What are the best public-access golf courses in the state of Illinois?

Trying to narrow the nearly 300 Illinois public-access golf courses into a top 15 is daunting, but that’s just what Golfweek, part of the USA TODAY Network just like the Journal Star, has been doing for many years.

Golfweek earlier this month revealed its full state-by-state rankings for public-access golf courses, and Illinois’ top courses were distilled into the 15 best. The top spot is held by Dubsdread — No. 4 course at Cog Hill Golf Club in Lemont. No. 2 is TPC Deere Run in Silvis, while The Glen Club in Glenview sits at No. 3.

How do the rankings come to pass? Golfweek uses hundreds of course raters to analyze 10 different criteria on a scale of 1-10 at each place to produce an average course rating. Those categories include routing, conditioning, greens, and memorability and variety of golf holes. Raters also file a single, overall rating on each course, which are averaged to produce all of Golfweek’s Best course rankings.

To qualify, a course must allow public play in some fashion. “If there’s a will, there’s a tee time — no membership required,” Golfweek’s creative director and travel editor Jason Lusk writes.

Here is Golfweek’s top 15 ranking for Illinois public-access golf courses as of 2025:

• 1. Cog Hill GC: No. 4 – Dubsdread, Lemont
• 2. TPC Deere Run, Silvis
• 3. The Glen Club, Glenview
• 4. Mistwood, Romeoville
• 5. Stonewall Orchard, Grayslake
• 6. Highlands of Elgin, Elgin
• 7. Eagle Ridge: The General, Galena
• 8. Preserve at Oak Meadows, Addison
• T9. Thunderhawk, Beach Park
• T9. Harborside International: Starboard, Chicago
• 11. Ravisloe, Homewood
• 12. Cantigny, Wheaton
• 13. Annbriar, Waterloo
• 14. Shepherd’s Crook, Zion
• 15. Eagle Ridge: North, Galena

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Find the rest of Golfweek’s state-by-state rankings, and check back for more rankings in June.

CHICAGO (WLS) — Childcare has become one of the biggest line items in a family’s budget, with its costs growing faster than any other household expense in recent decades. But for many Illinois parents, that cost comes with little to no help from state programs, meant to ease the burden.

The Child Care Assistance Program, also known as CCAP, is the largest government childcare subsidy. It significantly reduces monthly costs for families, and it can be an essential source of income for childcare businesses, particularly in Cook County. However, it doesn’t provide enough relief for many families and providers, an Illinois Answers Project investigation found.

While Illinois infuses hundreds of millions of dollars a year into childcare programs, strict eligibility requirements and limitations exclude tens of thousands of families. The issue – forcing many families to make difficult life, financial and career decisions.

To read the full investigation by the Illinois Answers Project, visit illinoisanswers.org.