Courtesy of the club
Charles Cherney
Charles Cherney
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Charles Cherney
Conway Farms Golf Club
Conway Farms Golf Club
425 S Conway Farm Dr
Lake Forest, IL 60045-2530
United States
Overview
Conway Farms reopened in 2023 after substantial remodeling by Tim Jackson and David Kahn, who each worked under Tom Fazio on many of his western U.S. projects before joining together in 2009. The 1991 layout has been one of the premiere championship venues in the Chicago-area, having hosted multiple BMW Championships, NCAA national championships and other big-time amateur events. The remodel, conducted over 2021 and 2022, included the overhaul of the irrigation system, removal of trees and the rebuilding of multiple green complexes as well as a creek that comes into play on several holes. Significantly, Jackson and Kahn reoriented the course’s bunkering strategies, adjusting their sizes and locations, adding new ones where needed and upgrading their appearance to a more modern aesthetic. The essential qualities of the holes haven’t changed—par 4s like the fourth with a cross-hazard drive, the long 10th and the par-5 18th with a creek slicing into the green’s front are still beasts—but some of the shorter holes like the first, now bisected with a ravine short of the green that’s been shifted to the right, the drivable seventh presenting more options to place tee shots, and the lakeside 15th with a 75-yard deep serpentine green running along the water, are much more interesting.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Second 100 Greatest: Ranked for six years from 2013-'18.
Highest ranking: 165th, 2013-'14.
Best in State: Ranked eighth, 2013-'14, 2017-'18. Ranked ninth, 2025-'26. Ranked 10th, 2011-'12, 2015-'16, 2019-'20, 2023-'24. Ranked inside the top 10, 1993, 2005-'07. Ranked inside the top 15, 1995-'99, 2003, 2009. Ranked inside the top 20, 2001.
Previous ranking: 10th.
2025-'26 ranking: 9th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Host to three BMW Championships located just outside Chicago, this course is worthy of a professional tournament that attracts the best players in the world. It is interesting that as a Tom Fazio original design, the club chose Tim Jackson and David Kahn for the renovation in 2023 while Fazio is still working. The charming and understated clubhouse is a good start to a course that at first look does not appear to be overly challenging but feet on the ground reveals holes with plenty of thought-provoking options. The angles into holes with well-placed bunkers gives the player choices and decisions to be made. One of the strengths of Conway Farms is in its variety with long, medium and short holes requiring many different shot options. The par 4, seventh is a drivable hole but requires a well-placed shot or the sharp falloffs around the narrow green can easily result in a score higher than par. That is followed by a brute of a hole in the par 5, eighth measuring 623 yards that becomes a double dogleg left if a player cannot carry the lake in front of the green in two. The par 5, eighteenth is a bit out of place as a river in front of the elevated green comes down the left side of the fairway and feels a bit manufactured and out of place relative to the rest of the water features. But overall, this course fits well into the natural landscape of the gentle rolling hills and is a delightful walk and enjoyable to play."
Read More2025
Review
“Well-conditioned and challenging test in Lake Forest, that was a former host of the BMW Championship. Fun variety of thought provoking holes including the short par 7th and drivable par 4 15th."
Read More2025
Review
“Playing Conway Farms Golf Club is a truly memorable experience, with its beautifully maintained greens, challenging layout, and exceptional attention to detail during the remodel for shot options. The course seamlessly blends natural beauty with championship-level design, making every hole both scenic and strategic. It's clear why Conway Farms is considered one of the premier private courses in the Midwest."
Read More2025
Review
“Jackson Kahn Golf Design’s work at Conway Farms has significantly enhanced the design elements of the original Fazio. Much of the blame for its shortcomings were laid on the evolution of golf technology; however, the course required more than mere lengthening. Many of the corridors have been reshaped and routed, to bring in much more risk/reward elements off the tee. The green complexes are broadly improved as well, with deft cantors added throughout, lending great variety to a player’s approach. That said, while the seventh and fifteenth greens were identified as complexes that could be improved with new design work (both holes are short par fours), the design elements have gone too far, rendering some pin locations far too penal (eg back left on 7; anywhere in the middle on 15). In fact, starting with the back of 15, the course closes in increasingly circus fashion. The FWs on 16 & 18 are a strategic mess, and the upper right portion of the 17th green is plain silly from any back tee. Overall the work is a vast improvement, and the conditioning of the course now rivals almost anywhere else I’ve seen in Chicagoland."
Read More2025
Review
“This Tom Fazio designed layout which has been recently renovated by Jackson Kahn provides a great track for all levels of golf. The recent renovation included modifications of significant number of bunkers, repositioning the stream that runs through the course and enlarging numerous greens. With a number of different tee boxes, the course allows all levels of play to have an enjoyable round. Drive placement is at a premium because fescue and fairway bunkers are plentiful. The fescue in many places is very difficult to hit from, if you can find your ball. The course provides many risk reward opportunities such as carrying bunkers or cutting corners on doglegs. Second shots are often to relatively large greens but these greens have multiple tiers so placement is paramount. The greens have significant undulations which make them difficult to read despite their superior conditioning. Especially on the back nine the course is relatively open with views across numerous holes including the creek that runs through the course. The course requires the golfer to think through their strategy on each hole to maximize scoring."
Read More2024
Review
“Every single green is different. Incredible condition, flawless conditions. Upkept extremely well. Picturesque par threes. Course is much more difficult to the average golfer than what the pros shot here. Post renovation has significantly improved the course. This is an absolute must play in Chicago."
Read More2024
Review
“Many shot options, cross bunkers, false fronts and sides. Great short risk reward short par 4s. The course is fun, challenging and fair."
Read More2023
Review
“It's all about good golf at Conway Farms. The course is always in good shape, the practice facilities are the best you'll find anywhere in Chicago and the clubhouse is one of the more overlooked in golf. There's also no one quite as good as Tony, the caddy master."
Read More2023
Review
“Wonderful redesign of the bunkering and green complexes by Jackson Kahn Design versus the prior iteration. A few of the holes have been changed slightly as well with greens moving locations and additional tees or angles added. Hole 6 is a gigantic improvement taking a shortish par 4 with little interest to a really fun risk/reward short par 4. Difficulty of this course can be greatly increased when they decide to let the rough grow which they've been known to do frequently in the past! Standout holes also include the dog leg par 4 fifth hole that crosses marsh off the tee and bends between 2 large clusters of trees, the boomerang par 5 eighth hole that bends to the left around a lake and provides the player with a possible chance of going at the hole in 2 after a great drive, the short par 3 eleventh hole over water, the short par 4 14th that gives the player an option to drive the green if the pin is up on this 70yd long green, and the demanding par 5 finishing hole where trouble lurks off the tee w/ bunkering and on the approach and/or layup with a creek that protects the green and layup zones."
Read More2023
Review
“Excellent renovation, added fescue above bunkers and wide of fariways/rough. Reshaping of hole 1 a few others has added to the shot options and resistance to scoring. Conditioning is superb!"
Read More2023
