Southland Golf: Green Garden Offers 45 Holes, Challenge & Opportunities for Everyone

You won't find many golf facilities that offer as much as Green Garden Country Club in Frankfort.

Green Garden is the home of two 18-hole golf courses, one nine-hole golf course, 30 acres of driving range area, a 10,000 square-foot practice putting green, a special area to practice your short game, a year-round Golf Academy and a unique, climate-controlled Golf Dome where you can work on all aspects of your game.

"It originally started out as just an 18-hole course, but then the McEnerys bought it and there's been a lot of changes in the past 20 to 25 years," said Todd Russell, head golf professional at Green Garden. "They added the 27 holes, the training facility, the Golf Dome and all kinds of upgrades."

Situated on approximately 550 acres of land in a country-like setting, Green Garden is pretty much a golfer's paradise with two differing full courses as well as a unique nine-hole challenge.

The Blue course consists of most of the holes from the original 18-hole course and provides a more traditional style of play. It features mostly tree-lined fairways with a nice mix of water and sand.

"It's more Midwest traditional than the other two courses," Russell said. "Lots of trees and sand."

The Gold course has more water than the Blue course and less trees, but also features ravines and sand.

"It's a mix of new holes and some from the original course," Russell said. "It's probably more open than the Blue, but it has a little more water."

The Emerald course is the newest addition at Green Garden and is most reminiscent of the original courses in Scotland. This links-style course also has some prairie grass, although the least amount of trees of the three courses.

"It's probably the most challenging course here with a lot of long holes and it has an island green," Russell said.

One of the best features of Green Garden is the fact that its three courses present a different look for the golfer. Better yet, all three provide a challenge for the accomplished player as well as the beginner.

"There are three sets of tees, so from the forward to the way back, it can challenge all levels," Russell said. "All levels of play can have a challenge on any of the holes."

While the tranquil setting and clean country air have enticed golfers for many years, being situated in the south part of Frankfort makes Green Garden easily accessible for those in downtown Chicago as well as those residing in the suburbs.

"The location is good and we get a lot of players from the city because we're easy to get to from I-57 and then you've got I-80 and I-355, so it's easy for others to get here," Russell said. "We have people come here to play from all over, as well as a lot of local players."

Green Garden certainly is a busy place. Russell estimates that it hosts more than 100 golf outings annually and between 25-30 leagues. Still, with 45 holes, there's plenty of space available for folks to call the course to schedule a tee time.

What's more, Green Garden can be utilized for its banquet facilities. From weddings and anniversaries to bridal and baby showers, Green Garden can be a memorable place, whether you're shooting for a hole-in-one or celebrating baby-to-be No. 1.

"We've got the tent and can put 300 to 400 people in there," Russell said. "It's really a unique place here with what we can do with banquets and what we can offer with the 45 holes. Not many places can have multiple parties and outings at the same time.

"We're not just unique for the south side, but for the whole Chicagoland area. There just aren't many places that can accommodate as many people as we can."

You can schedule a tee time or inquire about banquets by visiting the Green Garden web site or calling (815) 469-3350. Green Garden is located at 9511 W. Manhattan-Monee Road in Frankfort.

COMING FRIDAY: Log on at 6 a.m. Friday to view a video demonstration of how to play the toughest hole at Green Garden.