Golf Near Park Ridge, Illinois: The Best Courses in the Northwest Suburbs
Park Ridge, Illinois sits in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with some of the most accessible public golf in the metropolitan area within easy reach. The northwest suburbs have a dense concentration of public, semi-private, and daily-fee courses that serve both local golfers and visitors to O'Hare International Airport, which is minutes away.
Top Public Courses Near Park Ridge
Billy Caldwell Golf Course
A Chicago Park District course located in the Rogers Park neighborhood, Billy Caldwell is one of the city's most accessible public tracks. It plays to a par 36 on nine holes and offers walking-only golf in a mature tree-lined setting. Green fees are among the most reasonable in the area.
Chick Evans Golf Course
Named for the legendary Chicago amateur golfer who won the 1916 US Open and US Amateur, Chick Evans Golf Course is a nine-hole Chicago Park District facility on the northwest side. The course is accessible to beginners and offers a genuine test of the short game despite its modest layout.
Tam O'Shanter Country Club
Located in Niles, adjacent to Park Ridge, Tam O'Shanter is one of the most historically significant golf venues in American golf history — it hosted the World Championship of Golf in the early 1950s and was televised as the first live golf on national television. The course is now semi-private and opens limited tee times to the public. For golfers interested in golf history, playing Tam O'Shanter is a meaningful experience regardless of the course's current ranking.
Semi-Private Options
The northwest suburbs have several semi-private clubs that offer public tee times on non-peak days. Nordic Golf Club in Loves Park and George Dunne National Golf Course in Oak Forest are among the better options in the extended northwest corridor, offering championship-length layouts at reasonable daily fees.
Getting Out to Play
The northwest suburbs are best navigated by car — most courses are 10-25 minutes from Park Ridge by expressway. The summer season runs from April through October, with the best conditions typically in May-June and September-October. Tee times can be booked online at most facilities, with Chicago Park District courses bookable through the CPD's centralized system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most famous golf course near Chicago?
Medinah Country Club (site of multiple US Opens and a Ryder Cup) and Cog Hill Golf and Country Club (former home of the BMW Championship) are the most historically significant golf facilities in the Chicago area. Both are private or semi-private.
Are there public golf courses in Park Ridge itself?
Park Ridge does not have its own public golf course, but several Chicago Park District and municipal courses are within a short drive in adjacent communities including Niles, Morton Grove, and Des Plaines.