Golf in Forest Lake

Forest Lake is a Lake County community near the Village of Lake Zurich, set in the territory between the Barrington area and Libertyville. Its golf credential is unusually strong for a place its size: Kemper Lakes Golf Club, just here, hosted the 1989 PGA Championship, won by Payne Stewart, making it one of the few daily-fee facilities in Illinois to carry a major championship on its record. Designed by Ken Killian and Dick Nugent, the layout is threaded with water throughout, much of it created from a filled former marsh that now defines the course's character and challenge. For golfers, Forest Lake means access to a genuine championship venue without the barriers of a private club, set in an attractive stretch of central Lake County. The combination of tournament pedigree and public access makes it a notable destination for players across the Chicago region.