Rend Lake Golf Course in southern Illinois
Golf resorts in downstate Illinois are few and far between. Despite a wealth of superb, affordable public golf courses and the recently organized Southern Illinois Golf Trail, there's not much by way of family resort destinations that feature golf in their list of activities.
One of the first, and still one of the few, in the state is the Rend Lake Recreation Complex. As part of the Rend Lake Conservancy District, which surrounds the 19,000-acre lake of the same name, the recreation complex offers lodging, camping, dining, fishing, skeet- and trap-shooting, hunting, boating, and, oh yes, golf. Rend Lake Golf Course's 27 holes have earned four and a half stars each of the past five years from Golf Digest.
Rend Lake GC: 1st hole
The first hole at Rend Lake Golf Course demands a fade off the tee.
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Rend Lake GC: 2nd hole
The par-5 second hole at Rend Lake Golf Course is typical of the par 5s on the entire layout: long, straight-away and rather dull.
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Rend Lake GC: green
The huge greens at Rend Lake Golf Course average over 7,500 square feet.
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Rend Lake GC: 3rd hole
Many greens at Rend Lake Golf Course are nestled into stands of mature hardwoods.
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Rend Lake GC: 4th hole
The 155-yard fourth hole at Rend Lake Golf Course offers a bit of a breather.
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Rend Lake GC: 5th hole
The fifth hole at Rend Lake Golf Course has trouble left starting about half-way to the green.
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Rend Lake GC: 6th hole
Rend Lake Golf Course's sixth hole is one of the few par 5s with character.
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Rend Lake GC: 7th hole
A view of the seventh hole at Rend Lake Golf Course.
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Rend Lake GC: 8th hole
The 194-yard eighth hole at Rend Lake Golf Course demands a long carry over water.
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Rend Lake GC: 9th hole
The tee shot at Rend Lake Golf Course's ninth hole will punish long-hitters who take too much club.
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Rend Lake GC: 10th hole
The 10th hole at Rend Lake Golf Course is a nice warm-up hole, if you begin on the south nine.
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Rend Lake GC: 12th hole
Rend Lake Golf Course's 168-yard 12th is another par 3 over water.
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Rend Lake GC: 13th hole
The 13th hole at Rend Lake Golf Course is a long par 4, especially into the wind.
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Rend Lake GC: 14th hole
A view of the 14th hole at Rend Lake Golf Course.
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Rend Lake GC: 15th hole
A view of the 15th hole at Rend Lake Golf Course.
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Rend Lake GC: 16th hole
A view of the 219-yard par-3 16th at Rend Lake Golf Course.
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Rend Lake GC: 17th hole
The 17th hole at Rend Lake Golf Course features an approach over a creek bed to a well-bunkered green.
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Rend Lake GC: 18th hole
The 18th is the best of the three possible "closing" holes at Rend Lake Golf Course.
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Rend Lake GC: 18th green
Did we mention the enormity of the greens at Rend Lake Golf Course?
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Rend Lake GC: 19th hole
A view of the 19th hole at Rend Lake Golf Course
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Rend Lake GC: #20
A view of the 20th hole at Rend Lake Golf Course
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Rend Lake GC: #21
A view of the 21st hole at Rend Lake Golf Course.
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Rend Lake GC: 22nd green
The green of the 145-yard 22nd hole at Rend Lake Golf Course looks to be floating on a sea of sand.
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Rend Lake GC: 23rd hole
A view of the 23rd hole at Rend Lake Golf Course.
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Rend Lake GC: 24th hole
The 24th hole at Rend Lake Golf Course is a short, tricky par 4 with a second shot to a green tucked at an awkward angle behind water and sand.
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Rend Lake GC: 24th green
The approach to Rend Lake Golf Course's 24th green doesn't look so daunting from this angle!
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Rend Lake GC: 25th hole
The 25th hole at Rend Lake Golf Course requires a long iron off the tee, and then another one over a murky pond to the narrow green.
Kiel Christianson/GolfPublisher.com
Related Links
- Podcast: The Southern Illinois Golf Trail
- Crab Orchard G.C. the homiest spot on Southern Illinois Golf Trail
- Course review: Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion
- Course review: Hickory Ridge in Carbondale
- Going for the green at Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa in Galena, Ill.
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