Bliss Creek Golf Course

Bliss Creek Golf Course Overview
This short 18-hole course was originally built in 1966, and was called Prestbury Golf Club back then. It was a centerpiece of Prestbury, a planned development community created in the 60’s and 70’s. In the year 2000, a new ownership group took over, rebranded it, and renovated the property. The Open Range Grill restaurant is enclosed inside the large clubhouse.

At 5,632 yards, Bliss Creek is one of the shorter 18-hole courses in Chicagoland. It’s in the same company as Arlington Lakes, Jackson Park, Chick Evans, and Woodruff in Joliet. But distance isn’t everything, and in fact it’s a bonus for tons of golfers -- those that don’t rip 300 yard drives (or even 250 yarders). Even at this length, challenges abound. The word Creek is in the name, so you know water plays a big role. Blackberry Creek runs just south of the course and supplies lots of small ponds and waterways on the property. In addition, the venue is heavily wooded, particularly the back 9. Fairways are consistently around 20-25 yards wide, so the targets are narrow. Par is 70 here, with three par-5’s, and five par-3’s. The longest hole is the 464-yard par-5 9th hole. Adding to the ambiance are the fun rolling hills at the venue. The course rating is 67.7.

The course has a driving range with 15 bays. Credit to the club for putting a big bunker to the left of the range. It’s rare that golfers get to practice fairway bunker shots, but you can do that at Bliss Creek. There’s also a practice green across the street from the range. The aforementioned Open Range Grill takes up most of the clubhouse space and is a full service establishment with a southwestern slant. There’s slot machines in there too. A halfway house for burgers & dogs is located in a separate building closer to the practice green. The pro shop is densely and satisfyingly packed with merch.