Illinois Golf Courses

The latest information on golf courses in Illinois, focusing on those in the Chicagoland area.

Course Review – Downer’s Grove Golf Course

By Jim Zuccarelli [caption id="attachment_776" align="alignleft" width="300"]1st Hole Downers Grove Golf Couse 1st Hole Downers Grove Golf Couse[/caption] After turning from Haddow Avenue into the parking lot of the Downers Grove Golf Club, it quickly became apparent that this course is extremely proud of its important link to American golf history. Established in 1892 as the original home of the Chicago Golf Club, the addition of nine holes the following year made it America’s first 18-hole course, and the signage at the entrance, the front of the scorecard and every nook and cranny of the prairie style clubhouse reinforces these facts. Founder and architect Charles Blair Macdonald moved the club to a new site in Wheaton in 1895, and that resulting course still exists as one of the most exclusively private and revered courses on the planet (currently ranked 26th on Golf Digest's World rankings). (more…)

Cog Hill #4 Lives Up to the “Dubsdread” Reputation

By Jim Zuccarelli Cog Hill 4 3rd HoleI felt a touch of nervous excitement as I stood on the 1st tee at Cog Hill #4, the fearsome "Dubsdread" course that has hosted 20 PGA tour events since 1991.  It's been many years since I last visited, but "Dubs" was an annual stop before the notoriety, and the subsequent increase in greens fees, exceeded my golf budget.  But the $100 twilight rate that the Jemsek family offered for 2014 convinced me that it was time to make a return.  My first swing produced a weak drive down the right side of the dogleg left par 4, but a solidly struck 4 wood, a chip to 10 feet and a barely missed par putt and the subsequent tap in bogey had me off to a decent start.  But after one hole, it was apparent that this was not the same course that I had filed in my memory. (more…)

Eaglewood Resort Reconditions Golf Course – Restores Scenic Beauty and Playability

By Andrea Schnorr, Eaglewood Resort New Renovations Restore Course to Outstanding Quality The grass may not always be greener on the other side, but the newly renovated Eaglewood Resort & Spa golf course certainly is. The wooded, scenic Eaglewood 18-hole Golf Course, located 35 miles west of Chicago in Itasca, Ill., is back to excellent condition with lush fairways that promote outstanding play for even the most discriminating golfers. After multiple years of renovation, the newly reconditioned Golf Club at Eaglewood marks a return to the quality and playability of years past. Stately 100-year-old oak trees frame the lush, green fairways that reward players with accurate fairway play thanks to lower height cut of grass. The green collars have also been transitioned over the past year to become a part of the greens, giving the player more opportunity to take advantage of scoring. (more…)

Eaglewood Resort Reconditions Golf Course – Restores Scenic Beauty and Playability

By Andrea Schnorr

New Renovations Restore Course to Outstanding Quality

ITASCA, Ill. - The grass may not always be greener on the other side, but the newly renovated Eaglewood Resort & Spa golf course certainly is. The wooded, scenic Eaglewood 18-hole Golf Course, located 35 miles west of Chicago in Itasca, Ill., is back to excellent condition with lush fairways that promote outstanding play for even the most discriminating golfers.

After multiple years of renovation, the newly reconditioned Golf Club at Eaglewood marks a return to the quality and playability of years past. Stately 100-year-old oak trees frame the lush, green fairways that reward players with accurate fairway play thanks to lower height cut of grass. The green collars have also been transitioned over the past year to become a part of the greens, giving the player more opportunity to take advantage of scoring. (more…)

Tournament Highlights, Our “Champions Experience” Winner and Future Tournament Dates

ENCOMPASS CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY CAREERBUILDER [caption id="attachment_740" align="alignright" width="300"]Tom Lehman and His Caddie 2014 Encompass Championship Tom Lehman and His Caddie 2014 Encompass Championship[/caption] The 2014 Encompass Championship, once again, brought a unique Pro-Am format to North Shore Country Club and the greater Chicago area. The well-attended event featured a special Pro-Am format during the first two rounds of competition on Friday and Saturday pairing all 81 Champions Tour professionals with celebrities and amateurs. Sunday's final round was a tight race with Champions Tour professionals competing for the individual title and the $1.8 million dollar purse. Tom Lehman held onto the lead and was this year's Encompass Championship winner at fifteen under (-15), walking away with $270,000 of the purse money, followed by Michael Allen ($144,000) and Kirk Triplett ($144,000) who were both tied for 2nd place at fourteen under (-14). (more…)

Inaugural LPGA International Crown – Tune into the Golf Channel!

By Samantha Rubin, Communication Manager - Rich Harvest Farms Who is the best golfing nation in the world? The wait is finally over. Starting in 2014, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) will launch a new, biennial global event called the International Crown. The inaugural tournament will debut July 21-27, 2014 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland, and then in 2016, journey to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Tune in Front 06.25.14 (more…)

Port Course at Harborside Channels Scottish Links

By Jim Zuccarelli [caption id="attachment_712" align="alignright" width="300"]Harborside International 2nd hole Harborside International 2nd hole[/caption] When the starter at the Port Course at the Harborside International Golf Center heard that this was my initial visit to the former city of Chicago landfill turned upscale golf facility, he proudly stated, "You're as close as you'll get around here to golf in Scotland, but you won't have to pay for the airfare to get there." Since my experience with golf in the British Isles goes no further than the Open Championship on television each year, I'll have to take him at his hyperbolic word, though a sighting of the midwest version of a Loch Ness Monster-like creature inhabiting the murky depths of Lake Calumet may not come as a total surprise. (more…)

The “Brook” and the “Crook” Offer Great Value to Area Golfers

By Jim Zuccarelli Although they are separated by only 7 miles of far northeast Illinois real estate, Bonnie Brook in Waukegan and Shepherd’s Crook in Zion are golf courses that are a world of difference in style. But both Park District facilities share the common goal of providing a great experience and a premium value to area golfers, and each has announced significant adjustments to their greens fee schedules for 2014. (more…)

2014 Encompass Championship Update

The Encompass Championship presented by CareerBuilder will be celebrating its second year at North Shore Country Club June 16-22. The tournament once again is already attracting one of the strongest fields on the Champions Tour schedule. Joining defending champion Craig Stadler will be World Golf Hall of Fame members Hale Irwin, Bernhard Langer, Larry Nelson and Sandy Lyle. Langer recently won his 20th career title on the Champions Tour, becoming the 10th player to accomplish the feat. (more…)

Course Review: Scenic Seven Bridges Provides Stern Challenge

By Jim Zuccarelli Seven Bridges 2nd HoleMy relationship with Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge is similar to the one I have with a Snickers bar.  One is bad for my waist line and the other isn't good for my golf score, but I still indulge in both every so often.  Architect Dick Nugent razed the property of the old 36 hole Woodridge Golf Course and created a menacing monster of woods and water that will test the low handicapper and scare the heck out of the average golfer.  The par 72 layout stretches to 7,100 yards from the back set of 5 tees, and the 74.6 rating / 144 slope ranks it in the top 5 metro Chicago public courses in terms of difficulty, a clear indication that this is not a course for the easily intimidated.  On my last visit this past fall, I played the 6,300 yard white (middle) tees, and the 70.7 / 135 was all I could handle as I scrambled to stay in double digits. (more…)