via GoogleSouthern Illinois Trail
Southern Illinois Trail is the Midwest's most underrated cheap-golf escape, with 5 courses in our catalog (including Steve Smyers' Kokopelli), $ pricing with green fees rarely topping $40, easy reach from STL, and a season that runs March through November.
5-course Southern Illinois Trail where green fees rarely top $40 with cart. Kokopelli (Steve Smyers) is the only name-designer course; Stone Creek and Crab Orchard fill out the tournament. Pair with Shawnee National Forest and Southern Illinois wine country.
What are the top golf courses in Southern Illinois Trail?
4 courses
Southern Illinois Trail has 4 courses in Scramble's catalog, anchored by Kokopelli Golf Club, Crab Orchard Golf Club, and Hickory Ridge Golf Center. Kokopelli Golf Club is nationally ranked, a destination-quality round on its own. All three play within a normal trip itinerary out of the same lodging base.
$Kokopelli Golf Club
Steve Smyers (1995)
$Crab Orchard Golf Club
Roy Glen (1959)
$Hickory Ridge Golf Center
$Rend Lake Golf Course
Photos by Google
How much does a 3-round Southern Illinois Trail golf trip cost?
A 3-round, 4-golfer trip to Southern Illinois Trail runs about $874 per person with mid-range ($$) lodging. That covers 3 peak-season green fees, lodging at roughly two golfers per room, and a daily food + ground-transit allowance. Flights are excluded since they depend on your home airport. Adjust the round count, group size, or tier on the trip calculator to see how the number moves. See the full breakdown →
Where is Southern Illinois Trail and how do I get there?
Southern Illinois Trail sits in Illinois. The closest major airport is Bloomington (BMI), which serves as the primary hub for most visitors. Most groups fly into BMI, rent one or two SUVs, and base out of a single resort or hotel for the entire trip.
What's the best month for golf in Southern Illinois Trail?
The strongest months for golf in Southern Illinois Trail are Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, based on 20-year playability scores combining temperature and precipitation. Southern Illinois Trail averages a 33°F high in January and a 86°F high in July, so playable conditions cluster in the shoulder months. Book early in those windows. Rates and tee-time inventory tighten as the season firms up.
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Southern Illinois Trail data is part of Scramble's catalog of 128 destinations and 971 independently researched courses. Weather data from 20 years of Open-Meteo; awards compiled from Golf Digest, Golfweek, and state-level rankings.
Published May 2026. Updated when the data or Scramble’s recommendations change.