The Ivanhoe Club - Forest/Marsh

The Good: Ivanhoe is an absolutely beautiful modern golf club with 27 prestine Art Hills designed holes that recently hosted the Korn Ferry Tour's Rust-Oleum Championships. The Marsh is half of the original 18 holes has some of the most challenging tee shots on the property, while the Prairie nine is mostly about the approach shot. Superb fairway and rough conditions, as well as very slick greens that putt extremely true. Very nice clubhouse with outdoor patio area that rivals any club in Chicagoland. Staff was supportive and helped my Father navigate the 19th hole for a beer!

The Bad: While the greens were in beautiful shape, they didn't hold as well as I would have hoped. No on-course service or beverage cart for a weekend round at a private club was surprising. The practice facilities will be nice, but they were under construction in late April.

The Verdict: Ivanhoe is an underrated, superb private golf experience and one of the best Chicagoland modern courses I've played. Top 10 course I've played in Illinois. Can't wait to play the Forest nine.

Best Hole(s): The 9th hole on the Marsh nine is a picturesque medium length Par-4 that requires less than driver off the tee and an approach to a penninsula green. The third hole on the Prairie nine is quintessential Hills short Par-4 with strategically placed traps and a dogleg approach over water.

I've been lucky enough to play all three nines at Ivanhoe as a guest, but Forest/Marsh is definitely my favorite. Extremely challenging course, with a lot of sand and water, fast greens, and demanding tee shots, but so much fun to play. The majority of the holes offer multiple strategy options, and the caddies and staff are great, as well as the course conditions. Also one of the few courses in the Chicagoland area that has a decent amount of elevation change on the property.

It's a bit of a hike to get up to Mundelein, but definitely worth the drive.