Big Run Golf Club

Tee time: 2:36 on a Sunday ($51),

I could see Big Run being a pristine course back in the day, but that was probably 50+ years ago. The clubhouse and signs are all extremely outdated. The range finders attached to the carts are outdated, but at the same time kind of cool because it's rare to see an amenity like that. The course itself was very challenging due to all of the elevation change, long distances, and old trees. The layout earns 5 stars from me (great views, secluded feel), however I can't say the same for the conditions. Greens were solid. Bunkers could definitely use work. Fairways were very poor (patchy dry spots and not manicured). I don't know if I will be returning to Big Run unless I catch a good deal or I am already in the area.

Tee time was at 12:57. After 4 hours and 20 minutes we just completed the 14th hole. They are a below average at best for the amount of money they charge. I have played much nicer courses for half the money. The course conditions were well below average, dead trees all over the course, extremely bad patches of grass all over the fairways. Go play ruffled feathers or any other course but this one. I went into the clubhouse to complain about the pace of play, because teeing off at a little before 1 pm, you would expect to be done by dark,, but the employees just looked at me and didn’t even offer me another round at another time. I am disappointed with this course and you will be to. Spend your money elsewhere.

Fairway grass has something wrong, dry patches and bad spots all over.

Green were pretty slow. The grass was too long on the fairways & tees. Couldn't differentiate between the rough & fairways at times. Bunkers were average. Too much sand in some, not enough in others. Great layout. Love the elevation changes. Makes choosing the right club a challenge.

This course has clearly been around for quite sometime. The clubhouse seems original, the starter announces the next tee via speaker phone.

This course is great for strategic players. You can always take risky shots however one wrong shot can be deadly! Long party 5s and long par 4s. Intense elevation changes.

Cart paths need a little work.

Course is in worst condition I have played it. Greens very slow. Fairways very bare in patches. Bunkers are the worst I have ever played. Zero sand. Just dirt and pebbles. Won’t rush back here

4:15 pace on a beautiful weekday. I decided to play it forward to the senior tees (I qualify) and was glad I did. But a few of the markers were down on the short tee boxes, giving an unrealistic yardage advantage on a few holes. I played it backward there.

Greens were fairly consistent, keeping up with the recent uptick of conditioning. Diabolical pin placement on #11.

This course could easily earn a 5 star if it had a range, had better marshaling/flow control on weekends (not an issue on this day), and more consistent conditioning.

This course requires target shots to elevated greens. Many old oak trees lining fairways. Could use more sand in the bunkers. They were pretty hard and Rocky.

This course is incredible! It challenges you to use every club in the bag while offering stunning views & elevations! Though it is fairly difficult, it’s also very forgiving. I played the entire round without losing a ball.

Course is in great shape. I was in awe with the layout. The scenery is amazing. All see is skyline on majority of the holes. Just splendid. Greens are very well taken care of. Rough and fast. Disappointment is what I felt not playing this course in my 12 years golfing.

First, the layout is challenging, but not absurd. Grass fairways and rough were in great shape. Lots of elevation changes make you think through shot selection and hit your targets.

For the money, it’s not that great though. You can play arrowhead, seven bridges and other Chicago staples for the rate they charge here and those courses are much better maintained.

The course cart paths are a mess, weeds around all the flower beds, a mower must have been leaking oil because half the greens had tiny dark spots and all the ball washers & on-course fixtures looked like they’d been there for years longer than designed to last. Bunkers were also mostly dirt with little to no sand.

It’s obvious when you play it that they haven’t invested much in the 30 years since the course was last updated.The pace of play was 4:45 hours on a Saturday.

No marshal on a great June day! 5 1/2 + hours. People were playing in fivesomes! Good layout. Poor, poor everything else. Won’t play again.

The golf course was in good condition and the greens were fair. The greens can be impossible if they’re faster. Played the front nine in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Unfortunately, the back nine took 3 1/2 hours. There were several 5somes and no marshals too keep the pace. This has happened to me before and we’ve given up after a few holes on the back nine. I suggest only playing here early on a weekday when a 4 hour round is possible.

Very beautiful course big Oak trees everywhere. Long course challanging but fun. Greens are in fair condotion not too fast but because it rained I half expected that. The pace of play was staggering at best. We had no where to go so it did not bother us. But I would avoid this course if you want to have a sub four hour round. I think our round was close to 5 hours.

Rough was high, you could be 5 -7 yards off fairway and not find your ball. Good time. HOLIDAY pace of play ( slow) but not a deal breaker. Rangers were out on course. Fairways were lush but some needed a bit of trimming. Ball on fairway sometimes wasn't sitting up. Again, not a deal breaker and I would play it again under same conditions.

I've been playing Big Run a few times per year over the past 10 years, and I've developed quite the love-hate relationship with it over that time. I love the hilly layout with elevated tees, plus there are 5 or 6 memorable holes on this course. However, the greens have extreme slopes and the pins are positioned right on the edge of these slopes on many of the holes. All of which makes it very difficult to make putts or even not 3 putt. Now, if this course wasn't over 7,000 yards long, with hills and trees everywhere, I could understand having tougher greens. But the course is already quite difficult as it is, with the slope on the greens and where they put the pins, it makes the course almost too difficult at times. Also, the sand traps on this course have barely any sand in them, which for a course that is asking $50 to play is unacceptable. The other big issue I have with Big Run is the first hole. It's a very confusing downhill short par 4 with no clear place to aim your tee shot. All you see from the tee box is a bunch of trees. It's pretty much the worse starting golf hole in all of Chicago-land. I played the tips at Big Run this past week and hit the ball from tee to green almost as well as I possibly can, but still came away shooting an 82. I 3-putted 4 different holes, and I consider myself to be a pretty solid putter. Overall, I give Big Run a 3 star rating, but that could easily be a 4 if a few key improvements were made there.