Hardest Public Golf Courses in Illinois
The hardest public golf course in Illinois is Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, with a slope of 153 and a course rating of 78.0 from the Black tees (7,554 yards). It is a public course, open to all golfers. Next are Stonewall Orchard Golf Club (slope 150) and White Deer Run Golf Club (slope 148).
5 hardest public courses in Illinois, by slope
Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.
| Rank | Course | City | Access | Slope | Course rating | Tee | Yards | Access checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cog Hill Golf & Country Club | Lemont | Public | 153 | 78.0 | Black | 7,554 | Nov 2026 source |
| 2 | Stonewall Orchard Golf Club | Grayslake | Public | 150 | 75.0 | Silver | 7,131 | Nov 2026 source |
| 3 | White Deer Run Golf Club | Vernon Hills | Public | 148 | 74.5 | Black | 7,140 | Nov 2026 source |
| 4 | Seven Bridges Golf Club | Woodridge | Public | 147 | 74.8 | Gold | 7,111 | Nov 2026 source |
| 5 | Mistwood Golf Course | Romeoville | Public | 147 | 74.8 | Silver | 7,005 | Nov 2026 source |
How this list is built
Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.
Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Illinois, which ranks every rated course.
Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 427 golf courses in Illinois have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 42 of them so far.
Illinois public course FAQ
What is the hardest public golf course in Illinois?
Of the Illinois courses Stymie has checked for public access, Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont has the highest slope rating: 153 from the Black tees, with a course rating of 78.0. Stonewall Orchard Golf Club is next at 150. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.
Can anyone play Cog Hill Golf & Country Club?
Yes. Cog Hill Golf & Country Club is a public course, open to all golfers. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against coghillgolf.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.
How is difficulty measured?
By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.
More Illinois golf
- Hardest golf courses in Illinois, private clubs included
- Easiest public golf courses in Illinois
- Every rated course in Illinois
- All Illinois golf courses