Golf Club of Illinois

Many people criticize GCI for being "boring." Every time I have played here, I have found it anything but boring. All of the courses in McHenry County have fairways that are lined with mature trees. GCI is the one "links style" course that is a change in scenery from the other courses. The course itself has a good variety of holes with there being trouble with fescue, water, or OB on almost all of the holes.

The course is mostly flat with some changes in elevation into the greens. There is "normal" rough and then there are areas of fescue. The fescue was mowed when we played so it was easier to find your ball. However, during a normal round earlier in the year, it can be thick and almost impossible to find any wayward shots that enter those areas. Accuracy is a must in order to play well here.

When we played, the greens were very very firm and were not holding our approach shots. They were rolling fast and smooth. I was pleasantly surprised with how well they rolled this late in the year. Each green has some form of undulation or slope to it. Very rarely will you have a flat/straight putt on this course. The greens are also very well protected by bunkers and thick rough.

I have walked this course numerous times in the past. With it being relatively flat and the tee boxes being close to the previous hole's green, it is one of the better courses in the area to walk.

I rated the pace of play as average based on past experiences. On this day in the fall, we flew around the front 9 but ran into delays on each hole on the back 9. I would be lying if I said this was an anomaly. Numerous times the pace of play is much better on the front than on the back. I would assume that this is because in my opinion, the back 9 plays much longer and much more difficult than the front 9.

While this is not a course I would want to play every day or even every week, it is a course that my group works into its monthly rotation. The Golfnow Hot Deal around noon for $20 is very hard to beat. If you play here, just set aside some extra time in case you run into a log-jam on the back 9.

First, I got a good deal on GolfNow. Entered the proshop and was told prepaid tee times must tee off only at their designated time. While this was slightly rude, I assumed they were busy. Left the shop and found golf carts with questionable tires. Surprised that it was a fastest golf cart I ever had. Practiced on the greens - very slick! Bar had a cookout going on with burgers, pretty tasty.

I have not played the course in years, so it was a bit challenging to find the correct tee boxes - not the best marked course. While the course itself is modest looking its greens are true and fast. Constantly was waiting on the group in front...hackers, until I skipped the 8th. After that, had a decent pace and an enjoyable round. Fair course, fast greens, absolutely worth the $34.

Course was in great shape. No leaves and the greens were very quick. highly recommended.

Course is in great shape, great value
Golfnow rate $20 was a steal

We are a group of 8 guys that play a different course each week. We like the layout, and would play here more often, but there are a few things that are not acceptable. 1. The sand traps are very poor, especially the fairway bunker on the left side of the 14th hole, it has large rocks that would damage your clubs. 2. The on course bathroom had no light in it so you have to leave the door open or whiz in the dark. We played here earlier this season and it was the same way, I thought it would be fixed by now. 3. The clubhouse smells musty and is in need of a good cleaning. I rated food and beverages as average, because we only had a few drinks after the rounds, but I am not sure I would have them cook anything for me. On the plus side the course appears easy, but is a good test of golf partially due to the the rough which in some areas can be a tough to play out of. I would recommend this to a friend, but would explain the negatives up front so they can decide if they want to go there.

Course in great condition. Prevailing winds make some of the holes play really long. If it's a windy day, check your ego, and play a tee box more appropriate, and you'll have a much better time.

I just can't get into this course. It doesn't seem to have any beauty to it. It's just a boring dry course.

Try Golf Club of Illinois. Not your tree lined suburban course. Wide fairways that punish you with shots
into the long grass. Small greens that are fast and sloped . Great challenge to add for a weekend challenge

Great course, but need to play again because I did not know the layout which caused for a poor scoring day.

Always like this course, wide open big fairways. They could use water to drink on the course and a cart person which theyhave neither of.

Course is in great shape, very challenging and the greens hold and roll true. Have lived very close to this course for 15 years and have played it often. Haven't played more than once a year or so in the last few because of slow play.

It a shame because it a nice course, friendly staff and an otherwise great experience. Not nearly as crowded as it used to be because, I would think, the time it takes to get around. If they'd put a real effort into marshaling the course, this place could be a great destination.

This was a excellent value today due to the Golfnow promotion! Course was in good shape, the greens were a bit spiked up...

I last played this course 20 years ago and I hated it. Since then my game has improved and I thought I would try it again. The price was incredible so I thought I had nothing to lose. I was paired with a couple and another single who had never played the course. Watching him i soon remembered why I disliked it the first time. The prairie grass can make it a very tough day. Keeping the ball in play is a must.

The course was in very good condition due to all of the recent rain. There were only a few minor complaints a couple traps with water and the numerous impressions near the hole from all of the new spike-less shoes.

The facilities were comfortable and the bar/restaurant was full after my round. Had a good time and looking forward to bringing my friends next time.

For years I kept Golf Club of Illinois high on my list of go to courses. It is usually kept in fine shape with nice amenities and staff. I was rather stunned to experience the substantial drop off in all of the above when I went on 7/2/15. First off, for a course which sits at a higher elevation than surrounding areas, the drainage I have known seemed non-existent. I realize we have had more than our fair amount of rain recently, however having gone more than 72 hrs without a drop should have yielded a fairer field of play. Green conditions were the worst I have ever seen here. Very spotty and beat up. You could not get a decent roll on your ball and speeds were inconsistent. The on course restroom facilities had no electric power or windows, so if you chose to use it, you would have to leave the bathroom door open for any semblance of light. This is unacceptable. Furthering that subject, when I visited the restroom at the turn, those rooms were closed and the attendant at the restaurant/bar seemed put out when I asked for the closest bathroom. What went wrong GCI? I can't seem to figure out why such a swift decline with no warning. One last this to point out is that the signage around holes 13 thru 16, while understood by regulars of the course, needs a major upgrade. I had two different groups around me make mistakes regarding holes 14 and 16. Please get with it GCI or you will continue to see a drop off in revenue which may likely lead to a better use of that land. Too bad. You used to be good.

Nice links style course. Course was in good condition. Greens were relatively fast. Pace of play very slow.

Pros:
Course was in nice shape-
Greens hold really well-
I was allowed to walk/carry-
Decent pace, even on a busy day-
Cons:
Not enough yardage/distance markers in fairways-
Tee boxes from tips look beautiful, but are too spongy. Bring X-long tees and stable/grippy shoes -
Greens had nice pace, but traffic caused a very bumpy roll that wouldn't stay on line...mainly on downhill puts-

I hadn't played Golf Club of Illinois in a couple of years, but remembered it being nicer than how it was yesterday. Very disappointed by the condition of the greens; they basically look chewed up and are in need of some major maintenance work. We had a couple of old fellas walking in front of us who ended up causing my group and the guys behind us to skip holes to get ahead of these guys. Normally, these old guys would let others play through or there would be a RANGER around to take care of things, but there was no Rangers and the oldsters were not yielding. Nor was there a beverage cart. This on a nice afternoon in July. My guess is that this place is going downhill and makes its money from banquets, etc. Too many nice golf courses around... I won't make this mistake again.

There were many spike marks on the greens so a more careful inspection of the types of shoes would help limit the wear and tear on the greens.

Overall conditions of the course are nice. Narrow fairways and the greens are like putting on marble.

Course is in good shape
Little wet after a heavy rain the day prior
Played thru a few groups as a single but last foursome was intent on being in front of me

Good course overall; links style which is cool
Would definitely recommend to play 2-3 a year