Thunderhawk Golf Club

$66 (cart included), played on Friday, June 2021 at 1:30 PM

Had some free time when driving through this area, so decided to give a shot at this 1999 Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout. Yardage is not a problem here (5 tees) with the Blacks at 7,031 / 74.2 / 141 down to the Auburn at 5,048 / 69.6 / 125 on this mixed Links rolling and wooded Par 36/36 layout. Many of the holes have forced carries (150-190) and slight doglegs that require 200-230 yds to get clear shot to the green. Swamps, heather, trees border almost all of the fairways so stay clean or bring extra balls. The fairway/greenside sand traps have been fluffed and play very fair without any steep fronts. The undulating greens were holding all incoming shots and yet they still putted true and fast at 9-10. Surprisingly, the carts didn't have any GPS or Hole layout on the score cards. I guess for the $70 18/cart they figure everyone has a course APP or has played here before. (Not Me) Getting paired up with local "Flat Bellies" Trevor/Travis that played from the Brass tees 6,631 / 72.4 / 137 had me struggling to hit the corners as their 250-275yd drives were 50-75yds past mine. Looking back, those Hybrid tees at 6,361 / 71.2 / 134 would have been better for my level of tee shot as the Par 4's were all under 400 yards. Almost every hole you can see how to play it from the tee box with only a few swamp crossings in front of the greens. Front 9 holes that stand out are #4 a 424yd Par 4 Hcp 3 and #9 a 452yd Par 4 Hcp 1 that needs a 230yd drive to see the green. The Back 9 seems a little more tighter on those tee shots and not seeing the full fairway landing areas from the tee box. The #14 is a tight Par 4 LH dogleg at 363yds that needs a 200-230 yd shot to see the elevated green. Finishing up on #18 a 600yd Par 5 Hcp 6 that has the last 100yds all water will have you thinking about that 3rd shot if your first two were a little short. Course conditions were very good today from tee to green BUT for the six (6) hours to complete our round. There were three (3) foursomes of older (than me) men playing from the Brass tees that should have used the Silver (6,124/70.1/131) tee instead. To make matters worst, we had four (4) groups on the #10 hole with a 30minute gap in front of the group on the green. The ranger said he told the lead group to "Pick up the Pace", where he should have said, "Start on #11 or #12". Great track and worth the stop, as long as you're not in a hurry.

(cart included), played on Wednesday, October 2015 at 9:00 AM

Played this course twice toward end of the season. Beautiful layout and very nice condition. Challenging but not overly difficult.

$71 (cart included), played on Monday, September 2014 at noon

Challenging course in general, even taking into account the shorter than average length from the women's tees. The layout, the nature, the changing landscape and the challenge are definitely worth the drive and the price even if you only make it once or twice per season.

$76 (cart included), played on Sunday, June 2014 at 8am

Greens were a little scared from the ice this winter.

$71 (cart included), played on Thursday, September 2011 at noon

This is the best course in Lake County Illinois. Covers so much area, you rarely see another fairway or green. Mix of swamp, water, prairie grasses and bunkers create the challenge. Maintained in impeccable condition.

$56 (cart included), played on Saturday, August 2011 at 4pm

I'm in the Waukegan area on a project for last 1-1/2 years. Nice place, great ambiance, never crowded in my three visits. Play 18 challenging holes in 3-1/2 hours on a late summer afternoon.

$56 (cart included), played on Thursday, August 2011 at 10am

Love this course. Big fairways and greens and in great shape. A real challange and fun to play. Beautiful layout and no homes along any holes. In my opinion this is the best course in the area and a top 5 in Chicagoland.

$46 (cart included), played on Tuesday, May 2011 at 10am

RTJ Jr. got this one right. This is a beautiful "Parkland" layout that is a treat for the sore eyes and ears of the city dweller. As is typical of Robert Trent Jones Jr., all the trouble is in plain sight right in front of you. He dares you to fly the bunker on the left, to cut the dogleg, or hit driver on the short par 4 eighth. After playing the course many times, one comes to understand that the gorgeous, wide open fairways are cunningly designed to give golfers of every ability level and handicap a target. And don't be mislead by the large and inviting landing areas - this is a target course. Without question, this is my favorite course in the area. It's expensive, but intensely beautiful.

$26 (cart not included), played on Wednesday, September 2009 at 2pm

$76 (cart included), played on Wednesday, August 2009 at 10am