Cantigny Golf - Lakeside/Hillside

Played Hillside and Woodside 9's. Hillside is the easier of the 2 and has some target golf holes through lakes and nice dog legs requiring good placement off the tee. Woodside is a tougher test with very traditional style holes. Again good dog legs that really test your game. Course conditions were excellent, staff friendly and the whole place had a relaxed atmosphere. Saw some golfers in jeans showing that you don't need to demand attire levels to run a great facility (they just demand soft spikes). More about the love of golf than the status if the facility - as it should be! Well done Cantigny!

Have had the great fortune to play this wonderful gem many times in my life and have never been disappointed . Three great nine hole layouts with receptive greens that putt fast&true. Rates can be a bit steep but if you can find a golf now rate you will not be disappointed. Overall great course great staff and we played this gem in less than four hours .

What a disappointment! $115 bought us a spot wedged into a very overcrowded course, complete with constant badgering by arrogant marshalls and a starter with no idea what they were doing.
I had long wanted to play this course- nice enough and in good shape, though completely flat and unremarkable for the reviews it sometimes gets. Certainly not worth a penny over $70, with cart. We had rode, my partner and I both finishing in the 80s. Paired up with two walkers, as were the foursome we kept waiting for in front of us, all using what appeared to be 13 year old caddies. These large groups could only walk so fast in the heat and humidity. On the 9th hole (Woodside), we waited as the group ahead of us cleared the green, then played right up. The slow group ahead of us was finished, so we were going to be in the clear. Stopping at the turn for nothing more than a gatorade, the backlog at the single server snackshack serving 3-9s and many caddies was slow. After patiently waiting through that, we arrived at our 10th hole (Lakeside 1), only to have the starter insist that we skip the hole, go to #2, then come back and play #1 after finishing 18. ???!!!??? $115 course? Not. We should have said no. Once we did all that, the group that got bumped as we re-arrived on #10 became angry when they put us back in, then we had to try to come back against more golfers teeing off. Not to mention disrupting the enjoyment of our game and accomplishing nothing. What an act of sheer stupidity on the part of the course management. Like those of us riding in a cart, shooting in the low 80s can do much about the pace of play they were paranoid about because they had overloaded the tee times. I left a polite but detailed voicemail with the general manager about the situation, man not even professional enough to return a call. I won't go near this place again. If you do, don't give the marshalls the time of day, they're an arrogant bunch who won't stop talking and complaining about how slow everybody is going.
There are so many courses just as nice for less $, with polite staff and without pre-pubescent caddies trying to line up every single putt like the Masters depends on it.

The Good: Fantastic 27-hole public facility 30 miles west of Chicago is all about golf. A superb Roger Packard layout winds through large woodlands without interference of houses and possesses ome of the most unique bunker complexes you'll find. The Lakeside nine has the strongest collection of Par 3's of the three courses, while the Woodside nine has the best Par 5's. Premier course conditions and large, undulating greens that are in good shape. Excellent facilities including robust clubhouse with full restaurant, excellent practice area, and on-course GPS. Decent value, even with peak prices around $115.

The Bad: The greens can be a little bumpy and inconsistent in some areas. Lack of on-course restrooms is a big minus for such a nice facility. Service is good, but not great for the price. Limited twilight rates. Lack of variety in the Par 4's as most are dogleg rights.

The Verdict: Cantigny is one of the most complete public facilities in the Chicago area. A brilliant 27-hole track that is serene and peaceful.

Best Hole(s): The Par 3 4th on Lakeside is an excellent challenge with water left. The downhill Par 5 #7 is great double dogleg that requires two perfect shots to get there in two.

Course was very nice, had lots of holes that looked very nice. Course was in great condition. Would love to play here again

Cantigny golf course is a beautiful and challenging course. It looks like a much older course than it actually is (25 years old this year) It is a beautiful blend of holes with outstanding greens. It is not a brutally hard course, but one where you need to think about each shot and execute well. We played the Lakeside/Hillside combination. Pace of play was excellent - finished in 4 hours.

The staff here is terrific and the restaurant was very good as well. I highly recommend playing here.

This is a top-shelf track and one that, while available to the public, is as difficult and well-kept as many of the better private courses. It's not cheap, but it delivers a premium round of golf. We were paired up with two players who had not previously experienced Cantigny, and they were blown away. They mentioned how they like to drive around and check out new courses, and that this one was up there with anything else they had experienced. We will be back, because this place is too good to not have in the rotation.

Good choice of three 9 hole courses with tree and water adding to difficulty

Top notch facility is great shape!
A real treat to play.
Price is high for a reason. A special occasion type of an outing. Love to play it more.

One negative...
Couple bunkers I was in were hard-panned.

The course is always in great shape. Although it is challenging at times, overall it is a fantastic course and I enjoy playing it. I would not recommend it for juniors though, because it can be very difficult for newer golfers, but for regular golfers, this course is amazing.

Pace was pretty slow but otherwise everything about Cantigny is great.
Course is in perfect condition.
Layout is interesting and very challenging.
Thru GolfNow, I paid basically half-price ($57.50) to play,

This place is all about golf. Pristine fairways and greens. It's beautiful.

Top notch all around. Worth the coin. Can't say anything negative except some bunkers very thin on sand.

We played the hillside then the woodside. Both were very nice, in great condition, and challenging. I normally play $50-$70 courses. I was pleasantly surprised when our starter came to apologize for the slower group in front of us. She even offered to ask them to let us play through at the turn. We declined. I was irritated that they didn't tell me the fee included use of the range. The food and beer at the clubhouse afterwords was excellent. I don't think playing this course was worth $115 but I'm glad I played it once. If I ever see it listed for cheaper il be back. Il come back to eat at the clubhouse without golfing for sure.

This is the second time I've played this course. I played the Woodside/Lakeside combo. I used a $60 Hot Deal on Golf Now to play. I wouldn't say it's worth $100+ on am ordinary day under ordinary circumstances. I knew Cantigny has a caddy program so I asked when I got to the pro shop. They made a phone call and I received one by my tee time. It was worth the extra $20 as I believe I got to take in the whole course. My last experience with this course was terrible. They redeemed themselves by putting my time with them first. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. I would recommend this course at no more than $100 with a caddy.

I understand we had a harsh winter. And I realize getting a course back into shape is difficult. But this was by far the worst!

It's as if they're afraid to put a mower on the course.

That would be fine if they made golfers aware of this when call g to make the tee time....AND IF THEY DIDN'T CHARGE $115 per round.

I've played Cantigny 50+ times and the conditions are truly hit or miss. They also aerate more than most courses.

Bottom line, if you're looking to play a top notch public course, there are better options.

Great time and terrific course! Was a true pro condition and I will return. Watch out though if over a 20 handicap. The rough is pretty thick on most holes and hard to find ball and hit out of if you

I've played this course a few times before and had always been impressed by the conditioning. This last time, not so much. Fairways and tees were perfect, but the greens were terrible. I'm talking muni terrible. Long grass and spotty bald spots, some even had ant hills on them. I believe the winter took is toll on them. I understand, but I think the patron should be made aware of the conditions before playing. I'm sure the staff there will have them back to normal soon. Also, an apocalyptic bug problem on the last 8 holes made it miserable. They were everywhere,, in out eyes, out mouths and noses. I think the recent heavy rains and then warm temps unleashes the swarm.

Golfers are spaced out nicely. No waiting and no one waits for you. Staff is very friendly.

Personally, I think the price here is high. I've played nicer courses that were a much better value. That being said, this is a very nice, pretty course with plenty of challenges.