New to Chicagoland

[tacimala]

Hi all, just moved here yesterday from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Living on the NW side of downtown near the Damen/Diversey crossroads. Where should I play and what are some good leagues going on? I saw a fairly long list of leagues on the site but I don't know how far away everything is from me. Any help would be appreciated!

[stpitner]

Well, from looking up the zip code at that intersection, 60647, I searched in the pdga based on that zip.  This link will take you to the results in the course directory:
http://www.pdga.com/course/courses_by_state.php?admin=&SearchZip=60647&SearchCity=&SearchState=&SearchCountry=UNITED+STATES&Search=Search

-The closest one, edgebrook, is pay to play.  There is a league, but I don't know much about it.
-Mayfair is an easy 9-holer, good practice course, low usage.
-Summit is still in creation, and I've told it's brutal and insane.  Probably not a good example of the first couple of courses in this area to go to.
-Oak Brook, right across the street from where I work   Great 9-holer, the best shot league that is currently at Lombard will be moved here on Saturdays starting in October I believe?  Definitely worth checking out.
-Glencoe... never played it, so can't say if I like it or not
-Lombard - Madison Meadows. It's 16 miles away from you, but I recommend it highly.  One of the Illinois Open Series (IOS) events is held here annually.  19 holes with a crazy long 660 ft hole 19 that bends around a pond.  Wednesday night best shot league... you'd have to find the thread that gives the times since they are getting earlier with the sun setting earlier.
-Lombard - Lombard Commons Park - not as cool as Madison Meadows, good practice course.

Some other courses in the area worth checking out:
Streamwood - Tuesday night league - 25 mile haul though

If you have some free time and want to see some neat Illinois courses, you can check out Mokena, IL (29 miles south)  nice course there.

I'll let others plug the leagues they play... like Buffalo Grove (21 miles I think), and others.

There really isn't a whole lot inside Chicago itself, but out in suburbia there's PLENTY.  Hopefully more to come soon!

[tacimala]

I'm OK with driving a little bit, especially if it's for a nice course. I've played the Glencoe course and it's good for putting practice, but doesn't provide a lot of challenge. I am a bit spoiled coming from Kalamazoo and having half a dozen nice courses within a 20 minute drive. I guess I would prefer the 18 hole courses also, unless the 9 holers provide a good challenge or something to offer.

Thanks for the info stpitner, keep it coming!

[stpitner]

The Oak Brook course is probably the only 9-holer in this area that I can think of that is worthwhile to check out.  I'm only an 800 rated player, but I think my BEST day at Oak Brook was still 5 or 6 over.  For 9-holes that's pretty tough.  By comparison I just had a 6-under at Westchester (Mayfair Park) last week (ok it was the round of my life but still... lol).

The Joliet area (30 miles) had some great courses, but I have yet to play those.  I mention Mokena earlier because it's a 27-hole course with many alternate teepads.  I haven't played it yet, but if it's not raining on Sunday I might make some free time and go then (finally!)

[Mike S]

I live pretty close to you...  I'm near Addison and Southport, so just a couple blocks.  To play anything decent, we have to drive about 45 minutes, regardless of which direction we're driving.  Its the price to pay for living in the city.

So, before the Dan Ryan started all the construction, I was driving down to Mokena a lot.  That route has gotten pretty bad unless youre going early morning on a weekend.  Not bad if you go then.  I still think the most accessible course worth playing from our area is Lombard.  Just get on 90-94 towards the city, and take 290 out to Roosevelt Rd.  The course is a couple miles down, off Westmore-Meyers rd.  Usually takes me about 40 minutes to get there, assuming I'm not trying to go during rush hour.  Edgebrook is a must-play, if only for the leagues they run every other saturday.  I work out in the NW suburbs, so I play the 9-hole courses by work a lot(Palatine & Buffalo Grove mostly).

The good thing about living in the city for disc golf is that you never really have more than an 1-1.5 drive to get to an area tournament, no matter where it is.  Takes the same amount of time to get to Lemon Lake, Aurora, and Round Lake.  People from any of those locations are driving a much longer way to get to the others.

[Chainmeister]

Every once in a while the frustration boils over.  I'd like to take this thread and send it to the city, the county , the forest preserve district etc. so they can spend a small amount of money and use a small amount of the parks that exist and get a course.    Simply put, its a big fat pain in the behind to get to a decent course if you live in the city or an inner suburb (like I do). I am jealous of guys who roll out of bed to go to Madison Meadows (Lombard) or Fairfield (ROund Lake Beach).  I live reasonably close to Glencoe, but as you mentioned its a pitch and putt course.  Its great for taking the kids.  Madison Meadows is your best bet comparing time spent driving and having a course worth driving to.

A good friend just bought a house in zoo so she could take advantage of the amazing deal they have with state schools (some anonymous benefactor will pay for grads of zoo schools to go to any state college in Michigan).  I gotta visit  and play the courses there.

Lack of disc golf courses notwithstanding, Chicago is a great city...welcome!

[Bruce Brakel]

Chicagoland courses are not the best, but the players are.  And Chicago is the best place to be in the country if you are an amateur member of the PDGA.     Check out the IOSeries. 

[plasticfiya]

another closer 9 holer would be clark park in elk grove village just take the 90 west  or 290 west towards schaumburg
here is a map that will show you the layout of the IL course's just take note this map is crude. http://find.mapmuse.com/re1/map_brand.php?sp_theme=BRAND&origBr=DISC_GOLF&pan=&recenterX=&recenterY=&zoomlevel=&imgbox=198+241+412+377&zoomBand=1&extent=-91.1609365981+41.2002806938+-85.6058319805+44.7740646645&noOfLayers=1&layer=&layerx=&remove=&imgext=-129.88+22.766+-61.83+51.95&rawminx=117.830193&rawminy=-42.704092&rawmaxx=155.269129&rawmaxy=-8.412631&singlePoint=&stick=&latitude=&longitude=&symbolName=&sp_table=&sp_id=&sp_zoom=&agtid=&setPoint=&setStick=&setLat=&setLong=&setSymbol=&goto=&gotoLoc=&matchLine1=&matchLine2=&spet=&image_url=%2Fre1%2Ftmp1%2F1157659338227101.gif&map_width=200&main_topic=&machine=find.mapmuse.com&directory=re1&map_name=map_brand&doScr=380&otm=&mp_table=&mp_ids=&demoLat=42.98717&demoLong=-88.38338&demoScale=42236.5714286&flex=&lFn=&layer0=DISC_GOLF&layer1=&search0=&selMoreTopsIntr=null&selMoreTopsBrnd=null&selMoreTopsAccm=null&chkTopic=DISC_GOLF&placeInput=&select=20

[tacimala]

Thanks for the course info guys.

Now onto the leagues! I want to get involved with a few weekly leagues (or atleast have the option to). Can someone give me a rundown on what leagues I should get into? Pretty much any day is good for me right now, but that may definitely change. I see the Sunday league up at Waukegan on the Leagues page on the site, does that one draw a lot of people? Thanks again

[Mike S]

I'm not sure how many of these are running, or what all the start times are...  They are all explained pretty well in the leagues forum:

Sunday - Waukegan

Monday - Aurora, Buffalo Grove (I run this one), Edgebrook(every other monday)

Tuesday - Libertyville, Streamwood

Wednesday - Lombard (might be at a new course now, i'm not sure)

Thursday - Round Lake, Kenosha

Friday - Kenosha (Glow)

Saturday - Round Lake, Edgebrook (every other saturday)

[mirth]

A bunch of the weekday leagues will be ending soon due to lack of daylight... some have already ended (I think).

Friday night glow in kenosha runs year round in all weather. Saturday AM in Round Lake and Sunday AM in Waukegan are also year round.

[stpitner]

I don't have the time schedule for September other than next week starts at 5:15 for Lombard, but I do believe it is October that they are moving it to Saturday's at 10:30AM I do believe?

[pickax]

Lombard doubles will move to 10am Saturday in October AND move to Oak Brook. Sept sched: 9/13-5:15, 9/20-5:00, 9/27-5:00

[tacimala]

I'm not sure how many of these are running, or what all the start times are...  They are all explained pretty well in the leagues forum:

Sunday - Waukegan

Monday - Aurora, Buffalo Grove (I run this one), Edgebrook(every other monday)

Tuesday - Libertyville, Streamwood

Wednesday - Lombard (might be at a new course now, i'm not sure)

Thursday - Round Lake, Kenosha

Friday - Kenosha (Glow)

Saturday - Round Lake, Edgebrook (every other saturday)

Anyone know which of these leagues are still running?

[Chainmeister]

Sunday Waukegan and Saturday Round Lake are all year.  I know Lombard is still going as I am going there this Wedensday at 515.  They are moving to Oak Brook in October.  Mike S runs Buffalo Grove and its still going.  However, he just called it off for tonight.  Not sure how long he will keep going.  Not sure about the other leagues.

[Mike S]

I will move Buffalo Grove back to 5:30 pretty soon, and then I will call the league off as soon as we can't finish with any daylight.  I cant realistically make it to BG any earlier than 5:30.  I'm guessing the league will probably have 3 more weeks or so.  I will try to announce two weeks in advance when I'm ending it...  We will do a CTP throwoff for any remaining ace money at the last league if nobody hits it.  I think we have $58 in the fund right now.  Rocky and I have talked about possibly starting a glow league in Buffalo Grove this fall.

[CEValkyrie]

Tuesday at Adler is no longer running.

Thursday at Fairfield runs until the time change.

[DiscGolfSchodt]

I will move Buffalo Grove back to 5:30 pretty soon, and then I will call the league off as soon as we can't finish with any daylight.  I cant realistically make it to BG any earlier than 5:30.  I'm guessing the league will probably have 3 more weeks or so.  I will try to announce two weeks in advance when I'm ending it...  We will do a CTP throwoff for any remaining ace money at the last league if nobody hits it.  I think we have $58 in the fund right now.  Rocky and I have talked about possibly starting a glow league in Buffalo Grove this fall.

Glow league sounds very good!!!

[tacimala]

Yea I like the idea too since there is less traffic at night haha

[UMphreak]

We have been considering, just wondering what would be a good time to start that at.