Wabash Run is an 18-hole disc golf course that resides in Memorial Park in Grayville, Illinois. Situated on along the shore of the Wabash River and the border between Indiana and Illinois, this course is close enough to I-64 to be a relatively quick stop for course baggers that are traveling through the area. There're some restaurants close to the highway and in town to provide you with some food on your travels, along with gas stations, making it easy to fit the course into a stop that can fill multiple needs on a longer trip.
Park Amenities are pretty robust at Memorial Park, as this is the primary park for the town. In addition to disc golf, there's also a baseball field, basketball court, sand volleyball court, and tennis court on site. The volleyball and tennis courts are just beyond the outfield fence of the baseball field, so watch your head. There are also a couple picnic shelters in the park, with each one having playground equipment nearby. At the entrance to the park, there's also a pool that holes 9 and 10 play next to. Down by the river, there's a boat launch area, as well as some horseshoe pits. I believe the park also connects to some hiking trails, and there's also camping down the road. For the disc golf course, drive past the pool and park in the area near the tank. Yes, you read that right, the tank. Does your park not have a tank? Neither does mine, but Grayville sure does. Don't climb on the tank though, because there are signs that tell you not too. I didn't want to climb the tank until I read the sign, but then I wanted to after being told not to. Sorry for the rambling, but c'mon....... it's a tank!
ANYWAY, course equipment! This course uses 9 DISCatcher baskets that are in great shape. The tee pads are relatively new and still have that new look for the most part. There is a course map at the parking area which is very beneficial since the tee signs on course do not have maps. The course map sign also has instructions about how to play the game, a nice touch to welcome in newer players - The next 5 nearest courses are all over 20 miles away, so this could very well be the first course a lot of locals see. The tee signs are shiny and new looking, and include the hole number, hole distance, and par.
{b]Course design[/b] at Wabash Run is pretty unique, and makes the most out of the space provided. The course incorporates 9 baskets and 10 tees to make an 18-hole course. To do this, the course takes you through holes 1-9 in one direction, gives hole 10 its own tee pad to go back to the basket of hole 8, and then uses the same tee pads for the front 9 to effectively go through the course backwards. I've seen 18-hole courses that use 18 tee pads and 9 baskets, but this is the first time I've seen a 9 basket, 18-hole course designed in this way. It's a nice cost-effective solution that saves on concrete and baskets, and gets the most out of a 9-basket set up. This is also a nice design for times when you only have time or want to play 9 holes, as you can go forward or backward on the course.
In terms of variety, the biggest point might be elevation. While some of the holes are pretty flat, many holes have significant elevation changes. Holes 4 and 15 are the most dramatic, with hole 4 being a birdie or even ace run off of a hill to the basket below, and hole 15 going back up the same hill. Other holes like 1, 3, and 16 play along hills that could easily lead to roll away situations. While the course doesn't go near the river, there is a pond that comes into play for 6 holes, adding another obstacle to keep in mind on your round. Other than that, the course plays like a pretty typical park course, with tree lines and mature trees being the primary obstacles for you to avoid.
Course difficulty is pretty accessible at Wabash. The course has some longer, 400-foot holes, with the longest one being hole 7 at 567 feet, but the pars on the course represent the distances while keeping newer players in mind. There are so particularly difficult holes on the course, but some obstacles like the pond will keep players honest with how much they risk with their shots. Newer players will find this course to be a test of a variety of skills and shots, while intermediate players will find a decent challenge on some holes, and good birdie chances on others.