Morton, IL

Northwood Park - Blue

4.345(based on 29 reviews)
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2 0
Johnsondere
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9 months 136 played 83 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Humbling Experience

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Two sets of tee pads per hole
- Very very challenging even to the top levels
- Even thought the fairways are tight, the lines are fair!
- Beautiful park to be in.

Cons:

- Not too much to pick on here. Even the holes in the open are pretty solid.
- If you get off the fairway, good luck!

Other Thoughts:

I played this course three times back when it was Northwoods Gold (before the Black Layout was designed). I thought I was a solid disc golfer but man this humbled me. If you are not on your game it will be a very long round!
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15 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Northwood Nice

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 10, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Northwood Blue is a pretty fantastic course. It has two sets of concrete tees on many holes, and there is good signage. A comprehensive map of the blue and black courses is posted next to the practice baskets. Front and back nines converge near the parking lot so you can visit the car mid way if necessary. The layout is not too hard to follow.

The terrain features fairly heavy woods on the majority of holes, and moderate elevation changes on a few. Hole 5 does have a crooked gooseneck turn halfway followed by good size drop down hill toward a basket placed near the edge of a stream. It was my favorite hole after one round, and a tough test of placement.

Several holes have corridors lined with trees on either side. They're wide enough to be manageable and they rarely pinch down into a narrow window. There is a flat grassy section that is a bit more open starting the back nine. It has a good number of mature trees to dictate flight paths and create a bit of a ceiling in spots. 16 and 18 also have enough open air to allow an attempt at a big throw. I liked the elevated tee on the last hole that crosses a stream right away.

It is a challenging course, especially from the long tees. You will have birdie opportunities if you take advantage of the shorter holes and play with controlled well placed shots consistently.

Cons:

I can't nitpick too much on this one. It makes great use of the land. The super flat more open portion on holes 10 to 13 is kind of a lull compared to the rest, but uses what is there to make holes that are still good.

Other Thoughts:

Northwood is a great destination for and serious disc golfer. I only played the Blue course and it was terrific. If you need a step up, there is the ultra lengthy Black course onset as well. I wasn't brave enough to take it one on since I had played two other nearby courses that day, and did not want to blow out my arm or risk lost time searching for discs in the heavy carpet of fallen November leaves.

I only managed to make one birdie, and if you added all of my par holes to that they're still in the minority. I was 14 over with a 72. I enjoyed it all the same and would recommend a trip if you have the chance. I will likely return at some point to check out the Black course and see if I can maintain a score under triple digits.
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13 0
aclay
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 39.5 years 309 played 234 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Northwood Blue

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

-- Excellent use of the land: water, trees and elevation. This is a wooded course, so there is no big body of water for a giant water carry, but a creek borders many holes and crosses some fairways.
-- Excellent distance variation: From the shorts, three holes are less than 250 feet and four are longer than 400 (two longer than 600). From the long tees, one hole is shorter than 250 and six are longer than 400 feet.
-- Two concrete tee pads on eight holes, all plenty big and with nice grip.
-- Decent navigation with next tee signs to help. One exception is noted below.
-- Doesn't favor one throwing style (RHBH, etc.).
-- Excellent baskets with orange bands to help with visibility.
-- Tee signs are excellent. Big enough to help you see from a distance as you approach. They include a nice map of the hole shape, locations of each tee, distances from both tees and pars from each.
-- Signature holes abound: Hole 5 (419 feet) requires good placement off the tee before a shot through a tree-lined gap down into a big ravine to the basket with water on three sides and thick brush on the other. Don't go straight down the ravine to the basket; there is a path to the right, but it is not obvious. Hole 11 (603) feet is much more open but has a low ceiling and still has trees. The final hole of the course is the longest (660 feet) and has an initial gap over the OB creek. Though it plays mostly open after the drive, more OB on the right side of the pine-tree lined fairway comes into play as you go uphill to the basket.
-- Creek crossings all have nice sturdy bridges.

Cons:

-- The Blue and Black courses cross some, so there can be some minor confusion (and added congestion).
-- Not cart friendly. The bridges help, but you've still got steep hills and some narrow paths. If it has rained recently, those hills are going to be treacherous.
-- Disc loss potential is high. Long throws, often blind to the basket, combined with some thick rough and ravines mean you will likely spend a lot of time looking for discs.

Other Thoughts:

-- There are a few long walks (including parking to No. 1, depending on your parking lot) that combined with the length of the holes and the up and down nature of the terrain make this physically demanding to traverse.
-- Two great course in the same park. Blue appears to be the easier of the two but was still a huge challenge for this low 800s player.
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12 0
kevdiv48
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.4 years 263 played 30 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Top level course hidden away beyond the cornfields

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 6, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Concrete pads, tee signs, bright orange Mach X's.
Two layouts with multiple tees on both to cover a wide skill set.
Incredible wooded holes consisting of tight lines, length, elevation, water, and everything in between.
Blue hole 18 is what a finishing hole should be.

Cons:

Punishing rough, multiple drop offs where discs are never to be found again.
Muddy and slick after rain.

Other Thoughts:

With much deliberation, Northwood is the lone Peoria area course I have given a 4.5 rating.
Its masterful use of the landscape, iconic holes, balance of challenge and fun are indeed phenomenal.
While once standing as a peer to McNaughton as the area's toughest course, the work put into this course over the last few years has been astounding and worthy of the next level of rating
The original hole 5 (now Blue 5) was once the iconic hole that showcased how disc golf holes can be carved out of the dense rolling hills is now usurped by multiple holes of unimaginably higher caliber.
With the original layout nearly restored as the Blue layout alongside the vaunted Black layout (plus multiple tees on most holes), it is truly approachable and enjoyable for all skill levels.
Find your way down the country roads between the Central Illinois towns of Washington and Morton and play this highly touted gem of a course.
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19 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

To start off with. WOW. I was expecting a challenging course but this was so much harder and tiring than I expected. In the good way though. There are 2 tee pads on most of the holes I'd say. Some could even have 3 but I assume these are from an older layout and they're not shown on the signs. The pads themselves are in excellent condition and are level and grip well. The flow from hole to hole is very easy to follow. I never got lost once on my first time through. There's next tee signs where needed but it's pretty straightforward to find the next tee. The baskets are Mach X's that are all in great shape and catch fantastically. These are some of my favorite pins out there. The tops and cages are a bright orange which stands out really nice against a green backdrop. The tee signs here are, again, top notch. These are plenty big enough with a nice map of the hole shape, locations of each tee, distances from both tees and pars from each. All the info you'd need. The big orange circle around the hole number makes spotting them from a distance pretty easy. There is every type of shot required here. There are left turning, right turning, uphill, downhill. Downhill then back uphill? You name it they probably have it here. There are even 2 holes over 1000 feet. The distances are all over the place. No 2 holes really feel the same except maybe 7 through 10. These are more open park style holes. Hole 9 is 600 some feet though, I believe it was, and they all have some trees in the fairway to contend with. Great design here. There are numerous places where the creek winds through. Every hole that it does there are some steps or bridges to get you over to the other side. And I mean REALLY nice bridges. The course is in a very secluded area, therefore it's very quiet and serene. About the only thing you'll hear is other disc golfers. The course was in fantastic shape and everything was mowed to perfection. There are actually 3 additional holes that appear to be the old 1-3 with yellow Machs which we played first and are kind of a nice warm up for the new layout.

Cons:

The number one thing about this course is that it's NOT for beginners. This is a pro level course even from the short tees. This course will challenge even experienced amateur players. This isn't a con at all but expect a couple hours to finish a round and expect a workout. It's a very challenging course. The rough can get pretty thick in spots making losing a disc very possible. There are also numerous drop offs right off or even in the middle of fairways. Very treacherous walking down and up these. Again not really a con per se but worth mentioning. This is what makes this course such a challenge. Just know this going in, that's all.

Other Thoughts:

This would seem to be the destination course in the Peoria area. I haven't played them all but I can't imagine there's anything as beautiful and challenging as this place. This course is definitely worth a stop if you're anywhere near here. It's an absolute gem of a course. Pair it with an of number of other nearby courses and you're in for a great day of disc golf. Must play for sure.
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3 0
34blast
Experience: 26.8 years 50 played 30 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Excellent Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice Tee pads
Nice baskets, bright orange easy to see in all the woods
Nice tight woods shots
Some more open, but still technical
Some long and low ceiling holes
Very Clean Course
Nice Park
Ample Parking
Not busy, sort of secluded
Lot's of elevation changes
First 4 holes are tight wooded holes
All holes are hard but fair
18 is a long bomb, but not just wide open and fun

Cons:

None, only minor tweak would be walk from 18 tee pad to field where thrown you have to walk around on the road, but very minor knit

Other Thoughts:

Great course will be back for sure when in town
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2 2
Brig4209
Experience: 11.7 years 33 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Would Play Every Day If I Could 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nothing to say that hasn't been said already. I absolutely love this course. Challenging, fair and fun. Course gives you a little bit of everything, tight wooded holes with narrow gaps, to open bombers, low ceiling technical shots, you name it, it's probably there.

Cons:

I really can not think of any.

Other Thoughts:

If you are in the area, you have to play this course.

And in case you didn't know, the course is being updated later this summer in preparation for hosting Pro Worlds in 2019.
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2 1
Goober22
Experience: 6.7 years 4 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent Pro Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 26, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Excellent holes. Every single one was fantastic and fun to play. There was a great mix of open, sweeping holes coupled with tighter, technical shots in the woods. This was tough for me since I am a beginner and this was a tough course, but it is still a blast to play.

Cons:

No real cons for this course except that it has a very steep learning curve for beginner players.
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1 10
americanhero9d
Experience: 25.8 years 23 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 30, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Well designed
-baskets/tee pads in good condition
-practice basket

Cons:

-Map of back 9 needs to be updated to new tee pads -and pins.
- can be difficult for beginners
-next hole markers need re done
-no water/bathroom locations throughout course, only by parking.

Other Thoughts:

Worth the drive to play.
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2 8
Donkeybong
Experience: 9 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great course, good mix of woods and open areas. I like the baskets. Front 9 could be the best I have played. Everyone says hole 18 is the signature hole, but I would have to disagree. HOLE 5 IS A BEAST.

Cons:

Holes 10-14 are a little crowded.

Other Thoughts:

Awesome course!!!!!
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8 0
MidwestZest
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 103 played 72 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Wonderful Design 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 18, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Located close to the interstate, in a nearly dedicated park for disc golf. There are some playgrounds and pavilions near the start, but out the way. The only other conflicts are some hiking trails, some of which coincide with a few paths between holes.
- Two tees for most holes. Some of the long tees are dirt, however, marked with two blue pavers. They'd be pretty difficult though.
- Tee signs are minimal, but do the job. Just tee positions and arrows indicating the line.
- Wonderful elevation used on parts of the course. (3, 5, 9, 17, 18)
- #1, talk about a starting hole! Warm up putting, and then bring your A game right away. Very tight window from either tee.
- #3, a nice blind uphill. Just trying to get through the trees and up to the top of the little hill for a shot at the basket.
- #5 is one of the couple signature holes on the course. To be honest, it is probably one of the most memorable, signature holes on any course in central Illinois. It plays first across a small gully, which hosts an 8 ft wide gap on the other side, probably 60 feet in front of you. Clear that gap and get yourself on top of the next hill and into a clearing. From there, you shoot down into the ravine, hoping to land on the 15 foot deep peninsula that hosts the pin. I remember my first time ever playing this hole, and feeling it was too difficult and unfair. Years later, with a slightly more refined game, I partially recant that position. Difficult and a challenge, yes. Unfair, no.
- #8, just approaching this hole is chilling. It almost looks like a tunnel or portal to somewhere. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe type of stuff. 300 feet long, 20 feet wide the whole way. Blue paver-marked tee is another 100 feet back, making the hole even more difficult. Pretty demanding for just a straight hole.
- I had not yet played the course with some of the more recent changes. I'm a big fan of losing the old #16, and adding the new #17.
- #9, new to me, and a very nice addition to the course. Definitely an upgrade. Shoots over a small hollow, but a deceivingly long hole.
- #17, also new to me on this course. You just stand on the tee pad, wondering how in the heck you're going to make a three. Tight windows and some rolling hills with small watershed channels carved deep into the earth. Only 330 feet, but uphill, and ending in a relatively wide open clearing.
- #18, also a very memorable hole, from a bluff shooting through a window over a small creek, and out into a wide open fairway. Once you've landed in the fairway though, you've still got your work cut out for you, throwing a few more shots uphill to reach the pin. I think that window has gotten smaller since the last time I played, but still very manageable. (Which doesn't mean I still didn't hit a tree and have to retrieve a disc from the creek bank...because I did.)

Cons:

- Underneath some of the baskets is worn down, especially on some hillsides.
- There is some graffiti on some of the baskets and signs.
- No benches on the course, although there are some stumps here and there. Doesn't bother me a ton, but I did notice a lack of them.
- Getting down into the ravine on #5 can be a little dicey, especially when wet. There is a long way around if you keep walking straight through the fairway, which isn't entirely obvious. At least, until you get to the bottom and realize, "Oh, well I could have just come down that way." Some recessed wooden stairs would certainly take this hole up a notch. There are some nice small foot bridges at the bottom.
- Did not locate the short tee that was listed on #6's sign, but it may have just been a paver-marked dirt tee that was covered in leaves.

Other Thoughts:

- #10 through #14 are just fine holes, but not particularly memorable. They do require different shots, and vary in length, which keeps them viable. Some low ceilings increase their difficulty, for sure. Some of these are new, or have been revamped. All for the better. #13 is deceivingly long.
- This course is straight up fun to play. I did not score well on my most recent visit...and kind of hardly even noticed, if that's possible. Enjoyed the grandeur of the course that much.
- Some upkeep and additional amenities could really push this course to the absolute, ultimate level. My initial thought is to score this a 4.25. However, I find it a step above McNaughton and Lake Eureka which I rated 4.0. Also, two finishing holes like 17 and 18 really leave you with a good taste in your mouth, almost unlike any other course I've played. So a 4.5 it is!
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2 0
Horsman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 222 played 100 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Favorite Course in IL 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 17, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Nice Teepads

- Fairly tight fairways on a majority of the holes

- Tunnel Shots Galore

- A very nice balance of tightly wooded and, open, and slightly wooded.

- An excellent use of the elevation where some of the pins are right before a drop off, on the side of hill, on the top of a hill and on #5 there is the steep cliffish hll halfway through the hole making it a challanging hole.

- A very nice mix of short medium and long holes with some nice must get holes and others you hope to get a 3 on.

Cons:

- Not too much to complain about here.

- Some long teepads are grass

- Some direction from hole 3 to hole 4, hole 6 to 7, and hol 17 to 18 would be nice

- I was told that there was a redesign here a few years ago and because of this there a few random teepads that dont get used for anything and my first time I was clueless and played from them to random baskets because I had no clue.

- Signage to get into the park would be very helpful. I know I drove by it multiple times my first time here because I had no clue where the park was and gps didnt help at all. Its like a park within a park.

Other Thoughts:

To me this is the #1 course in the Peoria IL area and is a must play in my mind and reeminds me a lot of the wooded courses in WI.
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4 4
Westermann28
Experience: 10.8 years 4 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Play This Course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 28, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Great concrete tees
-Beautiful wooded front nine (with 7 being a tad out in the open)
-Excellent course flow between shorter holes and 3 600+ footers
-The course really makes you play many different shots and holes have a lot of lines you can try (but don't get in the woods on 5 or 9...trust me it isn't fun)
-Great baskets and basket placement.
-The back 9 is more open but there still manages to be trees everywhere so you will have to have skill to pick the correct line for your throw.

Cons:

-No benches
-No trash cans on the holes(would be nice to not have to carry an empty water bottle 12 holes)

Other Thoughts:

This is a beautiful course and I would say it is one of the best, if not the best, course in Illinois.
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4 4
XxBenNastyxX
Experience: 14 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 16, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of tress and very hilly in the front 9. Course very well laid out giving you lots of different shots to play. Baskets are in great shape. Nice restrooms available. Hole 5 is a lot of fun! Course just recently remodeled this summer. Love the new changes!

Cons:

The back 9 is very "park like" it's not nearly as complicated as the front 9 and I prefer to play in the woods but that's just a personal preference. Still a good course. Beginners may not care too much for the front 9.

Other Thoughts:

One of the best courses in the area. If you're going to come to Peoria, IL to throw our courses make sure this one is on your list!
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10 0
sthomas128
Experience: 15.7 years 54 played 16 reviews
4.50 star(s)

One Of The VERY BEST In Illinois... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

**Northwood Park in Morton, IL. is a beautiful, secluded dual-use park with Disc Golf and walking trails which rarely if ever conflict with each other.
**The course flows well, even better since the recent (5/2012) redesign.
**You have to be able to throw straight and do some line shaping to score well here... there are quite a few straight shots, quite a few anhyzers to go along with a few hyzers.
**A good mix of wooded tight Holes, Open Holes and several in between
**Restrooms and a nice pavilion on site, always a plus...
**Close to Wal-Mart and fast food if you need it.

**HOLE #5...One of the crazy-toughest holes I've ever played. I've seen everything from deuces to Snowmen on this hole, there's really only 1 legitimate route to take if you're going to try to get all the way down to the basket (which is surrounded by an "unforgiving" 20ft island green with a creek around it) in 1 throw for a look at a deuce, miss that line and...there's some pretty brutal rough and gullies waiting if you get too far off of the fairway. Easily one of the most unique holes in the state...

**HOLE #17...Is a make or break hole in your round, hit the gap and you're looking at a 2 or 3. Miss the gap...an you're looking at a couple of extra strokes if not more...GOOD LUCK

**HOLE #18... is a GREAT finishing Hole...A 660ft dogleg right teeing from a 40ft elevated tee through an ample hole in the trees to a large fairway landing area. You've got to bomb that first shot out to 400+ to get a good look at an upshot to the basket.

**This has always been one of my favourite courses in the area.
The original course designer Greg Nettles just did some revamping. 4 brand new holes and a simple redesign of Hole 1...
**Hole 1 which is much improved from the Poke-And-Hope hole that it used to be...the tee has been pulled straight back 75-100ft from where it used to be. It is now a tight 300ish tunnel shot with the basket tucked off of the fairway to the right on the edge of the fairly steep hill that the basket used to be at the bottom of.
**Hole 9 is a tight 350ish anhyzer shot over a small gully.
**Hole 10 is a 300ish anhyzer shot full of trees to avoid.
**Hole 13 is a 603ft shot right down the middle of the orchard section with 2 large trees to avoid at about 250-300ft.
**Hole 17 is a tight, tough uphill 320ish straight shot over a 5-6ft deep creek and all kinds of trees to avoid.

Cons:

Really not very many...
Could use some wood chips around the practice Basket, and, most of the other baskets as well, gets pretty muddy after a rain.

Other Thoughts:

As far as OPs comments about the parking for winter play...
most people drive around to the back side of the course by turning right on Lakeland Avenue, the last right before you get to the course, follow the road around and turn left into the Hirstein Cemetary, there's a gate in the fence so that you can start on Hole #8 and finish right there on Hole #7.

**Lots of other great courses nearby:
1) Eureka Lake Park - Eureka, IL. Yet another GREAT Greg Nettles design (you won't be disappointed here either)
2) McNaughton Park - Pekin, IL. They call it McNasty for good reason. A tough championship level course with McNasty Rough ! ! !
3) Bradley Park - Peoria, IL. One of the old guard courses. Has stood the test of time...

**I can't give this course a 5 because, I don't think there is really a "perfect" course, but, this is about as close as it gets IMHO...
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2 0
DeertayD
Experience: 26.1 years 16 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Course in a Great Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 19, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

* Nice concrete tees
* Great layout. This course flows very nicely, and combines wooded shots, open shots, elevation, and water.
* Very clean course
* Secluded area that makes you feel like you're "getting away to play"
* Holes 1-3 are a fun way to get the course started with elevation changes in the woods.
* Hole 5 is breathtaking! Getting a 3 on hole 5 is not an easy task.
* Hole 8 is a challenging 300ft. tunnel shot through the woods... very cool!
* Hole 17 is a bomb of a shot with the alternate pin placement on the back side of the large hill. Though a large fairway makes this hole manageable.
* Hole 18 is a stunner! 600+ft. shot from an elevated tee through a wooded area over a creek, opening up to a huge fairway! And you still ahve 2 shots before you're within putting distance!

Cons:

* Parking in the winter monts is inconvenient. You have to park at the park entrance. This is where hole 18 is located, so we typically play 18 first and finish up on hole 17, thus reducing the walk from 18's basket all the way back to the parking lot.
* Some signs have damage/grafitti. I believe this is due to the fact that the park is secluded, and does not seem to have many park employees or police drive throughs.

Other Thoughts:

This is by far the best course in the central Illinois area if not the entire state. The fact that there are at least 3 other escellent DGC's within a 30 min. (McNaughton, Bradley Park, and Eureka Lake) makes it very easy to play multiple great courses in one outing. This course is definitely worth playing. GREAT COURSE!
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5 1
Jashwa
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.8 years 173 played 86 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Amazing! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 18, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

After playing this course twice, I've decided to make it my absolute favorite. I have about a bajillion reasons to justify this and here they are:

*Scenic. Absolutely beautiful park with all kinds of elevation and trees.
*Challenging. Every hole (yes even the meadow holes) require you to hit a line. Most of the holes punish bad drives and so disc choice and shot selection are crucial here.
*Hole 18. This is the most beautiful hole I have ever played. Roughly 650 foot bomb down a massive hill. First part of the fairway consists of about 100 ft of moderately wide, but scary tunnel going downhill, severely punishing griplocks and forcing an accurate shot (in my opinion a super mental challenge) Then the valley of the hill bends right up a smaller hill to the hole. OB on the right, trees on the left. Simply beautiful!
*I could write similar raving reviews of most of the holes on this course. Hole 5 is a beast of a hole that is super rewarding if you get a 3
*Although some people complain about the meadow holes, I actually find them some of the most enjoyable, and nervewracking on the course. In order to get a good score here, you MUST deuce these holes, which puts a lot of mental pressure on during the middle of the round.

Cons:

*Signs are a bit underequipped, not giving a whole lot of information, which was frustrating when I realized there were huge dropoffs next to a few of the fairways.

*Man... this would be one epic course to play from the blue tee markers that they have in place, but I hate playing from natural tees, especially when some of them are covered or obstructed from allowing much of a run-up. If every hole had an awesome pro concrete teepad, it would definitely satisfy some of the reviewers who say that a few of the holes here aren't difficult enough.

Other Thoughts:

This area is great for disc golf, but I find Northwood Park to be more enjoyable round than its neighbors Eurkea and McNaughton (though those are both great courses).
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2 3
Aestheticflight
Experience: 31 years 151 played 12 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Great design fun to play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 10, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Some very well conceived and executed holes.
Multiple tees for various skill levels.

The Gold tees provide a World class challenge to Everyone.
Bring a lunch and be prepared for a workout which may just threaten your current self view of your skills.
This is a hard layout to be sure. I love it!

Very good concrete pads. Both long and short tees.

Numerous great holes!

This course is fairly high on my fun scale for the most part.
Nice flow to the course, it's easy to find your way to the next tee pad.

Several wow holes which is always fun especially when you first play a course.

Of the 230+ courses I've played this is near the top of the list.

Cons:

None really. Word to the wise... stay on the fairways.
Many holes in the back nine have ugly rough and some nasty steep creek hells if you get off the fairways.
Some quite hidden hazards which could Eat your plastic or at least ruin your score in a hurry.

Think position golf and calculate the risks carefully.

Other Thoughts:

This course is Both fun to play and brutally punishing The creative use of the elevation of the park makes for some fun and aesthetically pleasing holes which are challenging as well.
It offers some interesting and challenging golf shots for any skill level.
Always a good course but now it's a Great course since the last reworking .

Great work who ever designed and worked and revised the course. I know how much work that takes to do. Thank you thank you Thank you!

The design changes were all for the good and make this course a World Class must play for all lovers of our sport.

Hole 12 is legendary and the toughest hole I've ever played. It kicked my butt But I love it!
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Now with Megiddo just 7min away Morton is on the map.
If I was driving through town and wanted to play a couple courses, it would be these two. Of course McNaughton isn't too far either... Or the reworked permanent lake Eureka...
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5 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice wooded course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a mostly wooded park that has no real conflicts with other park uses. There is some nice elevation, nothing drastic but enough to make some really interesting holes and some cool tricky greens. A few less wooded holes are sprinkled in for variety, and the course finishes with a couple ripper holes that still make you place your shot to stay out of trouble but give you room to work some lines.

There are good concrete tees on the shorter set of tees, and basic signs that make the course pretty easy to follow. The long tees are natural, but not too difficult to find. The course felt pretty well maintained, the wooded holes are kept pretty clear and the grassy fairways were nicely mowed. The course has pretty good variety of lengths and hole shapes that keeps you guessing and makes you hit lots of different lines.

Cons:

The course plays pretty short, with the notable exception of the last two holes. That makes it a bit of a deuce or die course, especially from the shorts (or from the longs for a better player). There are a couple stretches of holes that get a little repetitive. The middle of the course has some holes with long grass rough, not my favorite obstacle on a course at all. The long natural tees were a bit rutted out and not always the best tee surface, making the shorts a more attractive round despite the better challenge and variety from the longs.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a nice challenge, and has great variety of wooded and more open holes that make you hit some tight lines. Beginners might find even the short tees pretty challenging and punitive, with enough rough to make errant shots frustrating. More experienced players will find a fun round from the shorts and a slightly more challenging round from the longs, with great use of the terrain available. This one is definitely one to hit when you're in the Peoria area, pair it with McNaughton for an awesome day of tough golfing.
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9 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.7 years 568 played 281 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beginner/Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 12, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Course is set in a very diverse piece of land. It is roughly half forest, half prairie, with some wide open holes at the end. There is deep forest with lots of trees, grove forest with larger trees, a good mix throughout. Lot of different obstacles depending on the area of the park you are in.
- Holes in the deeper forest usually have pretty well defined fairways, in addition to larger trees to avoid. Combine that with significant elevation changes, and there are many different tricky shots to make. A few right, a few straight, a long tunnel, and a long left on hole #5. This is a great hole; low ceiling, over the dip in the fairway, to a big drop left down a hill and over a creek. Some slanted greens, as well.
- A few of the grove-like holes border the sloping forested area, so staying on the fairway is a must. Avoiding a bunch of wide trees is also key, of course, so there is some line shaping needed to navigate some parts.
- Holes in the prairie make good use of the various trees and shrubbery to force some lines as well. Larger obstacles definitely take out many routes, so some more line shaping is key to score low.
- The course finishes up with two bomber holes that demand distance. #17's tee is a shot out of/next to the forest, towards a very large hill. The basket is on the far side of the hill, close to the forest, and very blind. Choose your tee wisely. #18 has a huge elevated teebox over an upward sloping, right curving fairway with some trees on the right. Great bomber hole with a great view.
- Good baskets (except #1), good teepads, decent signs.

Cons:

- This course has a ton of great holes, but it also has a ton of pretty bland ones. While the holes in the prairie do provide some challenge, they are all pretty short and very forgiving, with little to no rough. It might not seem so bad on its own, but they pale in comparison to the rest of the course.
- With a few exceptions, the course does play pretty short.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall, a very solid course with great variety throughout. There are some top notch holes that could be legitimate par 4's, as well as good risk/reward holes with lots of trees and other hazards. Elevation changes play a major role on many holes, in many different ways. Unfortunately, a good amount of short, easy holes water down the course on the whole. Still worth a trip for any player in my book.
- Concrete pads follow a few different tees; some alternates are hard to find, if they are there at all. Pro tees a little lengthier, nothing too crazy.
- Navigation is pretty easy thanks to some paint on the baskets and the occasional brick; a few tricky spots around 7/8 and 16/17. Map in front.
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