1. Variety. I felt this course and Blue were very similar in the mix of shots and terrain that they had to offer, but Silver edged out as my favorite course on the complex mainly because of its variety, scenery, and seclusion relative to the others. The opening wooded holes were a blast - a downhill RHBH anhyzer on #1, then an uphill hyzer on #2, followed by a downhill straight ace run with water deep (like, you gotta really miscalculate your power to go in the drink, but it's totally in play and adds to some pucker factor) on #3, and a really picturesque uphill #4 with a washout along the left fairway. Stepping up to #5 gives you your first glimpse of an open hole, but with early trouble off the tee as you have to first get out of the woods; after this, you get your first real ripper hole at #6, but the beautiful thing about this hole is its emphasis on placement - while it starts out wide open, you have to hit a gap at around 300' in order to have a look at anything resembling an upshot - misplaced shots could end up "in jail," or losing a stroke by playing too safe. Hole #11 was a fun straight and tight fairway bordered on both sides by thick rough. Hole #15 presented some awesome risk with a RHBH anhyzer ace run through some woods to a pin perched near a STEEP drop-off. One thing I love is when a course is able to feature a memorable finishing hole, and that is executed well here with a multi-route hole through gently rolling woods, which was just an all-around favorite in our foursome. The hole lengths vary greatly, from ace runs to the LONG bombers on the Gold layout, and I threw just about every shot out here. While I didn't play the Gold tees, I stood on a number of them and was able to appreciate the way they drastically changed many of the holes, not just by adding length but sometimes changing the entire first third or half of the hole. Dual baskets on some holes further add to the variety, especially since there's no rule that says you HAVE to play the long basket from the long tee or vice versa in casual play!
2. Equipment. The dual concrete tees were in good shape. DISCatchers were similarly up to par, caught well, and were painted visibly (#6 Gold basket had recently been stolen, which didn't affect our round since we played Silver, but still - DOUCHEBAGS!). Tee signs showed hole number and distance, which for the most part was sufficient (see Cons).
3. Pay to play. You pay a small fee when you enter the complex, which gives you full access to all courses; however, even this modest amount seems to deter the chucker crowd. When P2P is successful in this regard, AND it is also apparent that at least some of the revenue is going towards course maintenance, it will always be a Pro in my reviews. I will also mention the cleanliness in this section, with numerous garbage cans and obvious upkeep by the caretakers (we had the privilege of meeting the owner/head groundskeeper lady and thanked her for allowing the complex to go in!). This is also a large multi-use facility, so various activities are available like playgrounds, picnic areas, pavilions, hiking, baseball, maybe even fishing and bike trails...you'll get your money's worth here.
4. Seclusion. If you prefer peace and quiet during your round, this course appears to be your best bet at Lemon Lake for that (probably because it is the most challenging course, but it is also far more separated from the other three).
5. Navigation. Although it can be tough to find the first tee on your first time or two out here, once you're rolling the flow is pretty intuitive, even without the benefit of a course map.
6. Complex. Multiple courses on site will usually always get at least a nod, if not bonus points in the rating.
7. Amenities. An on-site pro shop is a rarity for disc golf courses (but fortunately an increasingly popular feature, if only in the form of a mobile pro shop a la The Disc Dude in Green Bay, WI), and the selection is decent, as are the prices. Aside from discs, food and beverages are also available inside, as well as loads of accessories, used discs, lost and found, putting basket, clean restrooms, and vending machines. I highly recommend one of the homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches when available!
8. Location. Right outside Chicago, near the Interstate; pretty easy to find with basic technology and sign-reading abilities.