Public

East Course

East/West at Rend Lake Golf Course

Whittington, IL, USA
Jackson Dietrich
ZACHMMD
mattseitz16
cschiff99
+5
9 holesPar 363,744 yds36/128

About this course

The East Course at Rend Lake Golf Course is a Larry Packard design situated in southern Illinois near the expansive Rend Lake reservoir. Packard, who worked extensively throughout the Midwest during the 1970s and 1980s, created this public facility as part of a larger recreational development around the lake. The course occupies terrain typical of the region, with modest elevation changes and a mix of open and wooded corridors that reflect the area's transition between prairie and hardwood forest landscapes. The routing takes advantage of the natural topography around the reservoir, incorporating water features and native vegetation into the playing experience. Packard's design philosophy generally emphasized playability for a range of skill levels while maintaining strategic interest through thoughtful bunkering and green complexes. The East Course shares the property with its companion West Course, together forming a 36-hole complex that serves both local golfers and visitors to the Rend Lake recreation area. As a public facility in a state park setting, Rend Lake Golf Course functions as an accessible destination for regional play. The courses benefit from their location within a broader outdoor recreation area that includes camping, fishing, and boating amenities. The setting provides a relatively quiet, natural environment removed from urban development, characteristic of many reservoir-adjacent golf facilities built during this era of public course expansion in the Midwest.

Quick facts

Location
Whittington, IL, USA
Access
Public
Year built
1975
Holes
9
Par
36
Length
3,744 yards
Difficulty
36/128
Course Vaults score
6.3

Getting there

The journey to East/West at Rend Lake Golf Course begins at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), roughly ninety minutes east across the Mississippi River and into the rolling farmland of southern Illinois. The drive traces Interstate 64 through small coal-country towns before turning south toward the shimmering expanse of Rend Lake, a 19,000-acre reservoir that anchors this corner of Franklin County. As the highway gives way to quiet state routes, the landscape softens into wooded shoreline and open prairie, and the twin eighteens emerge along the water's edge - a public golf sanctuary tucked into one of the Midwest's most unexpectedly serene recreational corridors.

FAQ

Common questions about East

Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.

East has a Course Vaults score of 6.3 out of 10 based on 9 logged golfers.

East was designed by Larry Packard.

Yes. East is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.

Par at East is 36.

East plays 3,744 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.

The slope rating at East is 128.

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