Ruffled Feathers Golf Club
About
Ruffled Feathers Golf Club in Lemont is conveniently situated just a half hour outside downtown Chicago. Pete Dye and his son P.B. collaborated to design the course, making it the only Dye design in the Chicago area. A well thought-out strategy will be greatly rewarded on this challenging layout and bad shots made without any thought will be severely punished. This is definitely not a golf course where you can just grip it and rip it. The fairways are fairly straight and forgiving, but most of the approach shots play to tricky elevated greens. There are also strategically placed bunkers framing the greens and water hazards come into play on several holes as well. Ruffled Feathers Golf Club's par 3s have a reputation for being particularly challenging. But depending on how windy it is, the final hole might present the most formidable challenge.
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 72 | 6898 yards | 73.7 | 140 |
| Back | 72 | 6389 yards | 71.4 | 135 |
| Middle (W) | 72 | 6015 yards | 75.6 | 140 |
| Middle | 72 | 6015 yards | 69.5 | 130 |
| Forward (W) | 72 | 5273 yards | 71.5 | 131 |
| Junior | 72 | 4455 yards | 67.0 | 121 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black M: 74.0/139 W: 79.6/140 | 379 | 361 | 193 | 578 | 467 | 518 | 413 | 220 | 464 | 3593 | 403 | 155 | 380 | 510 | 328 | 510 | 336 | 221 | 462 | 3305 | 6898 |
| Blue M: 71.7/134 W: 76.8/134 | 348 | 328 | 153 | 543 | 440 | 490 | 390 | 210 | 433 | 3335 | 385 | 140 | 317 | 471 | 301 | 470 | 316 | 212 | 442 | 3054 | 6389 |
| Blue/Gold M: 69.5/128 W: 74.3/128 | 348 | 328 | 153 | 543 | 365 | 490 | 373 | 166 | 350 | 3116 | 385 | 120 | 317 | 471 | 301 | 400 | 290 | 145 | 350 | 2779 | 5895 |
| Gold M: 67.2/125 W: 72.1/124 | 341 | 302 | 135 | 450 | 365 | 415 | 373 | 166 | 350 | 2897 | 375 | 120 | 270 | 435 | 270 | 400 | 290 | 145 | 350 | 2655 | 5552 |
| Gray M: 62.7/114 W: 66.4/112 | 205 | 205 | 80 | 426 | 319 | 379 | 345 | 130 | 320 | 2409 | 316 | 74 | 253 | 372 | 207 | 334 | 194 | 96 | 275 | 2121 | 4530 |
| Handicap | 11 | 13 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 18 | 6 | |||
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
Bar, CateringAvailable Facilities
Clubhouse, Banquet FacilitiesReviews
Reviewer Photos
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Bunker on hole 1 Photo submitted by chefdanielvogel on 04/11/2026
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Photo submitted by Zach1284073 on 10/06/2025
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We did have heavy rains the day before but I’ve played this course multiple times bunkers need work everything else is great Photo submitted by hockeynb on 04/04/2025
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All bunkers look like this Photo submitted by Allenjackj on 10/11/2024
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Photo submitted by goodybank on 06/26/2023
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Photo submitted by goodybank on 06/26/2023
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Photo submitted by goodybank on 06/26/2023
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Photo submitted by Fiddler71 on 06/05/2023
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Photo submitted by rwtsang on 10/01/2021
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Photo submitted by u314161153720 on 05/10/2021
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Weeds growing all over a bunker Photo submitted by 6nkm7chAB4GXOL8PCerz on 08/22/2020
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Par 3, 11th. Photo submitted by mleahy11 on 09/08/2013
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Island Green Hole - Not looking so good. Photo submitted by leathtech on 07/22/2013
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Drop zone really??? Photo submitted by leathtech on 07/22/2013
This course is very challenging, and well maintained.
This course is challenging and well maintained , and The greens are very fast.I really enjoyed playing this course.
great work team but bad players they like to hit twice
the 2 times i am been there the the workers are friendly but the players are so slow and they like to do it a purpose last time i was staring at 6 :50 am and they ask me if i want to first and i courtesy tell them go head and they take it very seriously really what kind of people play in this kind the course because the course its in a very outstanding condition but in general everybody are very educated thanks.
The course has lost it's appeal
I use to play this course all the time. Over the last two years I have noticed a decline in the course conditions. I played it last week. I don't see myself going back. The tee boxes are all beat up and uneven and the greens are in bad shape. The range is not included in the round anymore.
One of Chicago's Finest
The course is absolutely beautiful and challenging. Lots of sand and water combined with marshes make it a must play for the seasoned golfer. The tee boxes were a little worn and could have used some serious repair. The back nine was simply breathtaking. The overall design and layout of the course is better than most clubs.
This course has a number of really fun holes with great challenges.
Very Challenging course with well placed hazards and great designs for a number of holes. Tough greens, lots of water and lots of sand traps. Even the short par fours require the right club selection to avoid trouble. Great pro shop and very nice clubhouse.
Course is quite challenging.
I give this course 5 stars, but I have to be honest and say it kicked my butt. Water on many of the holes, but does not over power the course. Pace was a little slow, but there were rangers on the course moving things along. GPS on the carts were fairly accurate. My advice is to take a moment before every tee box and study the layout on the GPS. I made this mistake of not doing this on the front nine and it cost me.
Good Course
Good value (79 weekend p.m. inc cart w/GPS), course is well maintained, clubhouse is nice w/good amenities (grill/bar, stocked pro shop, locker room w/shower - though no towels). Grass practice tees, in good condition. Course is a good challenge from mid tees, tough from back. Pay attention to the GPS for where to position shots. Water on most holes, though the forward tees were well placed for higher handicappers so that it is a fair test for all levels, if you play the correct tees.
It's gone down hill. Needs some attention.
Our tee time was 2:00 pm Friday and we started about 15 minutes late, which I can deal with, but oh my goodness, this was the slowest round (not part of an outing) that I've played in 20 years. We finished the front nine in just under 3 hours - waiting before every shot. The fairways were in poor condition. The sand in the fairway bunkers was filled with rocks - actually, I don't think you can really call it sand, more like sandy gravel. This course used to be one of my favorites - the layout is excellent, especially the back nine, but I probably will not return, even if I see another hot deal on Golfnow. Too many other courses in better shape with a better pace of play. One other thing we noticed, some really bad rotten fish smells coming from the water holes on the front nine.
Course layout is very challenging. Lots of water and traps. Back 9 is awesome.
Course play was way too slow to get into any kind of rhythm. Front 9 bunkers had lots of rocks and pebbles which is surprising for a course of this caliber. Some fairways had some dried out patches. Back 9 was in pristine condition. I would not pay full price to play here. However at $40, this is a steal. Just wished the experience was better overall.
Wrong day to play?
Overall not the best experience playing this course on a Friday afternoon. I arrived at the course and was told that there was an outing in the morning that had not finished and that people were teeing off about 10 minutes behind scheduled time. When I reached the starter, I was told people were teeing off about 30-35 minutes after scheduled time. When we arrived at the snack shack at the turn, they had run out of hot dogs and brats and just started cooking additional ones. There was a ranger on the course trying to push things along, however he seemed to do a better job of offending people; told the group behind mine to pick up - even though we were stacked up ( and they did - left the course in the process). Pace of play ended up being over 5 hours.
As for the course itself, many of the tee boxes were thrashed and the greens had a gazillion ball marks that had not been fixed. The fairways were generally good. And the greens were pretty fast and difficult to read. Two types of sand used in the sand traps; the fairway traps had a very coarse sand that the ball would typically stand up in, as opposed to the green-side bunkers that had a much finer sand. There is water on most holes that can come into play.
The course was designed by Pete Dye, so it has many of his signature items (e.g. island-like green on 11th hole). The course does have some other interesting risk/reward holes.
As a final note, the carts were equipped with GPS and on several holes on the back 9, the distances given to the holes were substantially less than the score card (over 60 yards difference).
Great layout & a tough challenge
Only Pete Dye course in Illinois. He is a master at setting up deceptive holes that look much more benign than they are. Local knowledge on this course could save you 5-10 strokes. You must be carefull of the lines you take off the tee and know how far your club will go. There are more bunkers than you think and a lot of undulation from tee to green. Greens are sand based and a little slower than a $90 course should be. Advice for 1st time players:
1.) Leave driver in your bag for many holes. You can avoid a lot of trouble by using your hybrid off the tee.
2.) Play within yourself. Don't try for Phil Mikelson recovery shots when in trouble or you'll end up wth an 8 or 9. Take your medicine and a bogey.
Great course layout, but expected a bit more for the money.
I paid $80 for a round on Sunday afternoon, teeing off at 2:45. Based on that alone I expect the course to be in tip top shape. I really liked the layout and the course offers a variety of varying hole types, elevation changes, short and long par 4's club choices, challenges , etc. However, with all of the rain we've gotten this year I didn't expect portions of the rough, tee boxes and even a few greens to be burned out on a few holes. Also, the amount of ball marks all over the green made some putts challenging. The greens were firm, but not overly fast. Had I paid $40 for the round I would have been satisfied, but for that price during twilight hours I would not recommend going. Maybe I'll give the course a chance at the beginning of the season next year when it hasn't been so overly played.
troubled course
Check resent reviews on this course!
My experience stopped at the pro shop desk.
i arrived for my 2:04 tee time on 8/24/13 and found an outting staging in the parking lot.
They had 80 players and a 1;30 start that they were running late on.
Why any course would sell tee times in the middle of an 80 person outing is ridiculous.
We did not play and the staff in the pro shop said they would let management know of our dissatisfaction.
Good luck if you choose to play here.
Single word...OVERPRICED
Course needs help. Tees are destroyed on some holes and greens need weed killer to restore grass where crab grass has overrun.
the greens were in bad shape
the course overall was very bad the tee boxes were all chopped up the greens were horrible nobody replaces the ball marks for fixing the ball marks uh the fairways nobody replace the divots overall the course was in very poor condition for the money that I paid to play there
Finally Tacked Ruffled Feathers
After wanting to try Ruffled Feathers for some time, I finally booked a tee time. I was late to my tee time, but they were able to accommodate me before an outing that was set to tee off about 30 minutes later. The course was in great condition. Not many ball marks on the greens, and the tee boxes were in pretty good shape. Fairways were short and fast, with the rough being thing and long, but not overly long. Just about any divot that was taken out of the fairway was either replaced, or had the divot mix filling the divot. The greens rolled true and were quick. As for the course, the greens on the front nine seemed a little flatter than the back nine. The island green on 11 makes for an interesting short par 3. Hole 12 is a par 4 that has a lot of risk/reward if you are a long hitter who can cut the corner. 14 is also a tempting par 4, being right around 300 yards, and downhill. The par five 15th is an interesting hole. Narrow chute to hit out of from the tee box. The fairway basically runs left of the green, turning towards the right, almost definitely requiring some sort of layup shot, or at the least, an approach from the left, since the front of the green is guarded by trees.17 is a long par 3 with water down the left side, clear through the green. All in all, well worth the $50 green fee I received through Golfnow.
Very nice layout but...
This has the potential to be one of the most beautiful courses in the Chicagoland area. Unfortunately it is not because of the condition. There is spotty grass by most greens, the fairways are littered with divots, the greens are filled with deep ball marks (I repaired at least 25 throughout my round plus my own), the tee boxes are beyond beat up and slanted, and the greens have been recently sanded slowing them down quite a bit. The par 3's are fun and challenging, you have very good opportunity to score low on most par 4's, and the par 5's bring out great scoring opportunities as well. I went out as a single at 6 A.M. and I was able to complete the round by 830. I would recommend this course only when they have specials and you can get on for under $50. It is definitely not worth it to play during peak rates until they are able to repair the course. I will say that I would play it again for the right price because it is scenic, challenging and requires a lot of strategy. I'd recommend this to a friend but I would also tell them to not expect the condition to be up to par.
challenging
if you want reality check how good is your golf game ,this is the place to come .very challenging , if you slice or hook it forget about par ,bogey or worse is for u .i'm going to driving range to practice (a lot ) and be back for more .beatifull golf course
still as tough I as remember it
I think it has only gotten tougher with age, great Pete Dye course!