Conway Farms Golf Club

The verdict

Conway Farms is one of the most respected private clubs on Chicago's North Shore, a Tom Fazio design from 1991 set on rolling prairie land in Lake Forest. Where many of the area's classic clubs are tree lined and traditional, Fazio leaned into the open ground here, shaping fescue framed corridors, deep bunkering and firm running turf that reward a player who can flight the ball and use the contours. It plays as a par 71 of about 7,233 yards from the championship tees.

What lifted Conway Farms onto the national map was the BMW Championship, the FedEx Cup playoff event the club hosted in 2013, 2015 and 2017, drawing the strongest fields in the game to the Chicago suburbs. For the traveling golfer it is a private members club rather than a public round, reached through a member or an arranged visit, but it rewards the effort with championship conditioning, a thoughtful Fazio routing and a genuine sense of links inspired golf an hour from downtown Chicago.

The holes worth the trip

Conway Farms plays with the openness of links land rather than the enclosure of a wooded parkland. Fastidiously bunkered and framed with native fescue, the corridors are generous off the tee but ask precise second shots into greens defended by closely mown run offs and subtle internal contour. The wind that sweeps the prairie is a constant partner, and the firm turf lets the strong player run the ball or forces the timid to think twice.

The greens are the defense, large but sectioned, so a long iron to the wrong tier leaves an awkward two putt or a deft chip from a collection area. Fazio routed the par 5s to tempt the long hitter while guarding the lay up, and the par 3s vary in length and angle so no two demand the same shot. When the BMW Championship was in town, the setup grew teeth without losing its fairness, the mark of a course built to flex for elite play.

Above all Conway Farms feels like a modern classic, a course that wears its tournament pedigree lightly and plays as a satisfying members test the rest of the year. Visitors remember the scale of the property, the quality of the turf and the way the open ground gives the round a rhythm closer to seaside golf than to the tree lined clubs nearby.

Where to stay nearby

Most visitors base themselves in downtown Chicago, about 45 minutes south, where the full range of luxury hotels, restaurants and the attractions of one of America's great cities make a rewarding base for a golf trip. A city base also keeps the other great Chicago area courses within reach for a multi day itinerary.

Closer to the club, the North Shore towns of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Highland Park offer refined hotels and inns for golfers who want to be near the first tee for an early round. It is an ideal region to build a Chicago golf pilgrimage around, pairing Conway Farms with the other great courses of the area. We can build the lodging and the routing around the round you want to play.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Chicago and the North Shore.