I had driven past the entrance on Northwest Highway several times on my way to other destinations, but I recently took advantage of a special spring rate and made the turn to visit Makray Memorial Golf Club in Barrington. This course was named in honor of Paul Makray, the founder of Thunderbird, the public course that previously resided on the site. Now I have to admit that I have absolutely zero history with either the new or old course, but after playing this track I think Mr. Makray would be proud of the redesign that bears his name, as this course is full of scenic and fun holes throughout.
Makray plays to between 5,171 and 6,903 yards from the 4 sets of tees, and I was quite comfortable at the Silver (3rd set), 6,215 yards with a rating / slope of 70.9 / 126. The par 71 course features rolling hills that lend to several elevated tees / greens and some nice vistas, and there are a significant number of trees in play, but I'm reluctant to call this a classic parkland course as there are plenty of prairie links elements with wetlands and mounded fairways. The most dynamic feature on this course, however, is the bunkering, as many of the smallish, elevated greens have deep traps built into the sides below or the mounds above, which makes for some potentially uncomfortable stances that will severely test your skill with a sand wedge.
(A number of traps are hidden from view on the approach shots, so I would highly recommend spending the $2 for a yardage book as the utilitarian GPS system won't help much with locating sand.) The hole that I found most memorable was the 11th, 470 yards from the tips with a sweeping view from the elevated tee. Water runs along the right side to the green, which is slightly uphill and sloped from left to right. Seven of the eleven par
4's are over 425 yards from the championship tees, but it was some of the shorter ones that stood out. The 3rd hole is just shy of 350 yards with water bordering the right side and crossing the fairway about 75 yards from the deep and narrow green (one of several at Makray), and the humps around the green will create some challenges should you hit a wayward approach. The 12th & 8th holes are both potentially reachable off the tee for the longest drivers; the 12th tops out at 314 and features 3 sidehill fairway traps on the right and a downhill shot to the green, while #8, the shortest of the group at 2 steps over 300, is a visually deceptive hole with a lake in play through the fairway and to the left, and a sharp right turn to a plateau green with a severe right to left slope that is guarded by a hill and trap.
The par three 7th hole is a typical example of the inventive bunkering at Makray, as a trap is built into the side of a mound to the right and another sits several feet below the green on the left. The 4th is another good short hole, with an elevated tee and another narrow green with a water hazard tight to the right side. Of the 3 par 5's at Makray, the 18th provides an appropriately dynamic finish, a true prairie links dogleg right with a mounded fairway and water to the right the last 200 yards. The green sits in a bowl with a small trap left and a larger, deeper one right, with the imposing clubhouse providing the backdrop to the end of the round. 
The course flows well as it connects through a subdivision, but the homes only border a few holes and are nothing more than an afterthought, and except for a few steeper hills and a lengthy distance from the 12th green to the 13th tee, Makray is walkable if you choose to do so. There are a few parallel fairways (the 1st and 10th holes share a green), but the odds of being in the wrong fairway are mainly limited to here and the 6th and 14th holes. My first thought when I arrived at the 13th (a par three) was that a hole was left out of the redesign and they had to find a place to put one, as it feels squeezed into a tight spot next to the 6th hole, but these are minor distractions that did not significantly diminish my overall experience.
The rates at Makray top out at $92 w/cart on weekend (F-Su) mornings, one of the dozen or so courses in the Windy City area that command this price, which at 1st glance seems a bit steep, but there are discounts offered later in the day and the $60 and $46 w/cart rates after 2 and 4 pm are deals as the conditions here are refined (sharply defined fairways, smooth greens, clean cut traps) and the 10 minute tee time intervals makes the pace of play brisk. And the bar in the clubhouse had a friendly tender, cold drinks, good food and scenic views, the perfect ending to a fun day on the course. So my recommendation is to find the price to fit your budget, pick the right tees for your skills, and give Makray Memorial a try, it's worth the visit.
Layout (20%) - 8
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 9
Aesthetics (15%) - 8
Amenities (10%) - 9
Value (20%) - 8.5
Total Score - 83.5
Makray Memorial Golf Club1010 S. Northwest Hwy, Barrington
847-381-6500
6,903/5,171 yds par 71, 74/133 - 66.7/120
Green Fees - M-Th $49 walk/67 ride, $60 w/c T-Th afternoons (check for times)
Sa-Su $74/92 before 12:30, $76 w/c to 2 pm, $60 w/c to 4 pm, $46 after 4 each day
Srs (60)/Jrs (18 & Under) $40/58 M-Th before Noon
Driving Range on site, GPS (modified)
10 minute tee time interval
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