Chicago Green Fees Rise in 2025, Driven by Premium Course Hikes and New Cart Tax

An exclusive GolfScout analysis of 200+ Chicago-area golf courses reveals dramatic shifts in 2025 pricing

Published July 27, 2025
By Staff Report

CHICAGO - The Chicago golf landscape saw significant pricing upheaval in 2025, with course fees swinging from double-digit decreases to jaw-dropping increases of nearly 40%. After manually collecting peak pricing data from over 200 courses in our database, clear patterns emerge that tell the story of an industry grappling with everything from poor course conditions to ambitious renovations and new state tax policies.

To see the complete list of Chicagoland green fee prices, visit the sortable Golf Cource Price Tracker.

The Big Picture: A Mixed Bag

Of the courses with complete 2024-2025 data, pricing changes ranged from a 14.3% decrease to a staggering 37.5% increase. However, over 33 courses held their prices steady with no change from 2024 to 2025, suggesting many operators are taking a wait-and-see approach in an uncertain market. Furthermore, another 33 courses raised prices only notionally with up to a 3% boost.

The average price for all courses in 2024 was $67, and in 2025 that figure rose to $71. The average price increase across all courses was modest at around 6%, which outpaced inflation. But this figure masks the dramatic swings at some individual facilities.

When Poor Conditions Meet Market Reality

Calumet Country Club led the price-cutting parade with a dramatic 14.3% decrease, dropping peak fees from $77 to $66. This once-private Donald Ross-designed course has struggled with conditioning issues and lack of investment; the price reduction appears to be management's acknowledgment that golfers won't pay premium prices for substandard conditions. The property developer that owns the land has other plans for the real estate here.

Close behind, Ruffled Feathers slashed prices by 13.4%, from $127 to $110. Once considered a premier Chicago-area facility, Ruffled Feathers has faced persistent criticism over deteriorating bunkers, poor overall maintenance, and mixed priorities as a venue. The significant price cut signals an attempt to rebuild its customer base.

Settler's Hill rounds out the top three price decreases at 10.1%, dropping from $79 to $71. Despite recent renovation efforts, golfers continue to complain about scruffy fairways, rough greens, and poorly maintained bunkers. The price reduction suggests the course understands the reality of the rebuild that supply and demand were not in line. A new management company, Landscapes Golf, hopes to address these concerns.

The Renovation Premium: Big Investments, Bigger Price Tags

On the opposite end of the spectrum, courses that invested heavily in renovations are commanding premium prices, sometimes with dramatic results.

Canal Shores (now officially known as The Evans represents the most extreme example of renovation pricing. After being closed for much of 2023 and 2024 for an extensive renovation, the course reopened with peak fees jumping from $48 in 2023 to $79 in 2025, a massive increase that reflects both the investment made, high anticipated demand, and the facility's improved product.

Winnetka Golf Club followed a similar path, closing for 19 months in 2023 and 2024 for a huge renovation and emerging with peak fees rising from $74 in 2023 to $99 in 2025. Both courses are betting that golfers will pay significantly more for improved conditions and amenities.

The LIV Effect: Tournament Prestige Comes at a Price

Bolingbrook Golf Club posted the single largest price increase among continuously operating courses, jumping 37.5% from $120 to $165. This dramatic hike appears directly tied to the course's hosting of the LIV Golf Chicago tournament, which featured superstars like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. Management is clearly banking on the perceived prestige and media attention from hosting a major professional event to justify the premium pricing.

The Illinois Cart Tax Impact

A new wrinkle affecting 2025 pricing is Illinois's implementation of an 8.5% sales tax on golf cart rentals, effective January 1, 2025. This tax on cart rentals, pull carts, and club rentals has created additional complexity in pricing structures across the region.

Many courses have passed this cost directly to consumers, though the implementation varies widely. Some courses have absorbed the cost, others have raised cart fees specifically, and still others have built the anticipated tax impact into their overall green fee structure. This inconsistency makes direct price comparisons more challenging and may explain some of the modest increases seen across multiple facilities.

The tax particularly impacts weekend morning golfers, as many courses require cart usage during peak times regardless of a player's preference to walk.

Premium Courses Hold Steady

Interestingly, many of the region's most expensive courses showed durable price stability. Cog Hill's Dubsdread maintained its $204 peak fee, while The Glen Club increased only marginally from $219 to $220. This suggests that truly premium facilities with strong reputations have pricing power that allows them to avoid the dramatic swings seen elsewhere in the market.

The Dynamic Pricing Challenge

The complexity of modern golf pricing cannot be overstated. Dynamic pricing systems, similar to airline seat pricing, mean that the cost of a Saturday morning round can vary dramatically based on the time of day, day of the week, when you book, the weather, and other demand patterns. This system makes it increasingly difficult for golfers to budget and compare courses effectively, let alone gather consistent pricing data across all Chicagoland courses. Dynamic pricing isn’t new, but it has become far more widespread.

Our methodology focused on capturing true "peak pricing", the highest price a course charges for its most desirable times. In most cases, this means Saturday morning tee times booked with a few days advance notice. However, the dynamic nature of these systems means actual prices paid are likely to vary significantly from our peak price data. Such is the reality of the modern golf course economy. As always, the lowest green fees are going to be early and mid-week in off-peak hours. Twilight golf can be your friend too.

Looking Ahead: Market Correction or New Normal?

The 2025 pricing data reveals a golf market in transition. Courses with quality issues are being forced to compete on price, while those investing in improvements are betting golfers will pay premiums for better experiences.

The spread in pricing changes, from -14.3% to +37.5%, suggests the market is still finding equilibrium in the post-pandemic golf landscape. Courses that fail to maintain quality standards face pricing pressure, while those that successfully differentiate themselves through renovations, tournament hosting, or exceptional maintenance can command premium rates.

For Chicago-area golfers, this creates both opportunities and challenges. Bargain hunters can find significant value at courses that have cut prices, though they should be prepared for potentially subpar conditions. Meanwhile, those seeking premium experiences will face steeper price tags but potentially better overall value through improved facilities and services.

Methodology Note

This analysis represents the third year of comprehensive pricing data collection across 211 Chicago-area courses in the GolfScout database. Pricing data was collected manually through course websites and direct contact, focusing on peak weekend morning pricing. Dynamic pricing systems and the new Illinois cart tax created additional complexity in data collection, and some price variations may reflect differences in how courses present their pricing structures rather than actual changes in the cost to play.

For a complete list of Chicago-area public course green fees, visit the sortable Golf Cource Price Tracker.