Ball Fore Miniature Golf Course & Batting Cages – Worth, IL

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Played June 29, 2025 & July 26, 2025

Reviewed by Mr. Tee

For a few years, I was aware of Ball Fore because they hosted the mini-golf US Open in 2009 & 2012. A few American Mini Golf Alliance (AMA) members let me know that the course was starting to host an annual tournament regularly and put me in touch with the organizer in 2024. Once the season was added to the 2025 AMA season, I was determined to check out the course in person on a visit to the area for the 2025 MC Mini Masters. I popped by the course on a steaming hot day in June 2025 to document the course and then returned in July for the Illinois Open. My return was quite fortuitous as I ended up winning dramatically!

Rating

My fondness for this course is slightly biased, as I have good memories of winning a tournament here on the final shot, but there is more to this facility than my personal warm feelings. For those who have played a Harris Miniature Golf-designed course, it’s easy to recognize the layout of a lot of the holes. There is a major water feature that extends across the course that can be used for gameplay or become a potential hazard for losing your ball if it doesn’t float. I’ve seen the use of alternating red, blue, and green turf or carpet on different courses, but what I really like is the addition of a baseball theme to the turf elements. Connecting the dots between the other facilities (batting cage) and the course is a nice way to customize it and give it some distinction from the hundreds of other Harris courses. The gameplay and layout provide a wide variety of challenges throughout. The metal rimmed cups and wide gaps between the bricks make for unnecessarily challenging play, but overall, it’s an above-average course that I connect with great memories.

Classic Muffler man statue customized to the course theme
Start of the course near 1 & 2
Mick on #3. Cup is in the white turf shaped like home plate
Tricky little over / under hole
Long and tough hole. Don’t let your personal ball fall in the water. They won’t float and are hard to find in the blue dyed water.
Intersection of Holes 1 & 5 at 2025 Illinois Open
Tricky #6 with the rocks blocking the way towards the cup
You can play this one into the water or up the hill and down
Hole #8 is my favorite hole. Went to a long playoff for the 2025 Illinois Open and finished on this hole
Can you tell if I made the putt? Holes-in-one always feel nice, but winning a tournament on one feels special. Watch HERE
Love the alignment of the bat and ball on the turf
Can play this one past the cup for a nice roll back hole-in-one
Spiral under to the hole
Lower part of the spiral hole
There is a shoot through pipe on the upper right but not recommended.
Ball doesn’t like filtering into the cup
Another challenging hole where if you hit it too hard, you’re in the water.
One of a few holes with a rock hazards

 

Hole 17 is tough to ace and easy to land in the water
Final hole of the course. Can be tricky but a nice hole-in-one chance if you roll off the hill
AMA Illinois Open 2025 crew that battled the rain together

 

Top 3. Mr. Tee, Justin (red shirt) and Jeremy (bottom)
Muffler man and me after winning!
Batting cages

Ball Fore Website

6701 W 107th St, Worth, IL 60482

Comments

Baseball-themed with alternating red, blue, and green turf
Massive Muffler Man statue with a baseball theme
Harris designed course
Turf is great condition
Metal rimmed cups
Wide-spaced bricks

Nerdy Notes

  • 18 Holes. Par 42
  • Adult Game $8.00 | Child (12 & under) $6.00 | Senior (55 & over) $4.00 | Replay $3.00
  • Check the website for seasonal hours. Open
  • Facilities include a snack bar and batting cages
  • Hosted 2009 and 2012 USPGMA US Opens
  • Current home of the annual Illinois Open, part of the American Mini Golf Alliance (AMA) season
  • 2025 AMAM Illinois Open event page

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