From beautifully maintained public golf courses to privately owned clubs, Illinois has a rich selection of golf experiences for meeting groups that want to get out of the hotel ballroom and onto the links. Here are five local courses that can handle both championship level golfers and beginners who may only dominate when it comes to putt-putt.

Arrowhead Golf Club

Wheaton

Arrowhead Golf Club is part of the Wheaton Park District, offering two 18-hole golf courses and one nine-hole course. The facility is less than 5 miles from downtown Wheaton and 25 minutes from Naperville. Groups can rent the entire facility for an event, including having a golf course to themselves. Staff can tailor events to their brand with elements like a corporate logo on drink tickets for drink stations.

All the club’s event spaces overlook the golf course, and some have balconies with direct access outside. The ground level has smaller spaces for groups of up to 40 guests. The Grand Ballroom upstairs can accommodate groups of up to 300 and has three private balconies, large picture windows and vaulted ceilings. It can be divided by air walls into three smaller ballrooms for 50 to 90 people each.

There is a foyer that connects all three rooms and can serve as a pre-function area with space for food stations, buffets or cocktail hours. The East and West ballrooms have pop-up screens and portable projectors. On-site catering services also include linens, chairs and tables. The club offers menus based on the type of event, such as weddings, corporate meetings or golf outings. The club can host up to 216 golfers for a full course buyout.

There are no room rental fees, only food and beverage minimums. Groups can also rent bays at the driving range.

arrowheadgolfclub.org

Mistwood Golf Club

Romeoville

Mistwood Golf Club is family owned and operated. It redesigned its 18-hole golf course about 15 years ago. Each hole offers five tee placements. As part of the renovation, a 5,000-square-foot Performance Center was added at the foot of the driving range that offers custom fitting, club repair services and lessons.

The 26,000-square-foot clubhouse features the Scottish-inspired McWethy’s Tavern and the Great Hall banquet facility with two private event spaces. The Terrace Room can host 40 seated guests or 50 for a cocktail party, and groups can extend their event outside on the connected terrace. The Great Hall features soaring ceilings, wood accents and expansive windows overlooking the lush greens. It can accommodate groups of up to 300 for a reception and 225 for a banquet.

The club doesn’t charge room rental fees but instead requires a food and beverage minimum for events. Everything is included in that price, from tables and mahogany Chiavari chairs to linens, glassware and china. Audiovisual is also included.

Many groups book tee times along with their event space. The club can help organize golf tournaments, or golf pros can be booked for private group lessons or training camps.

mistwoodgc.com

Quail Meadows Golf Course

Washington

Owned and operated by the Fon du Lac Park District in central Illinois, Quail Meadows Golf Course is across the river from Peoria, right next to Illinois Central College. It is a perfect spot for meeting and event planners who want to include a round of golf as part of their events, and it’s easily accessible from St. Louis and Chicago. Event Manager Bridget Slavin said she would pit her public course against any of the higher-end courses in the area because it’s in such good shape.

The par-72 championship golf course suits players of all abilities and is surrounded by trees, water and natural areas that are home to birds and wildlife. The facility can accommodate larger groups for golf outings or tournaments. It has one large event space that can hold 144 guests for a banquet, and a large deck overlooks a wedding ceremony space by the water. Groups can bring in their own catering.

The Indoor Golf Center is available for private events. It has three state-of-the-art full-swing simulators that are busy even during the winter months. The simulators don’t just offer golf practice; they also feature other games and activities for those who don’t know how to play golf. Attendees can shoot virtual hoops in basketball, run quarterback drills with a football or embrace their inner 15-year-old with a game of Skee-Ball, shuffleboard or darts. That space can host up to 100 guests.

quailmeadowsgolf.com

Panther Creek Country Club

Springfield

Panther Creek Country Club opened in 1992. It was founded by Springfield developer and realtor John Klemm, who wanted to build a golf course with a residential development on roughly 400 acres in Springfield. He was joined by partners Russ Martin and Randy Wolter. The championship golf course was designed by U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin and plays to 7,286 yards. Each hole has six sets of tees, wide fairways and large putting surfaces.

Outside groups can host tournaments, golf outings and events. The rental price includes greens fees, cart rental and use of the driving range before play.

Groups can host events for up to 250 guests, with golf course views from many of the club’s venues, and Panther Creek can handle all of a group’s food and beverage and audiovisual needs. Golf packages can be added to any space rental.

Golf outings for groups of 20 to 120 can be scheduled. Groups of 80 or more need to host their events on Mondays, while groups with fewer than 80 people can hold outings on other days of the week with a shotgun start.

panthercreekcc.com

TPC Deere Run

Silvis

TPC Deere Run is the only PGA Tour-affiliated golf course in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa. It is best known for hosting the John Deere Classic every year on its par-71 championship course.

The property hosts corporate golf outings, business meetings, tournaments and special events. Golf outings can be booked every day of the week for up to 144 golfers, and the Grille Room in the clubhouse can comfortably seat 160. All the food is made in-house, and while there are catering menus available, the chef and culinary team are happy to make specific recipes or dishes when clients request them.

Many groups that host events on the property will eat breakfast in the clubhouse, participate in a morning shotgun and then have lunch in the dining room space. Corporations will host meetings there and then take attendees out for a golf retreat afterward. The facility can also host outdoor events for up to 400.

The Club Room is a private meeting space for 50 guests that overlooks the 18th hole. The course is in Silvis, which is about 5 miles from Moline. It has a practice facility and in-house golf professionals who are all part of the Illinois PGA. They offer lessons, and when events don’t want to do a full-blown golf outing, they will organize a putting or driving activity with the pros. Planners can also arrange to have a bar and hors d’oeuvres at the putting green or driving lessons at the practice facility.

tpc.com/deererun