TOP 10 GOLF COURSE IN AND AROUND THE CHICAGOLAND AREA
ACCORDING TO CHICAGO GOLF
COG HILL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
12294 Archer Ave
Lemont, IL 60439
Phone: 630-257-5872
Toll Free: 866-COG-HILL
Cog Hill Golf & C.C. has been luring avid golfers since 1927. The public is invited to play any of our four awardwinning 18hole
championship golf courses, including the worldfamous Course #4 Dubsdread. Dubsdread will host the PGA Tour\’s BMW
Championship from 20092011.
• Course Type: Public
• Architect: #4 DubsdredDick Wilson 1964, (r)Rees Jones 2008
• Opened: 1927
• Season: Open YearRound
• Head Pro: Jeff Rimsnider
• Back Tees: 6277 Yards
• Back Slope: 118
The Glen Club
2901 West Lake Ave
Glenview, IL 60026
Phone: 8477247272
The Glen Club, designed by renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio, is a remarkable feat of engineering. For over 70 years,
the land was used as a Naval Air Base complete with runways and a total elevation change of three feet. Today, the land has
been beautifully transformed into a dynamic terrain with rolling berms, stunning vistas and naturally harmonious transitions.
The routing features dramatic elevation changes up to 40 feet on certain holes mature trees and natural areas, meandering lakes
and flowing streams. There are 75 acres of prairie grass flowing naturally throughout the layout.
Each of the spectacular par 3\’s face a different point on the compass. The par 5\’s are big and bold yet contain ample driving
zones and generous bailout regions. The par 4\’s range from short and sweet to long and tough. Many elements of a superb
Fazio design are here and offer a challenge in many forms, from the classic perched greens undercut by bunkers to the
awesome peninsula greens menaced by water. The finishing 18th hole is one of the most picturesque on the course with two water features and strategically placed bunkers that
demand accurate tacking from one safe area to the next. Walking off the 18th green will leave a lasting impression of a
spectacular test of skill in an environment that offers an array of memorable golf holes.
• Course: 18 Holes
• Course Type: Public
• Architect: Tom Fazio
• Opened: 2001
• Head Pro: Jay Casaletto
• Back Tees: 7149 Yards
• Back Slope: 138
WeaverRidge Golf Club
5100 Weaver Ridge Blvd
Peoria, IL 61615
Phone: 3096913344
WeaverRidge Golf Club, located in Peoria, is a Public course. From the back tees, the course plays over 7030 yards with a slope
of 136 . WeaverRidge was designed by Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry and opened in 1997.
• Course Type: Public
• Architect: Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry
• Opened: 1997
• Back Tees: 7030 Yards
• Back Slope: 136
Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa
444 Eagle Ridge Drive
Galena, IL 61036
Phone: 8157775000
Toll Free: 8008922269
ocated on 6,800 acres amid the rolling hills of northwestern Illinois, Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa in Galena, Illinois, is a full
spectrum resort complex located 150 miles west of Chicago. The property showcases superior golf with 63 holes on four
acclaimed courses which include the North Course; the South Course; the East Course (9holes); and the resort\’s crowning
achievement, The General, an 18hole, par 72 course with over 250 feet of elevation changes throughout.
Lodging accommodations at Eagle Ridge are delightfully unique with 80 quaint Inn rooms and over 230 villas and and 1 to 8
bedroom distinctive homes to choose from throughout the property.
For the resort\’s corporate clients Eagle Ridge boasts 15,000 square feet of stateoftheart meeting space, in addition to beautiful
conference homes for small, elegant meetings. The entire facility is also the perfect venue for banquets, weddings and theme
parties.Eagle Ridge offers three distinctive restaurants that include awardwinning Woodlands Restaurant, along with Spikes Bar & Grill
and Paisanos. Other amenities include the tranquil Stonedrift Spa, providing ten treatment rooms for a complete sensory
experience, and a stateoftheart fitness center with a beautiful indoor/outdoor pool, sauna and steam room.
The resort lays claim to numerous industry awards and recognition:
*In 2010, Golf Magazine listed The General as the #4 \”Best in Illinois\” course to play alongside the \”Top 100 Courses You Can
Play\” ranking.
*In 2011, Midwest Living selected Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa as one of \”The Best Places to Visit\” in Illinois as published in their
\”Best of the Midwest\” issue.
*In 2011, Meetings MidAmerica honored Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa with the \”Best of MidAmerica\” award for outstanding
corporate meeting space as voted by readers. The resort also laid claim to the award in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
*In 2010, Golf Magazine listed The General as the #4 \”Best in Illinois\” course to play alonside the \”Top 100 Courses You Can
Play\” in the magazine\’s ranking.
*For three straight years Golfweek named The General one of the best resort courses in the annual Golfweek\’s Best Resort
Courses listing in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
*In 2011, Golf Digest named The General one of the best golf courses in the state of Illinois. The General was named #24 in the
state of Illinois and laid claim to the same award in 2009.
*In 2009, Golfweek named The General second in the state of Illinois for Golfweek\’s Best Courses You Can Play listing,
published July 2009.
*In 2011, Successful Meetings honored Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa with the \”Pinnacle Award\” as voted by readers in the Hotels &
Resorts category. The resort also won the award in 2008 and 2009.
*In 2009, Zagat ranked Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa\’s The General, North and South courses in the 2009 America\’s Top Golf
Courses, sixth edition as ranked and reviewed by players.
The property is the perfect backdrop to an incredible selection of outdoor activities including miles of biking, hiking and
horseback riding trails, as well as tennis, hot air balloon rides, boating and fishing on the picturesque 220acre Lake Galena.
• Course: 63 Holes
• Course Type: Resort
• Architect: Andy North & Roger Packard
• Opened: 1992
TPC Deere Run
3100 Heather Knoll
Silvis, IL 61282
Phone: 3097966000 x109
Toll Free: 8778723677So Weibring built his golf course in America\’s heartland.
And the PGA TOUR did come. TPC Deere Run, which opened in 2000, is the annual site of the John Deere Classic.
\”I rate the course a 9 (out of 10) and that\’s worth telling people about,\” fellow PGA TOUR veteran Peter Jacobsen said upon
seeing the course shortly after it opened.
What makes the golf course deserving of such a compliment is in its attention to detail as well as a forthright presentation laden
with options.
Though a new layout, Weibring instilled a bit of oldtime philosophy and feel to the golf course, which stretches to 7,213 yards,
an intimidating length for a par71 track. Some 70 bunkers are strategically placed throughout the course and vary in depth and
shape. There are a few blind shots. There are chipping areas to confound the best players. There are gentle doglegs, requiring
precision more than power.
What\’s more, the natural features of the former horse farm high above the Rock River Valley have not been compromised.
The Rock River is visible on nine holes. Weibring extracted a few trees (less than 20 percent), but he essentially left the property,
with its dramatic pitches and rolls, intact. The course inhabits roughly 170 acres, but Weibring and design associate Chris Gray
of PGA TOUR Design Services disturbed less than 60 acres during construction.
\”It has all the things I think you\’d like to have in a golf course,\” Weibring, who has won four of his five PGA TOUR titles in his
home state, including three victories in the Quad Cities Classic, the forerunner to the John Deere Classic. \”There are elevation
change, great views and scenery, hardwood trees. You have the Rock River complemented with small ponds, deep ravines …
and there\’s no real estate.\”
Weibring, whose Golf Resources Group, which designs and constructs golf courses and has worked on more than 50 projects in
14 years, is a stickler for traditional golf on traditionallooking courses. If it appears contrived, he will tear up a hole until it
meshes with the landscape. If a hole does not provide options for all levels of players and a challenging mixture of options for
the best players then that hole is a failure.
TPC Deere Run is not a targetoriented layout. It requires shot making and maneuverability, plus imagination with the short
game.
Weibring, who lives in Plano, Texas, is partial to chipping areas because higher handicap players can extract themselves from
trouble relatively easily (though not always near the hole) while top amateurs and professionals can make a score if they choose
wisely the type of shot they should play.
Providing options is a theme that runs throughout the course.
Five sets of tees for every level of player are available.
There are riskandreward challenges, including the 358yard, par4 14th hole, named John Deere. The hole is drivable because
it plays downhill, but coming up short of the small, elevated green leaves a player with a blind shot from the U.S. version of the
\”Valley of Sin,\” a tightly mowed chipping area. Go long and the ball can careen down a 60foot bluff.
There is the par4 fourth hole, dogleg right, 450 yards, with a large oak tree in the middle of the fairway defying golfers on the
tee. Players have to choose which way to drive around it, but provided is 54 yards of real estate (32 yards on the left side of the
tree, 22 on the right, where a wellstruck drive offers a shorter and easier approach). Perhaps the most enticing stretch of holes begins at the par4 15th through to the finish. Weibring and Gray achieved a stadium
feel and look that is common to many TPC designs, but they did it without moving much earth. The holes, including two long par
4s, cut through the trees and a ravine, making for a natural stadium golf setting.
Weibring was mighty proud of that section of the course, though all of it has met his approval as well as the approval of others.
\”It turned out just like I wanted,\” Weibring says. \”Just like I imagined it.\” Like something out of a dream, you might say.
• Course: 18 holes Holes
• Course Type: SemiPrivate
• Architect: D.A Weibring/Chris Gray
• Opened: 2000
• Season: AprilNovember
• Head Pro: Andy Stoterau
Orchard Valley Golf Course
2411 W Illinois Ave
Aurora, IL 60506
Phone: 6309070500
Orchard Valley Golf Course one of Chicagoland\’s best public courses features a beautiful 18 hole, 6,800 yard, par 72
championship layout with a blend of natural challenges such as meandering wetlands, lakes, roughs, water hazards, bunkers,
hollows and waterfalls, rated by Golf Digest with 41/2 stars.
• Course: 18 Holes
• Course Type: Public
• Architect: Ken Kavanaugh• Opened: 1993
• Head Pro: Tom Tierney
• Back Tees: 6745 Yards
• Back Slope: 134
• Back Rating: 72.4
ThunderHawk Golf Club
39700 N Lewis Ave
Beach Park, IL 60099
Phone: 8478724295
Course expertly designed by legendary golf course architect Robert Trent Jones II. Holes flow in harmony with the existing
landscape. Impeccably maintained. Consistent high marks from top national reviewers. \”Best Courses You Can Play\”Golfweek
2012
• Course: 18 Holes
• Course Type: Public
• Architect: Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
• Opened: 1999
• Head Pro: Alex Iechman
• Tee Boxes: 4
• Back Tees: 7031 Yards
• Back Par: 72
• Back Slope: 136
• Back Rating: 73.8
Annbriar Golf Course
1524 Birdie Ln
Waterloo, IL 62298
Phone: 6189394653
Annbriar Golf Course, located in Waterloo, is a Public course. From the back tees, the course plays over 6841 yards with a slope
of 141 and rating of 72.3. Annbriar was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and opened in 1993.• Course Type: Public
• Architect: Dr. Michael Hurdzan
• Opened: 1993
• Head Pro: Jack Soetaert
• Back Tees: 6841 Yards
• Back Slope: 141
• Back Rating: 72.3
Stonewall Orchard Golf Club
25675 West Highway 60
Grayslake, IL 60030
Phone: 8477404890
Renowned golf course architect Arthur Hills brings his awardwinning design talent to Illinois for the first time with the classic
layout of Stonewall Orchard Golf Club. Hailed as the world\’s No. 2 designer by Golf World Magazine in 1998, Hills allowed the
natural rolling landscape to dictate this magnificent 18hole Lake County design.
From the more than 65,000 fully mature pine and oak trees to the acres and acres of rolling hills, tranquil wetlands and wildlife,
Stonewall Orchard has those unique, natural qualities often associated with golf in the Carolinas. From the 4,968yard junior short course to the 7,124yard, par 72 championship layout, each hole provides its own identity and
challenge to golfers of all skill levels. Offering the public a country club environment in a relaxed atmosphere, Stonewall Orchard
is one golf course you\’ll want to play time and time again. We welcome you to enjoy this memorable experience
• Course: 18 Holes
• Course Type: Public
• Architect: Arthur Hills
• Opened: 1999
• Head Pro: Jeff Pajula
• Back Tees: 7074 Yards
• Back Slope: 140
Pine Meadow Golf Club
1 Pine Meadow Ln
Mundelein, IL 60060
Phone: 847566465
Known as a fair test of golf skills for any golfer, Pine Meadow also has such picturesque beauty with its fairways lined with
towering blue spruce, pines as well as wild life, that it is easy for a player to forget theyre here to play golf.
Rated the No. 1 best new public golf course in America by Golf Digest in 1986, it continues to be ranked among the top 10 public
access courses in Illinois.
While the Pine Meadow Golf Club course is nationally known, so to is its learning center and practice facility. The learning center
and practice facility is considered the best of its kind in Northern Illinois. It is not unusual to see a PGA/LPGA Tour player taking
advantage of the facility when in town.
Our facility features grass tees or mats, bunkers, chipping and pitching greens. All this is complimented by a state of the art fitting
center.What really separates our learning center and practice facility apart from the rest is the instructional staff and master club fitter.
The blending of the teaching and fitting facility is an excellent example of what Pine Meadow Golf Club is all about, the total
integration of the golfers game and equipment.
Pine Meadow has five sets of tees from 7100, 6900, 6500, 6200, and 5200 yards to accommodate players of all skill levels. The
course has 35 acres of fairways, 86 sand and 3 grass bunkers, and 220,000 square feet of tees and greens. 250year old oak
trees, 60foot tall pines, maples and shagbark hickory trees border fairways. The original standard of excellence determined by
the Jemseks has been maintained through succeeding years by Tom Savage, the golf course superintendent.
• Course: 18 Holes
• Course Type: Public
• Architect: Joe Lee & Rocky Roquemore
• Opened: 1985
• Head Pro: Mark Winkley
• Back Tees: 7141 Yards
• Back Slope: 138