Golf Trips at Starved Rock
Four private treehouses, twelve courses within an easy drive, and a fire pit waiting when the round is over.
Why Golfers Base Their Trip Here
- A treehouse per foursome. Each of the four treehouses sleeps up to eight, so a group of sixteen gets two houses and a group of thirty-two takes the whole property. Nobody is sharing a hotel room with a guy who snores.
- The whole place is yours. All four treehouses sit on the same private 26 acres, the farthest two about 300 feet apart. Walk between them, not drive.
- Golf here costs a fraction of Chicagoland. The courses in the Illinois Valley are genuinely good and genuinely cheap. You can play three rounds down here for what one tee time runs closer to the city.
- Ninety minutes from Chicago. Leave after work Thursday, tee off Friday morning.
- The nineteenth hole is a bonfire. Every treehouse has a full kitchen, a gas grill, a fire pit on the ground, and a multi-level deck twenty feet up in the trees. Bring steaks and a cooler and you never have to leave.
- Rain doesn't kill the trip. A 65" smart TV in every treehouse, a golf simulator fifteen minutes away, and a state park at the bottom of the steps.
The Scorecard
Every course below, sorted by drive time from the treehouses. Ratings are current Google review scores.
Tap any course name to jump straight to its details.
| Course | Holes | Rating | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Park Golf Club | 18 | 4.5 ★ | ~10 min |
| Senica's Oak Ridge | 18 | 4.5 ★ | ~12 min |
| Pine Hills Golf Club | 9 | 4.5 ★ | ~12 min |
| Dayton Ridge Golf Club | 18 | 3.8 ★ | ~15 min |
| Bunkers! (indoor simulator) | sim | 4.8 ★ | ~15 min |
| Spring Creek Golf Course | 18 | 4.5 ★ | ~20 min |
| The Eastwood Golf Course | 9 | 4.3 ★ | ~25 min |
| The Lakes Golf Course & Inn | 9 | 4.2 ★ | ~25 min |
| The Bourne Golf Club | 18 | 3.9 ★ | ~25 min |
| Mendota Golf Club | 18 | 4.6 ★ | ~30 min |
| Nettle Creek Country Club | 18 | 4.4 ★ | ~30 min |
| Heritage Bluffs Golf Club | 18 | 4.4 ★ | ~45 min |
The Closest Four
All within a fifteen-minute drive. Most groups build the weekend around these and never go farther.
Deer Park Golf Club — the closest 18
Senica's Oak Ridge Golf Club — the toughest test
Pine Hills Golf Club — the arrival-day nine
Dayton Ridge Golf Club — the cheap eighteen
Worth the Drive
Groups staying three nights or more usually work one or two of these in. All are under an hour.
Spring Creek Golf Course — 18 holes · Spring Valley · ~20 min
Mendota Golf Club — 18 holes · Mendota · ~30 min
Heritage Bluffs Golf Club — 18 holes · Channahon · ~45 min
Nettle Creek Country Club — 18 holes · Morris · ~30 min
The Bourne Golf Club — 18 holes · Marseilles · ~25 min
The Eastwood Golf Course — 9 holes · Streator · ~25 min
The Lakes Golf Course & Inn — 9 holes · Marseilles · ~25 min
The Rain Plan
Bunkers! — indoor simulators · Peru · ~15 min
A Sample Three-Night Trip
This is what most golf groups end up doing. Thursday in, Sunday out, three rounds and no rushing.
Thursday — Arrive & Nine
- Check in at 4pm. Keypad locks, so no one waits on a front desk.
- Nine holes at Pine Hills — open until 8pm, twelve minutes away.
- Grill on the deck, bonfire on the ground, settle the bets.
Friday — The Big Round
- Coffee on the deck twenty feet up in the trees. Beans are supplied.
- Morning eighteen at Senica's Oak Ridge or Deer Park.
- Lunch at the clubhouse, afternoon free.
- Dinner in Utica or Ottawa — see the Things to Do & Eat guide.
Saturday — Drive for One
- Make the trip to Heritage Bluffs or Mendota for the best round of the weekend.
- Back by late afternoon. Steaks, fire, and the bluff lit up after dark.
Sunday — Out
- Quick nine at Dayton Ridge for anyone who wants it, or a walk into Starved Rock over the private footbridge.
- Check out at 11am. Chicago by early afternoon.
If Not Everyone Golfs
Plenty of groups are half golfers and half not. The people who stay behind are not stuck in a hotel lobby.
- Starved Rock State Park — trails start at the treehouse steps, and there's a private footbridge from the property straight into the park.
- Kayaks and hydrobikes — launched from the creekside dock on site. Rental details here.
- Wineries, breweries, and the Sainte Genevieve riverboat — all within twenty minutes. See the full guide.
- Or nothing at all — screened porch, 65" TV, games and puzzles, and a deck in the canopy.
Golf Trip FAQ
How many golfers can you fit?
Thirty-two. Each treehouse sleeps up to eight in two king beds, a queen, and a full sofa bed, across two enclosed bedrooms plus a loft. Four treehouses, four foursomes each, all on the same private 26 acres.
Do we have to book all four?
No. Book one for a foursome, two for eight to sixteen, or the whole property. Use the Group Stays page to send us dates and a headcount and we'll sort out which combination fits.
How far apart are the treehouses?
Close enough to walk between all of them. The nearest pair sits about 100 feet apart, the farthest about 300. Everyone stays together without being on top of each other.
When is the best time for a golf trip here?
May through June and September through mid-October are the sweet spots — good conditions, comfortable temperatures, and in October the fall color on courses like The Bourne is genuinely worth the trip on its own. July and August play fine but get hot and can dry the greens out. Winter groups use the simulator in Peru.
Do you book our tee times?
We're happy to point you at the right course for your group and tell you which ones book up fastest, but you'll want to call the courses directly — most take reservations by phone, and Deer Park and Senica's also list on GolfNow. Text us and we'll help you plan the rotation.
Can we cook and grill for the group?
Yes, and most groups do. Every treehouse has a full kitchen with a stove, oven, microwave, and everything you need to cook, plus a gas grill and a bonfire pit outside. There's a grocery run's worth of options in Ottawa and Utica ten minutes out.
Can we get firewood?
Yes, and it's self-serve. Grab what you need on site and pay for it there, or pre-order ahead through the firewood page if you'd rather have it sorted before you arrive. We don't deliver bundles to the treehouses.
What are check-in and check-out?
Check-in is in the afternoon and check-out is in the morning, and entry is by keypad code, so early tee times and late finishes aren't a problem. Note that we don't run check-ins or check-outs on Saturdays — most golf groups come in Thursday or Sunday, which works out well anyway since the courses are quieter midweek.
Can we do a one- or two-night trip?
Single nights are available midweek, and two-night stays are common. Longer weekends give you room for the courses worth driving to.
How far is it from Chicago?
About ninety minutes from the city, straight down I-80. We're at 1208 IL-71 in Ottawa, on the south side of the river next to Starved Rock State Park.
Is there cell service and WiFi?
Strong on both. You can check the leaderboard and your work email, however you want to spend the weekend.
Ready to plan the trip?
Send us your dates and headcount and we'll match you to the right treehouses.
Plan a Group Golf Trip See Open Dates