Redtail Golf Club Review – Lakewood, Illinois

We played Redtail Golf Club on a Sunday morning in early August. We got there just ahead of an outing (luckily, they weren’t having a shotgun start, so it wasn’t a problem.) Come to find out, they had 4 outings that day! That seems like a lot, especially for a Sunday but it didn’t affect us and we finished our round in less than 4 ½ hours, which is always nice.

There are homes lining a lot of the fairways on this course and honestly, I usually view that as a negative. In the case of Redtail, the houses are far enough back that it really wasn’t an issue. It seems a lot of designers put homes within feet of some of the rough, causing a golfer to feel claustrophobic. When homes are too close I often think about it off the tee, causing me to mishit in fear of hitting them. That wasn’t the case here, and it was much appreciated.

I didn’t arrive early enough to use the range, but there is one available for those so inclined, so I checked-in and we were ready to go. The price was less than average which is good, and I was hoping that it wasn’t reflected in the course conditions. The clubhouse is nothing special so we were a little concerned, but it was unfounded; conditions were fine.

I decided to play the Golds, which measure 6,470 yards. There is one further back (Black) at 6,803 for those long-hitters that are interested.

The course starts off easily enough (I’m a fan of “warm-up” holes) with a downhill 373 yard par 4. Hit the drive well enough, but left the approach short (downhill lie) and into the front bunker. I got lucky, and actually up-and-downed for a par; great start!

The second is a 501 yard par 5 which seems reachable, but with a strip of water in front of a shallow green I’d suggest making it a three-shotter.

Also, I tried to give it a little extra off the tee and pulled it left. Believe me, it’s not a good spot to be. Here’s a view of the left side, just past the rough.

The fourth was a pretty memorable par 3; 184 yards from the Gold tees, uphill and into the prevailing wind; I had to take a hybrid. The green is very well guarded with bunkers and is two-tiered, making the tee shot crucial. I didn’t par the fourth hole but I really enjoyed this challenging par 3.

The fifth is the other par 5 on the front, reaching out to 535 yards. Lots of room off the tee (even for an errant shot) so let it fly. There’s water up the left for your second and third, as well as bunkers up the right side, so be sure to focus on hitting it straight. This hole isn’t rated the #1 handicap hole for nothing! Here’s a view from the green looking back.

The sixth is an uphill par 4, with a very small landing area for your drive. A fairway bunker dips into about half of the fairway on the right side where you’d expect to land your tee shot. This forces you to either lay up and have a long second, or try to kill it, potentially causing trouble. This is the #3 handicap hole, but it doesn’t look like it from the tee; be careful.

There is a relatively long distance between the 6th green and 7th tee, so I pulled out my Flip Video Camera, let the wife drive the cart, and filmed it.

Eight is a downhill par 3 with a very interesting bunker pattern. There may be wind around the green that you don’t feel from the tee, so be sure to check the trees near the ground for wind prior to club selection. I ended up leaving it short in a bunker, but I really like the look of this hole. Both par 3’s on the front are exceptional.

The 9th heads back towards the clubhouse, and it has one of the most demanding tee shots on the course (the other is 18, and they both almost share the same tee box.) There is a ton of carry just to reach the upper level of the fairway. Then it’s a reasonable approach (I hit 7-iron) into the green.

We stopped at the turn; my wife forgot her visor and the sun was starting to be a problem. Unfortunately they didn’t have visors, only hats so my wife went without. Kind of a bummer.

The 10th tee shot should be placed up the left side, as everything slopes to the right. This will provide as good of an angle as you can get into the green. It’s not quite an island green, but pretty close. Here’s what my approach looked like:

The thirteenth is a 383 yard par 4, with another collection of bunkers up the right that may give you pause off the tee. You might be able to carry them, but it doesn’t look like it standing on the tee box. Here’s what they look like up close:

The fifteenth also follows this fairway bunker placement, although on the left side.

The sixteenth almost mirrors the 10th, where you have an approach into an island green. There is more room off the tee than you might expect, so be sure to get it up there so your left with a short wedge for a potential birdie.

The 17th is a downhill par three. There isn’t really anything special about this hole, except for the divot my wife saw. So glad I didn’t miss this!

As I said, the 18th tee runs parallel to the ninth. The drive on this hole is possibly the best on the course, especially from the Gold tees. There is a huge tree in the middle of the fairway, forcing you to pick a side. There is more room to bail on the right then left, but it will leave you with a longer approach. Love that they left this tree.

Redtail Golf Club is not a resort course, nor is it on many top 10 lists. For me, I thought there were some great, challenging holes and the pace of play was exceptional (although this can vary wildly, as we all know.) I also like the fact that many areas of the course are Federally Protected Wetlands. I’m a big fan of golf wildlife, so this is a huge plus for me.

If I lived close by this may be a great track to play regularly, especially if I had a house on the course. Because it isn’t close, and there are so many other tracks to play in the Chicago Suburbs, I may not venture back here for awhile. If you play here, let me know what you think.

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