Course Details
- Course Type: Public
- Architect: Unknown (1940)
- Par: 70
- Yardage: 5,891
- Rating: 68.1
- Slope: 121
Course Score
- Course Conditions: 3
- Green Complexes: 5
- Amenities: 3
- Practice Facilities: 3
- Service: 3
- Course Design: 4
- Value: 5
Total Score: 3.77
Course Review
The Good: Brae Loch is a sporty Lake County Forest Preserve managed muni that has some interesting short Par-4’s and back-to-back demonic Par-5’s on the front nine. Nice variety in the Par-3 lengths. While the course is certainly no Taj Mahal of greater Chicago, it does have decent greens and an excellent pace of play for a weekday afternoon round. No driving range, but a nice short game area right off the 16th green. Good value at under $40 during peak season.
The Bad: Course conditions overall have been ravaged by a dry summer, with many of the fairways pretty barren. This could definitely be an interesting course with a few trees taken down. On-course service and amenities were severely lacking, but this tends to be the case with many low-budget courses in the Covid-19 era. Staff didn’t appear to be too excited to be at work that day. No driving range is a bummer.
The Verdict: Brae Loch is another example of “you get what you pay for”, but it has the potential to be a very fun, quirky course with the right amount of TLC and expectations. It’s a good course to gain some confidence and work on your short iron play.
Best Hole: The 7th is the second of back-to-back Par-5’s on the front with a semi-blind tee shot to an tight, uphill fairway and then an approach that must be cut around trees to a “peninsula” style green cut into wetlands.
Midwest Golf Tripper 