This Canyata Golf Club course review is based on a round played on May 16, 2024. Note that Canyata Golf Club was purchased by new owners at the end of 2024, and I expect the experience has vastly changed since this article was published.

Canyata Golf Club is a private course in Marshall, Illinois. The green fee is $850/round.

F1C’s Final Score: 68/80 ^{_{(Top-200 US)}}

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Canyata must be the most eerie round of golf in the United States. Normally, the experience of playing top-200 level golf courses is largely the same no matter where you are: the unwritten rules, following your host’s lead, treading lightly, a gated entrance, a large clubhouse and locker room, et cetera et cetera. Canyata is the exact opposite of that experience. Canyata functions more like a presidential retreat than a top ranked private golf club.

The drive into the property features a large gate in an otherwise open field. Then, rather strangely, you must drive through a small waterfall in order to get into the property. There was one staff member on property when we arrived, a handful of golf carts, and a small log cabin with a sitting area, a souvenir shop, and little locker room. We were the only group to play Canyata that day. There were no members on property, nobody warming up on the range, no cars in the small parking lot. Canyata is so small and turns so few guest rounds per year that it does not have a point-of-sale system, and the exorbitant greens fee must be paid in cash or check.

Other places have covered the history of the property well, but suffice it to say that the course was designed by Michael J. Benkusky – a relatively unheralded designer whose work is largely in Illinois – as a commissioned course by (probably) billionaire Gerald Forsythe. This is Benkusky’s only design remotely near the top-100 courses in the U.S., but Canyata is currently ranked by Golf Digest as the #85 course in the U.S. If you didn’t know that before you arrived, you certainly will after you leave. Every single piece of Canyata merchandise in its merchandise shop reminds you of this lofty ranking. Each Canyata polo’s sleeve reads: “Golf Digest Top-100 Course.” In the small clubhouse, there are multiple signs and banners reminding you of this ranking. On the fourth hole, another random Golf Digest Top-100 plaque. It is rather oafishly plastered all over the place. This became a running gag among my group, but I kind of understand it; if I built my own golf course in my back yard, and it became a top-100 course, I’d be sure to let you know as well.

So, after becoming more secure that I wasn’t about to have the rug pulled from under me and hunted for sport by some wealthy folks, I settled in for what was an amazing experience on an incredible golf course.

The First Tee

The first hole is an easy opening par-4 allowing where Benkusky allows you to experience some important elements of Canyata early, and also allowing for a warm up for those unwillingly dragged to the first tee rather than warming up on the range. This short par-4 introduces you to three recurring Canyata concepts: (1) very wide fairways with multiple shot options, (2) deep rough and deep bunkers penalizing a miss of those wide fairways, and (3) elevation change. Apart from just a few holes, almost each and every hole at Canyata is designed on those three principles, and the first gives you perhaps the widest fairway on a first hole I’ve ever played – at one point, 84 yards wide.

The fairway tapers up to the green on the first, and that green sits well below the surface of the flat fairway. The fairway is pinched at various yardages by seven different large bunkers, which theoretically challenges any club the player decides to hit off the first – but for now, the challenge stays far away from the centerline of the fairway. This green is technically probably driveable, and may be the first driveable par-4 first hole I’ve played on a course of this caliber. Benkusky wanted you to recognize that this would be a unique experience, and the first hole is a great ease in to Canyata.

The second hole, a long par-5, starts with a semi-blind tee shot over a deep ravine, and requires the player to at least carry the ball even with the bunker on the right to have a visual of the pin from the wide fairway. The hole then weaves right and back left around a series of bunkers below the fairway.

The green is particularly interesting: a miniature biarritz green, somewhat rectangular in shape, with a low third in the middle of the green. While this biarritz is not as deep as a traditional biarritz, it certainly requires an accurate wedge to find the appropriate level of the green, and putts from the middle up either slope cannot expect to be holed for birdie.

The third hole at Canyata is a long par-3 that plays some 15-20 yards downhill. A rock-lined pond swings around the right side of this hole, creating a peninsula effect for the right side of the green. The area of Illinois that Canyata is situated in is not short on undeveloped land, and Benkusky had a very large canvas of which to craft. This resulted in most of the holes being set some distance apart from the other. Even if you weren’t the only group on the course that day, it would probably feel like it. This also makes it incredibly challenging to walk – the attendant at the pro shop said only two groups in the last 8 years had tried to walk Canyata, and only one successfully.

But the third and fourth are a bit of an anomaly, as they are the only holes where you can directly see another golf hole while playing Canyata. From the third tee, the fourth is in view, but hidden are two pot bunkers that dot the back left of the green in the area between the green and the lake. This green was also complex, with a major, rolling slope from right to left.

The long, uphill par-4 fourth hole may be one of the best holes on the property, as well as the hardest (reflected by it being the #1 handicap hole). My group played this hole twice this day, and while I’m proud to report that my ball cleared the lake both times, my playing partners were not so fortunate. I saw at least 6 balls hit into the lake on this day. The reason: the carry is much longer on the right than on the left, and but the hole almost necessitates the player take as much risk as possible on the tee to leave a reasonable approach.

From the back tees, the carry is just 230-yards into the left side of the fairway, but a ball in the center of the fairway on this line leaves a 245-yard approach shot, all uphill, into a very narrow target. A more aggressive approach down the right side of the lake is a 265-yard carry, which is much more fear inducing, and even then a centered drive leaves about 175-yards all uphill to the green. The green is relatively pitched with a small false front and collection area that reject anything short of the green.

The fourth is a true beast of a hole, a true par-4-and-a-half, and the key is to avoid a big number off the tee here. The fifth and sixth offer a bit of respite for those beat up by the third and fourth. The fifth, a mid-length par-4, plays directly downhill to a protected green. The downhill nature of the hole lends itself to a birdie look for well-struck approaches, but the challenge here is truly off the tee. This fairway is significantly narrower than most at Canyata, only about 25-yards wide in the landing area, meaning that respite really does not arrive until the fairway is safely located on the fifth. However, the green is large, and while well bunkered, is big enough to accommodate a slight miss.

The sixth hole is a nice, shorter par-5 that yielded a few birdies to our group, with a wide fairway protected by multiple fairway bunkers flanking left and right. The green features a large ridge in the middle of the green that will feed approach shots to the middle towards the back of the green.

Canyata then turns to a short par-4 seventh hole, nearly driveable for longer hitters. I must say, I am a sucker for a good, short par-4 with plentiful options, and this is Canyata’s strength. The first was a nice short 4 with plenty of shot options, and so is the seventh.

From the tee, the hole presents three basic options, depending on the player’s length. The longest players will have the option to drive the ball up the right, over the carry bunkers into a small landing zone that may bound the ball onto the green. However, from the back tees, option A is a 300 yard carry (265 from the next tee up), so may be an option only reserved for the longest hitters. Option B is the option most players who want to take a risk may opt for, a drive into a landing area pinched by two fairway bunkers. The reward for pulling off the shot is not great though, as option B leaves a poor angle over the greenside bunker to front pins. Option B makes more sense for pins located in the back. Finally, option C is to simply lay up in front of the trouble, which results in a better angle, and a longer wedge to generate some spin into a front pin.

The eighth hole turns the course 180 degrees towards the small clubhouse, and is a long par-3, well protected by a large, deep waste bunker on the left and two small pot bunkers on the right. This green, like many others, also features a large ridge in the center, and many shots short of the pin will face a significantly uphill putt.

The ninth hole is a challenging mid-length par-4, with a lake flanking the right of the wide fairway and multiple bunkers protecting the left of the fairway. The tee shot is particularly complicated by the use of Canyata’s only centerline bunker, and this bunker, while not particularly deep, is further surrounded by an area of the thickest rough on the course. The centerline bunker forces a decision to either play into the area of the fairway left of the bunker as essentially a layup off the tee, or to be more aggressive to play for the fairway right of the bunker, which has significantly more risk with the fronting lake, longer carry, and punishment of the bunker should it be taken on more directly. This green also features a ridge about two-thirds of the length of the green that carries balls down behind the green to a collection area. The ninth is a fantastic strategy hole that caps off a wonderful front nine.

Making the Turn

The back nine at Canyata begins with the long par-5 tenth, a hole that somewhat resembles the sixth, but with an added water hazard that flanks the second shot and runs through the left side of the green. Two catch bunkers dot the right side of the fairway, and the landing area for driver is momentarily squeezed to around thirty yards.

The approach at the tenth is only protected by the lake on the left and a small pot bunker on the front right of the green which squeezes the chipping area in front of the green.

The eleventh and twelfth holes are both boundary holes on the property, with the eleventh being the most mundane of the par-4 holes. Only one bunker is present off the tee to negotiate, and it is largely in fly-over territory for a well struck drive. The approach plays uphill to a oblong green, again featuring two tiers, that has no bunkers – just some small chipping areas.

The twelfth hole is a beautiful downhill long par-3 hole playing to a green tucked into the hillside running away from the tee boxes from left to right. The ball must travel over a deceptively deep ravine and a mishit ball will likely be lost in the brush surrounding the front and right of the twelfth green.

The thirteenth is Canyata’s third short par-4 which provides players the timeless challenge of navigating a crossing fairway bunker giving a player two basic options: lay up or go for it!

From the back tees, going for it on the thirteenth requires a carry of around 275 to clear the bunker and will leave an approach with a player’s shortest wedge from a good angle. The layup is slightly more complicated, as the better angle to the green is from the right side of the fairway, but the better visibility of the hole is from the left side of the fairway. Two bunkers flank the left side of the green that runs in the less difficult long-left-to-short-right orientation that is more receptive to inaccurate iron shots, making laying up an attractive option.

The fourteenth hole turns 180-degrees and plays as a longer par-4 with a complicated tee shot, forcing the player to navigate a lake to the left of the fairway and two large fairway bunkers right of the fairway. Fortunately, like many of the holes, the fourteenth’s fairway is very wide with plenty of room to miss.

The approach is also particularly complicated. Two bunkers protect the front right of the green, and a large run off area takes any ball left or long away from the green. This approach requires an accurate mid-iron shot to the elevated green, and the distance must be well calculated, as the green runs in the more difficult short-left-to-long-right orientation, meaning pulled shots will run down the shaved bank and pushed fades will end up in the front bunkers.

The fifteenth hole is another long par-5, and if I had any complaint about Canyata at all, it would be the lack of excitement on the par-5 holes. Only one is of a yardage that I would consider at all reachable at just 517 yards. The others: 583, 587, and 603. Perhaps reachable for the professionals, but for the people who play Canyata – not reachable, even from a tee up. The three shotters are well designed with lots of eye candy and bunkers to navigate, but they are truly three shot holes.

The fifteenth starts on a hill requiring a downhill tee shot over a ravine to reach the wide fairway. Then the hole turns significantly left and offers multiple bunkers to navigate as it gently winds up a small hill to an elevated green protected by a waste-style bunker in front of the green, and large shaved chipping areas in all other directions. With a good wedge shot, this hole is a reasonable birdie attempt, but with the fronting bunker, reaching in two is out of the realm of possibilities.

The sixteenth is the most unique hole on the course, and quite possibly the best, playing as the fourth and final short par-4. This time, another waste-style bunker runs most of the length of the fairway left, and a large tree blocks the entrance to a green tucked to the right of the fairway and behind another thumbprint of vegetation in front of the green.

This is the most memorable hole at Canyata, because it is truly a driveable par-4, but the frontal tree significantly complicates the strategy off the tree. Its also not a tree that is short enough to play a shot over the tree. It must be navigated decisively, but I’m not sure there’s a great way to approach such navigation. It takes some creativity and imagination, and perhaps a touch of luck, to appropriately play the sixteenth.

The seventeenth is a mid length par-3, and while a good hole, could be on any course in America and not be out of place. Nice, but unremarkable.

Finally, the eighteenth hole at Canyata is another departure from the normal, with very narrow fairway further pinched by a large fairway bunker. Once the fairway, or adjacent rough, is located, the approach is played over the last of the vegetation filled ravines to a large green protected by a fronting pot bunker. This last hole is quite challenging, and may be the toughest par-4 on the course, due to its tight landing areas and long approach carry.

Final Thoughts

While the overall vibe at Canyata was a bit eerie, and perhaps a bit on the nose with all the top-100 reminders, I must say – Canyata was the best course I’ve played in the U.S. this year, and now one of my personal favorites. Having an entire top 100 golf course basically to myself is probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the course was also exactly what I like from a course: wide driving areas that allow me to really rip it (I like hitting it far), reasonably sized and well conditioned greens, and interesting slope on greens. Canyata is a place that was built for my game, so maybe that skews my perception of it, but it is a fantastic golf course well worth the drive – but not quite the price.

F1C’s Final Rating:

Shot Options: 9
Challenge: 7
Layout Variety: 8
Distinctiveness: 8
Aesthetics:9
Conditioning: 9
Character: 8
Fun: 10

Total: 68/80

Read More: How We Rate Courses

Rating Scale Details

> 70: Top-50 U.S.
65-70: Top-200 U.S.,
60-65: Best-in-State List
57-60: Best-in-state List Contender
53-57: Very Good
48-53: Good
40-48: Average
> 40: Poor