Pros:
- North Shore Channel Trail DGC is located on a well-groomed narrow strip of park located between the namesake water channel to the left and a busy roadway to the right. The nine holes play through mostly open grassy areas dotted with the occasional tree, bush, or art sculpture.
- Baskets, tees, and general signage is sufficient enough. The tee pads are, like the majority of Chicago 9ers, ridiculously good for the short lengths. While no signage exists at each hole, the tee pads are all pretty much immediately visible and the flow is smooth enough to not really need signage. The course map at the beginning is really all one would need.
- Well placed pin positions help keep this course from being completely one dimensional. #1's basket has a pine bush backdrop that makes anything long and to the left a bit of a hassle to recover from. Bushes line the left of several fairways, preventing everything but the most unlucky or terrible shot from reaching the downward slope to the water, but also offering enough punishment for such a shot.
- #5 is a nice tunnel shot between a row of tree trunks, with a low ceiling provided by the leaves.
- The holes are open and short enough to be reachable by beginners, or suitable for a putter only round.
- #7 allows more experienced players to air it out a bit, clocking in well over 400 ft.
Cons:
- This is a multi-use course all the way: expect to have to yield to pedestrians and bikers regularly throughout each round. The narrow nature of the park really accentuates the interweaving of course and pathways. Since the road is to the right, there's less chance of discs noob hyzering into the street, but I can still imagine the occasional turnover shot not coming back and getting blasted by traffic.
- #'s 4 and 8's baskets are placed blind behind bushes, with the next tee about 30' further. Dangerous as neither the people playing to the basket nor the people on the next tee can see each other.
- Despite the attempt to mix up the hole lengths, overall the course plays very short and will not provide much of challenge to more experienced players (excepting perhaps one disc rounds).
- The course does not play in a loop, leaving you the entire length of the course to walk back to the car. See comments below re: safari.
Other Thoughts:
- This is a pleasant enough park, with flowers, well-trimmed bushes, regularly mowed grass, a pretty smattering of trees, and the sculptures that pop up along (and in) the fairways. The main problem is the lack of a true challenge, any sort of real elevation change, and the masses of bikers and walkers.
- Definitely nothing to avoid if you're nearby, but not something to go out of your way for; the course is sufficiently designed to "scratch the itch" but it's not going to wow anyone.
- The potential to safari from 9 back to the parking lot is a possibility, but with anyone else on the course it might not be advisable.