Public Play · Southwest Suburbs
Mistwood Golf ClubRomeoville
Ray Hearn's public course in Romeoville, rebuilt with Scottish-style sod-wall bunkers.
Par
72
Yardage
7,005
Rating · Slope
74.8 · 147
Holes
18
Green Fee
Contact for pricing
The Course
About Mistwood Golf Club
Daily-fee golfers can book Mistwood, a public course in Romeoville in the southwest suburbs. Ray Hearn's design, which he later renovated himself, is known for 20 revetted sod-wall bunkers, Lannon stone walls and fescue, a Scottish look on Illinois ground. There are five tee placements per hole, and from the Silver tees it plays 7,005 yards, rated 74.8 with a 147 slope.
History
Mistwood Golf Club — History
Hearn designed Mistwood in 1996 for a previous owner and had it ready for play in 1998. Jim McWethy took sole ownership in 2003 and in 2011 brought Hearn back for a two-year renovation that added the revetted bunkers and lengthened the course past 7,000 yards; GOLF Magazine named it the Best U.S. Renovation You Can Play in January 2014. It has long hosted the Phil Kosin Illinois Women's Open, played there again in 2025.
Design
Mistwood Golf Club — Design
Hearn told Len Ziehm in 2011 that courses need tweaking every ten years or so as equipment sends the ball farther, and the renovation answered that: repositioned tees and bunkers, fescue grasses, Lannon stone walls along seven holes and 20 revetted pot bunkers, which Golf Course Architecture called rare in American golf. The biggest single change came at the par-5 3rd, rebuilt with a double fairway and a relocated green.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Mistwood Golf Club
Mistwood pairs public access with tournament standing, as the long-time home of the Illinois Women's Open, and with a bunker style, vertical sod walls, that Golf Course Architecture called rare in American golf.
The Round
The Journey at Mistwood Golf Club
I.
The Opening
Two par 4s under 400 yards start the round before the 598-yard 3rd, the longest hole and the one most changed in the renovation: a double fairway sets up a risk-reward choice, and a pond guards the entire right side and three sides of the green. The 425-yard 4th is the longest par 4 on the front, followed by the 395-yard 5th, rated fourth-hardest, and the 391-yard 6th.
II.
The Middle
The 238-yard 7th is the longest par 3, and the 590-yard 8th, the No. 2 handicap, follows it. The 183-yard 9th closes a 3,600-yard front nine that holds two par 3s and two par 5s in its last seven holes. The back opens with the 344-yard 10th, the shortest par 4, then the 434-yard 11th, the longest, and the 387-yard 12th.
III.
The Finish
The 369-yard 13th precedes a demanding run: the 233-yard 14th, then the 583-yard 15th, the No. 1 handicap, and the 362-yard 16th, rated third despite its length. The 166-yard 17th is the shortest par 3, and the round ends on the 527-yard 18th, the shortest of the four par 5s and a closing birdie chance.
How to Play It
Mistwood Golf Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
A 147 slope from the Silver tees is steep, and with five tee placements on every hole there is no reason not to move up. The revetted bunkers are the real penalty, since a vertical sod face can force a sideways escape, so aim away from them. On the 3rd, stay left, away from the pond that runs down the right.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
The back nine is nearly 200 yards shorter than the front and holds the chances: the 344-yard 10th, the short 17th and the 527-yard 18th. The two long par 3s, the 238-yard 7th and the 233-yard 14th, are where bogeys pile up, so play to the fat part of those greens.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The double fairway on the 3rd is the main decision of the round: choose the route that sets up the approach, because the pond wraps three sides of the green. The 8th and 15th, both near 590 yards and the top two handicap holes, are three-shot holes for most players, which makes the 18th the par 5 to attack.
Signature Holes
Mistwood Golf Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Mistwood Golf Club Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 388 | 392 | 598 | 425 | 395 | 391 | 238 | 590 | 183 | 3,600 | 344 | 434 | 387 | 369 | 233 | 583 | 362 | 166 | 527 | 3,405 | 7,005 |
| Handicap | 12 | 8 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 16 | — | 15 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 5 | — | — |
Good to Know
Mistwood Golf Club — questions answered
- How do I book a tee time at Mistwood Golf Club?
- Mistwood Golf Club takes tee-time bookings directly on its own website. Golf in CHI links the course's booking page on this listing.
- Who designed Mistwood Golf Club?
- Mistwood Golf Club was designed by Ray Hearn and opened in 1998.
- What is the par and yardage at Mistwood Golf Club?
- Mistwood Golf Club plays to a par of 72 over 7,005 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 74.8 and a slope of 147.
- Is Mistwood Golf Club public or private?
- Mistwood Golf Club is open to public play. Tee times can be reserved in advance.
- Where is Mistwood Golf Club located?
- Mistwood Golf Club is located at 1700 W. Renwick Road, Romeoville, IL 60446, in the Southwest Suburbs area of Chicagoland.
More in Southwest Suburbs
More golf courses in Southwest Suburbs
Dick Wilson and Joe Lee; redesigned by Rees Jones · Lemont
Cog Hill Golf & Country Club — Dubsdread (No. 4)
Wilson and Lee's public Lemont course, host of 16 Western Opens and five BMW Championships.
George Kappos · Wilmington
Cinder Ridge Golf Course
An owner-designed public course over ravines and old coal-mining ground in Wilmington, Illinois.
Pete Dye and P.B. Dye · Lemont
Ruffled Feathers Golf Club
Pete and P.B. Dye's daily-fee course in Lemont, built on former farmland among native wetlands.
How to Play It
Book a Tee Time at Mistwood Golf Club.
Mistwood Golf Club takes its tee sheet directly — book your round on the club's own site.
Golf in CHI is an independent guide — we don’t sell tee times or mark them up. We map the exact way on.
Make a Day of It
Dining & nightlife around your round.
Pair Mistwood Golf Club with Chicago’s best dining and table service through MyRSVP — our sister guide to Chicago dining and nightlife.
Explore MyRSVP ↗