Shepherd's Crook Golf Course

Shepherd's Crook is a beautiful course with challenging features. It's sculpted out of the natural geology with many elevation changes and a great combination of trees and links conditions. There are no homes on the course, so you feel like you're playing in a peaceful wilderness. Every hole is very different with some interesting challenge. Pace of play is excellent and the restaurant offers great food and great deals. It's unbelievable that the greens fees are normally $40. As a senior, I paid $29 last Friday. It's located in Zion, IL which is pretty far North from Chicago, but I've heard many people say (including me) that this course is the best value all around on the North Shore. It will challenge you, but you can also go low (which for me is shooting 90!). Have fun and play well.

I think Shepherd's Crook is a gem of a course. Love the feel of the course and the privacy. Its pretty wide open and requires shot making skills. There's a premium on accuracy. Its a real value!!

Had a nice round of golf with my Grandson before he returned to college. Conditions were very good.

Shot my best ever front 9 here yesterday! I love this mostly link style course. It is always in great shape and even though we had to wait on some shots we still finished in just over 4 hours. The greens are tough but fun, there are some long holes but overall a great place. They don't have a driving range so warm up before you get there. As for food and drinks I haven't spent anytime after my round so I can't speak to that. All of the employees are always friendly. Go out and enjoy your round.

Most holes are wide open with large bunkers and deep fescue. There are a few holes 'in the woods' to make it interesting. Greens were in nice shape, not super fast but true and playable. This is an excellent course all around.

This is a really nice course in very good condition. The only negative is the proximity to the land fill next to it and the occasional foul odor.

Nice course but there's no junior rates for the young golfer who knows how to play that's like over charging seniors. Zion park district doesn't care

Shepherd's is one of my favorite courses that I play on a regular basis. Challenging layout but not too difficult - although when it's windy, the course gets much tougher!!!

Course had got a lot of rain the night before, course drained very well

This course for the money is the best value north of Chicago

One of my favorite courses especially when I get a great Golf Now price

We booked a late afternoon on Friday and had a great time. The course was in excellent shape and very helpful staff. I've played here several times and had a couple of newbies with me who enjoyed the round.

If the value is there we'll be back again. This is a great course and unlike any in the immediate area. Highly recommended

Always a great course. Challeging and beautiful. Had I been playing better, the day would have been perfect.

I played the course for the first time last year and it became my favorite instantly. The starters and staff are very friendly. A good t shot will reward you, a ok shot will challenge you and a bad will hurt you. Just what a course should be. The greens are true and will test your putting skills. If you are looking for a challanging course look no further. Best course in Lake County.

Shepherd's has been on our bucket list for a long time and now that we've played it we'll have to find a way to get back soon. This is a very aesthetically pleasing course. The links style layout looks real nice from the clubhouse to the 1st tee and all the way around. It was in excellent condition everywhere - tee's, fairways, bunkers and greens. Especially like all the tall grasses growing around many of the marsh areas (number 18 from the fairway looking in towards the green complex with clubhouse in background is truly spectacular.)

All of the staff friendly and helpful too. All in all just a great place to play.

The Good: Extremely well-conditioned Keith Foster (of Iowa's The Harvester fame) park district track just south of the Wisconsin border is arguably the best value in the North Shore area. Links style layout is relatively flat off the tee but the true challenge is around the incredibly undulating greens. Most holes are very open with strategic bunkering and water hazards. Nice variety in Par 4's and long, challenging Par 5's. Good clubhouse with full restaurant and bar. Staff is supportive and friendly. Pace of play is good for a public track of its caliber.

The Bad: Lack of driving range or short game area is a huge bummer for overall quality of facilities. The greens can be bumpy and overbearing for the average 15-20 handicapper. Some blind shots from the tee are a little annoying unless you play there often. Benign, forgettable Par 3's on the closing nine. When the wind blows, this place is a bear!

The Verdict: Sans the lack of practice facilities, Shepherd's Crook is a solid, complete golf experience and arguably the best $50 you can spend in all of Chicago. Just a very fun place to play 18 holes of golf.

Best Hole(s): The tree-lined Par 4 5th is a brute. A demanding tee shot must find its way between a forest of trees and a downhill approach to a long, thin green. The short, uphill Par 3 #8 has an amphitheater of trees that makes it beautiful.

Shepherd's Crook is just simply a great course. It's mostly a "links" style, though several holes stray from it a bit. Conditions are always fantastic. 18 is one of my favorite finishing holes in the region - a fantastic par 5 with a real scenic approach! Number 9 is very nice par 5, as well. Don't be tempted to use a driver on the first three holes - the right iron will have you sitting pretty on each of the short par 4's. There is a very nice upscale, designer course just a stone's throw from SC, but you'll pay through the nose for a track that Shepherd's can definitely compete with. Shepherd's Crook is a fantastic bang for the buck round of gold - especially for the "late-in-the-day" fee of $16 I scored!