Ivanhoe Club: Prairie/Forest
Ivanhoe Club: Prairie/Forest
28846 N. Thorngate Dr.
Ivanhoe, IL 60060
United States
About
Awards
ranking history:
Best in State: Ranked inside the top 10, 1993. Ranked 17th, 2017-'18. Ranked 22nd, 2011-'12. Ranked 23rd, 2013-'16, 2021-'22. Ranked 25th, 2025-'26. Ranked 27th, 2023-'24.
Previous ranking: 27th.
2025-'26 ranking: 25th.
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
“The Forest and Prairie nines at Ivanhoe Club showcase contrasting personalities that make for a balanced and memorable test of golf. The Forest nine lives up to its name, winding through mature trees with tight corridors that demand accuracy off the tee. Elevation changes and strategic bunkering add variety, while small, well-contoured greens reward precise iron play. It’s a classic, shotmaker’s nine—punishing if you miss, but deeply satisfying when you execute. The Prairie nine opens up the landscape with wider fairways, expansive views, and more room to maneuver. Wind becomes a factor here, and the design uses natural fescue areas and water hazards to create both beauty and challenge. The routing encourages aggressive play, but poor angles into the greens can leave tricky recoveries. Together, Forest and Prairie offer a well-rounded experience: technical precision on one side, strategic freedom on the other. Conditioning is consistent and the blend of wooded seclusion and open vistas makes Ivanhoe a standout private club in Chicagoland."
Read More2025
Review
“It is a nice layout with much better green complexes on the Forest nine. The Prairie nine has too many holes with the same shape (dogleg right around water). "
Read More2020
Review
“Very nice course with great potential. The green complexes were terrific and very large with lots of contour . This will be a very good course in the next few years ."
Read More2020
Review
“Two very different nines, which provide a lot of layout variety for the members. Holes change direction and par frequently. Unfortunately, many approach shots on Prairie feel the same, with a forced carry over a lake that guards the right fairways and fronts of greens. This wind-swept nine feels very different from the serene, tree-lined Forest nine. Forest has more distinctive holes than the Prairie, which feels more repetitive and calls for the same strategy a lot. Greens were fast and firm but held with finesse shots. Good turf conditioning during a late-August heat wave, without much rain of late. Most par 5s are gettable, and most bunkers feature a flatter, no-lip style, reducing the challenge across the property. Some greens have some shortly mown surrounds, allowing for the occasional bailout area, but not enough to really improve playability for higher handicappers. Decent shot options here, especially on the holes with water guarding the fairways and greens, but nothing above average. Fun is high here, but at the expense of challenge. Aesthetics are fine here—not a fancy place, just good quality golf."
Read More2020
