Pros:
- a few wooded holes are more interesting
- very legitimate length for an otherwise mundane course
- pond water hazard on 7-9 adds some fun shots
- decent Discatcher baskets
- course information sign
- well maintained, reasonably nice park course
Cons:
- tee signs are extremely basic with no maps, and a couple are missing
- gravel tees
- very open with limited elevation change
- very limited obstacles/challenge
- navigation isn't completely straightforward
- wind can come into play since the course is so open
Other Thoughts:
Sunrise Park is a well-maintained park with ample space for this disc golf course. A playground is situated in the middle of the park, and there is a bike/walking path which rarely interferes. Overall, it's a nice space that is mostly exclusive to disc golf, but it isn't ever going to be a destination course.
I do appreciate what the park district has done here. While the tees are small and basic, the baskets are in good repair and the park is clearly taken care of. The water hazards are fun, particularly on 8-9 where you shoot over the water. These are very low-risk water shots great for beginners to try, and are easy to avoid if you really want to. I'll echo what other reviewers have said, which is that the course is good for beginners/practice. It may be a little long for the newest players, but I did enjoy the open space to work on my drive technique in a lower risk setting.
The challenge here is pretty limited. A few holes have some elevation change, and a few holes are in the woods, but for the most part the shots are very open. I think the course geese presented as much obstacle for me as trees, etc. on the course.
Navigation wasn't always completely clear, but given the open nature of the course it wasn't too hard to figure out. Hole 13 throws over the bike path, which is a minor safety hazard but doesn't seem too bad considering you can see the path for significant distance in both directions.
Overall, I wouldn't go out of my way to stop at this course, but if you want a more laid back round to work on some things, it's not a bad course. I appreciate the full 18 holes given how many Chicago area courses are only 9, and it doesn't seem like a stretch - the space and length are present for 18.