Tag Archives: best public golf courses in Illinois

New course added to our Chicago suburbs guide, but only available to public play on weekends

With over 50 of the best golf courses in our guide that you can play as rated by the national golf periodicals in the Chicagoland area, we missed one. Although it’s part of a 36 hole private club, public play is permitted on the weekends on their Creek layout.

The Morris CC is off I-80 at the Morris exit 60 miles west of Chicago on the north side of the Illinois River with its Nettle Creek track open to public play on the weekends only.

The Creek course has a wide open, prairie/links feel to it as it moves over slightly rolling topography. There’s patches of tall prairie grasses throughout bordering the landing zones, six ponds, 35 sand traps, and generous, undulating and contoured green complexes. There’s tees from 5,059 yards to 6,562 yards off the back tees, the white tees play to 6,129 yards, 68.8/118, course/slope ratings, designed by Buzz Didier.

The Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois

Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois Illinois Athletics Facilities

The Atkins Golf Club, a slight reconstitution of the former Stone Creek Golf Club, is opening to public play on June 4. Not to be confused with the Orange and Blue 36 hole university course on the south side of town near the airport, Atkins is actually located on the southeast side of Urbana.

The Stone Creek course was deeded to the University as a gift from the Atkins family. It comprises a total of 300 acres including the golf course and land for future development with a value of over $15 million, so naming the course Atkins is fairly reasonable.

The layout winds through an upscale, residential development along contoured fairways over generally level terrain. There’s water hazards in the form of lakes, ponds, and streams in play on over half the holes plus 55 waste, pot, and conventional sand bunkers defending the fairway and greens. There’s four sets of tees from 4,956 yards to 7,118 yards at the tips, the white tees are 5,842 yards, 68.3/118, course/slope ratings, originally designed by Tim and Dick Nugent with a renovation by Drew Rogers..