Pricy for golf, but being on top of that former garbage dump on a clear day, the views are priceless. The outdoor patio is the best in the area. The day we were there the kitchen only had hot dogs and brats and a limited bar menu. The bar and grill is under a renovation. This year they brought back the Christmas drive thru light show. Supposedly its a mile and a half long. There is a fee per car. read more

See all

Good 9 hole course. All holes are different, good challenge. The course has great views of Chicago. There is a good driving range, chipping and putting greens. Reasonable prices. read more

Course is unique, had a great time. The staff was very friendly, will come back. Highly recommend.

This place has changed a lot over the years but the family that bought it three years ago is putting some money into it now. The course can be a little rough still but it's got great views of the entire North Shore and the city. They just opened foodservice a few weeks ago with a new chef and today while we were playing there was a big party on the patio of the clubhouse. They also have a field where they have a stage set up and to the side a bricked area where they sell drinks and perhaps do more food service. 20 years ago this place had very tall grasses on the sides kind of like the courses in the UK, links style. They've cut all those grasses down so if you're wild now and you have a good idea in which direction your ball went you can pretty much find it. Given that, it's a lot easier than it used to be. Greens however can be pretty difficult. Some have multiple shelves or slope almost the entire green. The par threes are quite short and very easy to reach. Unfortunately they have a lot of ants that burrow up through the greens and leave a little piles of sand. You almost need to bring a broom because it takes a while to knock down all those little piles that are in the path between your ball in the hole. Am giving it four stars because of the food service, the very nice clubhouse and staff and the potential it has to be a nice larger golf course maybe next year or the year after. read more

Willow Hill Golf Course - You can barely see downtown in the distance today because it's overcast but on a clear day it's a great view! - Golf Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

The course itself was great. The people running the course though all need to be fired. The girl in the clubhouse didn't have a clue how the tee times worked and just put me down for a random time slot that was taken by someone else. The starter was a total asshole and was harrassing me the entire time I was at the tee box and was blaming me that the schedule was messed up! He acted like I've never golfed before and didn't know I had to wait for the group in front of me to finish no shit dude! I likely won't be back just based on the staff even though I liked the round. read more

I was there golfing on the first hole and I was waiting patiently for the people to finish in front of me and then when it was my turn to drive I had a bad shot and the lady (maybe manager) drove up to me and said hey you guys better hurry up it's took you over 15 min to tee off (this shot was in like 1-2 min). She was completely rude while yet I payed the same as everyone else. I completely thought this was on necessary she was a little older and blond so watch out for her. Well later I was golfing and I think the owner who was a different person was super super nice to me and my guys. read more

This place sells and buys consumer data and puts random people on their junk mail lists without permission. I've never set foot on a golf course or even visited their website. But suddenly I'm getting emails and unsubscribing doesn't work. It's obnoxious they buy and sell data like that but at least they're terrible at it. read more

Love that the ownership is there all the time--very devoted and all the employee's seem very nice. The course has really improved and now they have dome for soccer and golf! read more

Very nice and challenging Links course. Well kept! Note: keep in mind they are expanding to 18 holes so you'll see some construction equipment but no hinderance to your movement. ***Recommend more Direction signs to next hole so we don't get lost lol. Great clubhouse w bar and menu and very friendly staff! Practice facilities also includes driving range. Oh and great views of Skyline Chicago. I'll be back a lot. Thx read more

I have been visiting this course for 5 years now and have seen lot of changes, including the build out of a new dome facility. This year they are continuing their transformation with changing the direction of the driving range. As part of this undertaking, they keep the existing suboptimal range open, with notification that one cannot use the driver or long irons given the shortened distance of the existing range. I have made jokes several times with the young kids working at the reception that not providing full service / capabilities should also mean not paying full price at least for the time that this new range is constructed. But I have continued using it and also paid for full bucket of golf balls. Today, 7/31/2023, the manager of the course was at the cash register - don't know her name, but she is middle-aged blonde lady, with thick rimmed reading glasses. I proceeded to get a bucket of golf balls and made the same joke, not expecting any sympathy, nor discount. I was greeted with a brush "You know you also don't have to play here!" My tone was not hostile, nor pretentious, just factual as this was the first time I met her since they started the construction and as a loyal customer I wanted to be heard that their pricing needs to reflect the reality of shorter driving range, at least temporarily. I was taken aback and said that if I walk away now they will loose me as a customer not only now but also during the winter times in the dome and also with my children who just started picking up golf. Without any consideration, nor any attempt to be proactively understanding she walked away and in unclear way said something to the effect of "I don't care goodbye". I would have continued paying full price and utilized them as a loyal customer during this transition period, but I am not going to take rudeness and such a mistreatment. The math is very simple for me - I spent on average 3x - 4x on the range per week for $15 each time (sometime more if we get bucket for each of the children). This accounts for roughly $2,400 per year on range only, not including the food or the winter lights that they started putting two years ago. By my rough estimate, our family spend probably $4,500 - $5,000 in their facilities with all they are offering. Given the way I was treated today, I will no longer spend any money and will use neighboring range in Winnetka Golf Club. They have lost a good and loyal customer, that would have actually continued building his own and his family's golfing skills. All of you who are providing positive reviews due to views of Chicago skyline etc. please consider the overall experience and most importantly personal staff customer treatment. This is not a country club, but a local 9 hole golf course built on a garbage dump - don't let being treated as garbage! TT read more

Beautiful view of the Chicago skyline at this golf course. Although, I didn't golf here as I was attending an event. I'll make it a point to visit the course for a round. read more

We had a wonderful experience! First, it is gorgeous up on the hill and we went there for dinner during the sunset. Couldn't believe we were in Northbrook! The burger was phenomenal! Meat is from a local butcher - all ingredients are top quality. The chips were amazing and so was the homemade cookie that came with the meal. And you cannot beat the price! Staff is super nice and attentive - the full bar is great. You can tell that they truly love working at that beautiful, happy place. The new owners have done a wonderful job! Can't wait to go back for food and drinks with friends! read more

its ok, the fairways are good, the greens are good, the view is good, the clubhouse is good, the practice range is good. everything in the rough is ROUGH, like you might hurt yourself hitting there, its like a construction zone everywhere. But you knew that going in, so I think we have to cut them a break. great for fall golf, since no trees! theres much promise from this site, hopefully someday it will come together. read more

I played this course a few times over the years. It was really nice links style course when it opened, but noticed a change about 2 to 3 years ago. I went back this past weekend and it was one of worst courses I've seen. Dandy lions in the fairway, to the point I lost a ball... in the fairway. Car paths haven't been resurfaced in years. Explains why the course had multiple open tee times after 10 on a holiday. I think the years are numbered for this course. Too bad. read more

I love it here. The view is awesome. You can see the whole city. Just few problems. 1. Its grass. Grass is better than mats because that is how its done in real life. Nobody carrys a mat to each game. But as with any grass even deerfield there are a lot of patches in the grass. Not smooth all green. And if you need practice mats are maybe better so you don't hit the ground every time and watch patches of grass flying. 2. The prices are high but not to bad. But being the only grass in the area glenview/northbrook its not too bad. Wilmette golf club is 14 dollars for 150 balls and I got the key thing you refill and wave at the ball machine so they give me member pricing for only 12 dollars for 150 balls. And this is 75 balls for 12 dollars so for 2 dollars more twice as many balls at wilmette. And with the key 12 dollars so same price for twice as many balls at wilmatte. The have a range card you can buy here for 50 bucks for 5 large buckets so 10 dollars a bucket. 10 dollars savings 50 versus 60. But still 2 dollars more for 150 balls at wilmette so still cheaper. And everybody else also not cheaper. But for grass not bad. Deerfield golf club is 14 for 100 balls so 12 or even 10 is cheaper. Its 25 balls less but not bad. But for 2 or even 4 dollars more not worth it. That much gas will be wasted going all the way to deerfield. According to google it is 9.7 miles drive to deerfield from willow hill via 294 or 8.8 miles via sanders or 11.3 miles via milwaukee ave. So its not worth 2 dollars. 25 balls is not much. Or even 10 + 6 small bucket is 103 and only 2 dollars more. And deerfield has range card but only worth it if you spend 230 dollars so 2 dollars either way not worth it. So not bad for grass. And not too many grass inthe area. 3. Bathroom lock on door is broken so you have to use top lock on door. Minor issue not big deal. 4. Every thing else is OK and its not a bad course and range and good view. And I tried the course one day with my dad and nephew and its decent. But its only 9 holes. But still decent. read more

This is a really great course. It's a bit shorter than standard but there are plenty of nice, challenging holes to really test your inner McIlroy. The location of this course is in Suburban Chicago on top of a hill, which offers a very breathtaking view of the city skyline and surrounding area. The course itself is well maintained with moderate greens and a few sand bunkers to help improve on the all important short game. I really like the short game practice hole too! The course is complete with a decent sized clubhouse and practice range which has natural grass, a big bonus in my opinion. The staff is nice and helpful as well but no course Marshall or starter as far as I've seen. Also, since this course is atop a hill, it provides a quiet environment with little to no traffic noise or distraction. The one thing to keep in mind is that you need to be accurate. The high grass on the narrower holes swallows golf balls and eats them for four square meals. Also, since it's links style, there is no shade so pack plenty of water! Overall though I'll certainly be back many times next season! read more

Willow Hill Golf Course - Par 3 on in one! - Golf Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

See all

This place is a dump! Haha, it's just located on top of an old garbage dump. One of the main drawbacks to Chicagoland is the flatness, so the elevated highlands was a unique experience. I could even see the Chicago skyline in the distance! As well as strip mall after strip mall... As for the course, it's a pretty solid links style track. No trees, just rolling fairways, solid pro style sand traps and lots of tall grass (stay away!). I love the elevated tees on 7 & 9 - the later gives you the cool view of the skyline. I played from the back tees and it was long enough to be challenging but short enough where you could still score well. No trees means lots of wind, which adds a challenge to every swing you take. The negatives: every hole was pretty straight. A few more doglegs would be nice. Plus, the service was "above par" - there was no starter (on a fairly busy Saturday). So a few of us had to group off, as there were a lot of people wanting to tee off at the same time. Plus, the bathrooms in the clubhouse were out of order. There was no backup port-a-potties waiting - so I had to hold it in until I had lunch at the Portillo's in Skokie! Overall, this was a pretty sweet course. It's more unique and better kept than most of the courses in and around the city. I plan on playing here again. I give it FORE stars! read more

Willow Hill Golf Course - 9th hole tee box. You can kinda see the Chicago skyline just to the left of me. - Golf Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

As we went on our daily adventure, we drove by a beautiful building that reminded me of Germany. My boyfriend looked over and said "I think that's the building I saw when I went golfing with my uncle! Wait 'till I take you to the top of the hill at Willow Hill Golf Course!" I was speechless. After a few minutes of being there we met Kari who gave us the scoop on all the wonderful things her husband Ken has brewing in his head for this place. Ken showed up a few minutes later super excited, and told us about a new building he's about to put on the property... bullet proof windows. Why!? Because it's a good course!!! We decided to stay a little; one drink turned into two and a side of nachos. WOW! Fingerlicking good! Blake took care of us like no other and Ken encouraged us to stay for the sunset. OMG! WHAT A VIEW! My boyfriend is a golfer, he loves it here, this was my first time but wow, I hope we have our wedding here one day. Oops, I said it! What an amazing place! read more

Willow Hill Golf Course - The sunset - Golf Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

New management team makes all the difference. New bar, patio upgrades. Everything is better except for the beautiful view of the Chicago skyline. The course is in MUCH better condition and the improvement plan is evident. read more

A friend and I golfed there several times last year and thought it was decent - gets high marks for friendly staff, good food and great views. We noticed course conditions the last few times we played in the Fall of 2021 were going down. Played there yesterday 5/10/22 and were horrified by course conditions. The 3rd hold had huge mounds of dirt between the tee boxes and the hole and a virtual lake in front of the hole. The 5th hole had another standing lake in front of the white tees. Though we appreciate the attention that's being paid to the kitchen, clubhouse and new brick entertainment area wish more attention would be paid to the golf course. With the muddy conditions would suggest the course invest in some ball washers through out the course and adding some water stations and a porta potty. Mostly though need to take care of the 3rd and 5th holes or offer a discount on the rates. read more

I haven't golfed here since a year or two after they initially opened. We went back a few days ago and it's very fair priced compared to any other golf course around here. The course itself has amazing views, since it's on top of an old landfill. Other than that it's very blah. There are no water features and the one thing that ticked me off a bit was the ground crew kept driving through our holes in the middle of our shots. We were literally the only people out there, so they should have been more aware. I am by no means an avid golfer, but that could have really pissed off a serious golfer. Overall it's decent for what it is. read more

I really enjoy this course. Love the elevation and the sight lines. For $22, walking, great deal. There have been Groupons for this place that make it super cheap, so be on the look out. I like that there is a driving range so you can warm up. Makes a big difference for me. Course is nice, links style. Two par fives. The course is taken care of, especially the greens. The holes are pretty close together so you hear a lot of people yelling FORE and have to be on the look out. If you miss, you can easily hit a ball on the next fairway. I enjoy bringing friends here who haven't been up to the North Suburbs. Great great get away from the below average city courses and for a good price too. read more

Really enjoyed this course. Something totally different from your typical chicago course. This course is really for someone who knows how to hit it straight or play the fade/draw game. The fairways are quite generous but thats it, no rough really to speak of. So come prepared with plenty of balls if youre not accurate. I wish it was 18, but since my girlfriend only likes to play nine it was perfect for an outing for her. They also have real grass driving range which i like so i dont get bad habits hitting of mats. The course was in great shape as well, greens were smooth and fast, fairways were fairly firm with a nice sand layer making it easy to hit your second shot instead of chunking a giant beaver pelt. I will definitely be playing here again and recommending it as well. read more

This course has gone downhill (no pun intended) a lot in the last few years. I used to play here a lot in the early 2000s, and came back in 2016 or so. It was in great shape then. Now in 2018 it is not. There are weeds throughout the fairways. Greens were in bad shape. Bunkers not raked. Really sad to see what was a great course for kids in the area go to crap. Play at the Glenview 9 hole course in the Glen if you're looking to play 9 in the area. read more

Extremely accommodating and helpful staff. They make sure the pace of play is fast enough to not inhibit your round. Fun yet challenging course. Course was in great shape even late in the season. If you want a change of pace from the usual Chicago park district and forest preserve courses I recommend playing Willow Hill. read more

Fun links style course - feels like you're in another country! Open and airy, no trees or water to worry about, just sand traps and hills, lots of hills. Even though you can hear conversations from nearby holes, overall it is quiet and peaceful. $22 for 9 holes, $4 for a warm up bucket of 25 balls, nice grass range. This course is a bit short from red tees (2149), so I was able to hit from white tees (2595). Blue is 2887. Tee boxes, fairways and greens are in good condition despite Chicagoland's drought, so they are doing a great job of watering. You'll really want to hit the fairways, as the hills are dry and hard - a wide shot could bounce far off course into the fescue. Cart paths are not paved and sometimes that will save you. It was 94 degrees today, so a motorized cart was appreciated for the breeze and shade. Nice clubhouse with bathrooms, and a great view of the city. Many holes have a great view too from tee boxes or greens. Only improvement I'd make is to provide water coolers at each hole or at least a few of them. Ice only lasts a few holes and this course has no shade! read more

Absolutely horrible course. We went to this course as part of a large party (4 foursomes). Our first tee-time was at 10:45AM and subsequent foursomes to go every 8 minutes. However, this course does not have enough golf carts to accommodate their golfers so we waited about 45 minutes for carts to arrive from people finishing their rounds. The fairways are so narrow that you are almost guaranteed to lose a pack of balls if you aren't an under 80 shooter. Neither the clubhouse nor cart gal sold any warm food so you're pretty much out of luck if you are hungry. To make matters worse, they charged $32 for 9-holes with cart. There are much better 18-hole courses in the area that may cost a little more, but are worth it. Be forewarned...stay away from Willow Hill. read more

Went there as a first time golfer and had a terrible experience. During one of the holes, an elderly white gentlemen, who is an employee, felt the need to cuss at me cause i had mistakenly left my cart a little on the greens. He proceeded to come around later and mentioned i don't know how to golf, cussed, and told me to get off his golf course. Turns out he is the owner. Also the golf course is not well maintained as there were several gigantic puddles on several greens near the holes and lots of grass coming up on the fairways. Not a good golf course at all snd i would not recommend it. Just overall a terrible experience overall and i will not be visiting the place. read more

It's a beautiful, scenic course. Tough but not impossible for mid/high teen handicap. Really one of my favorites to play. BUT, I'm absolutely done with this place. Without a doubt the worse customer service of any course I've been to. Every single time I've been there there's been some sort of ridiculous situation, including the guy not honoring a tee time we reserved (he went home early that day, locked the gate). the gentleman who always seems to be there is so disrespectful, condescending, and unhelpful. save your time and go pretty much anywhere else. the views aren't worth it. read more

Pretty golf course perched on top of what used to be a landfill. Long straight fairways are bordered by lovely prairie grass dotted with wild flowers and a variety of birds. Beware, however. Although this grass is nice to look at, it eats golf balls for dinner. The biggest problem with this course, though, is the management. My husband and I went here on a Saturday morning, booking a tee time in advance that the management assured us would have a bit of cushion on both sides of it, so we didn't feel rushed. However when we got there, that couldn't have been further from the truth. After waiting in line for almost 30 minutes just to tee off, we were asked to pair with random guy golfing alone, in order to speed up play. We waited for the group ahead of us at every hole, and another group waited behind us. Then a golf course employee had the audacity to come around and ask us (and apparently everyone else) to speed up play because they had a line of people backed up at the first hole. Um, buddy, maybe you wouldn't have that problem if you didn't book tee times so close together or allow so many walk ons. The whole thing made for a super stressful round of golf, not what we were looking for in a weekend recreational activity. read more

Well, my quick tip says it all...disaster. "Open Today"...? Terrible road up to bathroom sized club house...and they weren't open. My car got stuck in snow--had to dig myself out. C'mon guys, at least remove the sign from the street that says the range is open. The clubhouse looks like a hollywood prop. You have to be desperate to come here...and I guess I was...not any more! read more

This course is one of the best 9 holes in the Chicagland area. I ask any player that complains about slow play at Willow Hill to get on any Cook County public course (which will cost you twice as much). You would change your rating of Willow Hill on your phone while walking off those garbage courses. I've played over 40 rounds this season and just set up my second tee time at Willow Hill because of how impressed I am with the set up. Being set up on the "hill" takes the noise of the busy roads and surroundings to a very comfortable highlands setting. The course is challenging, which ANY golf lover should appreciate. Give this course a "shot" if you live in the area. The best bang for your buck than any course around. read more

18 dollars is 2 bucks a hole! I'm not sure where you can beat that. It is a super easy course to walk - and we all should walk; you will play better and faster if you do. I just came back from Ireland and, minus any ocean OB, this is real links golf - wind, tall grasses. Great practice facility too! read more

On a dump, some fairways not in the best of shape, and certain obstructions here and there (methane recovery devices, remember you are on a dump) you can kind of smell it, nothing overpowering or that offensive, just there is a different smell in the air. Overall 22 on weekends, decent price, not the deal of the century but neither a rip off. Great views of the city and everywhere else. It is worth giving a try. read more

im not much of a golfer so wtf do i know. i just like goin out with friends, having some drinks and attempting to play the game. wouldn't really know whether or not this course is better or worse than some as i have only played on a couple. i do know that the holes are pretty narrow but like i said its whatever. go have some fun and enjoy the beautiful view of the city As far as it being situated on a former dump, yes that is true but it doesn't affect anything and i don't know about others but i have never really smelled anything. they burn off the methane at the bottom of the hill. read more

Teed off on the first hole and saw weeds. I didn't think much of it until getting into the fairway. I didn't know if I was swinging at my ball or swinging at the dandelions that were literally everywhere. The fringe and the rough were covered in dandelions. The cart path is absolutely horrendous and you need a 4x4 suspension on your golf cart just to navigate it. I would definitely not recommend this place to anyone. It was built on a garbage dump and quite frankly the course was a dump. The only positive from this experience is they gave us our money back. Thanks for that, but definitely won't be playing another round of golf here. To make it even worse, my first two shots were great and it was destined to be a good round of golf. read more

A bit of Scotland on the North Shore. 9 holes of links style golf on top of a land fill. Some decent bunkers, real fescue, but no trees or water. Decent driving range, better than usual practice putting greens and short game area. Friendly staff. Reasonable greens fees. read more

9-hole course built on top of a landfill - sounds funny, but what it really means is you are about 8-10 stories in the air and you get 360-degree views - even the skyline. Uneven terrain makes for a fun round. Rates are a little high. No water. read more

This was a fun course to play. The course itself is not too difficult, but every hole can be a challenge when the wind is blowing, which is often being atop a landfill. The greens were in pretty good shape, but the fairways still need a little work to fill in some patchy spots. $18 weekday walking rate was fair in my opinion. Pace was pretty quick for a weekday afternoon. No houses on the course is also a plus. Range looked nice too but didn't get to try it out (all grass, short game area, and putting greens). Whether you play the back tees or not, make sure you take the steps up on the #9 tee box for a great view of the skyline! read more

I have played many courses around and I have to say for the price and the views this is a must play! Narrow fariways and trouble on every hole. This was a very humbling course with a wind that was 20+ M.P.H. Even though it was the worst round of golf I have played in a very long time it was spectacular! The views are one thing but then you add in the traditional link style course and wind...what else can a true golfer ask for? The price is right and the staff is very courteous. Shorter course but very challenging. read more