Looking to play the best golf courses in Illinois? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.
Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.
The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.
KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek’s Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S.
* indicates new or returning to the rankings
Best public-access courses in Illinois
1. Cog Hill GC (No. 4 – Dubsdread)
Lemont (m)
2. TPC Deere Run
Silvis (m)
Book your tee time at TPC Deer Run today
T3. Stonewall Orchard
Grayslake (m)
Book your tee time at Stonewall Orchard today
T3. The Glen Club
Glenview (m)
Book your tee time at The Glen Club today
5. Mistwood
Romeoville (m)
6. Eagle Ridge (The General)
Galena (m)
Book your tee time at Eagle Ridge today
7. Preserve at Oak Meadows
Addison (m)
8. Highlands of Elgin
Elgin (m)
9. Thunderhawk
Beach Park (m)
10. Harborside International (Starboard)
Chicago (m)
Book your tee time at Starboard today
11. Shepherd’s Crook*
Zion (m)
12. Ravisloe
Homewood (c)
13. Cantigny
Wheaton (m)
Book your tee tiem at Cantigny today
14. Annbriar*
Waterloo (m)
15. Blackstone
Marengo (m)
Best private courses in Illinois
1. Chicago GC
Wheaton (8c)
2. Shoreacres
Lake Bluff (20c)
3. Old Elm
Highland Park (56c)
4. Butler National
Oak Brook (45m)
5. Olympia Fields (North)
Olympia Fields (T71c)
6. Beverly
Chicago (76c)
7. Medinah CC (No. 3)
Medinah (T84c)
8. Skokie
Glencoe (T98)
9. Black Sheep
Sugar Grove (T100m)
10. Conway Farms
Lake Forest (T167m)
11. Glen View Club
Golf (c)
12. Olympia Fields (South)
Olympia Fields (59c)
13. Bob O’Link GC
Highland Park (T165c)
14. Rich Harvest Farms
Sugar Grove (m)
15. Onwentsia Club
Lake Forest (T173c)
