I was a member for nine or ten years and resigned because I stopped golfing. I may rejoin at some point as a social or even a golf member. I have many friends and acquaintances who are still members. It is an excellent value IMHO.
The golf course is short, extremely tight and immaculately maintained. What it sometimes lacks in length and challenge is made up by the superintendent. The course maintenance here is seriously on par with any of the expensive clubs in Chicagoland. Unfortunately, being on the river there are floods which take out the signature 17th hole every couple of years. I don't know what the status is of replacing some of the greens. I always wished the locker room was better and had more amenities; it is not on par with other private clubs, but then the dues are cheaper too.
The staff at KCC is magnificent. The bartenders are treasures. The newest GM worked his way up through the ranks from bus boy and remembers everyone's names. When I visited the club after a long absence some months ago he immediately remembered us and hoped we'd rejoin. Ditto the servers.
The food, like many private clubs, is sometimes excellent and sometimes awful. This depends on the chef at the time. My last few visits have been very promising, and when they are on their game the food is the best in town. (Try the club sandwich.) I like the bar and the pool area as well. I never played tennis but the courts look well maintained.
I cannot say personally what impact bringing in an outside management company has had or will have on the club. I hope it is positive. I'd like to see more inclusiveness in events and a membership that was more receptive of newcomers (a sin of which I was sometimes guilty as well).
Last but not least. there is the riverfront location. As mentioned before you have occasional flooding on 17. And some of the surrounding neighborhood is, well, a little rough. I wish the club had been able to relocate to Bourbonnais or to the Kankakee Elks, a local semi-private course which could be magnificent if you put KCC's grounds budget into it.
If you want to a join a good private club at a reasonable cost, head out to Cobb Boulevard and tell them I sent you. I can't second your nomination right now, but I think you'll find the place to be pretty much a riverfront gem. read more
