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Reviews
Reviewer Photos
Lincoln Oaks Golf Course
Played On 08/30/2023Great price for decent course
Reasonably conditioned, but greens were inconsistent - speed difficult to gauge. Senior tees (gold) not accurate to the scorecard. Many just combined with the red forward tees (pet peeve!!)
Layout is fair, a couple interesting holes, but nothing special. Weird 6-6-6 configuration for par 3-4-5 holes - par 37/34. Small, old school greens. Yardages posted on the trees lining most fairways an interesting throw-back touch. Great “hot-off-the-grill” hot dogs, brats, burgers at very reasonable prices a nice amenity. The neighborhood around the course is a nice study in vintage, mostly post-war and mid-century housing architecture.
Super value HotDeal price of $12 impossible to beat nowadays.
Broken Arrow Golf Club - South/East
Played On 06/20/2023Really Nice, a couple things needed
Beautiful day for golf, wish I stayed out of the sand more, but a great time. Assigned to the North and South courses. A couple of issues:
1) All 3 courses need to build a set of true “senior tees” that play 2700-2800 yds. Red tees too short and whites too long for the average senior golfer.
2) North course greens are extraordinarily huge (Originally designed to contain two pins to create an 18-hole facsimile course out of a 9-hole layout). The green layouts are distracting and also difficult to get a valid GPS distance reading. Quite honestly, these greens need to be downsized and repurposed as 1-pin greens. (The original wacky intent was abandoned shortly after the course opened.)
Otherwise the course is in great shape. Sand traps a bit “crusty” in spots. Greens recovered beautifully from last year’s fertilizer burnout incident. Nice overall course layout. Clubhouse/ pro shop rehab complete and now open. Recommended.
Balmoral Woods Country Club
Played On 09/09/2021George our day, great course, excellent value!
Primo-quality weather was the backdrop for a great day at Balmoral Woods. Pace was quick with well-spaces groups. Course has a great layout, especially noteworthy are #7 downhill left dogleg par 5, #12 similarly configured par 5, #13 long par 3 over the deep valley/creek, and #16 short par 3 over a pond. All-in-all, it’s a great layout with a great variety. Recommendations for the course management: 1) cart paths are becoming nearly unserviceable in spots - they need fixing; 2) more than a couple greens show considerable stress and need help. Overall though, the course is green and well manicured.
Well-located halfway house accessible from the #8 and #13 greens. Nice hot dogs and good selection of beverages.
Deer Creek Golf Club
Played On 08/03/2021Great Value on a nice course
For my money, Deer Creek offers the best value in the Chicago south suburbs. The only issue holding it down is the condition of the sand traps, which except for a few, is bad. Otherwise, from tee to green the course is well kept. Even the roughs are decent and trimmed. Decent layout and a few nice looking and interesting holes add to the course. Definitely worthwhile. Yes, there are better and more upscale courses (Balmoral, Ravisloe) down here, but Deer Creek is easily worth the price.
Lost Marsh Golf Course
Played On 07/29/2021Fantastic hidden urban gem
Terrific course layout with imaginative features designed to get into your head. Be prepared to bring your straightest, most accurate game… or be prepared to lose a couple sleeves of balls. Every hole has its challenges starting with first five that are a pure water-player’s delight. They all look more difficult than they really are - focus on distance and alignment control and you can actually do it! (I wish I did.). Six thru nine are more routine, at least no water in play. Ten starts it all over again as a long par 5 (don’t over hit your drive). Then 11 with its island TEE (no, not green!). 14 is a special double dog-leg up-and-over par 5. Lots of unique features and challenges here. Something for everyone. Fun course to play and appreciate, even if your course is more than you like!
Follow-up to original review: last line should be “even if your SCORE is more than you would like “. Also… great hot dog and soda at the on-course snack shop for only $5.50. Great deal and tasty too! Also, under 4-hr round!
Thank you for your review. We will pass along your positive experience to our team at Lost Marsh Golf Course. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
The Links at Carillon - Red/White
Played On 07/21/2021Great conditions, courses well-maintained
Had to play the "white/blue" combination due to the red course closed due to utility work. Blue is not my favorite and much prefer the "red/white" combo which is the usual, and more interesting 18-hole pairing. Anyway conditions were great on a mild, moderately humid July day in the upper 70s. Course was in its usual great condition from tee boxes, to fairways to greens. Rough a tad long in spots but not battered and neglected as found in so many other courses these days. Wish I could say my game was in as good a shape. Quite a few great drives, but too many mis-hits pulled the whole thing down. Not the course's nor the weather's fault. The pace was excellent with our moderately skilled foursome completing in just under 4 hours.
Deer Creek Golf Club
Played On 06/18/2021Good pace, nice course, kept up well
Hot humid day but a nice breeze and enough clouds to keep it manageable. Course has been kept up pretty well. Not up there with the pricey upscale courses but very much worth the money. Our twosome moved right along even with a four and a three in front of us. No real complaints. Teed off at noon and finished around 3:45. Good $3.50 hot dog at the turn. Very worthwhile course.
University Park Golf Club
Played On 06/10/2021Course needs much attention
Although a decent layout with ample tee box choices, the course has obviously been neglected over the past year since last here. Fairway grass is long. Fairways have clover, fescue and other invasive weeds infestation. Sand traps are overrun with weeds and otherwise very “un”-sandy. Greens have weed growth, are long, and do not roll true. The rough grass is impossibly long and balls just a few feet off the fairway are buried. Finding rough balls takes forever and contributed to a much longer than necessary time of play. It’s too bad, but U.P. Is off our play list for the remainder of this year. Not worth the reasonable $24 hot deal rate.
River Oaks Golf Club
Played On 03/12/2021An OK course among many available options in Myrtle
Of the 3 courses I played this week, in and around Myrtle, this was the least impressive. We were directed to play the Bear and the Fox 9-hole tracks, Conditions on the Bear were a bit rough, with incomplete (lacking green grass) fairways, notable mud ruts, rough cart paths, and scruffy tee boxes. Greens were ok but slower (and less true) than our other two courses (Sea Trail - Byrd, and Prestwick CC). The more temperate speed was appreciated, but countered by a less predictable roll. The Fox course seemed like it belonged to a different complex altogether. It was in better shape, had a more open and more interesting layout, and more impressive. Overall, averaging the two nines, would say the experience was just that: average. Commensurate with the $35 GolfNow price. Good pace of play. Starter got us out on time. Nice hot dog at the turn!
Byrd at Sea Trail Golf Resort and Convention Center
Played On 03/09/2021Nice, quick-moving round on a beautiful day
Friendly, helpful staff at the bag drop; large, attractive pro shop; very honest, quick, true rolling greens; narrow fairways but wide playable space; several dramatic doglegs add to challenge; cart paths need some serious attention; otherwise a quite decent course for the money.
Hello, fendsonbacker. Thank you for visiting us at Byrd at Sea Trail Golf Resort and Convention Center. We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.
Palos Hills Golf Club
Played On 11/06/2020Perfect November Weather - Decent Course
Nothing special here, but this is a decent 9-hole par 35 course. Can't beat the 70+ degree weather here in Chicago in November though. Tree leaves are still falling which, combined with the low sun angle this time of year, makes ball finding a bit difficult even if you're just slightly off the fairway. Fairways, by the way, are fairly narrow so the course requires an accurately placed tee shot. Nothing long or really exciting here, but the course offers enough scenery, little doglegs, and forest-backed greens to at least be an attractive play. Conditioning needs some attention, but all-in-all was easily playable. For the HotDeal price of $11 was well worth the cost.
Willow Run Golf Course
Played On 09/16/2020Course is very stressed out
Course has been beset with a lot of ailments this past season including too much rain early, covid shutdown and lack of money, vandalism of greens and fairways, pump and watering failure for two weeks, hottest and driest July/August in decades, and more. Unfortunately, it shows! Fairways, which were never great, have lots of bare spots. T-boxes are nominally OK. Cart paths are rough and bouncy. Greens are in very bad shape. Patchy bare spots, which cause a lot of bumpy rolls. It going to take a lot of attention, and the course needs a few breaks to go its way to get back. It's too bad, since the course is basically rather attractive on a hilly, wooded tract of property. Maybe next year will have better things in store. This can be a fun little course to play when time for nine is all you've got, but it needs a lot more work before it's really up to caliber. I'm conditionally recommending it for next year assuming a bounce-back. Will try again in 2021. I'm hoping for it to succeed.
Ravisloe Country Club
Played On 07/23/2020Nice medium-difficulty course
Beautiful July mid-80 degree day in Chicago, and a beautiful course to play. Majestic, stately old clubhouse greets you upon driving in. Parking was sparse, lot was full, had to use an "unofficial" space. Thankfully, the course played at a decent pace. Our twosome was paired up with another and we were of similar capabilities so it worked out well. Played from the "grey" or hybrid tees - at 5800 yards - perfect for our "senior" skill level. Course was in great shape: tee boxes, fairways, greens and traps all nice. But watch out for those traps - they are deep and thickly rimmed - blast-out a MUST. Can turn a par into double real easy. Favorite holes: N0. 5 - short right dogleg; NO. 7: par thee over water signature hole; NO. 13: long, tree-lined par 5; NO. 15: short, par 3 over stream to elevated green. Two holes require "bell ringing" due to blind tee-shot over hills. Nice course!
Thank you for your superb review and for outlining all of your favorite holes at Ravisloe! We hope to have you back again soon.
White Mountain Executive Golf Course
Played On 07/13/2020Decent practice course for short game workout
Course has matured over years and is now a decent little practice course. Leave your driver in the bag as there are only 2 par 4s and only one barely touches 300 yds. But there is some water, terrain and doglegs. Course is in decent shape for an overly hot summer, but some fairways are getting weed overgrowth. Greens are pretty nice. Lotta youth players so don’t be in a hurry.
Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the course. We value your feedback, and hope to see you back.
Oak Hills Country Club
Played On 07/02/2020Nice sporty course with some challenges
Par 34 with two 5s, four 3s and three 4s. Some challenging terrain, water carries, a few narrow fairways. Sporty but fair. Nicely conditioned fairways and greens. Of course, no rakes, ball washers, no-drop cups, etc these days as expected. Nice course for a good driver/iron workout.
Deer Creek Golf Club
Played On 08/28/2019Decent above average course
Course in pretty good condition - fairways, tees, greens all nice. Only sand traps need work - as do a lot of courses’ sand this time of year. We applied a “free drop behind the trap” rule for our round. Decent 4 hr pace for our foursome. Breezy sunny cool late August day. Good $5 “at the turn” lunch special. This is a nicer course with some better hole layouts and challenges, but nothing overly tough.
Woodruff Golf Course
Played On 07/31/2019Nice shorter course; great shape
Nice little course with a blah front nine and a sporty back 9. No par 5’s, so just a par 68. Course in terrific shape! Good pace under 4 hours. Great day at the course and a Hot Deal price that can’t be beat!
We hope you give us another chance to improve our rating. Thank you for playing!
Sanctuary Golf Club
Played On 06/27/2019Beautiful day on a very nice course
After some overnight rain, the course was in great shape. Greens were firm and fair, fairways in terrific condition. As a twosome, we played behind a foursome, but moved very well on the front 9, then slowed the back half. 4 1/2 hours overall. Beautiful day, great course, no excuses! Ranger presence throughout the round; but no refreshment cart until 18!?!? What’s that about?
Riverwood Golf Club
Played On 06/18/2019Best Course in the area
Have played here several times before. IMHO, Riverwood is the best course in the area. Second to none. Traditional old-FloridA style but with modern touches (like huge greens.) Plenty of tee boxes to pick from to suit your own game Had the course all to ourselves for s 1:00 tee time on a warm, but not overly hot, day. Played the round in 2 hrs 30 mins. My only suggestion would be get electric carts and put GPS on them. Otherwise, great condition - tee boxes, fairways, cart paths, greens and even sand traps all impeccable. A great day on a very nice course! And an unbelievable HotDeal price of $16 put the icing on the cake!
George W Dunne National Golf Course
Played On 10/18/2018Busy day at a nice course
Unbeknownst to us, today was "customer appreciation day" at the Dunne, so 18 holes with cart was only $19 for anyone. No wonder the GolfNow hot deal was at $16 - which is lower than I have seen it at this course. That coupled with a 1 1/2 hour frost delay at the start of the day, really had our 12:20 start pushed back, and a very full golf course. We started just before 1:00 and finished just before 6:00, so a 5-hour round, plus the delay meant we spent 6 full hours at the course - more than expected. Course can't be faulted for frost, however, and I understand that you have to push the golfers out as quick as you can so it will be busy. As always, course in great shape except for sand traps on a number of holes. Green not fully recovered from aeration, but putted fairly well anyway. So can't complain too much. You can always expect at least a 4 1/2 hour at George Dunne, it just takes a while. The course is challenging but fair. It helps to play the proper tees for your handicap, or it makes for a really long and frustrating day.
Frost delays are always a pain. Pace of play is a big item on our list this year and we will do everything in our power to keep the pace up. I appreciate all the nice things you said about the course and keep an eye out for more customer appreciation events in the near future
We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us, fendsonbacker. We are going to pass on your feedback to the team. Thanks for visiting Lincoln Oaks Golf Course, and we hope to see you again in the future.