I had read all the accolades attributed to ThunderHawk Golf Club in far north suburban Beach Park: Golf Digest "Best Places to Play", Golfweek "Top Ten Municipal Courses", Golf Magazine "Best Courses You Can Play in Illinois". Well, after taking a road trip to a few miles south of the Wisconsin border over the 4th of July weekend and experiencing T-Hawk for myself, I felt like an angry bird of prey had grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and dropped me into a combination of golfing heaven and hell, yet despite the course bringing me to my knees and begging for mercy, I don't know if I ever felt so exhilarated after a triple digit round.
ThunderHawk sprang from the fertile imagination of architect Robert Trent Jones Jr, who took 228 acres of wetlands, native grasses and woods a few miles from Lake Michigan and crafted an amazing test of golf that is a rare combination of playability and challenge that will appeal to most golfers. The fairways are uniformly wide and inviting, but be assured that any wayward shots will be penalized (hint: bring a few extra balls). The 1st hole is as benign as ThunderHawk gets, a straight away 414 yard par 4, but I somehow managed to pull my tee shot into to the prairie left, a clear indication of the misadventures to follow. The first of the five par 5's
(there are also five par 3's to get to the par of 72), the 2nd hole is a difficult drive as lengthier players may try to fly the wetlands and sand trap ot the right, while others will play the safer (but still not easy) shot to the left.
The par fives as a group are exceptional. The 7th hole winds through bunkers staggered along both sides of the fairway, and the 11th (the shortest at 517 yards) features the ever present wetlands cutting diagonally across the fairway from right to left towards the green. The 18th tops out at 600 yards, with 2 turns left through the woods with a rock strewn creek bed blocking
the green. But the 16th hole is the one I can't wait to play again. Trees are tight left with the drive up a ridge, with a spectacular view at the top as a large lake guards the right side and huge mounds border the left, with the one above the fairway trap 150 yards out covered with prairie grasses. The wide green is tucked behind the water with woods framing the background. I gratefully holed my bogey putt and thought that I had just played the best par five of my golfing life.
The 17th is an excellent follow up to 16, a short (172 yard) par 3 along the far side of the lake. The tee is tucked back in the woods,
with more native grasses lurking behind the sprawling green. The 15th is another stellar one shot hole, with a collection area to the right of a well bunkered, narrow green, which begins an unusual par 3, 5, 3, 5 finish to the round. The par four 9th hole is a worthy completion to the front nine, a 481 yarder with a vast expanse of wetlands to the right off the tee, and a slight turn left between trees to the elevated green. The shortest par 4, the 338 yard 8th, offers a risk / reward drive over the edge of a pond to the left, or the recommended path to the right through a mine field of sand traps, and the 14th hole measures only 363 yards but will test your accuracy as the drive
(maybe a 3 wood or long iron) must be positioned to traverse the opening over a strip of wetlands and between thick woods to reach the elevated green.
ThunderHawk stretches to just over 7,000 yards from the Black tees (74.1 rating / 137 slope), but the Brass (6,631 / 72.3 / 133) and Silver (6,124 / 69.9 / 128) tees offer more playable options for less skilled golfers (I played the Brass, probably should have played the Silver). A basic skill level is required to deal with the numerous carries over hazards, so beginners may be overwhelmed, but scoring opportunities are there (I carded 3 pars over the last 7 holes),
as long as you don't get intimidated by the grand scale of ThunderHawk, as this is a mega course where you will see few other golfers during the round. The weekend price tag of $85 is at the higher end for a Forest Preserve track (Lake County), but the 3 o'clock twilight rate is $47 w/cart during the week and $57 Friday thru Sunday with early bird discounts before 8 on weekdays. When added to the impeccable conditions, friendly staff and rock star design, ThunderHawk is well worth the price at any time. This is pure golf at its best in metro Chicago and worthy of a visit, regardless of where you live in the Windy City.
Mr Z Rating
Layout (20%) - 9.5
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 9.5
Aesthetics (15%) - 9
Amenities (10%) - 8.5
Value (20%) - 9
Total Score - 89.25
ThunderHawk Golf Club
39700 North Lewis Ave, Beach Park
847-968-3100
4 tees, 7,031 / 5,046 yds, par 72
74.1/137 - 69.9/128 rating/slope (men)
75.5/136 - 69.5/123 rating/slope (women)
M-Th $39/49 to 8 am, $52/69 to 3 pm, $37/47 after 3
F $$49/59 to 8 am, $62/79 to 3 pm, $47/57 after 3
Sa-Su $85 walk/ride to 1 pm, $55/72 to 3 pm, $47/57 after 3
Seniors (62) $41/58 M-Th
Juniors (17 & Under) $39/56 M-Th
Onsite Driving Range
9 minute tee time interval
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