OAK BROOK GOLF CLUB

This Dick Nugent design threads through mature oak groves and wetlands 20 miles west of Chicago, demanding precision over power with its narrow, tree-lined fairways that punish wayward drives. The signature par-3 17th plays over a scenic pond to a peninsula green that's as beautiful as it is treacherous, while the closing hole's dogleg right around water creates genuine drama for your final approach. Despite heavy suburban play, the conditioning remains surprisingly solid for a daily-fee track, and the routing cleverly uses elevation changes to create memorable risk-reward scenarios throughout.