Marion, Illinois · Southern Illinois

Kokopelli Golf Club

Steve Smyers built it in 1996 on an old coal strip mine. The par-3 5th drops 40 feet to a green framed by the old quarry lake.

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About Kokopelli Golf Club

Steve Smyers laid Kokopelli out on a 210-acre former coal strip mine, and it opened in 1996. The ground heaves and falls, and a ravine grabs loose shots on a number of holes. Smyers doesn't like water unless the land put it there, so the original routing had none except the old quarry lake. It's a par 71 on latitude Bermuda from tee to green, 7,003 yards from the Black tees (74.4 rating, 134 slope) and 4,969 from the Reds, with six sets to choose from.

The quarry lake is the reason people remember the 5th. The club calls it The Signature: a short par 3 modeled in reverse on the 12th at Augusta, with a pot bunker in front and two bunkers behind, and a green that sits 40 feet below the tees with water in front, to the left and around part of the back. The 4th asks for a blind tee shot over part of the canal from the back tees. The 15th runs 470 yards from the tips, uphill and almost always into the wind, and the 16th, Top of the World, puts the tee above the whole property.

Ownership has changed hands several times, once to a group that included Smyers. The current owners, Rodney Cabaness and Shad Zimbro, have two holes named for them (the 4th is Cabaness Cavern, the 12th The Zimbro). A 2022 Midwestern Golf piece described their overhaul: bunkers trimmed to 76 and rebuilt with the Billy Bunker System, tees stretched on several holes, GPS carts with Bluetooth, and a simulator suite. The Turn restaurant and lounge is in the clubhouse, and Marion sits far enough south that most winters allow some golf now and then all year.

It's one of 2 courses in Marion on Yoink, and the closest alternative is Lake of Egypt Golf & Social Club, about 8 miles away — handy when your first choice is booked solid.

Booking a tee time at Kokopelli Golf Club

The club's site doesn't post a booking window or green fees. Call the pro shop at 618-997-5656 for times and rates.

How to get a tee time at Kokopelli Golf Club

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Golf courses near Kokopelli Golf Club

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Kokopelli Golf Club FAQ

Where is Kokopelli Golf Club?

Kokopelli Golf Club is in Marion, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois area — about 8 miles from Lake of Egypt Golf & Social Club.

How do I get a tee time at Kokopelli Golf Club when it's booked up?

Set a watch for Kokopelli Golf Club in Yoink with your date, time window and group size. Yoink monitors the course's tee sheet and alerts you the moment a matching time opens, including cancellations. You book directly with the course.

What golf courses are near Kokopelli Golf Club?

Nearby options include Lake of Egypt Golf & Social Club, Crab Orchard Golf Club and Franklin County Country Club. Yoink watches 10 courses in the Southern Illinois area.

Sources

Facts on this page come from these pages, checked 2026-09-28. Rates and booking rules change, so confirm with the course.

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