Golf in Chicago The Chicago golf market is the best in the nation for playing opportunities. No other geographic locale in the world has so many public golf courses – not Hilton Head, not Myrtle Beach...
Chicago has a rich golf history, too, with many contributions to the game in its infancy in this country. And many major championships have been contested on Chicago area golf courses.
Several of golf’s mainline organizations have their roots in Chicago. After feeling the East Coasters of the United States Golf Association were ignoring them, Chicagoans formed the Western Golf Association in 1899 and the Women’s Western Golf Association in 1901.
Chicago also was the early home of the National Golf Foundation, founded by brothers Herb and Joe Graffis. They also founded Chicago Golfer, Golfdom, and Golfing magazines in Chicago.
The American Society of Golf Course Architects originated here and still has its headquarters downtown. Golf Digest magazine was born in Chicago and had its offices and presses here for decades.
The Chicago market actually extends beyond what is considered "Chicagoland" – our research shows golfers in 12-county "Chicagoland" also purchase a significant number of green fees outside the area, perhaps as much as 50 percent at courses like WeaverRidge in Peoria, Eagle Ridge in Galena, TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, the four courses owned by Kohler in Wisconsin, Blackthorn and the Warren Course in South Bend, etc.,
The Chicago market represents 1.67 million golfers in the 12-county area and over 2 million in the 24-county area of northeast Illinois. In the 12-county area, the participation rate is 21 percent.
Our award-winning courses attract not only local, but national play from visitors. Cog Hill No. 4, Glen Club, Pine Meadow, Harborside International, Cantigny, Prairie Landing and ThunderHawk are but a few public courses that are on everyone's "must-play" lists when they come to Chicago on business or for leisure.
Golf Digest Best in State Rankings:
° 1 Medinah C.C. (No. 3), Medinah ★ ° 2 Butler National G.C. , Oak Brook ★ ° 3 Chicago G.C. , Wheaton ★ ° 4 Olympia Fields C.C. (North), Olympia Fields ★ ° 5 Rich Harvest Links , Sugar Grove ★ ° 6 Shoreacres, Lake Bluff ★ ° 7 Canyata G.C., Marshall ° 8 Cog Hill G. & C.C. (No. 4), Lemont ◆ ° 9 Conway Farms G.C. , Lake Forest ° 10 Knollwood C. , Lake Forest ° 11 Skokie C.C. , Glencoe ° 12 Kemper Lakes G.C., Hawthorn Woods ° 13 Beverly C.C. , Chicago ° 14 WeaverRidge G.C., Peoria ◆ ° 15 Medinah C.C. (No. 1), Medinah ° 16 Olympia Fields C.C. (South), Olympia Fields ° 17 TPC Deere Run , Silvis ◆ ° 18 The General at Eagle Ridge, Galena ◆ ° 19 Ivanhoe C. (Prairie/Forest), Mundelein ° 20 Black Sheep G.C., Sugar Grove ° 21 Bob O’Link G.C., Highland Park ° 22 The Glen Club, Glenview ◆ ° 23 Pine Meadow G.C., Mundelein ◆ ° 24 North Shore C.C., Glenview ° 25 Wynstone G.C., North Barrington
Key to symbols; ★ 100 Greatest Golf Courses ◆ Open to the public
Chicagoland Golf Public Course Rankings CLICK HERE
