BTownBorn

Although it is a bit of a hike up to Elgin, playing Bowes Creek is definitely worth it. Very nice mixture of hard and getable holes, with risk/reward options, made for a very fun round.

I was fortunate enough to play Valhalla yesterday and can't recommend it enough. The course is one of the best I've played, and extremely fair and fun. Good shots will be rewarded, and bad shots will penalized. I know this sounds obvious, but its the mark of a great course, which Valhalla absolutely is. It's also a lot of fun to play, as there are multiple ways to play each hole and strategy is a huge part of the round.

I highly recommend getting a caddie too. My caddie saved me at least 3-4 shots and had some great stories about the club. All in all, Valhalla is a must play in the Bluegrass state. Also isn't too expensive if you play with a member (just a little over $100).

I played Medinah #3 with two friends and a member. Is this a great course, and is it perfectly designed to host major tournaments? Absolutely. The entrance to the club with a view of the massive clubhouse, along with the world class practice facilities, are truly breathtaking.

That being said, the course is absolutely overrated. Although I really enjoyed my round, if I had to name my favorite hole on the course, it is quite difficult as many of the holes blend together. If you love dogleg left holes with uphill approaches, you have found heaven at Medinah #3.

Is Medinah #3 worth playing? Absolutely. Is it a top 100 course in the world? Nope.

Being a very old (1896) private club in Chicago, it is not easy to get on, but as you'd expect, the course is in phenomenal shape and the amenities (huge clubhouse) are very impressive. Keep in mind I played the course in a scramble for which I did not pay, so I can't attest to the pace of play or value for the money.

Positives: great Donald Ross design features (multi-tiered rectangular greens), great bunkering, and the most pure greens I've ever putted on. There wasn't a blemish to be seen. The whole course was in terrific shape. And very nice practice facility.

Negatives: A lot of holes seem to duplicate the others. I have a hard time going back through my round and finding a true "signature" hole. Very few doglegs, almost every par 4 is dead straight. I felt like I had the exact same club into every hole.

All in all, I don't think Exmoor is worth the hefty price tag that comes with a membership, but if you get invited to play, definitely go. And make sure to have a post-round drink on the patio overlooking the 18th green. A beautiful scene.

I've been lucky enough to play all three nines at Ivanhoe as a guest, but Forest/Marsh is definitely my favorite. Extremely challenging course, with a lot of sand and water, fast greens, and demanding tee shots, but so much fun to play. The majority of the holes offer multiple strategy options, and the caddies and staff are great, as well as the course conditions. Also one of the few courses in the Chicagoland area that has a decent amount of elevation change on the property.

It's a bit of a hike to get up to Mundelein, but definitely worth the drive.

This is, without a doubt, the best public course close to Chicago, assuming you want to pay under $100 to play. Although the full price tee times are a bit steep, I have used TeeOff.com and never paid more than $60 for this place, and I've played it about five times.

Overall, just a really fun course with nice views of the city, and less than 30 minutes from downtown. Go play it!

I have played the BCC quite a lot, and used to work there, but it is without a doubt the best course in Bloomington. An old-style country club with narrow fairways, a number of doglegs, and slick greens. The course condition has improved a lot over the last few years. The front 9 is much easier than the newer back 9, so get your scoring early, especially the first two holes. If you're in Bloomington and can get on, its worth the greens fees.

Was it a good course, with some nice Donald Ross features? Absolutely. Is it one of the best public courses in Illinois, deserving to be ranked ahead of Harborside and the Glen Club? Absolutely not, unless Ravisloe is paying you to say so. When I saw the rankings I actually checked to make sure that Ravisloe didn't have two courses and I had played the wrong one, but nope. I was on the right course.

At the end of the day, it's a short course with mostly straight holes, very little course elevation, and poor pace of play. But hey, the greens are in great shape. So there ya go.