When most people think of Chicago, they usually think of a big city, lots of tall buildings, maybe Oprah. That's accurate, but did you know that Chicago is the home to dozens of golf courses?

Chicago was designed as Urbs in Horto, the City in the park. There are plenty of golf courses in Chicago for all skill levels, from beginners to championship level golfers. Here are several courses to consider:

Chicago Park District Golf Courses

The Chicago Park District has 6 golf courses, 3 driving ranges and 2 miniature golf courses. Jackson Park Golf Course was the city's first public golf course. This 18-hole course has mature trees lining the fairways. The Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course, formerly Waveland, is a 9-hole course right on Chicago's lakefront in Lincoln Park. The Chicago Park District's newest course is Robert A. Black, a 9-hole course. This challenging 2,339 yard, par 33 layout was designed by the renowned Dick Nugent. For more information, go to http://www.cpdgolf.com/

Cook County Forest Preserve Golf Courses

There are 11 Cook County Forest Preserve golf courses. One of their courses, George W. Dunne National, is the Forest Preserve's premier 18-hole course, 6690 yards par 72 with a renovated practice facility. It has tree-lined fairways and eight lakes, which come into play on most of the course's holes. For more information, go to http://www.forestpreservegolf.com/

The Green at Grant Park

Want to practice your short game? You can, right downtown on Monroe Street near Lake Michigan. The Green at Grant Park is an 18-hole putting course, featuring true-to-golf greens surrounded by lush gardens. For more information, go to http://www.thegreenonline.com/

Harborside International Golf Center

Are you a serious golfer? Play at Harborside International Golf Center, Chicago's upscale championship golf facility. It has two 18-hole courses, the Port and the Starboard courses, designed by Dick Nugent on the site of a landfill. This award-winning course has often been compared to traditional treeless Scottish golf courses. They also have a prairie style clubhouse was designed in the Frank Lloyd Wright tradition. It's located near Lake Calumet on the far south side of Chicago. For more information, go to http://www.harborsidegolf.com/

Cog Hill Golf and Country Club

Ready for another serious golfer's challenge, but with tree-lined fairways? Cog Hill was founded by golfer Joe Jemsek in 1927. This family owned facility has four 18-hole regulation golf courses and a state-of-the-art driving range. Course #4 is the nationally ranked Dubsdread course where the Western Open has been played since 1991. Cog Hill is located about 30 miles southwest of Chicago. For more information visit http://www.coghillgolf.com/