Courses
The best courses you can play in Illinois
All avid golfers know St. Andrews, along Scotland’s east coast, is The Home of Golf, where the game was first played centuries ago. How about the first 18-hole course in the United States? That distinction goes to Chicago Golf Club, which opened in the early 1890s at an earlier location than its current-day Wheaton, Ill., location—over in Downers Grove. Further cementing Illinois in our country’s golfing history is the fact the club was one of the five founding members of the USGA.
There should be no surprise that some of America’s finest private clubs, like Chicago G.C., are situated in and around our nation’s third-most populous city. As for public golf in the Prairie State? This collection of the best public courses in Illinois includes current and former tour stops, past and present members of our 100 Greatest Public list and both parkland and prairie-links layouts, which highlight the versatility of Midwestern golf.
Though Illinois might not be atop your bucket list for an upcoming buddies’ trip, the quality public golf options around the Windy City and in the western part of the state are must-plays for both travelers and locals.
Scroll on to read more about each of these public golf courses in Illinois. And we hope you enjoy exploring our new Places to Play hub.
![Cog Hill Golf & Country Club: Dubsdread (Course #4)](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/cog-hill-golf-and-country-club-4-dubsdread-second-hole-3261.JPG.rend.hgtvcom.861.574.suffix/1652559914022.jpeg)
![TPC Deere Run](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/TPC%20DeereRun-2H2Compressed.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.574.suffix/1649446716817.jpeg)
![The Glen Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/the-glen-club-fourth-hole-21281.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.574.suffix/1652810306547.jpeg)
![Stonewall Orchard Golf Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/stonewall-orchard-golf-club-eighth-hole-18573.JPG.rend.hgtvcom.861.574.suffix/1660666218326.jpeg)
![Cantigny Golf: Woodside/Lakeside/Hillside/Youth Links](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/Cantigny%20Lakeside%20No.%209.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.574.suffix/1649422028140.jpeg)
![Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa: The General](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/placeholder-images/Placeholder_4.png.rend.hgtvcom.861.485.suffix/1652210514620.png)
![Mistwood Golf Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/Mistwood%20GC.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.574.suffix/1649789588933.jpeg)
![WeaverRidge Golf Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/placeholder-images/Placeholder_2.png.rend.hgtvcom.861.485.suffix/1652210514302.png)
![ThunderHawk Golf Course](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/2017/09/01/59a97baf3bdc6d49594088b6_ThunderHawk-Golf-Club-hole-7-Chicago.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.485.suffix/1573341437937.jpeg)
![Fyre Lake Golf Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/fyre-lake-golf-club-evening-24996.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.646.suffix/1660741920145.jpeg)
![Chalet Hills Golf Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/placeholder-images/Placeholder_1.png.rend.hgtvcom.861.485.suffix/1652210514118.png)
![Mt. Prospect Golf Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/Mount%20Prospect%20GC2.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.574.suffix/1649856840176.jpeg)
![Pine Meadow Golf Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/Pine%20Meadow%20GC%20IL%2007-014.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.1076.suffix/1649456834952.jpeg)
![The Preserve at Oak Meadows](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/2017/12/08/5a2af484dfa28c203226dff8_The-Preserve-At-Oak-Meadows-16th-hole.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.574.suffix/1573353302612.jpeg)
![The Highlands of Elgin](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/highlands-of-elgin-tall-green-20922.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.574.suffix/1660758619361.jpeg)
![Ravisloe Country Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/2017/09/01/59a97bc20049a7170032d465_Ravisloe-Golf-Club-hole-4.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.485.suffix/1573341445205.jpeg)
![Harborside International Golf Center: Starboard](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/harborside-international-starboard-17078.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.861.344.suffix/1660912968204.jpeg)
![Prairie Landing Golf Club](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/course-photos-for-places-to-play/placeholder-images/Placeholder_3.png.rend.hgtvcom.861.485.suffix/1652210514464.png)