First, the positives: the course itself is in great shape. Fairways and greens were well-maintained, the layout is challenging without being unfair, and there are some genuinely beautiful holes. For pure golf, Cantigny can deliver. The problem is everything that happened between shots. We booked three Friday morning tee times with varying numbers of players in each group. At bag drop, the host seemed less than thrilled by the arrangement and appeared confused about where bags should go. Maybe coordinating three separate tee times was complicated. No big deal--it was a brief interaction, and we moved on. Check-in was smooth enough. At $128 per person with a cart, though, expectations are naturally a little higher than your average muni. Then we arrived at Hole 1. Since golfers can be routed to either Hillside or Lakeside, there was a ranger directing traffic. Unfortunately, he seemed completely overwhelmed by the existence of golfers showing up for their scheduled tee times. Two other groups parked in front of him, and what followed looked less like tee-time management and more like air traffic control during a thunderstorm. We arrived 30 minutes before our tee time and were ready to go, yet nobody seemed sure where to send us. Eventually, we were directed to a tee box and instructed to wait 10 minutes after the group ahead of us teed off. Fair enough. Then, moments later, we got yelled at for not teeing off soon enough. So apparently we were simultaneously too early and too late. Quite an achievement. The group ahead of us was painfully slow. Every hole became a front-row seat to their entire golf experience. We watched every drive, every chunk, every search mission into the rough, and every putt from three different angles. I'm all for golfers of every skill level enjoying the game, but at some point pace of play becomes a group project. What made it frustrating was that we were constantly waiting on them while the ranger seemed fixated on us. I've played a lot of golf and have never seen a ranger appear this frequently. It was like having a very concerned wildlife photographer tracking our migration patterns. Every few holes, there he was. The funny part? We were a threesome of ladies hitting fairways, keeping pace, and generally doing everything golfers are supposed to do. If you're looking for the source of slow play, maybe don't start with the group standing around waiting. The ranger attention continued all day. By Hole 17 (Hole 8 on Lakeside), we were told to hurry up because an outing was starting in 12 minutes. Interesting. If the course knew an outing was scheduled, perhaps that should have been factored into the tee times they sold. It was hard to understand why the pressure was being directed at the group waiting on every shot instead of the group creating the backup. Then came another memorable moment. After a quick bathroom break heading to Hole 10, a van was blocking the only path to the next tee. We tried finding an alternate route and immediately got yelled at again--this time by entirely different personnel. Consistency is important, and Cantigny's staff certainly demonstrated consistency in that department. Initially, I wondered if some of the treatment had a sexist element to it. Later, after speaking with others in our group who experienced similar interactions, it seemed more likely that everyone was receiving the same abrupt treatment. Whether it was sexism, bias, or simply poor customer service, the overall experience left a bad impression. Also, the cart path only on multiple par 5s... NOT COOL! In summary: beautiful course, challenging design, excellent conditions, and a layout worth playing. But for $128 a person, I expect to spend the day focusing on golf, not participating in a live-action customer service obstacle course. Cantigny? Been there, done that, bought the overpriced tee time, and won't be back for a sequel. read more

Cantigny Golf - Lakeside Hole 7 - Golf Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

* Please note this review is for a wedding and not the golf course * When touring potential wedding venues, Cantigny stood out to us almost immediately. They were friendly and not pushy. After our first meeting, we knew we wanted to move ahead with booking. They are very organized and gave us a folder to walk through all components of the booking process. The wedding food tasting went well and on our wedding day, it tasted just like I remembered! Their food choices are extensive. They offer both plated meals as well as family style. We chose family style so we could try multiple options. Jessica was our wedding coordinator, and she was great. She was very responsive to emails. (That was the easiest way to communicate with her). Our day of coordinator was Jessenia, and she was great too. She ensured the room was set up to our liking and kept us organized. I also want to recognize the day of banquet staff, Serrano, Danielle, and Jon, for being amazing too. (There were a couple of more, but I didn't get their names) Cantigny was a blast to work with, and everything I requested for our special day was honored. read more

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I've played this course at least 30 times in the last 5 years. For the record, I also belong to a private country club- and the course and amenities here are easily as good as our private club. There are 3 9-hole courses, each with it's own quirks and challenges. I'd argue Lakeside is the hardest, but Woodside has some insanely difficult holes too. Regardless of your skill level, you will enjoy this place. It manages to honor the game but not be the slightest bit stuffy or snotty. Everyone that works here is hospitable and they have fun. Nice selection of drinks from the cart gals. Bartenders and servers are great, and the food is pretty good. Golf staff are great. My son (now 20) took lessons at the Academy as a kid and the lessons were worth every penny. If you are on the fence about this place because of the cost (it's not cheap)- it's worth it. If you're strapped for cash they have a pretty good twilight deal too. Definitely a bucket list course for anyone in Chicago. read more

One of the great golf venues in Chicago area Beautiful fairways and fair greens Caters to us old timers with several choices for tee boxes Support staff at drop off very friendly and helpful read more

Planned to play 18 yesterday afternoon. Our front 9 took 2 hours 40 minutes because the 4 some in front of us was walking super slow. Stop letting people walk. It will speed up the pace of play if you require carts. After 9 we quit. The pro shop guy told us it's only quick if you play in the middle of the day so this seems to be common 5-6hr for 18 holes which is a joke for $98 Would not recommend read more

Still one of the best kept courses and service in the area. They are redoing a different 9 hole course each year starting this year.

They don't enforce the pace of play. Super Slow, they pack in as many Tee times as they can get read more

Absolutely fabulous... course is immaculate condition... amenities and accessories are amazing.. holes are beautiful and well planned... best public course in IL read more

Cantigny Golf - Par 3 - Golf Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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We really liked this course. Challenging, pretty and lots of fun. Not great for new golfers. Can be expensive. read more

Great course, staff was helpful. Forgot my driver and the staff let me use one that had been in lost and found for awhile. Well maintained green read more

Great course if you want a 6/7 hour round used to love coming here but is definitely over packed read more

Cantigny Golf - Golf Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Always a lot of fun. Great course. Way too expensive though. They need to keep the snack bar and the refreshment cart open and available even during late afternoon rounds. If you're going to charge like a country club act like a country club read more

Cantigny blew my frickin mind!!! (The g is silent. It's french.) What a gorgeous course with top notch service (and bloody marys!!)!! Now, I am not a rich man... I'm part of the 99%. Sorry ladies. Booking a tee time at Cantigny last Saturday was a bit of a special occasion for me. Greens fees are quite high compared to what I usually pay to hit the little ball on the grass. I certainly walked away satisfied and felt like it was money well spent. When you arrive a gentleman will happily and cheerfully grab your bag and load it onto a cart. When you walk out of the pro shop your cart will be waiting outside ready to go. I found the course somewhat challenging. Hit my pars though. Very very very well maintained! The course had been aerated a few weeks prior (Tim in the pro shop was courteous enough to tell me this when I booked the tee time) but I hardly noticed and it proved to be a non-issue. Carts are all pretty new and they display the distance to the front of the green and to the hole. Awesome. Gotta give a shout out to Carla and Mike at the 19th! Just a couple of kids tryin to make a buck. They did a wonderful job of making spicy bloodys and entertaining. I think this will be an annual or biannual event. I'm impressed! read more

Cantigny Golf - Golf Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Such a beautiful course. There were wild turkeys on the property from the surrounding Forest Preserves. Nicely kept....not the fault of the course but when we were there last the group behind us was incredibly loud and was going a little crazy with their carts. Cantigny had someone drive out and talk to them and they styled right down so somebody must have noticed too and said something. Challenging but not too challenging...just right. We had a great time every time we visited this course. Their twilight was cheaper last year by $15 but that may have been an end of season thing. read more

The course is always in great shape. It's very expensive. But you know your gonna get great conditions Got my daughter clubs at the club fitters. They are awesome read more

Slow play, lots of twosomes, no rangers. $14 a bucket and no distance markers. Actually there is a beautiful sign with distances, rather removed from the tee area, but it has not been updated nor used yet this year! Such a easy thing to accomplish every day for your guests but the kids who work there show no such motivation. $110 for midweek 18, 5 + hour round. Next time I will go straight to the bar. Great burger and beer. Kemper seem to be poor managers. read more

Great venue for a special event, golf outing or a day on the course with friends or clients; always make you feel appreciated;great venue!

Our group played there yesterday. Definitely not a course if you're playing best ball and you have less experienced golfers in the mix. We we're playing to about a 4.5 hour round, which isn't bad considering the difficulty of the course but the rangers we're extremely rude and arrogant as hell. We didn't argue once or push back on their incessant demands to play faster but they kept on and on about it. If you have a corporate event, I'd look elsewhere. And a message to Cantigny. You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you're a public course and you load up the tee times to grab as many greens fees as possible, then slow play is inevitable. Don't be jerks about it! read more

One of the nicest public courses I've played. A bit pricey but worth every cent. Course was in beautiful condition and played very fair - we played the lakeside and woodside courses. Rangers were all very friendly and the clubhouse bar and grill was outstanding with big screen tvs all over and a great selection of microbrews. Course superintendent needs a high five - phenomenal job, immaculate shape. read more

Cantigny Golf - Dawn view of the 9th hole on lakeside course - view from the clubhouse. I knew at this point I was in for a great day - Golf Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Words do not cover how great our server "sandy" was! She helped us out personally, professionally and perfectly. Lunch was delicious and highly recommended for all to check out. read more

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Yes, it's very pricey ($115). But you truly get the experience of a private club here at a cheaper price than a club, and at a facility that is better than most private clubs. So much that I love about this course. The staff is all very friendly. The course is challenging, playable and fun without being too difficult. The conditioning is amazing. You feel like your in the middle of the country, you don't see any houses at all while you're playing. It's got great tennis courts, a great range (with indoor hitting stations for the winter), a caddy program, it's hosted a USGA national championship. The clubhouse is a great place to hang out, with nice couches and TVs, and a great multi-level deck for a postround drink. As far as things I wish they could improve? Well, I wish it cost less. But, I also don't think that it's overpriced either. Ha, guess I just gotta improve my checkbook. Just an awesome place. read more

well conditioned course, always friendly. challenging for all handicap levels, so I put it down as a must play and good value. one warning, tremendous amounts of bugs, gnats, etc.. read more

What a great place to play golf. I imagine that it would be tough to find a nicer way to spend a summer evening than a visit to Cantigny. Don't forget to take advantage of their caddy program and help out a high-schooler who probably needs the extra cash--for $20+tip, it is a lot more reasonable than caddies at most daily fee courses. It is fun to have someone knowledgeable to chat with while you make your way around the course--and you can dust off some of your old Tony d'Annunzio references from Caddyshack. Try to combine the Wood and/or Hill nines with the Lake nine. If you play only the Wood and Hill nines, you'll miss some of the really great scenery on the northwest side of the course footprint on the Lake course. Still, Wood+Hill is a lot of fun, too. read more

I recently treated my brother to a birthday round at Cantigny. Let's get this out of the way -- it's pricey golf ($115, Saturday afternoon with cart or caddy, range balls and $10 meal voucher). But the course is awesome from the layout to the condition of the grounds. We played Lakeside and Woodside and struggled a bit since neither of us has golfed in a while. But that did not matter. The two people we played with were friendly. The 10 minute intervals made us feel like we were the only people on the course. There was no rush put on by the course marshalls. The starters were friendly. All in all, it was a great day. One could enjoy golf just as much at half the price at other good area courses. That is what I'll do most of the time. But a casual golfer owes it to himself to visit Cantigny at least once every couple of years. I look forward to returning again someday. read more

I just had an Iron fitting with Everett at Cantigny, very impressed with the setup they have at their golf academy. I chose to do my fitting in the winter with a couple of winter/early season golf trips coming up but they have the ability to do an indoor or outdoor fitting when the weather is appropriate. Everett was great to work with, he gave me a few easy tips to get me more comfortable and put better swings on the ball but nothing that was a swing change. We hit my old clubs first to get a base line, 10 shots keeping the best 6 then went on to different head and shaft combinations doing the same with each. All with Titleist Pro V1 practice balls, I've noticed some of the equipment retailers just have whatever type of balls laying around. Everything was very low pressure and he did not pitch a bunch of upgraded extra cost shafts to me. We ran through every test you'd expect at a fitting and did them all twice to make sure we had the correct result and not just a fluke from one swing. We went on to compare data from all of the different shots, it was pretty clear which combo was right for me so we didn't dive too much into the data but it was all right there to analyze if you wish. My only critique is that they could use an upgrade on the launch monitor and technology, they use a Foresight GC2 rather than a Trackman or GCQuad. Other than that no complaints, can't wait to get my clubs and see if the results translate to the course. read more

Played 9 on Lakeside for $19 including a cart. Nice deals on Golf Now.com and twilight hours. It's nicer than the local country club I belonged to for 5 years. A guest there was $150 so $115 here is a deal. If you are use to great putting greens you will feel like a pro here. I played today and the greens were a perfect carpet, great roll no divots. The ground people are top notch and the players are smart and courteous enough to repair their marks. You don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to belong to a private club. This place is nicer and in the long run you will still spend less. Played by myself and was finished in an hour twenty minutes. read more

Great course Perfect condition all around Staff everywhere was friendly and helpful Food at the bar afterwards was great as well. read more

Our group decided to play last week. Always a good time with great conditions. Very disappointing. When you pay big money you expect to play under 4 1/2 hrs. Not this day. Decided to complain to the staff and was told not much they could do. Every hole had backups. This was on Thursday morning 9 am start didn't finish till 205p. 5 hr round. Not good. I have played in the past and the rangers were always doing the job. I will not be back including my group.., Way overrated and overpriced!!! read more

Wonderful course - terrible time management. For $130 in my You should never be waiting on holes or having to call the clubhouse

I had the perfect wedding, much due to Karen, Mike and the staff at Cantigny Red Oak Room. Karen was very accommodating to all of my strange requests. The comment we heard again and again from the guests was that not only was the food good wedding food, it was just good restaurant quality food. My new cousins wanted to do a traditional Pakistani dance for me and Mike was able to time the dinner correctly to get the Black Angus Filet Mignon perfectly cooked, and not over done. We could not have been happier with the service and recommend their service for a wedding, a shower or any catered event. read more

Holy moly! Energy field galore. Between the gardens, golf course, and museums... you are set. Be sure to enjoy the food at the most intriguing Red Oaks Room. read more

The course is beautiful and challenging, there's no doubt about that. It's one of the nicer 27-hole public courses in the area. However, I don't think it's worth the price tag. It's still over $100 in October for 18 holes and over $50 for 9 holes. I live right next to Cantigny and play multiple times a week. I only play Cantigny when I can't get in at Arrowhead or Prairie Landing. Both of those courses are in just as good of shape as Cantigny, at half the price. They aren't as challenging as Cantigny, but the price tag makes up for it. read more

I like the course, but i will not be back there, even though i live quite close. My wife was at a conference there and had a few minutes free, saw the golf shop, remembered i had expressed the need for a new glove, and thought she would do something nice for me. From the moment she entered the shop, she was treated with nothing but disrespect. Because she was born in a different country and has lived around the world, she is polite, well-educated, and has an accent. The woman made it quite clear she did not want to transact business with her and, so, we will not be doing business with Cantigny Golf. read more

Best public golf in the Chicago area bar none. This course is owned by a private foundation and has set the standard for excellence in public golf for over 25 years. Great course that is challenging but fair and is always in great shape. It is worth spending a few extra $ to play this local treasure. read more

If you're considering playing at Cantigny, chances are you've already read a few reviews or seen it on a list of top golf courses in the area. I won't give you a long dissertation, just know that EVERYTHING you've read is true. Cantigny sets the standard for public golf courses in Chicago - it's well run by attentive staff, but more importantly, the golf courses are FANTASTIC. It's in terrific shape, the layouts are demanding, interesting, memorable, and anything you could ask for in a golf course. My advice: stop reading this and go play. See for yourself - you won't be disappointed. read more

I've played here a handful of times playing Lakeside to Woodside every time. I'm told these are the best two nines they have and they are the two nines that hosted the amateur links this year. I have absolutely no complaints. A well maintained and beautiful course. Definitely worth the money. One of the top 5 public courses in Chicagoland without a doubt. read more

OK- I'm reviewing the Jr. Golf course. It has nine short holes, a Jr. Pro shop, and tons of fun events for kids. For a kid to play alone on the course they need to get certified. This is really easy, the kids simply need to take some golf lessons, and then they take a written test and play one hole. This course is pretty cool, it doesn't have golf carts but it has pull carts for your golf clubs. If you have kids you should get them registered here, and tell their friends too. My friends love it here! (me too!) read more

One of the nicest golf courses I've been to in the area. Challenging course with a beautiful terrain. Stopped by the bar after our round and had some great food (crab blt). They also have a decent beer selection. read more

Triple yuck. Came here to tour Cantigny as a wedding venue with Alexa Egan. She was nice at first but as soon as my mom started asking her questions about the flowers in June she shut down and kept repeating that she can't predict the weather. She refused to even tell us her opinion on what was better May or April or June and didn't even think to show us ANY pictures. She was very rude and condescending to my mom, which she shouldn't have been under any circumstance even if my mom was trying a bit hard to get an answer out of her. Once the tour started she did not even try to sell us the space, maybe because she knew it was crap. When I asked if the dance floor could be extended she suggested we tell our guests to just dance in the walkway extending to the hallway. Old carpet, tiny dance floor, peeling walls. I'm sure the outside is gorgeous but the indoor venue is completely dated and really needs an update especially for that price. read more

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Overrated! $115 for this course is just not worth it. It's a beautiful place and the staff is great. But the greens are SLOW and the tee boxes are way too fuzzy. The fairways are more tightly mowed. I've also had to walk off the course twice this year because we were on pace for a 6 hour round. 5 stars for ambiance, 2 for golf (@ $115). read more