Wisconsin

Chicago Golf Courses & Tee Times in Wisconsin

Chicago's public golf goes back to the 1890s. Jackson Park opened as nine holes on May 11, 1899, and is called the first municipal course west of the Alleghenies. It reopened on June 26, 2026, all 18 holes renovated. Cog Hill was bought in 1951 by Joe Jemsek, who became known for making golf accessible to the masses. Its Dubsdread layout, a 1964 Dick Wilson and Joe Lee design, hosted the Western Open for 16 straight years through 2006 and then the BMW Championship from 2009 to 2011. The CDGA, formed in 1914, now counts more than 119,000 members.

Can't get a tee time in Chicago? Yoink watches 5 public courses, from Bristol, Racine, Genoa City, Twin Lakes and Delavan. Pick your courses, set the day and time you want, and get a notification when a tee time opens, cancellations included.

The longest layout here is Ives Grove Golf Links at 6,985 yards; there is one nine-hole course.

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Who runs public golf in Chicago

Two big public systems cover the city and inner suburbs. The Chicago Park District runs Jackson Park, the only 18, plus five nines: Columbus Park, Marquette Park, Robert A. Black, South Shore and Sydney R. Marovitz on the lakefront. Chicago residents pay less at all of them, and kids 17 and under play free with a paying adult. The Forest Preserves of Cook County run eleven courses under the Forest Preserve Golf name, including George W. Dunne National in Oak Forest, Highland Woods, Chick Evans and Joe Louis. Their FPG Card costs $41 for Cook County residents and $51 for everyone else. Indigo manages both systems, according to the official sites. Beyond Cook County, suburban park districts and privately owned daily-fee courses such as Cog Hill and Harborside fill in the rest.

Public courses worth knowing in Chicago

Booking tee times in Chicago: the local rules

Park District tee times book online at cpdgolf.com with no booking fee when you book direct. Teens 13 to 17 without an adult can walk on free weekdays 11am to 3pm and after 4pm on weekends; they cannot reserve. Forest Preserve Golf posts its lowest rates online, and walk-up or phone bookings cost more. Its 2026 Season Pass, $79.99 a month at Highland Woods and George Dunne, adds 7-day advance booking from April 1 to October 31.

Yoink

The window opens once. Cancellations happen all week.

Booking windows decide who gets first pick. After that, times come back one at a time as plans change. Yoink watches all 5 courses in Chicago and tells you when a time that fits comes back, so you're not refreshing the page all week.

Get tee time alertsFree during the beta · You always book direct with the course

5 courses in Chicago

Bristol

Bristol Oaks Golf Club and Banquet Center

18 holes · par 72 · 6,319 yards

Bristol Oaks Golf Club and Banquet Center, an 18-hole regulation course in Bristol, Wisconsin. There are about 128 bunkers out there, well above average, so a good bunker game pays.

Delavan

Washington Park Municipal Golf Course

9 holes · par 35 · 2,618 yards

Par 35, 2,618 yards. A municipal course.

Genoa City

Nippersink Golf Resort

18 holes · par 71 · 6,652 yards

Par 71 and 6,652 yards from the back tees: Nippersink Golf Resort is an 18-hole regulation course in Genoa City, Wisconsin.

Racine

Ives Grove Golf Links

18 holes · par 72 · 6,985 yards

Par 72 and 6,985 yards from the back tees: Ives Grove Golf Links is an 18-hole regulation course in Racine, Wisconsin.

Twin Lakes

Twin Lakes Country Club

18 holes · par 71 · 6,217 yards

Par 71 and 6,217 yards from the back tees: Twin Lakes Country Club is an 18-hole regulation course in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin.

Why tee times in Chicago are hard to get

Golfers in Chicago get maybe six months of good weather, and they all want the same weekend mornings. Demand bunches up from May to September.

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

A full tee sheet rarely stays full. Many courses let you cancel without a fee up to 24 or 48 hours before your time, so spots tend to reappear in the last couple of days. A bad forecast shakes more loose, and a foursome that drops to three opens a single. None of it is announced. The time just shows up again on the booking page, and whoever looks first gets it.

How to get a tee time in Chicago

Yoink

Watch all 5 courses in Chicago. Hear the moment one opens.

Yoink watches all 5 courses in Chicago for you. The open tee times sit in one place instead of a dozen booking pages, and your phone buzzes the moment one fits your day, time window and group, cancellations included.

Get tee time alertsFree during the beta · You always book direct with the course

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 Washington Park Municipal Golf Course.

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

Tee times in Chicago: questions

How do I get notified when a tee time opens up in Chicago?

Set a watch in Yoink for the courses you want, the days you can play, a time window and the number of players. Yoink checks those tee sheets every few minutes and sends a notification as soon as a matching time appears, cancellations included. You book it directly with the course.

When do tee time cancellations usually show up?

Mostly in the 24 to 48 hours before the tee time, as golfers cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline, and whenever the weather forecast changes. They appear without notice and tend to be rebooked quickly.

How far in advance can you book a tee time in Chicago?

It depends on the course. Many public courses open bookings 7 to 14 days ahead, and town or county courses often give residents an earlier window. Each course's own booking page has its policy.

When is golf busiest in Chicago?

Demand is highest from late spring through early fall. Weekend mornings are always the hardest tee times to get.

Which courses in Chicago are quickest to play?

Nine-hole and executive courses such as Washington Park Municipal Golf Course take less time and are usually easier to book.

Does Yoink book the tee time for me?

No. Yoink tells you when a time opens; you book it with the course on its own booking page, at the course's price, with no extra fee.

More golf in Wisconsin

Just across the state line

Markets with courses within 25 miles of a course here.

Sources

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

Tee times in Chicago, without the refreshing

Watch as many courses as you like. When a time opens that fits your day, window and group, Yoink tells you first.

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