COURSE REVIEW - GLENCOE

GLENCOE BY THE NUMBERS

• 621 Westley Road, Glencoe   847-835-0250
• YARDAGE - 6 Tees - 6,595 / 3,761 yds Par 72
• SLOPE/RATING - 72.3/133 - 59.4/102 (M) 78.1/141 - 62.3/108 (W)
• MAXIMUM GREEN FEES - $72 M-F, $81 SA-SU (W/CART - 2025)
• Glencoe Website

A public golf oasis on the north shore of Chicagoland? That’s Glencoe Golf Club. Surrounded by 8 private clubs within a 5 mile radius of its location off Green Bay and Lake-Cook Roads, just east of the Chicago Botanic Gardens, the course has been available to all for over 100 years.

Established in 1921 and opened for play with 9 holes the following year, Glencoe was a public access trailblazer by also allowing women to buy a membership, this at a time when ladies had just obtained the right to vote. An additional 9 was built a few years later, and the routing has remained the same since 1930.

At 6,600 yds, Glencoe is of moderate modern length, but tree lined fairways place a premium on tee shot accuracy. Greens are undulating and well protected, with about 50 fairway and green side traps and water in play on 5 holes leading to a challenging 72.3 / 133 Rating / Slope from the back tees.

The par 72 layout shuns the typical hole configuration by having only three each par 3’s & 5’s, and after the 549 yd 2nd hole, you don’t see another par 5 until the back-to-back finish, but the holes in between provide a fine mix of interesting and strategic plays to keep you engaged. The 412 yd 13th, with the staggered fairway bunkers defining the slight dogleg right to a narrow, angled green, was the most memorable to me.

Except for the uphill 406 yd 1st hole (#1 handicap) there is little elevation change here, and combined with short green to tee distances, makes for a very walkable round (if I could do it, most anyone can!). The $51 weekday fee ($60 on weekends) is an inviting price point for a round at a well maintained, classic parkland course about 25 miles north of downtown Chicago.

LOST BALL QUOTIENT - Low. The water is most prominent on the par 3 15th, but can be played around on the other holes, and the fairways are surprisingly roomy on the holes where OB comes into play. With not a lot of prairie grasses to deal with, you should be able to finish with close to what you started.

HIT A HOUSE FACTOR - Highly unlikely. Some homes along the right side of the18th fairway is the only place I remember seeing any.

WALKER FRIENDLY RATING (0-10) - 10.  Glencoe is a prime walking layout, the only upslope of any consequence is over with early, enjoy the stroll and the wooded scenery.

FINAL VERDICT - Glencoe oozes classic parkland design and successfully balances challenge and playability, what you see is what you get.  A new prairie style clubhouse scheduled to open in 2026 will only add to the ambience and overall experience.  Reasonably priced for the north shore, Glencoe is a worthy play.

CLICK HERE to view the complete Photo Tour of Glencoe...