Peoria & Central Illinois Golf Courses & Tee Times

Who runs public golf in Peoria & Central Illinois

The Peoria Park District runs Kellogg, with an 18-hole, par-72 course of 6,399 yards and a 9-hole executive course, plus Madison (5,332 yards) and Newman (par 72). The Golf Learning Center across from Kellogg is open year round. A 2026 adult membership is $975 for ages 27 to 64 and $550 for ages 18 to 26. It covers unlimited walking golf at all five of the district's facilities from January 1 to December 31. Partner 2 Play cuts the price when you bring in a new member, and a reloadable Play Card adds 10% to what you load.

Public courses worth knowing in Peoria & Central Illinois

• Madison Golf Course: Peoria's oldest public course. A nine opened by 1909 and it went to 18 holes after a 1925 land purchase. Short and fairly flat at 5,332 yards.
• Kellogg Golf Course: The park district's main course, par 72 and 6,399 yards with bent grass fairways, plus a 2,744-yard executive nine. Named for park board member Howard B. Kellogg.
• Newman Golf Course: An 18-hole, par-72 course of 6,496 yards with a practice field and chipping area. Named in 1937 for longtime park board president Milton G. Newman.
• Weibring Golf Club: Illinois State University's course in Normal, opened in 1964 and renovated by D.A. Weibring in 2000. 6,915 yards, par 71. It hosts an annual U.S. Amateur qualifier and the IHSA Class 2A boys state finals, and it's open to the public, with about 30,000 rounds a year.

Why tee times in Peoria & Central Illinois are hard to get

The season in Peoria & Central Illinois runs roughly from spring to late fall. The first warm weekends in spring and the cool, dry weekends of fall are the hardest to book.

Each course releases its tee times on its own schedule, commonly a week or two out, with residents of town and county courses often booking first. Leagues, outings and members claim chunks of the sheet in advance, and whatever prime weekend times are left tend to go on release day.

When tee time cancellations happen

Booked-up doesn't mean gone. Plans change: groups cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline (often 24 to 48 hours out), players drop when the forecast turns, and a group that shrinks leaves an open spot. Those times quietly come back on the booking page, usually for minutes, not hours.

How to get a tee time in Peoria & Central Illinois

Doing it by hand? Here's what works.

1. Know the booking window. Find out how many days ahead each course releases times, and whether residents get an earlier window. Be ready the morning it opens.
2. Look again 24 to 48 hours out. That's when most cancellation deadlines pass and spots come back.
3. Be flexible on group size. Singles and twosomes fit into gaps a foursome can't.
4. Try twilight and weekday afternoons. They're the last to fill and often cheaper.
5. Keep a quicker course in your back pocket. Nine-hole and executive courses are easier to get on and play faster. Around here that includes K's Creek Golf Club.

Read the full guide to getting a tee time when everything's booked