Swan Lake Resort

The course was fine. Nothing spectacular to me. Greens were in poor condition. Bar staff were not very friendly but the food was decent.

The course is well kept, the smallish greens roll true and have subtle breaks. It was very wet the day we played and extremely windy. The clubhouse is very nice; overall a good experience. It is an hour drive from where I live, but I would make the trip to play it again.

Course was again in great condition. Greens were fantastic. Staff and pro shop people are friendly and helpful.

This is a MUST play, in my opinion.

Staff very polite and friendly. Fun layout. Nice condition. Reasonable price. It’s sort of an old school golf course. Some holes you can pound it. But others where you have to lay up and play to targets. Greens, tee boxes, fairway and rough all in nice shape. There are a few trees that could be cut back, because they block shots off a tee box or a shot from the fairway. Also over growth of trees leads to shade in some spots that causes bare spots and awkward lies on ground. But, all and all, we enjoyed the course. It’s in nice shape. It’s a fun place to play, and we left impressed.

Based on their Golf Advisor ratings, I drove down from Chicago to give Swan Lake a try. Played both the Silver and Black courses. Both have the same feel, but the front 9 of Black presents more elevation changes, water, and OB opportunities. The back 9 of the two courses cover the same ground and feel very similar.

CONDITIONS: Despite the drought going on in Summer 2023, Swan Lake was in great shape. The greens were paced well (repair your ball marks!), and the tees and fairways were in good condition. Was only in a few bunkers, and they seemed a bit firm and the sand was a bit thin/whispy.

VALUE: Not sure if there is a deal if you stay at the resort they have on-site, but at their standard rates 36 holes with a cart was $84 (57, then 27 replay). It felt a bit high (particularly the replay) but the conditions and service give that price point validation.

LAYOUT: As noted, the front 9 of the Black course was the only 1 of the 4 nine hole stretches that I felt stood out. On that 9 both par 3s are over water, the par 5s are back-to-back and both uniquely challenging, and the par 4s are interesting and challenging. The back 9 of the Black and Silver feel the same, playing thru tree lined fairways with occasional water or doglegs to present a challenge. Though I took a cart for this day, these courses are walkable and I would do so in the future.

STAFF: Everyone was helpful and interested in providing a quality experience. Thank you.

PACE: As a single I played 2 balls each hole. This allowed me to stay behind the groups ahead of me, and never have anyone waiting behind me. Finished 36 holes in 6 hours and 30 minutes… so that’s awesome!

Overall I’m glad to have made the drive down to play Swan Lake. Both of the courses feel like they would be fun for a high- or low-handicappers, so I might keep this in mind for a buddies trip.

Based on their Golf Advisor ratings, I drove down from Chicago to give Swan Lake a try. Played both the Silver and Black courses. Both have the same feel, but the front 9 of Black presents more elevation changes, water, and OB opportunities. The back 9 of the two courses cover the same ground and feel very similar.

CONDITIONS: Despite the drought going on in Summer 2023, Swan Lake was in great shape. The greens were paced well (repair your ball marks!), and the tees and fairways were in good condition. Was only in a few bunkers, and they seemed a bit firm and the sand was a bit thin/whispy.

VALUE: Not sure if there is a deal if you stay at the resort they have on-site, but at their standard rates 36 holes with a cart was $84 (57, then 27 replay). It felt a bit high (particularly the replay) but the conditions and service give that price point validation.

LAYOUT: For me, the front 9 of the Silver course was notable for some of the tee locations. Holes #3, #5, and #8 were made difficult by the fact that the tee boxes were practically set up in front of trees. Moving those tees over some would have made these tee shots not just feasible, but more fun too. The back 9 of the Black and Silver feel the same, playing thru tree lined fairways with occasional water or doglegs to present a challenge. Though I took a cart for this day, these courses are walkable and I would do so in the future.

STAFF: Everyone was helpful and interested in providing a quality experience. Thank you.

PACE: As a single I played 2 balls each hole. This allowed me to stay behind the groups ahead of me, and never have anyone waiting behind me. Finished 36 holes in 6 hours and 30 minutes… so that’s awesome!

Overall I’m glad to have made the drive down to play Swan Lake. Both of the courses feel like they would be fun for a high- or low-handicappers, so I might keep this in mind for a buddies trip.

The course was in great shape. Fairways were nice and clearly set apart from the rough. The greens were firm and fast and had some great undulation on several holes. My only complaint would be that the tee boxes weren’t as flat as they could have been. Finding a flat spot that wasn’t riddled with divots was tough. However, I loved the layout and challenge and overall shape of the course. I will definitely play again!

challenging layout. par 4s a little long for us from the whites, but it was very enjoyable.
wish the bloody marys were a little cheaper..LOL

Nothing bad to say about the course itself. Played at a good pace and was in very nice shape. Negative was the cleanliness of the men's bathroom, looked like a hurricane went through. Lounge/bar area - young lady working was overwhelmed - which contributed to her quick attitude. Slow/cold food, did not match what we ordered. At one time I counted 13 people in line. She moved as best as she could, get her some help.

Very nicely groomed and fun track. Great value on hot deal from Golf now. There is not a better bang for your buck than this place. Course was in great shape, well maintained in all aspects. Greens smooth and comfortably quick. Rough is very this knot better keep grass in the generous fairways.