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4.6
313 Reviews (313)
5 Stars
200
4 Stars
95
3 Stars
12
2 Stars
3
1 Stars
3
Conditions
4.4
Value
4.7
Layout
4.7
Friendliness
4.7
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.0
95.1%
Recommend this course
301 out of 313 reviews
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Average Rating
Avg Rating
0
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
0
Value
0
Layout
0
Friendliness
0
Pace
0
Amenities
0
0%
Recommend this course
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.6
61 Reviews (61)
5 Stars
43
4 Stars
15
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.7
Layout
4.7
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.1
StaffFriendliness
4.8
95.1%
Recommend this course
58 out of 61 reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Kankakee Elks delivers a genuine challenge through its signature elevated, fast, and contoured greens that consistently reward strong short-game players. Exceptionally friendly staff and outstanding value make this well-maintained course worth the drive.

About

Holes 18
Type Semi-Private/Resort
Par 72
Length 6430 yards
Slope 121
Rating 71.5
Book a Tee Time at
Kankakee Elks Country Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1926
Fairways Bluegrass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect William Langford (1926) Theodore J. Moreau (1926)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted MasterCard Visa card(s) Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Fivesomes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Appropriate golf course attire must be worn at all times. No T-shirts or cut off shirts please!

Food & Beverage

Restaurant

Lodging

Lodging Available

Available Facilities

Banquet Facilities

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in Illinois (2015 #14)
  • Golf Advisor: Top 25 Value Courses in the U.S. (2014 #11)
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Reviews

4.6
313 Reviews (313)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 7
Course Challenges Include:
Undulating Greens 15
Elevation Changes 13
Plays Long 12
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 13
Locals 10
Seniors 6
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 14

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 24
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Can see why it's almost 5 stars

This course isn't too much to look at but it is well cared for and there isn't anything really bad about the shape of the course. The greens when we played were tough. Subtle breaks and also huge sweeping slopes are what you are up against. They could have been playing a bit faster than normal as they were recently aerated and a bit dry. Our group, group not just an individual 3 putted most of the day. Fairways were narrow on some holes lots of the holes play uphill. Wish there was some sand bunkers that challenged you that was probably the only negative. Semi private club without the Tiger wannabe's. For $13 we all agreed we would be back again.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 17
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

This course has great features

Really liked the elevated and rolling greens. Very challenging trying to read your putts.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 87
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Ranking is well deserved

There is a reason Golf Magazine lists Kankakee Elks as one of the 15 best open to the public courses in Illinois. The faiways and greens are always in great shape. The course could use a little work on the cart paths, but for the grassy parts, pristine. Look forward to playing this course many times again, worth the short drive from the Chicago area. Elevated greens require an extra club to reach.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

course is very well manicured

The staff is super friendly, very easy to get along with. My actual booking day was different than the day I played, and it was no problem at all for the staff at the pro shop. Furthermore, the course is in great shape, both fairways and rough.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Challenging

Great course in very good condition. Challenging greens as well with elevation and rolling greens.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 20-24
Skill Beginner
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Great course for the right price

The Elks is a challenging course that is well maintained. They offer great rates on golfnow, as well as the $22.00 round on Mondays and Fridays. Can't find a better course for the price! Elevated, rolling, greens and mature trees lining the fairways make this course a real challenge.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great course!

Enjoyed the course, it was nice to have a course with some elevation in this area. Many courses around are flat and wide open. They have a well kept course.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 9
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Review

Nice course. Nothing else to say. Greens challenging. Fairways nice.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 25+
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Course was very enjoyable

An overall awesome day, beautiful weather, friendly staff that actually allows people to stop after nine for a bite (don't laugh, you'd be surprised at how many courses I've encountered where they want you to take your dog and proceed to the 10th hole, lol). The course played great also.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

tough course sloppy hilly with fast greens

See title above tells all as I am not a writer...This is probably one of the better courses south of Chicago. ..how's that?

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Kankakee Elks

Very good value, well worth the trip. Most of the greens are elevated and undulating. Course will challenge your short game.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 0-4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Overrated

This is the firs time I have ever been disappointed by golfnow reviews. They are usually very accurate. This course was rated high so I chose it over a few others in the area (30 miles). It was obvious from the second I pulled up that I had made a mistake. There was more the one "golfer" in a tank top and there are two mower heights at this place - fairway and rough. The fairway length was incredibly long, so much so that a ball would sit down in the grass. This is a short course with challenging greens but the reviews are misleading and its a very old facility. A couple greens (elevated ones) were spotty and burnt out - which is inexcusable this year with all the rain fall and below average temps. Dissapointing visit - but it was only 11$ - definitely got what I paid for this time around.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 102
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played
Fair weather
Used cart

This course was in excellent condition and challenging

Classic course with tons of mature trees that the ball seems to gravitate to. Tees, fairways and greens were well maintained and the electric carts are smooth as silk and have a retractable awning to pull over your clubs. That came in handy as we had about an hour rain delay.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Great Time

Kankakee Elks is a hidden jewel. The layout is beautiful and not a lot of bunkers. The greens defend themselves with some awesome contours. The course will allow you to play every club in the bag and try every shot you know. We played as a foursome and had to allow a lot of singles and doubles to play thru. We still finished in just over 4 hours. Sharpen your putter blade....you will need it.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 449
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Illinois Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Aeration is not a problem, course very playable

Another wonderful afternoon at the Elks. In my humble opinion it's a top 5 Chicago area public course for cost, course design and the friendly staff. Golfers who enjoy the history of course design will fall in love with this place.

The aeration alert on Golfnow was a real kind courtesy on the part of the pro shop - small hole punching but really didn't effect the playability of the undulating rollercoaster old school greens. The rough was very deep and fairways were a tad shaggy but that's due to all the rain in the past week. Unfortunately the 8th green suffered significant winter damage and strongly suggest that the super consider closing it for a few months and installing a temp green in front of the existing complex. Other than that great job Elks!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Country charm

This course is like a vacation stop. It is out away from it all. The chipping is challenging to the elevated and run off greens

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Great Value!!!

Good shape considering the winter we had. {played in 3:15 hours. Greens ate tough. 3 putts are abundant. Great course for the price.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

Great track

Outstanding
Greens fun to putt
Definitely will be playing again
Course is a hidden jewel

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

First time user

Great experience, great day, my golf not so great .
Golf now is the way to go.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Average weather
Walked

Best Kept Secret in Chicago Area

Love this course! Always a challenge, small elevated greens, fairly quick with always lots of break. Certainly plays longer than it's scorecard would indicate. I dare anyone to find a course with so little sand and water that plays this hard. Make sure you bring your short game. Absolutely agree with #8 ranking on Golfweek "Best Courses You Can Play in Illinois" list.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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Golf Packages

Destination Kohler - To Dye Four Golf Package

FROM $557 (USD)
KOHLER, WI | Enjoy 3 nights’ accommodations at The American Club or the Inn on Woodlake and 4 rounds of golf at Blackwolf Run (River & Meadow Valley Courses) and Whistling Straits (Straits & Irish Courses).

Destination Kohler - Champions' Trail Golf Package

FROM $617 (USD)
KOHLER, WI | Enjoy 2 nights’ accommodations at The American Club or the Inn at Woodlake and 3 rounds of golf at Blackwolf Run (River or Meadow Valleys Course) and Whistling Straits (Straits or Irish Course)
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