Finest golf programs in Illinois for 2024-25

As a part of GOLF’s rigorous scores course of for our newly launched Prime 100 Programs within the U.S. and Prime 100 Programs You Can Play rankings, our fleet of 100-plus skilled panelists recognized the most effective golf programs in each state.

You possibly can take a look at the hyperlinks beneath to browse all of our course rankings, or scroll right down to see the most effective programs in Illinois. And for those who’re seeking to create your personal journey sooner or later, you’d be clever to let GOLF’s new Course Finder software help you. Right here, you possibly can toggle all of our lists — Prime 100 public, greatest munis, greatest quick programs, greatest par-3s and extra — or filter by value to create the right itinerary in your subsequent journey.

GOLF’s different course rankings: Prime 100 Programs within the World | Prime 100 Programs within the U.S. | Prime 100 Programs You Can Play | Prime 100 Worth Programs within the U.S. | America’s Finest Municipal Programs | The 100 Finest Brief Programs within the World

Take a look at our all-new journey podcast Vacation spot GOLF. Hear and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: APPLE | SPOTIFY | IHEART | AMAZON

Discover our all-new Course Finder

Golf programs close to you? Search right here!

Start Searching

The most effective golf programs in Illinois (2024/2025)

SYMBOL GUIDE
# = Prime 100 Course within the U.S.
Y = Prime 100 You Can Play within the U.S.
V = Prime 100 Worth Course within the U.S.
P = Public/Resort

Ed. observe: Some programs had been omitted from our rankings as a result of they didn’t obtain sufficient votes.

1. Chicago GC (Wheaton) [#]

One of many 5 founding members of the USA Golf Affiliation in 1894, Chicago Golf was the location of the nation’s first 18-hole course; it additionally was the primary course outdoors of the Northeast to play host to the U.S. Open. Seth Raynor retooled his mentor C.B. Macdonald’s course in 1923 and never a lot has modified since as its slew of exemplary template holes make it simply as related as we speak because it was within the hickory period. Holes 1 by means of 4, which embody a Street and Biarritz template, signify one of many recreation’s most testing begins.

2. Shoreacres GC (Lake Bluff) [#]

Steep ravines have an effect on play all through Shoreacres’ famed stretch of holes from 10-15. The remainder of the property options extra modest topography however you’re unlikely to note that reality because the expansive greens provide such attention-grabbing targets. Ironic for an architect who constructed template holes however the most effective gap on this Seth Raynor design could be the completely unique risk-reward 520-yard par-5 fifteenth, which doglegs left, over and round a ravine.

3. Medinah CC – No. 3 (Medinah) [#]

4. Previous Elm Membership (Highland Park) [#]

5. The Beverly CC (Chicago)

6. Olympia Fields CC – North (Olympia Fields)

7. Skokie CC (Glencoe)

8. Olympia Fields CC – South (Olympic Fields)

9. Medinah – No. 1 (Medinah)

10. Butler Nationwide GC (Oak Brook)

11. Flossmoor GC (Flossmoor)

12. Knollwood Membership (Lake Forest)

13. Cog Hill Golf & Nation Membership – No. 4 (Lemont)

14. Exmoor CC (Highland Park)

15. Black Sheep GC (Sugar Grove)

How we rank our programs

For our newly launched Prime 100 U.S. and Prime 100 You Can Play lists — a course of that helped us create 50 best-in-state rankings — every panelist was offered a poll that consisted of 609 programs. Beside the checklist of programs had been 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists thought-about a course to be among the many prime three within the U.S., they ticked that first column. In the event that they believed the course to be amongst Nos. 4-10, they checked that column, adopted by 11-25, 26-50, and so forth out to 250+ and even a column for “take away.” Panelists had been additionally free to jot down in programs that they felt ought to have been included on the poll.

Factors had been assigned to every bucket; to reach at a median rating for every course, we divide its mixture rating by the variety of votes. From these level tallies, the programs are then ranked accordingly. It’s an deliberately easy and simple course of. Why? As a result of it traditionally has produced outcomes which might be broadly lauded. Like the sport itself, there’s no have to unnecessarily complicate issues or attempt to repair one thing that already works so nicely.

The important thing to the method is the expertise and experience of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all of the worldwide golf meccas, every of our 127 handpicked panelists has a eager eye for structure, each regionally and globally. Lots of our panelists have performed greater than 1,000 programs in 20-plus international locations, some over 2,000. Their handicaps vary from +5 to fifteen.

As a result of the character in fact ranking is so intensely subjective, nobody opinion carries the day. The one method, then, to construct significant consensus is to include this variety of panelists and experiences into one rating.

Need assistance unriddling the greens at your own home course? Choose up a customized Inexperienced E book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.