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4.4
224 Reviews (224)
5 Stars
102
4 Stars
97
3 Stars
17
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
4
Conditions
4.8
Value
4.4
Layout
4.5
Friendliness
4.8
Pace
4.4
Amenities
3.7
98.2%
Recommend this course
210 out of 224 reviews
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Value
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About

Holes 18
Type Public/Municipal
Par 72
Length 6893 yards
Slope 129
Rating 73.5

Prairie Bluff Golf Course in Lockport stretches across 237 acres of gently rolling hills covered with native prairie grass. The course has a links-style layout that can play much tougher depending on the wind speed that day. Overall though, the course is player friendly enough for any skill level. The layout is open with few trees and the fairways are wide and forgiving, taking away some of the intimidation provided by the bordering rough. There is also water on the golf course, but the hazards that come into play aren't overly strenuous. You can still expect some challenges from the minimal but strategically placed bunkering. Besides the golf course, Prairie Bluff is known as one of the area's hidden gems for its outstanding restaurant, which is known especially for the barbecue brisket.

Course Details

Year Built 1998
Fairways Bent Grass
Greens Bent Grass
Golf Season Open: 4/01 Closed: 11/15
Architect Andy North (1998) Roger Packard (1998) Greg Martin (2012)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Caddies No
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes
Practice Hole Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Fivesomes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Appropriate golf attire.

Food & Beverage

Bar

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities

Accolades

  • Golf Advisor: Top Courses in Illinois (2016 #19)

Reviews

4.4
224 Reviews (224)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 23
Patio Dining 16
Brunch 11
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 21
Thick Rough 21
Water Hazards 16
This course/club is great for:
Locals 27
Advanced Golfers 17
Seniors 14
This Course's Location is:
In the 'Burbs 30
Worth the Drive 19

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 734
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Michigan Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing

Great Experience Great Course

My time spent at Prairie Bluff was great from my treatment in pro shop to conditions everything was great. It doesn’t hurt this course that I was just treated beyond poorly at another local course!

I have only played a few Roger Packard courses, but after this one I am going to seek more of them out. The green sites at PB are
Very well done and have a mixture of grass and sand bunkers as well as being full of undulation! The rolling terrain and surrounding prairie bluff park add to the aesthetic of the round.

Must play if in the Windy City burbs!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 448
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Illinois Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

In very nice shape

See my review below from 2020. Surprised there's been only one review since mine posted. Really nice conditions.....traps maintained, good green speeds, fairways decent (there's divot mix on the carts but few people bother to use it) and rough was proper length. Course was running hard and fast with the lack of recent rain. Funny but had the very same issue as 2020. Grounds crew mowing noise....again following us around the course. Way too prevalent. Recommend the course but slather on the sun screen there's almost no shade to be found.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Cold weather
Walked

Chained Links

Fun links track with the long retired Stateville Prison in the background. The conditions for late November were quite good and the mildly undulating greens rolled pretty well. On just about every par 4 or par 5 hole you can grip and rip it as it is very expansive. If I owned this place I would make some more cool bunkering both in the fairway and around the greens. Bunkers in the fairway could really help frame some of the holes and add more of a strategic challenge.
I would also change the name to Chained Links and make a logo with two convicts chained together and running with a golf club in their hands!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 448
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Illinois Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played

A pleasant surprise

It had been at least 5 or more years since I last ventured to Prairie Bluff. Usually it was cost versus a slightly higher cost at nearby Mistwood that kept me away or they had a really full tee sheet. Now Mistwood is ridiculously expensive and not worth it. Folks are friendly and want you to have a good experience. Got a $43 senior rate....and that's about the right price point....a tad expensive but the course conditioning made up for it. Course is in very good shape.....Prairie Bluff is a really different experience from other Chicago courses.......there are virtually no trees and none are being planted so it's a great change of pace....awesome clear vistas. The wind howls and comes much more into play as you trade funny Blues Brothers lines with your playing partners with Stateville prision in the distance. Drawback is on sunny days you fry like bacon.....no shade to speak of. Also have to downgrade because of maintenance staff.....they followed us around mid-day for at least 6 holes in a row with loud equipment and the landing areas in most all of the fairways are completely sopping wet....so your ball plugged or didn't roll out as much as it should..every fairway lie was a crapshoot.....you couldn't count on consistent fairway ground conditions anywhere.. Greens had the right speed and rough cut to proper lengths. Solid 4 stars and along with Whitetail Ridge makes my top surprises list this season. Highly recommended. $40-$45 value. Any more than that I have to question.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Enjoyable round -- finally some maintained sand traps!

Played the front nine as part of 9 and dine. The fairways were in great shape. The rough was cut to a level that was challenging, but not frustrating to find balls. I have played a couple times a week in the south Chicagoland area since COVID re-opening. It seems nearly every course has decided that maintaining sand traps is no longer required. Not here. It was late in the afternoon and the sand traps were groomed and very playable. Kudos to Prairie Bluff!

The included dinner afterwards was excellent. All choices included seem to be a great value.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Nice Course and Well Maintained

The shape of this course was top notch. Fairways, greens, and traps were well maintained. Staff was great and the course was fun. You can take in Statesville in the background which adds intrigue to the backdrop. You can’t go wrong here as the course provides challenges, but is approachable for an array of skillsets.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Best course in the area!

Easily my favorite course in the area. The holes are challenging, but enjoyable to play. The layout is amazing so the next hole is not far away. Conditions are great, barely any weeds, and the greens are rolled out several times a day. For the price to play, this is a great course. Has a country club feel for a public price.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 106
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 500 Contributor
First Time Playing

Fine links course

I played course on a windy and cool day. Course I’m fine shape for early spring and staff was very nice. Course have nice layout that made you think on the. Tee box It had its share Of fun shorter Par 4 s and some longer Par 5s. Nice greens. The only down side Is distance of this course just out side Joliet I had fun and I will make the drive again If they have a good golf now rate

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/06/2020

Hello, We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 10
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Great Condition

For December 26th, course was in great shape. Cart path only. Par 3s tees were moved forward to protect tee boxes from damage. Par 4 and 5s had no tee markers. Greens and fairways were in great shape. Restaurant and bar fully operating.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 12/29/2019

Thank you for taking the time to review your recent round with us! Your feedback is valuable, and we look forward to delivering you excellent service again soon. Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club thanks you!

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

are you kidding me????????

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the heartless jerks that run this place kick us off the course because we brought a few beers in our bag. We were on the fourth hole, keeping pace, respecting the cart path only rules, etc. I've been playing golf my whole life and have never, ever had this happen. What a bunch of complete d-bags!! I will never play there again. They could have just told us to pour it out and we would have had no objection. Even the ranger that kicked us off said he and his buds always bring a cooler.

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 10/07/2019

Hello, thank you so much for the 5-star rating of your round with us! Please book another round with us again soon at Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club!

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Great Course

This course was clean Fair and
Nice. A can’t miss course
Before Winter.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/26/2019

Hi, thanks for the great review of your round at Prairie Bluff Golf Course! We love hearing about our golfers experiences and hope to have you back again soon!

Played On
Reviews 59
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Illinois Advisor
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Quality Golf Every time

I have played Prairie Bluff roughly a dozen times over the years at various times during the year. Conditions have always been good from tee to green and the staff has always been kind, courteous and helpful.

Notable this time around were the greens.Our group found them to be in excellent condition for mid September. Nicely cut and rolled. Firm and true. Couldn't ask for any better really. The clubhouse has a full service restaurant with everything you could want in a relaxed atmosphere. It's a great place to hang out after a round.

It's always good to know that when you go to Prairie Bluff, you're going to get quality golf every time.
Well done to all at Prairie Bluff for doing things right!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/19/2019

Hello, Eric. We appreciate you leaving a review and rating us 5 stars. We're delighted to hear how much you enjoyed your recent round with us and the pristine conditions of our course. We work hard to provide an exceptional experience, and it's very satisfying to hear from golfers like you who appreciate our efforts. We will inform the entire team, so they know their hard work is paying off. We look forward to having you back again soon at Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club!

Played On
Reviews 26
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Well maintained, LUSH green rough and fairways

Awesome links course that stretches out to 7,000+ yards from the tips. We were second group out at 7:30am and we were a twosome. We followed a foursome and they were nice and fast. We finished in 3 hours and 5 mins! Fantastic pace for foursome in front of us!

Lots of neat elevation changes, couple tee shots to semi-targeted landing spots. Good drivers of the ball should score well on this course. If you can hit 230-250 yds straight you will/should score well from white tees. Adjust yards up for further tee boxes.

We will definitely definitely play here again. Lots of caring maintenance staff out there. Rangers were out there as well. Course in EXCELLENT shape. So very lush GREEN rough and green everywhere. Gem for a park district course, wow!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/19/2019

Hello, chicagoster. Thank you for taking the time to review the course and rate your recent round with us! We're glad you found the pace of play during your round excellent. We work hard to accommodate everyone who visits our course and to best control pace allowing everyone to finish in a reasonable amount of time. We are glad to see you also rated the course conditions and our staff to be great during your game. Thank you for playing Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Great condition and a good challenge

The course is in really good shape. Picturesque in parts. The fairways are quite wide but if you go off them then the deep rough is chest high so say goodbye to your ball. So it's fair but very unforgiving in that respect. Unlike many public courses in the area the bunkers are actually sand and you can play a proper bunker shot. Has a nice bar and patio. this was my first time there and I will definitely be going back.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/09/2019

Scott, thank you for taking the time to rate your recent round with us. We are very pleased to see that we were able to provide you with the 5-star experience we strive for! We hope that you are able to come back again for another amazing time with us at Prairie Bluff Golf Course! We'll see you on the course soon!

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Pleasantly surprised

Very nice course with more than just flat and straight holes. Not extremely hard by any means but much better than your normal run of the mill course. Will be back.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 09/03/2019

Hi, we appreciate you leaving a review and rating us. We will inform the entire team, so they know their hard work is paying off. We look forward to having you back again soon at Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club!

Played On
Reviews 20
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart

Wet and Windy!

Today marked my first visit to the course, and I knew today's conditions would be a bit iffy following heavy AM thunderstorms that dumped a ton of rain on the course.

While I didn't score as low as I would have liked for my first visit, the course left a good impression on me. There are some nice holes with subtle elevation changes for a course in the Chicagoland area. The most difficult aspect of the course today was the wind intensity that picked up after about 6 or 7 holes, and remained a challenging factor due to the wide open layout of the course. While I thought the greens were smooth and rolled fairly true, my two playing partners advised that most of their previous visits had experienced the greens rolling to a much faster degree.

I look forward to returning here in the future to post a number in the 70s rather than my disappointing performance today!

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great conditions

Played on a day with 25 mph gusts that made it very, very challenging. The course was in very good condition and would like to return on a less windy day.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Love this course

This course has very good greens and is always playable rain or shine

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
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