Golf in Illinois
Overview
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This page explains golf in Illinois. The sorter handles the local question by city or ZIP.
Golf in Illinois
Illinois state parks include public golf courses such as the 18-hole course at Moraine View State Park near Bloomington, and several DNR-managed courses around the state offer weekday and senior rates. The Chicago Park District also runs public golf programs across the city.
Published local price
Cantigny Golf (Wheaton, public 18-hole): $130 weekday, $160 weekend/holiday; senior (60+) rate $77 walking any day. Rates vary by season and tee time.
Published range: $130 to $160.
cantignygolf.com · as of 2026Golf score
14th of 51 states for retirement golf
Golf score blends year-round playability (34%), playable access (16%), affordability (16%), course pedigree (12%), and statewide course density (22%).
Courses
A sample of marquee courses across Illinois, with where to play and how to book.
long, deep-bunkered championship test that hosted PGA Tour events · Dick Wilson and Joe Lee, renovated by Rees Jones
This is the famous one southwest of the city, a big-shouldered course with caddies on hand and walking allowed any time. Step back a tee or two and you can still enjoy the same fairways the pros played.
Opened 1964 · $$$$ · Slope 153
three named nines (Woodside, Lakeside, Hillside) on a manicured estate · Roger Packard
Out in Wheaton you get 27 holes across three nines, so you can mix the routing and come back for something new. Push carts are available and weekday rates stay reasonable for a course this well kept.
Opened 1989 · $$
treeless Scottish-style links with manmade dunes and fescue · Dick Nugent
Right in Chicago, this links-style layout rolls over open, treeless ground where the wind is always part of the game. Walking is welcome and push carts are on hand if you want to take it on foot.
Opened 1995 · $$$
championship layout with a replica of the St. Andrews Swilcan Bridge · Dick Nugent
Rockford's standout public course is a genuine pleasure to walk, with a big practice center to warm up first. The conditioning and design punch well above the friendly green fee.
Opened 1992 · $$ · Slope 139
rolling timber and bluff terrain across north Peoria · Hurdzan-Fry
Peoria's premier public course winds through wooded ridges and ravines with plenty of elevation to keep things interesting. It is the central-Illinois round most golfers point visitors toward.
Opened 1997 · $$$ · Slope 136
former dairy farm with five lakes and 82 sand bunkers · Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Just north of Springfield, this Robert Trent Jones design sits on old farmland with water and sand framing the holes. Rates stay easy on the wallet, which makes it a friendly regular round near the capital.
Opened 1974 · $ · Slope 120
nearly 290 feet of elevation change with tri-state views · Roger Packard and Andy North
Up in the Galena hills, The General drops and climbs through dramatic terrain with views into Iowa and Wisconsin. It is the resort round to build a getaway around, so plan a cart and take your time.
Opened 1997 · $$$$ · Slope 141
front nine in the open, back nine through wooded ravines · Michael Hurdzan
A well-regarded hidden gem south of St. Louis in Waterloo, with an open front nine and a wooded, tumbling back. The back side rolls quite a bit, so many golfers find a cart the comfortable choice.
Opened 1993 · $$ · Slope 141
We've mapped 13 courses across Illinois so far.
What Illinois costs
Cost of living
100
BEA index, U.S. = 100
State income tax
~1.0% state income-tax planning rate
Social Security
Not taxed
How people start
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
Many courses post a reduced weekday senior rate and a season pass. The difference between pay-per-round and a pass is the number that usually drives the yearly cost.
In warm states the season runs most of the year; in cold ones it is a few months. The yearly cost is rounds-per-year times rate, plus cart and equipment.
Towns in Illinois
Chicago Park District Golf operates multiple courses across the city, with Chicago residents receiving discounted fees at all facilities and tee times bookable directly through cpdgolf.com. Jackson Park on the South Side offers the only 18-hole layout in the city park system, while facilities like Sydney Marovitz on the lakefront draw steady play.
Chicago Park DistrictCommon questions
Illinois state parks include public golf courses such as the 18-hole course at Moraine View State Park near Bloomington, and several DNR-managed courses around the state offer weekday and senior rates. The Chicago Park District also runs public golf programs across the city. Towns like Chicago have their own local options.
Illinois has a cost-of-living index near 100 (U.S. = 100), about a 1.0% state income-tax planning rate, and does not tax Social Security. The full state guide breaks down property tax, sales tax, and long-term-care costs, each sourced.
Sources
The life your money is for