Big Run Golf Club

This is a bit lengthy but I felt the need to share for people looking to try this course for the first time like me. Over the last handful of years, I’ve been told by multiple avid golfers that Big Run was a must play. I finally decided to make the trip ‘south’ as I usually play in the North/Northwest suburbs. For some reason I decided to read the reviews after I had booked the tee time for Sunday afternoon and was taken aback by what I was reading in these reviews. Unfortunately, the reviews for this year are pretty spot on. In my opinion, the layout is fantastic. After the first handful of holes I thought of The Brute at Grand Geneva Resort. A great mix of length, doglegs left and right, and elevation changes off the tee and into greens. The par 3s are well protected with deep bunkers on the front and long par 3s protected by water and bunkers on the back. Great looking holes, but that’s about where the positives end, besides the outdoor grill they had set up for the brats, dogs, and burgers. Tee boxes are in fair condition at best. Quite patchy with some having diseased, burnt out, or non existent grass, but where there is grass it’s the length you’d generally expect from a tee box. The fairways were the biggest issue I had playing. Clovers clutter many of the fairways and the ball sits down making me wish I had not hit the fairway. When you manage to find the grass in the fairway, its not clear if you are actually in the fairway or rough. There’s no pleasing visual off the tee between the rough and fairway as it all kind of blends together. Most of the bunkers seemed unplayable with water from the week of rain, which can be understandable since many are quite deep around the greens, but what’s concerning is the amount of pebbles and rocks and lack of sand in many of the bunkers. I wouldn’t say the rocks and lack of sand resulted from this one week of rain. The greens were decent. A little slow and cushiony, again maybe due to the week of rain, but I could understand why they may be kept a little slower. A lot of undulation and knuckles on some greens could lead to a lot of time putting back and forth if they were faster especially when a few of our putts ran out a little more than expected. After our 2 hour front 9, we ran into a foursome on the back with seemingly no one in front of them. No ranger to move pace along and took nearly 3 hours to complete the back. I’d love to give this course another chance if conditions, mainly fairway, improved. I can fully understand why many people have told me to give Big Run a go, but right now I couldn’t relay that message to someone else. Too many issues that outweigh a course with a fun but challenging layout and greens that have the potential to be great. To the golfer, keep searching. To Big Run, I hope the conditions can get back to the hidden gem, must play, and highly recommended course that I’ve heard about.

I think this course is arguably one of the best tracks and layouts in all of Chicago!!! The greens are tough and we’re in great condition. Unfortunately the tee boxes, fairways and rough were in the worst shape I have seen in years. With rumors of the course being up for sale it’s possible the family isn’t investing further into the course at this time! If you have never played this course it’s a must!!!

Course is not in great condition. Bunkers are full of rocks and weeds. Fairways are mostly clover and alot of dead spots. Ball needs to be rolled into nice spot to hit. Greens are in good condition. Cart paths and bridges are in very bad condition. No hole map on tee marker signs would help. Trees really need to be pruned back they are coming way in to tee shots and shrinking fairways. This is not a $75 course on weekends. This is no more then a $45 $50 course in prime time. We paid $45 for twilight and that was $20 to much. I shot a 78 so I am not bitter about round I have played this alot but really am going less because of conditions and price!

I understand courses have been under strain until the increased play post-Covid re-opening, but Big Run has not been well maintained for some time. Fairways are inundated with weeds, carts are old, tee boxes not well maintained, no rangers to keep play moving, cart paths need repair and Clubhouse/patio needs some TLC. The greens were in good shape. I haven't played Big Run in many years, but always remembered it as a unique, great layout, that was pretty well maintained for its niche - I don't like writing critical things, but to say something otherwise would be dishonest.. I truly hope they can commit the monies to restore this potentially terrific course. Prefer not to be public - wanted to share feedback with you and Big Run; I don't want to hurt anyone's business.

The Good: Big Run is a 90-year old Harry B. Smead design (with an influence from Nugent/Killian in the 80’s) in the southwest suburbs of Chicago that is one of the most dynamic, interesting public designs in the area. Fun topography throughout with many downhill drives & uphill approaches, but the Par-3’s are the true standout of the design. Both closing holes of each nine are tough Par-5’s that require precise drivers & strategically placed approaches. The greens complexes were expansive and very undulating, particularly with their Sunday pins. When in good shape, it can be one of the better values in the western burbs.

The Bad: The course conditioning was extremely rough with very spotty fairways and burnt out rough. While it has certainly been a dry summer, all the area courses I’ve played thus far this year have been in better shape. The pace of play was excruciating, at nearly 6-hours on a weekend afternoon. A combination of zero management and a routing not conducive to slow play, but inexcusable regardless. Staff is fairly accommodating in the clubhouse but there was no on-course service, which didn’t aid the experience. Limited practice area with a small putting green and no driving range. At $69 during peak season, a mediocre value considering the better conditioned alternatives nearby.

The Verdict: I’m sure Big Run was a hidden gem in its heyday, but unfortunately its fallen on tough times. An extremely fun design with excellent bones, if only there was enough love from its owners.

Best Hole: Even though I tripled it, I really liked the long Par-4 2nd hole. Your drive must avoid water left and trees right, with an uphill approach to a demanding green guarded by overhanging trees and several traps.

This round was a major let down. The pace of play was absolutely ridiculous. It took almost six hours to play 18. This is not the course that you bring a 10 year old to or if you have a hard time hitting the fairway or even getting the ball off the tee. The three to four groups in front of us had all three of those things going for them. The starter even agreed when we were talking about this.

The course was in terrible shape too. Fairways were burned out, rough was not tough at all, and sand traps were basically dirt. The ground was so hard it was like hitting from the cart path on most holes. There were a lot of areas in the fairways and greens that had missing grass and was just dirt. This would be fine if it was a small area, but some of them were quite massive.

This round was definitely not worth the money!

Good layout, beat up conditions and a ranger who pressured many times to hurry up. Got done under 4:30 on a long course and rangers were all over group to hurry up. I’ll pass and play elsewhere for the staff rudeness and beat up course.

Very scenic course probably too difficult for most amateur golfers. Fairways are in bad shape. The greens are difficult, would be impossible if they were faster. Took almost 3 hours to play front 9. Do not play on weekends!

Fairways are trash, no grass. Rough is just dirt. Bunkers are completely filled with rocks. Tee boxes have weeds growing out and uneven. Green were average and rolled true. Course layout is quality, with elevation changes and multi tier greens. Lots of up hill shots. No beverage cart and no ranger enforcing pace. $60/cart is better spent elsewhere. Food from the grill was tasty though. Stop by to eat, but play elsewhere.

Played 8/27. Course was in terrible shape. Hardly any difference in fairway or rough. Fairway was concrete. Greens were in ok shape. Bunkers completely filled with stones and some standing water (hasn’t rained in weeks). Worst $60 ever spent. Will never be back.

I really like the layout of the course. The tee boxes and fairways were in bad shape.

Horrible conditions, slow play and overpriced. Pictures are deceiving.

Course was in bad shape. Pace of play terrible (5+ hours). The two long par 5's are cool, but unfortunate when on most holes you can't distinguish the fairways from the rough...

Went out on evening as 2 some, made us play with 3 other guys and they were just jamming people together to get money. Didn’t even finish 13 holes and we teed off at 4pm. Tried to play front cause the back was brutally slow and wouldn’t let us. Don’t care about customer just about getting there money. Last time I’ll ever play it