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This course has a fantastic layout which never gets boring no matter how many times that you play it. My group has been playing the course sine it reopened as Makray. Each year, Don Habjan and his staff make subtle changes to improve the overall look and playability of the course. The fescue that was planted a couple of years ago has grown in nicely presenting a very appealing look off of the tees. The fairways are in good condition. The groundskeeper has the staff cut one half of the fairway in the direction of the hole creating that much coveted " speed slot". Speaking of speed, the 10 minute tee times leads to a very good pace of play. Playing around 8 AM on a Saturday at a 4:05 pace average while walking is a rare treat these days, but that is what you can expect on this course. What is that worth to you?

The back tees stretch to 6900 yards but on a par 71. The course rating from the tips comes in at a hefty 74.5 Yes and it does play 3.5 over par from the tips. However, the course offers 3 additional tee selections, based on skill level. The greens are country-club like and run incredibly smooth. Make sure that you leave your ball on the low side of the pin.

The course still has some room for improvement. Some of the tees have settled sine the reconstruction and can be inconsistent.The staff is aware of the issue. Hopefully they can continue to flatten out all of the tee boxes over the next couple of seasons. The course also boasts a grass range. The grass on the range is nappy and not very consistent. A move to a bent grass turf would make a good improvement and be consistent with the well manicured course. Just knit picking at this point.

The clubhouse is consistent with what you would expect at a private club. The staff is exceptionally friendly and treat the regulars like members and the first time guests with respect. The outdoor patio is well situated looking out over the 9th and 18th greens. There is a lower level locker room with showers if required.

I have been playing this course for over 10 years and continue to enjoy the experience. I have played with the same foursome for many of those years. From time to time we have a guest fill n for one of the regulars. The consistent feedback and commentary is: " Why would you ever join a private club when you can play a gem like this where they treat you so well". Great question and one that continues to keep our group at Makray

This course was redesigned and reopened back in the mid 2000's. With a few years of maturity, this course has grown into one of the best conditioned, most challenging and visually enjoyable courses to play in the Chicago area. I regularly play several of the 100+ Chicago area public courses and I would rank this easily in the top 5. It's like playing at a private club.

When you arrive, you are welcomed by a beautiful stone and brick clubhouse, reminiscent of the old east coast private clubs. There is a sizeable range, which is currently under minor construction, so the condition of the grass is not optimal. There is also a large putting and chipping green as well as an approach and bunker practice area.

Now the course: First off, the tee times are staggered every 10 minutes, which generally creates a nice pace of play. There are several tee options to play from. The par fours and par fives provide generous fairway landing zones. The fairways are in exceptional shape and are sculpted with a nice mix of undulation and elevation change. Many of the tee boxes are surrounded by newly planted fescue which provides a nice visual contrast to the lush fairways and greens. Your approach shots require a fair bit of accuracy as many of the greens are elevated and/or well bunkered. The greens are also in exceptional shape. While many of the area courses had green damage over the winter of '13/'14, Makray maintained tour quality in its greens. The majority of the greens slope back to front, so hitting below the hole is a must, especially when they amp up the speed to 11 or more on the stump meter. Yes, the run very fast but they are also very smooth resulting in a pure putting experience.

This is truly a players course, but the player at all levels will enjoy the course for its country club feel that includes a top notch professional staff that always makes you feel welcome. If you are going to play public golf in the Chicago area, you have to play at Makray