Benton Country Club

Benton Country Club sits in the small city of Benton in southern Illinois, a region characterized by gently rolling terrain and mixed hardwood forests typical of the lower Midwest. The course was designed by Robert B. Harris, a regional architect active in the mid-twentieth century who laid out several courses across Illinois and neighboring states during the post-war golf boom. Harris typically worked with modest budgets and natural landforms, creating straightforward layouts suited to community play. The routing at Benton reflects the practical design approach common to many small-town country clubs of its era, with holes that move through wooded corridors and open farmland transitions. The topography provides enough movement to create variety in lies and approach angles without demanding excessive walking or cart travel. Greens are generally modest in size and contour, and bunkering tends toward functional placement rather than elaborate shaping. Benton Country Club serves as the social and recreational center for its membership, drawn primarily from the local community and surrounding Franklin County area. The club maintains traditions typical of rural Midwestern golf facilities, where family participation and casual weekend rounds define the culture. The course offers a straightforward test of golf that rewards accuracy and course management over length, fitting the character of both the landscape and the membership it serves.