pond. Most holes have a few scattered small trees in play to encourage some different lines. The pond adds some risk on a couple holes if you really shank it or on a windy day. There are descriptive tee signs with hole layout and distance (though the symbols for the tees and baskets are very strange). The park is nicely groomed with mowed grass and no trash or vandalism that I saw. The flow is easy to follow, with no navigation issues.

The course is pretty boring, with mostly short and open holes. A couple holes add some length, but not much else, with only scattered trees in play, not enough to force anything other than hyzers on most holes. The pond isn't used very well to add challenge or interest to the course. There are also a lot of safety issues here, especially on a nice day when the fields are in use. Walking paths, picnic areas and soccer fields are all in play on several holes, it's hard to imagine playing safely on a nice summer day. The baskets are not the best to begin with, and a couple are bent and loose, making them catch even more poorly.

The park available for this course really doesn't have enough going on to have the makings of a great course, and the safety issues on top of that just make it less of a good place to play. If you want to add a course to your list, go for it, otherwise I wouldn't go out of your way. Beginners will find the course pretty accessible, though less accurate players will exacerbate the safety concerns. More experienced throwers won't find much in the way of challenge or variety, it won't test many different skills or make newer players try any new types of shots.

- Course is spread out well in a small park, which allows for some decent variety.
- One hole plays by a forested area, and small trees are present on most of the holes. A little line shaping is needed to avoid them, but nothing too extreme.
- Good use of the pond for one hole, as a RHBH hyzer route has to clear a small corner of the water.
- Very good tee signs, grass teepads in good shape.

- Some of the holes are too short and too open to be enjoyable, just a tee sign and a basket in a field.
- Holes play around a lot of walking paths and other man-made obstacles, as well as through soccer fields. Almost half the course can be occupied on game days.
- Baskets in bad shape, but I have seen worse.

- Overall, an average small 9-holer. There are some decent highlights that make it memorable, but not remarkable. Definitely a great course for a beginner to learn the ropes, possibly a good stop for a pro just for a decent hole or two.

This course is located very close to the interstate and easy to get to. It is a nice park and you will not have to look for a disc as it lacks rough. It's a good option to stop for food and play a quick 9 to stretch your legs. There is a swimming pool with facilities open during the summer monthes.

9 Hole Recreational Disc Golf Course

Tee signs for all 9 holes.

Good variety of distances.

This is a great place for practice. I have never seen another golfer while playing. My dad live 7 miles away and says it's rarely played.

It lacks challenge for more experienced players.

Tee pads are natural grass.

The baskets are very old and some are beat up pretty good. Some putts fall out thru the bottom of the baskets.

There is a nice sports bar down the street. Great place to catch a game and food.
Koozis Bar & Grill
197 North Fayette Street
El Paso, IL 61738-1007

-Good range of hole lengths (from 200' to over 400')
-Signs are informative and include hole length and flight path
-Easy to follow navigation
-A couple interesting holes: 5 is a straight shot from the open into a grove of trees and the shot has to go over a slightly raised dam. 6 is a big left to right safe shot with a large willow tree in the middle, or a big risky right to left shot over the pond.

-Lack of facilities: no bathrooms or water that I saw.
-Grass tees
-Tee signs indicate that you throw from the right side of the sign, which is fine until you get to hole 6 where you are throwing from the dam, and the right side of the sign is on the side of a hill. Thus, that system doesn't really play well in practice.
-One of the baskets (7, I think) looks like it had been hit by a mower.
-A few holes interfere with other park activities (fishing, walkers, kids on the playground).

Overall, this course is your usual small town Illinois course, it serves its purpose as a local's rec course, but it seriously lacks intriguing holes.

-The course covers the whole park which is very well taken care of.
-It's a pretty park and the course flows very well from basket to tee to basket to tee, etc.
-The maps at the tees were very useful.
-It's usually very empty. This park doesn't get very much attention.

-Hole #2 goes through a soccer field! This can get a little tricky if there's soccer practice going on.
-The sign on hole #1 was upside down (I'll try to upload a picture after this review)
-The baskets weren't exactly sticking straight up out of the ground...rather they were on an angle.
-Most of the holes require you to go over walking paths which means that people often can be in the way.
-It's very apparent that the disc golf course was added waaaaaay after the park was completed. As said, some of the holes go over soccer fields and hole #8 even goes over a playground!
-I had no way of knowing where to tee off from. All there are at the tees are maps of the hole and it just says "Be sure to stand behind this sign when teeing off".

I understand that El Paso is in the middle of no where, and it's great that they put in an effort to attract the disc golf community, but this course just doesn't cut it. If you're in the area, I'd drive to Peoria or Normal to play the better courses there. But while you're here...you could always check out the Kappa Kabana.

This picture basically sums up the whole course:
Basket 9 in the middle, Basket 8 on the right along with hole 9 tee, and Basket 3 in far left background.

http://i32.tinypic.com/2m4vtox.jpg

It was directly off the highway so it was a good pit stop for our road trip. No bugs.

Quite a few of the baskets looked like they had been hit by trucks making it difficult to sink a putt. There were a lot of holes that played through childrens play areas (swing sets and such). There weren't many obstacles to avoid unless they were in the tee area.

I wouldn't stop there again.