The Preserve at Oak Meadows

You cannot beat this course in the Chicago/burbs area for quality of turf and challenge for the price. Bent grass fair ways with one hundred plus year old oaks. Redesign (eighteen holes now instead of the old twenty -seven) means no amount of rain causes damage like the old days. Wildlife abounds as well (saw a bald eagle there last week). Five sets of tees for every skill level. Large perfectly maintained smooth greens and quality sand well sculpted bunkers add great risk/reward element. Staff are very friendly and groundskeepers are considerate to try not to disturb you. Food and drink strategically located every four to five holes. Brand new carts with easy to read and control monitors and connectivity features. And last but not least modern brand new clubhouse with locker rooms and lounge /restaurant with high end furniture, TVs and decor. The DuPage Forrest Preserve has out done themselves and we are so lucky to have this easily accessible gem in the heart of the Chicago area!

Course played to be challenging yet fun. This course is a giant leap forward from the original Oak Meadows. Well positioned hazards but nothing unfair about the layout. You earn what you you shoot. Greens are a little slick but not too fast. Greens are deceptive in that you think there's more break than there actually is.

New clubhouse is awesome. Plenty of space inside and big spacious patio outside. Great food with lots of selections. Wait staff and Pro shop folks all very friendly and courteous. Overall I'd rate the Preserve the highest it can be rated. I will definitely be a regular at this facility .

1st time there since before the clubhouse fire. Great job redoing the course!
It was challenging, but not to challenging. Very fun, and a good challenge for amateurs. The course (both fairways and greens) was scenic and in great shape.

Absolutely stunning course set a nature preserve setting. Challenging but fair.

I was in Chicago for work and booked a PM flight out of O'Hare so we could sneak in a morning 18. The Preserve at Oak Meadows, just about 15 minutes from the terminals, came highly recommended, and it delivered. I wasn't familiar with the massive redesign that took place in 2017 for flood and environmental mitigation. But the finished product is very impressive. It's a very scenic place and quiet with the exception of overhead aircraft and neighboring highway. An opening, narrow treelined hole isn't indicative of the rest of the course, which is more wide open and runs along both sides of Salt Creek. The layout does dip into the trees a few times, however, giving the routing an interesting flow. The hole variety, in particular the three short par 4s and the par 5s, were very fun. If I am going to nitpick, I wish the par 3s had a little more variance to them.

There is a brand new clubhouse that is about a month away from opening and should only add to the full package here. THis is a no-brainer if you're near O'Hare.

Not sure if it was the time of year, but the course was in terrible shape. The t-boxes and the greens were in good shape. Pace of greens was quick. The fairways were full of divots, the ground was like concrete and very little grass. We had heard so many great things and were really looking forward to playing. In the condition it was in, I would never replay or recommend to anyone. If it was because of the time of year, they should significantly discount play.
BUT -- the staff, starter and on course assistants were wonderful.

After reading several negative reviews, and hearing some very positive recommendations from fellow golfers, I decided to give this place a try because it is relatively close to the city. I wouldn’t compare this course to the top courses in IL or WI, but for those close to the city it should be compared to Harborside, the Glen Club, and other forest preserve courses like George Dunne.

PROS - For me the distance, quality of the course layout, and convenience I would recommend this to anyone near the city. I played twice in the last month, and I really enjoyed the round except for a few things mentioned later. The conditions were better than most, and I really wish courses would be more transparent about their aeration schedules. Luckily I played a month after the aeration, and the greens were in very good shape, minus people not fixing their pitch marks. They were quick and rolled true to the read, minus a few bumps. The layout was really nice, minus too many short par 4s. Basically I wish the par fours had more balance in length. 9 and 18 are tough and long with the wind, but the rest are basically short and two are reachable off the tee. The par 3s are fair and the par 5s are fun and reachable in 2 depending on the wind. There are enough penalties and water to keep you honest, so you can’t just drive the ball anywhere or shank off the tee. But there are bailouts to play it safe.

CONS - Pace of play was not optimal based on number of players on the course. The first time we had to play through a few groups. The second time I was stuck behind two twosomes and a threesome. But nobody was ahead of the twosomes. The rounds were around 4 hours, but could have easily been closer to 3 if groups would move fast with nobody ahead. The course conditions can be better. Beat up tee boxes, with some under repair. But the sand traps were all pretty good, but not consistent. Compared to Dunne/Harborside, they were amazing. The fairways were a little beat up, but I’m assuming at the end of the season that can happen. I wish this course would stress more walking by carving paths between holes to make shortcuts easier for walkers.

VALUE - I’ve read some concerns about value. The first time I paid in season rates, the second time it was slightly discounted. I typically walk, so didn’t have to deal with sharing a cart during COVID. I would rather pay a round here than courses within 30 minutes at their cost (Harborside/Glen Club) and conditions (Dunne). If the course management improves conditions and keeps the pace of play up, I can see this being as popular as a Highlands of Elgin.

I hope the new clubhouse and range off the grass makes it even better experience. There are chipping/sand practice areas as well.

Great layout, condition was far better than earlier summer reviews implied. Reminded me of Thunderhawk with a few less trees and a much shorter drive. Clubhouse will have a killer view once that is finished. Will be back next season!

One suggested improvement - your hot dogs taste like covid.

I’ll walk you through my experience—

PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW. THIS IS THE ONE YOU WANT TO READ.

I pulled into the parking lot and immediately saw the clubhouse under construction. This was supposed to be finished already. Apparently something went wrong with some steel that was ordered and it was bending? Staff is super loose-lipped. You can ask them about this and you’ll hear all about it. Either way, pulling up left something to be desired.

There was nowhere to leave my bag as I went inside to pay for my round. There was, however, a lazily placed whiteboard sign directing me on where I could spend my money. Very tacky, very thinly veiled. Some thin dude with a black hat and an employee badge was being incredibly rude to one of the women that worked there. So, that was a nice touch.

Inside, I was helped by a young man named either Trevor or Travis, I can’t remember. This young man was sitting on a chair with his feet kicked up on the counter. He was on his phone, and I had to be the one to greet him. His mask was also down under his nose. Once he did finally decide to attend to the customer in his shop, he was actually a nice man with knowledge about the course. He helped me out quickly and he handed me a receipt and a key for a cart.

The carts were around the back of the building, not really laid out. There was an older gentleman who looked as though he was really struggling to keep up with the flow of carts coming in. He asked me very sharply which cart I was going to take, and when I told him, he said “No, no no, you take one of those! I’m workin’ on these!” I did as he asked.

There was a putting green literally feet from the first tee, but considering how everything had been smushed into a space of about 1000 sq ft, I don’t see this as a positive. The starter would talk on his walkie talkie every 30 seconds it felt like and ask where the next group was. He did this regardless of whether or not someone was teeing off, and he got me, too. Anyway, I teed off and hoped that the course was worth the rather annoying entrance experience.

I was mistaken.

This course is, quite frankly, beat up. This course should not be open in the state that it’s in. The first fairway is more divot than fairway. The bunker is untrimmed and gnarly. The green is covered in sand and there are ballmarks every ten inches that obviously no greens keeper has ever attempted to fix. The second tee was no better. It was overshadowed by giant trees that didn’t allow any grass to grow in that area, from what I could tell.

This pattern continued through the entire course. There were areas that it seems as though every dog in the county had convened to pee on all at once and, the course had made no effort to stop them. They probably laid out treats to encourage it.

Did I mention that the greens were unbearably slow? Seriously, they rolled pretty well, but I think I swung harder on putts than some drives. You know, when the layout of the course actually let someone with any muscle fibers actually use their driver.

A ranger actually cursed at me as well. Not in anger or anything, but in his casual conversation. Classy!

The final middle finger that the course laid in my path was definitely when I was putting on 17 and I could hear someone absolutely swinging their arm off with a hammer near the clubhouse, striking the loudest metal known to mankind. Seriously, a sonic-boom would have been less distracting.

The worst part about all of this is that the course layout is just subpar. It relies on gimmicks such as angled tee shots and runoff that you can’t see to achieve its difficulty. No serious golfer could ever think this was anywhere serious to play and test their game. Not that the pro there can play anyway if you look up his scores. He’s a business guy, not a golfer.

I don’t understand how this course is even in business. It really shouldn’t be. I’d been sitting on this review, thinking about whether or not it was too critical and if my opinion would soften, but it just hasn’t.

This course is bad. The employees are bad. The amenities are a joke. The pro can’t play. There’s nothing here for you. Look elsewhere to play.

Pros - Big fan of the routing. In/out of the trees to the re-designed holes. Nice mix of 'easy' vs. 'challenging' holes. Green complexes were great. I enjoyed the runoff areas off 4, 7, 15.

Cons - 1 fairway was in rough shape. Some over-watered and squishy spots. Greens appeared recently top-dressed, but still rolled very well. Many tee boxes closed for repair, so I played a huge variety of them!

Verdict - Great day minus the storm that rolled in while on 16, so I called it quits. Played as a single, which was great, but want to get back there with friends at some point.

A-/B+

One of the most overhyped and overhyped public courses in Chicago metro.

Some fairways and tee boxes were in crap shape.

Slow greens.

Douche bag staff always.

Wouldnt allow us to take individual carts in a pandemic at 6am.

For $75 Wednesday AM, i can name 50 courses better or as good for much less. As i told my buddy who booked it, never again.

I can't remember the last time i've been so disappointed in a golf course. Greens were slow, bumpy and whoever set the pins clearly has never played golf before. In 4 hours, 15 mins, we were able to play 13 holes. Ranger consistently drove around and said nothing to people not being ready to play. It was cart paths only and the course was rock hard. Overall design was boring/generic. There were some old parkland type holes mixed in with the new holes.. even some of the holes were a mix of the 2. it was weird. Whoever mentions this place in the same sentence as Cantigny, Stonewall Orchard, Erin HIlls and Whistling has to be getting paid to do so. Don't fall for it.

Have played 3-4 times a year here since the redesign

Was always impressed with condition previously

Layout is great

Course condition - - POOR
Tee boxes are basically dirt
They over water - fairways and tee bioxes were saturated (played at 8:10)

Greens rolled true but were slow

If you are going to charge $70 you need to step up your game big time

Several courses in the area charge between$ 50-60 and are in much better condition

Also most of the tee boxes were up as far as possible

Was ok for me as the black tee boxes were in the correct spot (6700 yards) but the blue and white tee boxes where my friends played were as far up as possible -supposed to be 6430 yards but the course for them played less than 6000 yards

Awful

Poorly managed from the set up and course superintendent side

34th different course I played this year and this course was the worst when it comes to condition and set up ( over watering and set up)

You charge $70 - not worth it right now
Better options for less money
Blackstone
Makray
Sheppard’s Crook
Schaumburg
Bowes Creek
Highlands of Elgin

Let’s hope that you take care of the problems because there is no way I am coming back under current conditions

With the dry weather it's amazing how hard and fast the fairways can play at the Preserve. The ball was flying this day. Course in great shape. See my previous review. Another enjoyable day...can't wait for the new clubhouse to be finished.

Last played Preserve in October 2018.....see my previous reviews.. Course has grown in quite nicely since the redo/renovation. Conditions all around were very good.....greens had a nice speed.....very playable....any faster and they wouldn't be fun. .We had an enjoyable well paced slightly over 4 hour round. Halfway house with restrooms after the 4th and 13th holes is now open!. Hopefully the new clubhouse will be completed for next season......they've been in "temporary" facilities since 2009. Highly recommend a round here......solid golf course and routing and always well above average conditioning.

The grounds were in excellent condition! The course was challenging and tested many clubs in my bag, but the holes are fair and there are several good scoring opportunities.

We chose a tee time which mandated walking due to current pandemic restrictions, and the group in front of us was incredibly slow. The round took 4:40 to play, but I consider that just a stroke of bad luck. Rounds should take 4:00-4:15 here as a foursome, and the walk is simple and refreshing. It was an excellent day!

Great layout, challenging for avg golfers like me but lots of fun. A course where you can appreciate the thinking and strategy behind the hole designs. Conditions were near-private club quality. Lots of nature areas, marshes and the meandering Salk Creek. Gave a lower score on amenities only because the clubhouse is under construction. Hopefully the price won’t go up too much once that’s completed. A great, great option in the western burbs.

Course was in great shape after 3 inches of rain. Staff is not friendly at all. This course is own and run by county