Bonnie Brook GC
A view from a fairway at Bonnie Brook Golf Course.
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Rating Index Rating
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4.6
406 Reviews (406)
5 Stars
248
4 Stars
137
3 Stars
16
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
4
Conditions
4.6
Value
4.6
Layout
4.5
Friendliness
4.7
Pace
4.4
Amenities
4.2
98.9%
Recommend this course
394 out of 406 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.7
9 Reviews (9)
5 Stars
6
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.4
Value
4.5
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.6
Amenities
4.1
StaffFriendliness
4.8
100.0%
Recommend this course
9 out of 9 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.6
30 Reviews (30)
5 Stars
19
4 Stars
9
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.6
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.4
Amenities
4.1
StaffFriendliness
4.7
100.0%
Recommend this course
30 out of 30 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Bonnie Brook delivers consistently excellent conditions with fast greens, well-maintained fairways, and a layout that balances challenge with accessibility for all skill levels. Exceptionally friendly staff and outstanding value make this north suburbs gem a highly recommended round.

About

Holes 18
Type Public
Style Woodland
Par 72
Length 6640 yards
Slope 128
Rating 72.3

Bonnie Brook Golf Course, known amongst locals as simply "The Brook," is one of the most popular public courses on the North Shore. It has even been ranked as one of the top 50 public golf courses in the Chicagoland area. Designed in 1926 by James Foulis, the course has a classic feel to it with challenges that have withstood the test of time. The layout sprawls across a scenic natural landscape accented with gently rolling hills, tall native grasses, and sparkling lakes. The north branch of the Waukegan River also meanders through part of the golf course. The Bonnie Brook layout offers enough of a challenge for advanced players with narrow, tree-lined fairways and subtly tricky undulations throughout the spacious greens, but it is a round that is player friendly enough for any skill level to enjoy.

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Course Details

Year Built 1926
Fairways Bent Grass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season Open: 4/01 Closed: 12/01
Architect James Foulis (1926) Bob Lohmann

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Pull-carts Yes
Caddies No
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes

Food & Beverage

Bar, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Meeting Facilities, Conference Facilities, Banquet Facilities

Accolades

The Best Way To Book Is With GolfPass+ Annual
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Reviews

4.6
406 Reviews (406)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 15
Patio Dining 7
Course Challenges Include:
Undulating Greens 12
Thick Rough 11
Water Hazards 9
This course/club is great for:
Locals 13
Seniors 11
Walkers 11
This Course's Location is:
In the 'Burbs 16
Worth the Drive 12

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Mature course that's fun to play

Lots of large trees, but they aren't right off the fairway. Lots of dogleg holes which makes the course a little more challenging, but it's not at all a difficult course!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 20-24
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Slower course of play, but still felt rushed

Bonnie Brook has a great and friendly staff as you walk into the pro-shop. After check-in, they scheduled a lot of tee times very close to each other, so we had to wait for those ahead, however, felt a little rushed from the people behind. The course itself was well kept (granted the weather conditions, since it has been raining and storming constantly the past week) however I found it difficult to find the fairway from the tee box at certain holes. Overall, its a great course that could use a little more space time between tee times.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 21
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Used cart

Interesting challenging course

We'll maintained fairways and greens. Interesting layout, bordered with wild flowered interior holes. Many long par 4's & 5's will challenge long ball hitters offset by short target par 4's. Google values on Golfnow.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 20
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

Better Than Expected

Haven't played Bonnie Brook for a while so decided to give it a try. It's part of the Waukegan Park District; well kept. Early morning tee time and due to wet grass from previous day, the rough was tough. Had to keep club face square on impact, wet grass would grab club face. Hole locations was tough. Most of the holes were on slopes but birdies were there to grab. Overall course was well maintained. Staff greeted us and very friendly. Will definitely return to play - maybe when it's dry. Recommended!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great

Great course especially for the cost. Great conditions. Fairways are good. Rough was good. Greens are in great shape.

Value Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Nice Course, Staff is awful

This is a very nice alternative to some of the mid level courses in the north burbs. Greens are usually pretty great, challenging fairways, and thick rough. My only issue is the staff. The man at the pro shop "John" is very rude, and is not welcoming at all. Very condescending and almost unhappy to see you walk through the door. Really ruins your mindset before the round.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Friendliness Poor
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Challenging

This course has something for everyone from the beginner to the advanced player. Will definitely be back to challenge my skills again. Staff is very courteous, course was in good condition, it's worth every penny!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Good Round

I play Bonnie Brook regularly. It was probably the most difficult that the course has ever played for me. The rough was the real thing & made driving in the fairway as important as it could be. Rough could have been an inch or 2 shorter.. Finding balls in the rough was difficult.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Excellent track

Greens were good as well as course conditions. Considering the winter we had it is better than most. Staff as always was excellent. Pin placements were challenging. A hidden gem .

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Fair weather
Used cart

Great Value

Course was in excellent shape except that the greens needed improvement. We were a threesome and did not wait until the 17th hole.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Cheap course

Not very good. Greens are really slow. Some teeboxes weren't mowed. Don't expect to be able to putt very well either. The only good thing was the price.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

I enjoy playing this course

Every time I play this course, I appreciate the consistent pace and the quality of the fairways and greens.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Slow pace but still worth playing

3 of us had a tee time for a Sunday at 12:50pm. Unfortunately the pace was already running 30 minutes late, and throughout the round there was a wait on every hole. It would of certainly helped if there was a couple rangers regulating the pace. However a golfer can't expect much on a weekend afternoon when many of the seniors and novices are on the course. Otherwise, Bonniebrook is in good condition and the greens run pretty fast. Must say a couple holes on the backside are, lack for a better word, weird. Would certainly play it again given some of its misgivings, and use it as a benefit instead by choosing to walk.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Extremely slow play

We played on a Saturday afternoon with a tee time of 2:30. We went off on time, but had to wait at every hole. We quit after 15 holes as we had dinner plans and it was already 5:45. This is an unacceptable way to play golf. No ranger on the course to keep play moving. I've played this course during the week and never experienced anything like this. It was very painful. I will avoid playing here on weekends.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 01/09/2014

I don't understand, you teed off at 2:30, you should expect to play a round of golf in 4 hours or so. It looks like you were on pace to do that.

Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Enjoyable round

Very nice course, challenging greens that are well kept with a true roll. The course is well kept and picturess, also a good challenge for your average player, scratch golfers will do well here. Very friendly and acommadating staff.
Will definitely be back.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Slow greens

It's a pretty course. Not challenging but really enjoyable. The greens are way too slow so if you are looking for a tournament like course this is not it.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Easy
Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Too many flies biting!

Overall, I really like the course.
But there were too many flies biting and bothering. I couldn't even concentrate on my swing because of the flies. Repel spray wasn't working either. It is too serious, I think!

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 15
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

In great shape for a Park District course.

This is a very nice golf course that is well maintained. Greens are in very good shape and the sand traps actually have sand in them. Enjoyed it very much at a great Golf Now price. Thanks Golf Now.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

course tough but fair

greens and tee boxes pristine. greens are medium for speed. tee boxes outstanding. fairways outstanding. . rough a little long, but okay. you are rewarded for good shots and penalized for bad shots. a great value for the money.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 26
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

excellent

Very well maintained, excellent challenge, good pace
would play again

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
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Golf Packages

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Destination Kohler - To Dye Four Golf Package

FROM $557 (USD)
KOHLER, WI | Enjoy 3 nights’ accommodations at The American Club or the Inn on Woodlake and 4 rounds of golf at Blackwolf Run (River & Meadow Valley Courses) and Whistling Straits (Straits & Irish Courses).

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