Best Disc Golf Courses in Chicago, IL: Top 9 + Transit Guide
The 9 best disc golf courses in Chicago, IL — ranked for locals and visitors. Drive times, Metra and South Shore Line routes, and where to play near the Lakefront.
Chicago disc golf is bigger than its reputation — and harder to navigate than it should be. The metro area holds 40+ courses, from prairie ridgelines to dune-adjacent lakefront layouts, yet only a handful sit inside city limits. That mismatch trips up visitors constantly: search “disc golf Chicago,” build a car-free itinerary around the Loop, and you’ll discover the best fairways live 30–60 minutes out in the suburbs.
This guide covers the nine courses actually worth your time, split three ways: what’s in Chicago proper, the best suburban courses, and your options near the Lakefront — with Metra, CTA, and South Shore Line notes for every pick, because this is one of the few major metros where plenty of players don’t own a car.
Want the full list? Every course in the metro is mapped in FindFrolf’s Chicago disc golf directory.
The short version
- Best overall: Westside Park, Joliet
- Best for elevation: The Hill at Phillips Park, Aurora
- Closest to downtown: Big Marsh Park, Far South Side
- Best without a car: Marquette Park, Gary (South Shore Line)
- Best for beginners: Busse Woods, Elk Grove Village
- Best destination round: Anna Page Park, Rockford
Disc Golf Courses in Chicago Proper
Set expectations honestly: for a metro this size, Chicago proper is thin on disc golf. The lakefront is protected parkland where baskets haven’t gained a foothold, so the in-city scene clusters on the South Side.
Jackson Park (Woodlawn/South Shore). For years, Jackson Park’s 18-hole layout was the city’s flagship course and one of the few you could reach on transit. Obama Presidential Center construction has reshuffled things — holes have closed, moved, and reopened in shifting configurations. Check UDisc for the current layout before committing. When it’s on, it remains the most transit-friendly round in the city, a short walk from the Metra Electric’s 55th–56th–57th St. station in Hyde Park.
Big Marsh Park (Hegewisch). The Far South Side’s eco-recreation park pairs a bike park and wetland trails with a disc golf course threading restored prairie. Flat, breezy, and rarely crowded — bring wind-ready discs and bug spray in summer. It’s about 30 minutes from downtown by car, or Metra Electric to Hegewisch plus a short rideshare.
The Best Disc Golf Courses in the Chicago Suburbs
This is where Chicagoland disc golf actually lives. Six standouts, ordered by how far we’d travel for them:
1. Westside Park — Joliet
The consensus answer when local players name the best course in the metro. Eighteen holes of serious elevation — long, demanding fairways that swing between open prairie ridgelines and thick tree cover, with enough routing variety that three visits feel like three courses. It’s the de facto home course for the southwest suburbs and hosts bigger events all summer.
Getting there: ~50 minutes from downtown via I-55/I-80. Transit is possible weekdays only — Metra’s Heritage Corridor line runs a sparse rush-hour schedule to Joliet Union Station, then it’s a 10-minute rideshare. Most players drive.
2. The Hill at Phillips Park — Aurora
If you learned disc golf somewhere flat, this is your crash course in elevation. The Hill climbs out of Phillips Park with big vertical drop, wide-open views, and fairways that play a full club longer when the wind is up. Eighteen holes, mostly open, forgiving rough but stern greens — a great place to actually throw drivers.
Family bonus: the park also holds a free zoo and an aquatic center.
Getting there: ~45 minutes via I-88. The best transit setup among the major suburban courses: Metra BNSF runs frequent service (weekends included) to Aurora Transportation Center, plus a 10-minute rideshare.
3. LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve — St. Charles
A classic Kane County forest preserve round: 18 holes rolling through tall-grass prairie and mature oak woodland along Mill Creek, with a historic farmstead anchoring the property. It’s a thinking player’s course — tight wooded lanes reward shot-shaping over raw power, and the creek comes into play on several holes.
Getting there: ~50 minutes from downtown. Metra UP-West to Geneva station, then a 15-minute rideshare across the river. Weekend rail service is solid, making this one of the easier car-free suburban rounds.
4. Busse Woods — Elk Grove Village
The closest full-length course to O’Hare and one of the most beginner-friendly in the metro. Set inside one of Cook County’s largest forest preserves, the 18-hole layout plays through mature oak woodland on flat, walkable ground with generous fairways — the rare top-tier course where first-timers won’t spend the day in the trees.
Getting there: 25–30 minutes from downtown, right off I-90 near O’Hare. Car-free, take the CTA Blue Line to Rosemont and grab a 10-minute rideshare — which also makes it the go-to round for travelers with a long layover.
5. Lippold Park — Crystal Lake
The northwest excursion. Lippold’s 18-hole course is the pick of McHenry County: mature trees, scattered elevation, and a couple of holes that flirt with water, all in a park with trails and ballfields if your group splits up. On summer weekends it draws a proper local scene — leagues, casual doubles, the works.
Getting there: ~an hour via I-90, or Metra UP-Northwest to Crystal Lake station plus a 10–15 minute rideshare. Trains run all day, weekends included.
6. Anna Page Park — Rockford
Technically beyond suburb status, but Chicago players have made the drive for decades and it earns its spot. Anna Page is one of Illinois’ original courses — old-school, mature, and big: 27 holes of hills and towering trees that older park layouts handle beautifully. Short on time? The front nine alone is worth it.
Getting there: No practical rail option — drive, roughly 90 minutes via I-90. If you’re building a bucket-list season, this is the day trip; our guide to the best disc golf courses in the U.S. has the longer list.
Disc Golf Courses Near the Chicago Lakefront
Chicago’s lakefront is 18 miles of deliberately protected parkland — great for running, famously empty of baskets. If lake views are the point, three options get you close:
Marquette Park, Gary, Indiana. The best true lakefront disc golf in the region, ~40 minutes from downtown via the Chicago Skyway — or the South Shore Line. The course rolls through dunes-adjacent parkland right on the Lake Michigan shore, near Miller Beach. Wind off the lake is the real course designer; pack stable-to-overstable everything.
Jackson Park. Covered above — lakefront-adjacent on the South Side with the best CTA/Metra access of any in-city round. Verify the current layout first.
Big Marsh Park. Not on Lake Michigan proper, but the marsh-and-dune landscape near Calumet is the closest thing to a wild lakeshore feel inside city limits.
Playing Chicago Disc Golf Without a Car
| Course | From downtown | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson Park | ~20 min | Metra Electric / CTA to Hyde Park area |
| Busse Woods | ~30 min | CTA Blue Line to Rosemont + rideshare |
| Big Marsh | ~35 min | Metra Electric to Hegewisch + rideshare |
| Marquette Park, Gary | ~45 min | South Shore Line to Miller + short rideshare |
| Phillips Park, Aurora | ~50 min | Metra BNSF to Aurora + rideshare |
| Westside, Joliet | ~60 min | Metra Heritage Corridor (weekday rush hours only) |
| LeRoy Oakes, St. Charles | ~60 min | Metra UP-West to Geneva + rideshare |
| Lippold Park, Crystal Lake | ~75 min | Metra UP-NW to Crystal Lake + rideshare |
| Anna Page, Rockford | ~90 min | Drive |
Three notes: Metra day passes are cheap, bikes are allowed on weekends and off-peak trains, and every rideshare leg above is under 15 minutes. The South Shore Line runs daily — it’s the sleeper option that puts a beachfront round within reach of a transit-only itinerary.
When to Go (and Other Quick Tips)
Chicago disc golf peaks June through September — days are long, courses are dry and fast, and every course on this list runs leagues and casual events. Saturday mornings get busy; weekday evenings are the local secret. October is criminally underrated for fall color, and committed players keep playing through winter — snow rounds are a badge of honor, so throw within yourself and use bright discs.
Other tips: nearly every course here is free, UDisc is the standard for live maps and checking whether forest preserve maintenance has rerouted a hole, and a three-disc starter set covers 95% of what these courses ask of you.
FAQ
How many disc golf courses are in Chicago? The metro has 40-plus, but only a handful inside city limits — most of the quality sits in the suburbs. FindFrolf’s Chicago directory maps every one.
What’s the closest disc golf course to downtown Chicago? Jackson Park on the South Side (check the current layout) and Big Marsh Park on the Far South Side. Among reliably full-length suburban options, Busse Woods is closest in.
Can you play disc golf in Chicago year-round? Yes — public courses stay open through winter and the scene stays active. Expect mud in spring, wind always, and slower greens after rain.
Is disc golf free in Chicago? Almost entirely. Forest preserve and park district courses are free; only a handful of private venues charge.
What’s the best Chicago disc golf course for beginners? Busse Woods — flat, open, forgiving, and the only top-tier course you can pair with a Blue Line trip.
The Full Chicago Disc Golf Picture
Nine courses is a strong summer, but it’s a fraction of what the metro offers — hidden nines across McHenry County, league nights in Joliet, and new basket installs every season. FindFrolf’s Chicago directory keeps the full, updated map of all 40-plus courses, and when you’re ready to expand past Illinois, our Best Disc Golf Courses in the U.S. guide covers where to play nationwide.
See you on the tee — mind the wind.