11 Best Golf Courses in Illinois

Illinois' golf hotspots are scattered across the state and your golfing experience changes with the landscape. Around Chicago, old private clubs like Medinah and Chicago Golf Club carry major championship pedigrees and Golden Age architectural clout. Farther out, public and resort courses such as TPC Deere Run and Eagle Ridge show a different side of Illinois golf shaped by rolling northwest terrain and open farmland. Despite their occasionally unassuming locations, these courses offer some of the most historic and authentic golf experiences you can find in the United States.

Medinah Country Club

DuPage County sits between Chicago's urban edge and the farmland beyond, making Medinah Country Club feel both convenient and removed. Course No. 3 is the club's signature layout, originally designed by Tom Bendelow and recently reworked by Ogilvy, Cocking & Mead ahead of the 2026 Presidents Cup. That tournament will bring fresh attention to a course already known for major championships, Ryder Cup history, and demanding tournament conditions. Access remains the main obstacle. Medinah is private, so play is generally limited to members and invited guests. For those who do get the chance, late spring through early fall offers the best window. There is no public resort setup attached to the club, but nearby suburbs such as Itasca and Schaumburg provide plenty of year-round lodging.

TPC Deere Run

Arguably the most recognizable name on this list, TPC Deere Run is actually relatively off the beaten path. Situated near the Quad Cities, this public course is home to the famous John Deere Classic, making it a draw for serious golfers. Despite its claim to fame, it's still accessible to the weekend golfer, with pricing, depending on the time of the year, between $79 and $189, and the option for an annual pass. While its location may make it more suited for commuters, if you want to make it a weekend destination, there are plenty of nearby hotels. To avoid peak times, try to plan your visits before and after the main summer months.

The General at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa

The General, as this Eagle Ridge Resort course is known, uses northwest Illinois' hillier terrain to create one of the state's most dramatic resort rounds, with a 289-foot elevation change from the first hole to the 18th. The course asks for more climbing and more shotmaking than many visitors expect from Illinois golf, but the setting rewards the effort with long views, elevated tees, and a different feel from the flatter courses farther east. Unlike many private clubs on this list, Eagle Ridge is built for golf trips. The resort has lodging, restaurants, a spa, and other outdoor activities, making it a strong choice for players who want the course and the weekend wrapped into one destination.

Chicago Golf Club

Chicago Golf Club is a bit of a misnomer for modern travelers, since the club is in Wheaton rather than the city itself. Founded in 1892, it helped shape American golf and remains one of the country's most important private clubs. The course carries deep architectural and competitive history, while the Jarvis Hunt clubhouse adds another layer of character through its National Register of Historic Places status. This is not a casual public-access stop or a resort-style golf weekend. It is a private club with an old-guard reputation, and play depends on an invitation. For golfers interested in the roots of the game in the United States, that exclusivity is part of the story, even if it limits practical access.

Dubsdread at Cog Hill

Dubsdread, Course No. 4 at Cog Hill, brings championship-level public golf within reach of Chicago-area players. Located in Lemont, the course has long been one of Illinois' most respected public layouts and remains a serious test for golfers who want something more demanding than a casual municipal round. Its Dick Wilson and Joe Lee design, later renovated by Rees Jones, is known for strong bunkering, length, and tournament character. Cog Hill also gives visitors the kind of support many private clubs keep behind the gates: a learning center, heated practice bays, restaurants, pro shops, and a large golf facility built to handle steady public play. Fees can run high at peak times, but twilight and off-peak rounds make Dubsdread more approachable.

Shoreacres

Shoreacres sits in Lake Bluff, close enough to Chicago for convenience but removed enough to feel like its own world. Seth Raynor's 1921 design gives the course its reputation, using ravines, elevation changes, and classic template holes to create one of Illinois' most respected private layouts. It is not a resort course, and it does not lean on a long list of amenities. The appeal is architectural: thoughtful angles, restrained surroundings, and a round that rewards players who care about strategy as much as scenery. Access is private, so most visitors will need an invitation, but those who get one will find a course with a character very different from the amenity-heavy clubs that dominate many modern golf trips.

Olympia Fields North

Olympia Fields Country Club has two courses, but the North Course carries the heavier championship reputation. Designed by Willie Park Jr., it has hosted major events and remains one of the strongest parkland tests in the Chicago area. Butterfield Creek shapes several holes, and the course combines mature trees, movement, and demanding approaches in a way that still feels tournament-ready. Like many of Illinois' elite clubs, Olympia Fields is private, so access depends on membership or an invitation. For those who do visit, the club experience extends beyond golf with dining, aquatics, and other member amenities. There is no on-site lodging, but nearby suburbs offer practical options, including La Banque Hotel in Homewood.

Canyata

Canyata may be the most unusual course on this list. Set near Marshall, close to the Illinois-Indiana border, it feels far removed from the Chicago-centered image of Illinois golf. Michael Benkusky helped turn former farmland into an exclusive private course known for wide fairways, large greens, careful conditioning, and a setting that uses the openness of east-central Illinois to its advantage. The privacy is part of the mystique. Canyata is not a course travelers can simply book for a weekend, and that limited access keeps it from functioning like a traditional destination course. Still, among golfers who follow national rankings and private-club architecture, it has a reputation that reaches well beyond its rural location.

Butler National

Butler National is built for players who want a stern test close to Chicago. Located in Oak Brook, this George and Tom Fazio design has long been known for championship difficulty, demanding conditions, and a private-club atmosphere that keeps access limited. It served as a former Western Open venue, and that tournament pedigree still shapes its reputation. The course is not trying to be a resort, and visitors should not expect public tee times or a broad list of traveler-facing amenities. Its value is in the golf itself: strong routing, heavy challenge, and the kind of conditioning associated with elite private clubs. If an invitation comes through, summer is a strong time to see it at full strength.

Rich Harvest Farms

Rich Harvest Farms is in the small Kane County hamlet of Sugar Grove. If you squint, you could just about stretch the boundaries of Chicago to include it. The course moves through wetlands, trees, prairie grasses, and farmland, giving it a broader sense of place than many private clubs near the city. It is also one of the most amenity-rich entries on this list, with lodging and member-focused experiences that can make a visit feel larger than a single round. Golf is still the center of the property, and the course has hosted major amateur, collegiate, and professional events. Access is private, so it is not a standard book-and-play destination. For those invited, Rich Harvest Farms offers one of Illinois' fullest private golf experiences.

The Glen Club

The Glen Club is a fitting final stop because it blends Chicago-area access with destination-style convenience. Built on the former Glenview Naval Air Station, the Tom Fazio course uses rolling land, water, prairie touches, and distant skyline views to create a polished public-access experience north of the city. Unlike many of Illinois' best-known courses, The Glen Club accepts non-member play, though dynamic pricing can make peak tee times expensive. Its biggest advantage is convenience. Golfers can play, stay overnight, eat on-site, and use the property as a base for a North Shore or Chicago-area trip. For visitors who want a strong course without navigating private-club access, it is one of the state's easiest recommendations.

A Course For All Golfers

Illinois golf rewards a little range. A player could build one trip around a public PGA Tour stop, another around Galena's hills, and another around the private clubs that helped shape the game near Chicago. The state's best courses are spread out enough that no single weekend can cover them all, which is part of the appeal. For residents browsing this list, there are months of good golf ahead. And for those just passing through, choose your favorite and swing away.