Bonnie Brook Golf Course - Waukegan

I'd heard that one of the old classic mainstays of north shore golf was Bonnie Brook, so I filled up the gas tank and made the trek up to Waukegan on a Saturday afternoon in late September to play "The Brook" with my north side golfing partner.  The Park District course is tucked back off Lewis Avenue, a little tricky to find for someone unfamiliar with the area, but the locals certainly know how to get to this high traffic municipal gem, as mature trees, rolling hills and the north branch of the Waukegan River lend to the serene parkland setting about 2 miles from Lake Michigan.

The par 72 layout stretches to 6,640 yards from the yellow tees, not long by today's standards, but the 40 well-positioned sand traps, water on 9 holes, and big, multi-tiered greens adds up to a beefy 72.3 rating / 128 slope.  The river (really more like a creek) meanders north-south through the east end of the property, creating "go for it / layup" decisions on a couple of holes.  The water angles across the 1st hole (a 510 yard par 5), but at a 280 yard carry in the middle of the fairway over the 15 yard wide hazard from the back tees (a little shorter on the right side), out of reach with the driver for the vast majority of golfers.  A tougher club selection is on the 16th tee, with the 20 yard wide river requiring a 235 yard carry to reach the other side from the tips, which will leave a wedge into the narrow, multi-level green.

The Brook bares its teeth on #10 and #15, two long par 4's (450 and 426 yards, respectively) and slightly uphill that will most likely be playing straight into a southerly breeze.  The 12th hole is the attention grabber at Bonnie Brook, a 384 yard dogleg right par 4.  The river crosses near the tee box, then flows up the right side and across again about 75 yards shy of the green.  Huge trees block the right side, so a properly placed drive is critical to arriving in regulation.  The putting surface is wide and shallow and surrounded by woods, one of the scenic highlights at the Brook.

But the previous hole, #11, was my favorite, a short (320 yard) par 4.  The elevated tee will encourage a few to rip a driver at the green, which is well guarded by bunkers, but the mere mortals among us will be more concerned with carrying the river as it angles thru the fairway about halfway to the pin, then widens and protects the left side to the hole.  A large fairway trap sits 75 yards short right to add agitation and visual interest.  I love cool short par fours, and this is one of the best I played in 2013.

The par 3's at Bonnie Brook (there's only three to go along with the same number of par fives) are not without merit.  The 3rd

hole, the longest at 191 yards, is over a pond with the sides of the elevated green dropping off sharply, and the 17th is slightly downhill to a putting surface that sits in a crook of the river that fronts and borders it to the right, a pretty hole that provides a nice visual from the elevated tee box.
Both nines end with parallel par 4's that run uphill towards the clubhouse, separated by the straightest row of trees I've ever seen, with the 416 yard 18th forty strides longer than the 9th.  Each feature severely sloping greens that will cause great discomfort if you're above the hole, two challenging finishes to the halves.

Bonnie Brook features 4 sets of tees that are nicely spaced at 300-500 yards apart, and I played the 6,300 yard Blue tees, a perfect distance for my skill level and still plenty of meat at a 70.8 / 124 rating / slope.  I always ask my playing partners if they mind if I snap a few pictures, and the two fellows from Kenosha who joined us said "Not at all, and you'll have plenty of time to take them," reflective of the tight 7-1/2 minute tee time interval, and my worst fears were realized by the two groups waiting on the 3rd tee, but the pace picked up after that and we finished in a decent 4 hour 37 minutes, not too bad on a busy weekend afternoon, but I can see the potential for some really long rounds here.

The course is well spaced for the most part, with a few notable exceptions.  The 3rd tee is a few steps from the 2nd green, and an approach shot came quite close as we waited to hit, and the par three 6th hole is wedged snugly between the 5th fairway and the 7th tee, and wayward ball strikes pushed/pulled left from the par five 5th will have a chance of finding the wrong green.  But overall this is a really nice course that was in fine shape, as the greens putted well, the traps were easy to escape and very few bare spots were to be found in the fairways, which had double cut rough, an upscale feature I expect to see at Dubsdread or The Glen Club, not a Waukegan Park District course. 





A huge putting green and practice area is located conveniently to the right of the 1st tee, just far enough to keep the striped balls out of the fairways.  The green fees at Bonnie Brook are $59 with cart on weekends (at the lower end for the north shore) and plenty of discounts are available online (I found a $33 deal with cart for a 12:45 time on the course website), and with rates like this, The Brook will continue to grab its share of area golfers.  Although the 120 mile round trip distance is a bit excessive for multiple returns, my day at Bonnie Brook was well worth the visit.

 



Mr Z Rating

Layout (20%) - 7
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 8.5
Aesthetics (15%) - 8
Amenities (10%) - 7.5
Value (20%) - 8.5

Total Score - 79.25

Bonnie Brook Golf Course
2800 N. Lewis Avenue, Waukegan
847-360-4732   www.waukegangolf.org
18 holes, 4 tees - 6,640 / 5,385 par 72
72.3/128 - 66.7/114 rating/slope (men)

78.0/136 - 71.1/121 rating/slope (women)
In Season Rates

M-F $36/54 to 2 pm, $22/40 after 2;
SA-SU $41/59 to 2 pm, $24/42 after 2;
SENIORS (62) $25/40 M-F
JUNIORS (17&UNDER) $22 walking M-F
Resident Rates Available
Onsite Driving Range
7-1/2 minute tee time interval