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Glenview Park Golf Club
800 Shermer Road
Glenview, IL 60025
(847) 724-0250
Website
So I have played this course more then any other course in Illinois, having grown up in the area. To be completely honest I was never a huge a fan of this course. It was overpriced and really didn’t do anything for me. This is until they just finished a complete course renovation, done by local golf course design firm Jacobson Golf Course Design. Rick Jacobson has done several renovations in the north shore, so he was the right choice for the job. I have to say he did a fantastic job. I played this course the first weekend it opened, so I got to see it before it was really played on. The layout of the holes didn’t change much, but the aesthetics of the course drastically changed. Brand new bent grass fairways, new greens, trees were removed, and several new strategic bunkers completely transformed this course into a track I will gladly come back and play. The course still has some maturing to do from all the renovations, so it will only get better….I hope.
Playing only 6,113 from the tips and a rating/slope of 69.6/128, this par 70 course is now a course I would recommend to my fellow golfers. This is a very short course, but the fairways are for the most part tree-lined so errant tee shots can get you into some trouble. Keep the ball straight and you are in for a low round. The course offers a practice putting green, and a full service club house. The only thing I did not see was the old net you could hit into off the first tee. Not sure if they will bring that back out, but to be honest who cares.
I’m glad this course got a face lift, and has now jumped a few spots up my rankings from its old spot near the bottom. So head to Glenview to enjoy a round on what feels and looks like a new course.
Tee it up!!
Lost Marsh Golf Course
901 129 St
Hammond, IN 46320
(219) 932-4046
Website
Many people that I spoke to told me I needed to check this course out. Being close to Chicago and quite affordable ($67 w/ cart on the weekend), I decided to give it a shot. I have to say though, this was a round of mixed emotions. Let me explain, because I don’t mean that in a completely negative way.
Basically my only negative opinion of this course are the majority of the first 5 holes on the course which navigate a lake. The first hole, although being very memorable with a view of the Chicago skyline, is a tough opening hole. With water all around the fairway and green it is a brutal way to start your round, and I had no idea what club to use off the tee. The third hole was another hole surrounded by water….very tough tee shot and the #1 handicapped hole. The fourth hole is a short par 5. The entire right side of the hole is water, and the left side is OB. This hole consists of 3 peninsulas. Your tee shot is onto the first peninsula, and then depending on how far you are you can either layup onto the next peninsula or go for the green, which is also a peninsula. Finally the fifth hole is a short par 4 and driveable for the long hitters. Right is all water, and left OB as well. To many these hole may sound fun, but to me just not the way your round should start. If they were spread out in different areas of the course it would be a different story. Needless to say my score was hurting going into the 6th hole.
So we move on because the rest of the course was very different and a lot more to my liking. Lost Marsh was designed Charles Howard by and plays from 6,803yds from the men’s tips and a rating/slope of 73.6/132, and 5,859yds, 74.2/127 from the women’s tee’s. The course was in great shape that day and the greens ran true. The rest of the course was a mix of tree lined holes but mostly wide-open with rolling fairways. Other then the lovely factories surrounding the course and a terrible start, it was a good round of golf and I enjoyed myself. Given the location, the course was a pleasant surprise. There is a grass driving range and putting practice area, and there is also a 9-hole par 3 course. Listen I know I was critical on the first several holes, but I do think this course is worth a shot. It is close to Chicago and I know you will enjoy your round.
Tee it Up!!
Bittersweet Golf Club
875 Almond Road
Gurnee, IL 60031
(847) 855-9031
Website
Going into this round of golf I didn’t have high expectations for this course. No one I knew had played it, and I didn’t know much about the course. Well, I was pleasantly surprised by this course. It rained a little that day (which you can tell by the pictures below), but the course was in great condition. I really enjoyed the layout of the course. Surrounded by mature trees, abundance of wetlands and wildlife, and undulating greens, Bittersweet provided a fun and challenging round of golf. Designed by Robert M. Lohmann, Bittersweet plays from 6,751yds from the men’s tips and a rating/slope of 73.3/135, and 5,614yds, 72.8/130 from the women’s tee’s. This course makes a golfer choose their clubs wisely and you will use all the clubs in your bag. I preferred the back nine to the front due to the scenery you experience as the wetlands come more into play. The course offers a grass driving range and chipping and putting practice area. I live in the city, but would drive up to Gurnee to play this course again. If you haven’t played here yet, I do recommend a trip to Bittersweet for your next round.
Tee it Up!!
The Highlands of Elgin
875 Sports Way
Elgin, IL 60123
(847) 931-5950
Website
Every year my summer softball team has a golf outing when the season is over, and clearly I am the one that coordinates it. I chose The Highlands of Elgin, and needless to say all 12 of my teammates will be coming back to play this course whenever they can. Designed by Keith R. Foster this course is one fantastic golf course. The course went through a major renovation and just re-opened a couple years ago. According to their website they have recently received the following accolades.
#12 “Best New Courses in America” – GolfWeek Magazine 2012
#2 in Illinois “Best Courses You Can Play”- GolfWeek Magazine 2012
#1 “Municipal Course in Illinois & #7 in America” -GolfWeek Magazine 2012
I couldn’t agree more with these acknowledgments. The Highlands was esthetically one of the most beautiful public courses I have ever played in Illinois. Rolling fairways, elevation changes, excellent conditioning, and amazing views around the course…. you really can’t ask for more. One of my favorite features were the holes that hugged the quarry on the front 9. The bluffs are not the kind you’d see at Pebble Beach, but it’s a feature you don’t see too often in Illinois. Particularly the par 3 4th and 7th holes, with the 7th being an absolute beast of a hole at 254 yards.
The course plays from 7,000 yards and has a rating/slope of 73.8/136 from 7he men’s tees, and 5,625 yards and a rating/slope of 72.1/125 from the women’s tees. The course is basically wide open links style with hazards everywhere. Waters comes into play on almost half of the holes, fescue everywhere, and plenty of well positioned bunkers. The course offers a grass driving range, practice chipping area, and putting green, and great GPS golf carts.
So, if there is one course that I recommend playing this year it is the Highlands. For $65 for non-residents or $58 for Elgin residents this is the best bang for your buck you will find when you look at public courses of this caliber. There is just no better top-tier course you can play for this price point. When you choose to play your next round here I hope you enjoy the Highlands of Elgin as much as I did…..I will be back soon.
Tee it Up!!
Chalet Hills Golf Club
943 Rawson Bridge Rd
Cary, IL 60013
(847) 639-0666
Website
Chalet Hills, located in Cary, IL was my second stop on my day of 36 holes. Chalet is one fantastic golf course, and easily one of my new favorite courses in IL. One of my big criteria’s for ranking a golf course is how memorable the course is….well this has to be one of the more memorable layouts around. The course boasts mostly tight tree lined holes, some wide fairways, elevation changes, and just a great mix of holes. Chalet also has to be one of the more picturesque courses in the Chicagoland area. The course is surrounded by rolling hills, wildlife, and plenty of water hazards. Cary might be a difficult place to get to, but this course is one hidden gem that must be discovered by everyone. During my own research of this course I found that in 2004, Golf Digest ranked Chalet Hills as #3 out of the 5 “Best Kept Secrets in America!” For many years now I have been dying to make it up to Cary to play here, and have to say Golf Digest was not wrong. Designed by Ken Killian, who claims Chalet was the greatest golf course he has ever designed, plays from 6,877yds from the men’s tips and a rating/slope of 73.6/137, and 5,983yds, 75/134 from the women’s tee’s. This course is also extremely well conditioned, and I have to say for a public golf course the greens are impeccable. Hands down probably the best kept and fastest greens I have played in a long time. Chalet offers a driving range area, practice putting green, and nice club house. Chalet is an absolute must play for every golfer of all levels. I would even recommend this course to golfers from out of state. This course has it all and I guarantee you will enjoy.
Let me end by saying I played twilight and tee’d off at 5:30 and played 18 holes of golf in 2 ½ hours….which I have to say is rather impressive. I played by myself and literally flew through the course. Unfortunately, since I played so late in the day the picture quality of the course wasn’t as good as I’d hope due to most pictures being affected by the sun setting. Given that the pictures won’t offer the portrayal of the course as I would have hoped, don’t worry because I’m sure I will be back there soon and will take better pictures.
CHICAGO GOLF CENTRAL 