ThunderHawk Golf Club
About
ThunderHawk Golf Course covers a diverse terrain of mature forests, marshland, and prairie. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. who made a commitment to preserving the natural terrain as much as possible, it was the first public course in Illinois to be certified by the Audubon Society. It has also been ranked as not only one of the top municipal golf courses in the state but in the entire U.S. as well. ThunderHawk is definitely a must-play if you're in the area. The layout balances challenging elements with more player-friendly features, offering a course that is versatile enough to accommodate players of all skill levels. The fairways are exceptionally wide with some room for error but there are a few tricky blind shots as well as strategically placed bunkers.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 72 | 7031 yards | 74.2 | 141 |
Brass | 72 | 6631 yards | 72.4 | 137 |
Bronze | 72 | 6361 yards | 71.2 | 134 |
Silver | 72 | 6124 yards | 70.1 | 131 |
Silver (W) | 72 | 6124 yards | 75.6 | 138 |
Auburn (W) | 72 | 5046 yards | 69.6 | 125 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black M: 74.2/141 | 414 | 573 | 212 | 446 | 416 | 178 | 522 | 338 | 481 | 3580 | 429 | 517 | 385 | 225 | 363 | 172 | 578 | 182 | 600 | 3451 | 7031 |
Brass M: 72.4/137 | 394 | 554 | 187 | 424 | 391 | 168 | 501 | 333 | 452 | 3404 | 409 | 512 | 363 | 200 | 317 | 145 | 568 | 154 | 559 | 3227 | 6631 |
Hybrid M: 71.2/134 | 369 | 534 | 187 | 394 | 391 | 168 | 470 | 333 | 417 | 3263 | 362 | 512 | 363 | 160 | 317 | 172 | 568 | 130 | 514 | 3098 | 6361 |
Silver M: 70.1/131 W: 75.6/138 | 369 | 534 | 153 | 394 | 379 | 138 | 470 | 302 | 417 | 3156 | 362 | 503 | 331 | 160 | 276 | 134 | 558 | 130 | 514 | 2968 | 6124 |
Auburn W: 69.6/125 | 298 | 453 | 95 | 309 | 326 | 90 | 422 | 254 | 378 | 2625 | 299 | 444 | 241 | 120 | 246 | 66 | 401 | 106 | 498 | 2421 | 5046 |
Handicap | 17 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 10 | 6 | |||
Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
Handicap (W) | 13 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 16 | 2 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
Bar, Grill, RestaurantAvailable Facilities
Clubhouse, Banquet FacilitiesReviews
Reviewer Photos
-
#5 - Par 4 Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 09/29/2019
-
#9 - Par 4 Approach Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 09/29/2019
-
#11 - Par 5 Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 09/29/2019
-
#16 - Par 5 Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 09/29/2019
-
#17 - Par 3 Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 09/29/2019
-
#18 - Par 5 Approach Photo submitted by BryanTweed16 on 09/29/2019
-
18th Green, after the 600 yard par 5. Photo submitted by brandonschicago on 08/05/2013
Nice challenge
Love the course great shape Challenging will definitely come back
Challenging Layout
The course is setup for all skill levels. It is important to play from the appropriate tee boxes. I am a 12 index, 69 years old and played from the silver boxes. It was enjoyable. I played a week or two after the greens had been aerated so I didn't get a true indication of how the greens rolled.
Great course but fall season is always a crapshoot.
I've been playing the course sine it's opened - at least 4-5 times per year. My favorite time of year to play is fall, however, the course conditions in the fall are always questionable. The greens were aerated and sanded over about a week prior and were left to grow out, the fairways were drenched (there was no rain the night before) and as a result the experience was less than desirable. This is among my favorite courses to play and driving over an hour and half to play I was disappointed. The course should have warned us that they recently aerated and the greens have not been mowed for quite a few days, let alone they water logged the course. I'll go back, I know, but I'll avoid the fall season at all costs.
Hankster
Great course, great layout, however, the greens were just aerated. Neither Golf Now nor the course mentioned it before I paid for the round.
Pro Shop should have mentioned the condition of the course and discounted the round before I paid.
More transparency please...
Beautiful and very difficult (penal) course that appears well maintained. The only (but significant) problem was that when we showed up, we were told all the greens were sanded down (virtually impossible to putt) and the 18th fairway was undergoing construction. I would have liked to know that at the time of my reservation. We did receive a break on greens fees but frankly, I would not have made a reservation if I knew this. Additionally, given the layout (narrow fairways with minimal rough and undulating lies--easy to lose balls) and price point, a course like this needs GPS on the carts.
Golfnow should tell ALL up front !
We were asked to play back first area
ting front nine. They said the holes would be all filled not true it was not puttable. Its to bad this place is really golf heaven.I golf a lot so $ brings me here once a year.
Great challenge and very fair course
Along with the great course layout, the staff are wonderful. They are very cordial, helpful and go out of there was to make you feel welcome.
One of my favorite courses in the area
Typically play here once a year mainly because of the travel distance.
Nice grass range, excellent course conditions and friendly staff.
Always an enjoyable round.
Beautiful place to plau
36 hours before we tee'd off the skies opened up and rained like no other. We were sure we would either be waking or dealing with cart path only rules. Incredibly it looked as though it hadn't even rained a drop!! The course was in magnificent shape! The greens were a touch on the slow side, and there is no GPS on the carts. Those are the only downsides to playing this gem of a course. I would highly recommend playing here, as I know I will be again.
great course
Great Course, Great Layout, Make sure to get the yardage book if you dont have a gps.
Well worth the drive from south side of chicago
Thunderhawk Golf Club
The Good: Imaginative RTJ Jr. design just south of the Wisconsin border feels more like a northwoods Michigan track. Great course conditions and excellent, fair greens that hold well and putt true. Beautiful layout with nice variety of holes that weave through trees and Audubon preserves. Great mixture of short Par 4's and challenging doglegs. One of the best collections of Par 5's in the state, if not the entire Midwest.Good practice facility with nice range and short game area. Good clubhouse and on-course restroom stations. Well-priced at $85 during high season.
The Bad: Greens can put a little slow compared to similar caliber courses. No GPS is a negative. Course can be extremely difficult, especially when the wind blows.
The Verdict: Thunderhawk is one of the best municipal courses in the country. A course that will play different every day you tee up and is very fun to play. One of the best public facilities in Illinois.
Best Hole(s): You could pick each of the Par 5's to be the signature, but the 18th is the best. The Par 4 9th requires a long drive into a dog leg left with an approach that must navigate large overhanging trees. Tough!
Excellent course
This is my second time playing and I think it's one of the best courses I've played at. The fairways are very nice and the greens and hole location is always challenging. Pace of play was very good and staff are always friendly. Would recommend this course to anyone who's visiting the are.
Beautiful wet slow round
Beautiful forest course with challenging elevation changes. If it weren't for the constant drizzle and intermittent downpours or the slow group of three walkers ahead of us, it would have been a MUST RETURN experience. As it was, can't wait to try this course early on a dry morning!
Awesome track!
Thunder hawk is always in fantastic shape with some of the truest greens in the state. Nothing to complain about here.
What a great track!
Our group likes to go on the occasional mini-road trip to new courses, so we keep our ears open for good ones we have yet to see. We had heard a lot about Thunderhawk from reliable sources, so we made the 1:15 drive...and it was so worth it. This place is a tough (but fair), interesting, thought-requiring gem in mint condition. Grass was great, traps were great, greens were great (and fast). Our only disappointment is that we didn't get up there earlier in the year...although we plan on going back before the season is over. The other reviews are true that it was especially difficult the first go-round, not knowing where to place some of your shots. Also, the course will eat a lot of balls if you aren't hitting it straight. Pace of play was excellent, although it was Sunday afternoon, so not sure what it's like on a weekend morning. Still, holes were very interesting and the place was just great. Can't wait to go back!
great but tough
Great course. Tough layout if it's you're first time playing here. Can't wait to get out their again.
Nice Course
This was a scenic course that had some very tough holes....it was windy the Front nine and my score reflected it.
outstanding golf course
Thunderhawk is one of my favorite places to play- scenic course, fast but true greens, consistent bunkers. A bit challenging, especially the first time at the course, but one of the most beautiful courses anywhere. Looking forward to a return visit soon.
Great layout, greens need some help
Every part of the course except for the greens were in great shape. The greens were in only average shape. The greens were fast but there were a lot of "dead" spots. The sand traps were in extremely good shape. The staff was very friendly. I really liked the layout. The carts don't have GPS but the course is well marked with yardages. I would recommend buying a yardage book bc some of the holes require you to hit less than a driver.
Great across the board.
Everything was good. Pace was a tad slow. It seemed a permanent tee time had some extra things going on. Lol. Course was in good shape.
Golf courses will NEVER tell you they have aerated. You have to ask when September, October rolls around. Only way to be sure. I've been burned in the past.