Seven Bridges Golf Club

Seven Bridges Golf Club Overview
With a name like Seven Bridges, you know up front there’s gonna be a lot of water involved. And I can confirm there’s truth in advertising -- water is in play on 14 of the 18 holes here, manufacturing a really strenuous test of golf. The East Branch of the DuPage River is the guilty party that supplies the hazards on the course. It runs north-south directly through the heart of this Dick Nugent-designed property.

Seven Bridges is a beautiful course with tricky greens. It’s 7,111 yards from the tips, so it not only challenges you with length, but demands accuracy so your golf ball doesn’t end up in a watery grave. As a result, it’s probably not a surprise to hear it’s one of the toughest public courses in the Chicagoland area. The back tees have a rating of 74.6 and a slope of 144, putting it in the same company as courses like The Glen Club, Mistwood, and Ruffled Feathers. I like the nice touches here, such as the heart-shaped bunkers surrounding the green on the unlovable and very long 9th hole. It’s a 579 yard monster par 5. Luckily for us mortals, you don’t have to play from the back tees; the course has 5 tee boxes to choose from. The shortest men’s tee box has a length of 5,818 yards.

The golf carts at Seven Bridges have GPS, which comes in handy for calculating the convoluted recovery shots I need to play here. Unfortunately there is no driving range at the club. For a course this challenging, it would really aid the overall experience. There are some nets to hit into, however. Two practice greens are available to tune your short game.

Indoor and outdoor dining is available at the restaurant here, called The Dock Bar & Grill. The patio area juts out into the course somewhat and provides nice views of the starting and finishing holes. They’re happy to host your weddings and events here too.