Best Golf Courses in Illinois

#1 on trail

Wheaton, Illinois

Home of American golf's most storied club — a USGA founding member that built the country's first 18-hole course. Seth Raynor's 1923 redesign of C.B. Macdonald's original Wheaton layout gives the course its template holes, from the Biarritz 3rd to the Redan 7th. This private club hosted three early U.S. Opens.

#2 on trail

Lake Bluff, Illinois

Seth Raynor's 1921 masterpiece on Chicago's North Shore features dramatic ravines cutting through nearly every hole. One of the purest golden-age designs in the Midwest.

#3 on trail

Medinah, Illinois

Tom Bendelow's 1928 layout outside Chicago — much-redesigned since, and overhauled by OCM Golf for the 2026 Presidents Cup — was the site of the 'Miracle at Medinah,' Europe's stunning 2012 Ryder Cup comeback from 10–6 down to win 14½–13½. No. 3 has also hosted three U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships. Private club.

#4 on trail

Schuyler, Nebraska

Designed by Michael Benkusky and opened in 2001 (with the full 18 holes completed in 2004), this private 18-hole layout in Marshall, Illinois cuts through rugged terrain with dramatic elevation and canyon-carved holes.

#5 on trail

Oak Brook, Illinois

George Fazio-designed private layout in Oak Brook that hosted the Western Open seventeen times. Wooded terrain, demanding length, and zero margin for error define this uncompromising 1974 design.

#6 on trail

Olympia Fields, Illinois

Willie Park Jr. designed this 1922 parkland layout south of Chicago, featuring tree-lined fairways and undulating greens. The North Course has hosted four U.S. Opens, most recently in 2003 when Jim Furyk claimed the title.