South Shore Golf Course

Great little CPD course on the water towards the south side of town. The holes can play a bit long but nothing to crazy. Considering I just played yesterday, I heard the course fairways were more wide open because of the foliage not growing back yet. If your one to slice the ball though, be careful as many of the holes parallel the main street and you don’t want to put your ball through someones windshield.
This course is 10x better then Columbus Park, the only other CPD course I have played so far. Looking forward to trying the others this summer.

I’m a big fan of our Chicago Park District courses, and South Shore is one of my favorites. It really is a gem.
The course is kept in very good condition, so kudos to the management and staff on that. It’s an attractive, tidy, perfectly playable course. The views of the lake from Hole 6 are magnificent.
I’m a mid-​high handicapper, so I consider it a reasonably challenging course. Two of the Par 4’s are over 400 yards, so you need a very solid drive and a long, accurate fairway shot to get on the green in 2. The fairways can get skinny as well, so you can’t just blast away off the tees (especially on Hole 3… don’t slice that one!).
Also, as other reviewers mentioned, South Shore usually isn’t crowded, so you can usually get a walk-​on, and the pace is typically good (unless you get stuck behind some old-​timers, but I’ll give them a break). One Saturday morning I tried to get a walk-​on at Jackson Park, but it was wall-​to-​wall. I walk over to South Shore, and it was wide open. Sign me up.
As a bonus, South Shore has a putting and chipping practice area, and it’s all real grass. Personally I think practicing your short game off driving range mats is a waste of time, so take advantage while you’re down here.
Overall this is a great 9 hole course, at a very affordable price, so take advantage.

As a newb to Chicago I’ve started exploring the golf this city has to offer.
South Shore was my first round, and I was very impressed with the course, especially considering it’s a public course.
The challenge the course brings is perfect for a bogey golfer like myself, as I was able to sink some medium putts for pars.
The course is well kept with a medium dose of trees and sand. The only water is the lake and is WAY out of play, yet offers fantastic beauty to add eye pleasure to your round.
I look forward to returning here after I do more exploring!

Big fan of this course. It’s not long but there are some tight holes which make for a great challenge off the tee. You might want to utilize your hybrid on a few of the tight driving holes, you know, for extra accuracy. Not me though because I’m still going to hit the driver and smash it down the middle like an absolute savage.
Also, greens are not to bad here. I’m regularly knocking down putts from literally any spot on the green.

At one time, South Shore Country Club, with its historic landmark buildings with a grand ballroom, tennis courts, horse stables, private beach and a 9-​hole golf. could exemplify a scene straight out of the Great Gatsby novel.
Sadly, how times changed… this magnificent structure with its illustrious architecture was once the cats meow of entertainment has slowly reduced to a shell of its former glory. I def recommend for all you history buffs to walk the grounds. There are plenty of visuals intact for you to imagine this period of excess and affluence. Today, it’s a cultural center… of what I’m not sure but I guess the location, location, location adage comes to mind. If only our Chicago President could revive this National Register of Historic Places.
So, whenever I get a chance to come here that’s what I see as I walk the up and down the links. Not to mention the breathtaking Lake Michigan views on the 6 – 7 holes. Those two holes makes it worth the trip every time. Sure the fairways can be cleaner and the greens could use some improvement but where can you see history, views and an era of Old chicago for under $ 15.
If this place can’t get you to pick up golf…

Friendly staff, unbeatable views, beautiful and historic clubhouse… all for less than $ 15. It’s usually not too crowded, either, which makes it more attractive than Marovitz on the north side, at least to me.
Despite what other reviews say, the course is actually in pretty good shape for a municipal, city-​run facility 10 minutes from downtown. And don’t let the shortness of the course fool you– it can be very tricky, and extremely narrow! Can’t beat the views on #2, 6, 7, or behind the cultural center.
It’s also nice to see The First Tee of Greater Chicago hosting programs at South Shore… that’s a great organization!

Great location. Awesome views of Lake Michigan. Friendly staff.
Great price for a quick nine holes.
One major problem, maintenance of greens are poor. Too muddy. Put a bit more money in this course. It could be a gem.

I am not a golf snob, I am not Tiger Woods, I am not the guy who needs to drop $ 100 to enjoy a round of golf. That said, I have played at this course quite a few times and will keep going back. I can assure you that most 2-​star locations immediately drop off my radar, but South Shore is right on par for what I am looking for.
Twilight golf is next to free, you can almost always walk on, and the greens are in fair enough condition that you can legitimately try to make some putts. No– the fairways do not feel like velvet, the sand traps arent groomed like a Hawaiian beach, and the rough is certainly riddled with dandelions and not rough cut sawgrass, but who cares. I paid $ 10 for golf in the city and get to enjoy a bevvie on the course with my buddies. It works, its 2 stars, and I will be back.

I would not recommend this course. The staff is friendly, however, the rules are ridiculous. Each person needs to bring a full set of clubs and a bag, if not, you have to rent (pay for loaner clubs) in order to be allowed to play. Sorry, but I am not going to drag my bag 9 holes when I know I only want to play with 3 – 5 clubs. It is definitely over priced for a poorly maintained course where every hole looks the same.
There are random people walking on the course and people selling water/​drinks. If you do decide to go, do not pay the parking meter because if you pay at the golf course it is only a dollar (they don’t tell you this until you have paid the meter).

My Friend’s Bachelor Party Unilocal Review Part 1:
Let us all remember this is a Muni, or in layman’s terms «the questionably kept golf course you play because it’s cheap and convenient». Any expectations beyond having an actual hole in to hit the golf ball into are foolish pipe dreams.
Larry, the guy in the pro shop (i.e. miniscule, bullet proof place with a few balls and tees) is very cheerful considering what he does all day. However, I could stand to have him ask a little less information and let us play. On other golf courses your driver’s license info isn’t required, but whatever, its South Shore, I guess they need to know where to look if someone steals the pins.
The play is beyond slow, but the course is decently maintained, again considering its city course status. It is challenging at some points, and laughably easy at others, a balance which was good for the players and no-​talent hacks in our group alike. The lakeside location is great, and the grounds are where they filmed the outside scenes of the concert in the Blues Brothers, so you get a little Chicago nostalgia. One knock is the «water hazard» which has been drained and has a giant fake golf ball in the middle. Come on guys, if you are going to be tacky, at least complete the structure.
On an entertaining note, we did manage to supply the neighborhood with a few more golf balls (my slice was heinous that day) to be resold to us later on the 9^th hole by a cheerful local man whose pitch was «Golf Balls, Real Cheap. Experience balls, they know how to get in the hole». Very entertaining, I had to buy at least a few.
It ain’t Cog Hill, but for $ 14 I’ll take it

As a beginner golfer, this was a good 9 hole to play at in the city. Cheap and some occasional nice views. Not my favorite neighborhood to hang around in. They don’t have a place for you to clean your clubs or shoes at afterwards if you want to.

I am new to the game of golf, so imagine my surprise when I was offered not only drugs sold in small zip lock baggies, AND sex, all before the 3^rd hole.
This course on it’s BEST day would be considered tragically dicey. The course itself is horribly maintained. There were needles, trash, empty beer bottles, and various other city excrements on the fairways. The bunkers were more so mud than sand, and the «water hazard» was an old, empty, partially deconstructed fountain with a giant, stone golf ball in the middle of it. I wouldn’t be at all surprise to find that some of this fine city’s homeless inhabitants actually live IN this water hazard.
Unfortunately, you can’t even find peace and quite on this course. The heckling from passers by is constant, and annoying. This course IS in the middle of the city, so I did expect it to be a bit noisier and a little weathered, but I was absolutely stunned by what I saw/​experienced.
The price is right I suppose. Twilight was $ 14, and the cart was $ 8. You get what you pay for. If you’re a serious golfer, or if you’re a horrible golfer trying to become a serious golfer… avoid this place like the plague.
If you have a drug habit, or are into paying for sex, by all means… make a tee time. Larry was super nice and helpful. I’m sure he can assist.

This spot is for the mediocre or beginning golfer. You might even get hit by the occasional ball. Beautiful old country club and grounds. Reasonable and a great way to spend a spring afternoon. No one seems to mind if you bring your own libations either. There are beautiful lake views on the first and second I think as well as 6&7. Love it.

this is a nice 9-​hole golf course on the far SE side. as per public courses, it is not well-​maintained, but I thought the terrain was fairly interesting and the price is right. a few of the holes have a nice view of the lake. beware the people trying to sell you water, found golf balls, etc. I’ll go again, but keep in mind i am a very mediocre golfer not a connoisseur.