Brutal attitudes with employees -- seriously I golf all the time and the lady at half way -- blonde older lady was sooo mean I'm sacred to go back in there-- simply disrespectful!!!! Unbelievable-- even tried to change her tune with pleasantries-- walked away and she slammed the window read more

It's a beautiful course and it was in great shape but that's where the positives end. The starter was extremely unpleasant, we had groups of teenagers in front and behind us negotiating to play together. The rate of play was unbearably slow. 18 holes were pushing 5.5 hrs. Due to the course being over crowded. We played Sunday afternoon, the beverage person on course went home before we played 9, the grill and the turn was closed. No way to get even a water on the course without going up to the bar. I'd love to play the course again under different circumstances but probably won't because it was so bad. read more

One of the most challenging and beautiful courses I've played. Jim Vogt and his team do a great job and create a wonderful customer experience. read more

Really nicely maintained course with quiet electric carts. Our last round however their on cart GOS system was really wacked out and you could not rely on it for distances. Horribly smelling ponds at the tee-box on two and the whole par 3 on the back nine and they really need to address that, it is so vile! Fantastic advantage from the forward tees - about 1400 yards worth. Great restaurant at the clubhouse to look over 10 and 18 from the deck. read more

The Highlands of Elgin - Golf Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

I have played this course more times than I can count and like it but someone needs to make some changes. I paid $55 to play 18holes with a cart (4:06 tee time) which isn't bad for a weekend but upon arrival we were told sun set is 7:23 so we need to have the cart back by 7:23. Um, hello? It's still bright out at 7:30! Why are they charging full rate 18 when you may only get 14-15 holes in. Their recommended pace of play is 4 hours and 20 min! If pace of play is fast then fine, maybe we get 18 in by that time. Unfortunately they don't have rangers out later in the day so when we reached hole 12 there were 4 groups on that hole and everything came to a screeching halt. While there was nobody out there to push pace of play, once 7:15 hit we saw rangers coming out to wrangle people in so they can close up. Unbelievable. This is how not to run a golf course. If this is due to it being a city (Elgin) course I don't care. The pro needs to grow a pair and run this place properly. Really not a difficult concept but apparently it is here. read more

Fun, challenging, and very pretty course. The carts have GPS and there are bathrooms on the course. Friendly staff and a great deal in October! read more

Well to start, they check your cooler you can't bring beer, understandable But then the beer cart doesn't come around until you're around the seventh or eighth hole by 430. They're completely gone so that would be it for beverages Not to mention, they had water available on four holes. All the coolers were empty on a 90° day. and if you want something to eat at the turn that was not available ready I realize it's twilight but 530 is far from 7:30 That being said, the golf course was in decent shape very challenging. I did enjoy myself. read more

I play a lot of golf and expect respect from staff and expect them to act cordial and accommodating in a club house. They are miserable staff that don't respect golfers. Instead they want to try to insult their customers. Clear house. read more

WOW! It LQQKs like I took a solid "Azz Whipping" from my mentor but we really had a fun good time. Thanks to Greg for a courteous checkin, and most of all to Kevin/Jim for allowing us to start early and we kept pace. It was a beautiful day. And the wifey topped it off with a great dinner and a special "you got yer Azz Whipped Cherry Pie. YummY! Thank You Highlands, what a beautiful nature filled course. read more

The Highlands of Elgin - Golf Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

The course is great, but it's the worst driving range around. Never have I seen the grass be allowed for the range....only the mats that have the absolute worst plastic tee's that you are forced to use . If you want to damage your driver then be my guest. They also close to soon. Bowes Creek is better. read more

So disappointed in the condition of the greens. Aeration took place 4 weeks ago, weren't poorly top dressed, and they remain bumpy/without true roll. If you enjoy having numerous 3-putts while paying premium prices, this is the place to go. Numerous excuses (bad weather, bad sand) but no action until this week. Meanwhile, every course nearby has great green condition. Funny how places take no accountability, take full price, and make no apologies. Par for the course these days (pun intended) read more

Awesome course! We got the bum's rush from the outside staff but had a great experience once we got on the course.

The staff at this golf course was very unpleasant. The starter, ranger, and bar tender were all very rude. The course smells like rotten eggs. read more

Really nice course but hurts you if you are not accurate. Need to review the holes to avoid unseen obstacles.

I don't golf and this review isn't for the course - which I grant you is sort of a jerk move considering it's the first review - so someone get out there and play a round then speak up! My family participates in an annual golf outing named for my dad, who founded the thing in 1999. After changing courses about five times since its inception, we decided on the Highlands and haven't looked back. It's a beautiful, Scottish links-style course which I hear is both challenging and enjoyable. The staff is always so very helpful, the food and catering is some of the very best we've ever had (ribs that fall off the bone, meatballs that make me want to take them to a party so I can be the most popular person in the room), and the course and clubhouse are beautifully maintained. The golf carts even have screens in them with a GPS and detailed info about each hole. Makes me wish I played, kinda. They have a restaurant on-site, The Hickory Stick (mom loves their fish and chips), which has a lovely stone patio with seats both shaded and in the sun. There's even a fireplace outside. Oh, and they have free wifi. It's a great addition to the public courses in Elgin and also great for your next meeting or function. read more

Gorgeous links style course. Undulating terrain and elevations. Brutal fescue requires you to keep it on the fairway or die trying. Pain and pleasure, just the way I like it, though I appreciate the pleasure lot more. read more

The Highlands of Elgin - Ahhh! Sunday morning. - Golf Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

One of the best renovations of a golf course I have seen! Considering the price and amenities you get, I am hard pressed to find a better deal in the Chicagoland area. Here is my take: Clubhouse: Very nice! Sits up high on the land giving really nice views of the course and rock quarry it was built around. Pro Shop well stocked and organized. Restaurant and bar, although it might be better to call the restauarnat and banquet hall instead. Driving Range: One of the best in the area. I like going out here just for the range at times. Areas to work on bunker play, chips, pitches, etc. Well marked with yardages. Nothing to really complain about. Practice Green: Very nice. Medium sized, allowing 4-6 guys to putt around without knocking into each other. Offers a good roll that is similar to the course. Course: As already stated, one of the best renovations I have seen of a golf course. More links style than traditional with very few trees on the course. In their place however, are large mounds of unforgiving wild grass. Fairways are wide and forgiving, but if you hit it into the fairway, life gets difficult. Water comes into play on a couple of the par 3's which is nice. Greens have a nice roll to them, but some greens were under repair. Excellent GPS system on the carts. Staff: No bag attendant, but starter was nice and there was a bag boy offering to clean clubs as I came off the course. Staff in the pro-shop were nice as well. Food: I have been to the restaurant once and was less than impressed. It is more banquet room than restaurant, and the food taste like banquet food than restaurant quality. I was there for the Friday fish fry and I just got the impression than the fish was made well ahead of time in huge batches and were just sitting in a warmer somewhere. Service staff were nice. Bar is decent. I would invite friends in for a post round drink. Overall: In my opinion, this might be the best bang for your buck in Chicago. Rates are normally found in the high $40 to mid $60 range depending on time and day. Anything under $50 is a steal. Anything $65 and lower is worth the price. read more

A hidden gem, truly a great course. Who would have thought that Elgin would have TWO premiere golf courses (This & Bowes)?! This course is about 45min away from me, but it's well worth the drive. I played The Highlands this past Saturday, and we had a 8:20am tee time. Upon arriving I checked-in and spoke with the guys in the pro shop, who were super friendly and helpful. I paid for two people, two carts, and a bucket of balls. The total came to $120! For two people, plus cart & a bucket, at this nice of a course, is an absolute steal. Keep in mind this was in early April, but nonetheless I think it's a tremendous deal. The course plays as a true links style and will challenge the best of golfers. The long grass hadn't grown in yet, so you could get away with some shots that you probably can't get away with mid-season. I seemingly rarely had a flat lie with the courses rolling hills, and I really enjoyed the numerous elevation changes. I ended up shooting an 84, although could have shot lower, but the greens certainly challenged my putting stroke. If you're looking for a great round and don't want to pay an arm and a leg, The Highlands is a fantastic choice. There are many courses in the area that charge more and offer far less. I'll definitely be back, and soon! read more

Great course, very good food. One issue though which won't affect everyone, fairways are in great shape but are cut very short. I had a shoulder replaced and hitting from tight lies hurts. When I'm near the rough I moved my ball to the first cut so I didn't hurt myself. For my son who is a pretty good golfer this wasn't a problem. I'll play again for sure. read more

What a course! And a great staff also. Jim Vogt provides superb customer service. If I didn't live 50 minutes away, this would be more than twice a year course for me. LOVE IT! Surprisingly not too difficult for the higher handicapper's either. read more

Great course, good value and good pace. The course is well maintained and has nice diversity in the holes. Over the last couple of years have seen deer and a coyote run through the area which keeps things interesting. Definitely worth trying this course out. read more

The Highlands of Elgin - Golf Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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What an amazing course to play. So many challenging rolling hills, hazards and wind. Fast and hilly greens are very challenging too. This is my favorite course to play for sure!! read more

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Excellent staff and facilities... course was in great shape and provided an adequate challenge... great way to enjoy a summer afternoon

Nice course and maintainged great. I like the atmosphere. Staff is very friendly. I will be back to play 18 holes. read more

The Highlands of Elgin - Golf course - Golf Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Great corse, ranger was an ass hole. We stopped at the turn to grab a bite, after first 9 we were 3 minutes off pace, upon grabbing a hotdog at the concession stand and using the bathroom we were then harassed every other hole to pick up the pace, we were 20 minutes off (due to stopping for a bite) and no one behind us. Guy was rude and abrasive for no reason. Unfortunate that the course also didn't care about my complaint. You shouldn't be penalized for stopping for food and bathroom at the turn!! Ridiculous. read more

I love this course and it was my first choice to pick this season for my first round after a new born baby. I have to say this course set the bar very high in terms of how immaculate they maintain it in the past however I was disappointed in the way it looked today. The course was not in the shape it usually is with noticeable grass clumps all over from the mowers. The sprinklers were running mid day on the course in the middle of the fairway and they were also running at the club house spraying our golf cart before we started. My brothers cart GPS wasn't working so they were using ours so overall everything felt a bit off. The Starter today left a a great impression he was extremely nice and made the start of our day great. In the end I'll keep coming back but I hope they impress me like they have in previous years to keep my crew of friends coming. read more

This is a park district golf course and they use dynamic pricing when you book a tee time. If you want to book a tee time a few days in advance, you pay through the nose! I look for a tee time on Mother's Day a couple of days ago and they wanted $85 a golfer!!! Now, you still have to pay $65 which is a lot more than other courses in the area. Does not work for the retired golfer who is looking to pay a reasonable price for a round of golf. read more

Wonderful layout, a lot of fun interesting holes to play. In my opinion, one of the best golf values in the Chicagoland area. Really like this course. read more

Though my golf game may not reflect how much I enjoyed it, the highlands are a beautiful and well kept course. The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable. The club house is great and the restaurant chef makes some great food. read more

I was there today with my fiancée just to chill a little bit. We have had a Bloody Mary and we enjoyed it.

So I show up over a hour early to check in and warm up. I was then told I could be delayed from my 9:50 tee time till 10:50 due to frost. Ok thats fine it seems alittle long of a delay but ok. We finally tee of around 10:20 and the coarse is really nice love it all around. The ranger was very nice at the first tee and told us there was a party of 25 just behind us. We get through front nine which was very nice except there were alot of pitch marks on the greens. We decide to skp any lunch and jump right into the back nine . Now there was a group just finishing 10 when we tee off. I just want to say 10 11 12 is a amazzing set of holes all around. But on 12 the ranger comes up on my friend pissed off and raging about how were behind and holding up everyone. Me and my friends are not clueless golfers and are very aware of whats going on. Our clocks which are in all carts says 10 min behind at this point but... the group behind us has not had to wait for us all day and just becuse we are behind the group in front shouldnt matter . anyways my friend who is a caddy at butler kind of is caught off gaurd, and tells me what happedned since i was on the green at the time. He is pissed and it stays with him the rest of the day and now im pissed . Extremly rude and the ranger may have been stressed about the large group not pulling there own wieght but trust me just it wasn't our fault thery can go scratch ! So we get through 17 and the ranger shows up again still in a pissy mood, but my friend from butler is there again and he tells him whats on his mind at this point until the ranger apologizes which he should have done with about beeing forced to. We finish the day and drop our stuff off, now i didn't menthion this was a special day for us it was our yearly tournament and I had tied one of y friends on strokes for the day... so normally i would ask the ranger to hit a extra hole but with the days events with the ranger i say just jump on a open hole and .. a diffrent ranger caughts us teeing off... I explain what we wanted to do and he was extremly nice and said that we could re do 1 and took us there. We finished I won and the ranger waved us off. THE END This is not the first instance of a ranger being rude here so if you go be aware that this rose of a coarse can nip you! If the greens were better kept and the ranger wasnt a asss! 5 Stars and I would come back but no not going back sorry very special day tainted forever. read more

Very nice course. Great value. Always in great shape. The staff is always friendly and helpful. I also took a lesson this summer from Jim Vogt as I was having some issues. Since the day I took the lesson I have enjoyed playing the game more than I have the last several years. Jim was great at identifying the problem...in my case problems!!! Some simple fixes have made a world of difference. I'm looking forward to the spring so that I can work with Jim again on a few other things. Highly recommend Jim as a great teacher and a nice person to work with. read more

This course is good and challenging. However, the ranger kept harassing us which prevented our total enjoyment of the course. He kept telling us to pick up the pace of our game. He kept telling us that we are holding players behind us when in fact there were nobody around. The only other groups behind us are players that were part of our golf outing. The golf course must be reasonable with their "pace of play" instructions to their rangers especially on "slow weekdays" when few golfers play. We will not come back to this golf course. If you plan a golf outing don't use this golf course. read more

Great course. Similar to Harborside at a cheaper price.

There is a reason why this course is on top 10 lists in golf week and others. It is probably one of the best muni's in the country. This place is SUPER busy so you have to respect your tee times or else risk getting upset. In lew of its busy status, though, the course moves well. Stimp is about 7-9 on any given day. Complainers, keep in mind that golf week put this course 7th under Torrey Pines and TPC Scottsdale for top muni's. (Though I don't know why they consider TPC a muni???). Those locations are far more strict on tee times and cancellations then HOE is(I have played them both multiple times). The spot is well deserved. read more

Gorgeous links style course that still has some water hazards to contend with. A fair but challenging layout which gives golfers some interesting choices between aggressiveness and playing it safe. It may have been a seasonal rate, but we paid $39 walking on a Friday. Definitely a great deal. read more

Incredible remodel and the course makes you forget you're in Elgin. Used to have online deals but prices have increased and can't afford to play there as often read more

I'm only reviewing my experience with this course and GolfNow.com. I booked a tee time through GolfNow.com for the Highlands and expected to pay a certiain amount per ga rttrolfer. However, when I checked in I recieved that rate and my other golfers did not? When I confronted the pro shop about it thier response seemed scripted and rehearsed. By the end of the conversation I believe that the course pulled a fast one for the sake of taking in an extra $18?!? Do not book online or through GolfNow.com with this course!!!! And expect second rate service. read more

My foursome play the Highlands about once year. We'd play it more but the pricing is way too high for a city course. The course is above average for a city course but there are several other courses in the surrounding towns that are every bit as nice and cost less. I'm actually a resident of Elgin and can still play Dundee, St. Charles, Huntley, Marengo, and several other nearby locations for $5-$10 less. Three of my foursome aren't Elgin residents and they have to pay about $10-$15 more than the other nearby communities. I also agree with the other reviews that say the rangers are unreasonable in pushing the pace of play. Nice GPS but the rangers don't give you the time to actually use them. The restaurant does have good food but you pay plenty for it so it's no great incentive to play here either. On a 1-10 scale I give the course a solid 6 maybe 7 at most. For the extra cost its not worth it. read more

Wonderful, challenging course DESTROYED by poor management. I played a PARTIAL round at the Highlands today. My foursome chose to walk and had an early tee time. After six holes, we were told that we were going to be MOVED up to the 8th tee. We had not held up the groups behind us and we were playing at a decent pace .... We were not warned, and were told that there were many foursomes behind us, (including the superintendent of the course). I get it, it's Labor Day, it's busy... Then REQUIRE carts! There are long walks from green to tee box. REQUIRE carts on a holiday or tolerate walkers! Nice course, but I left after nine holes. Golf's challenging enough without poor management practices. I'm 51 years old, played golf all my life in many different venues and events, and have never been treated so poorly. Not the ranger's fault ... Totally on the management. Will not be going back there. In this economy and all the reports about golf courses barely making ends meet? Plenty of other great courses around the Chicago area. Choose one other than Elgin Highlands. read more