Here are five Illinois golf courses worth the drive from the Peoria area

Plenty of businesses were devastated during the coronavirus pandemic, but one industry saw a significant resurgence.

The number of golfers in 2020 in the United States was 24.8 million, a 2 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to the National Golf Foundation. That's the largest increase in 17 years.

New players numbered 6.2 million, an all-time record. All the golf numbers are comparable to the spikes seen in the 1990s, when Tiger Woods first rose to prominence.

The outdoor nature of golf made it one of few social activities COVID-19 didn't affect adversely, although courses in Illinois were closed for the first few months of the pandemic.

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Long-term golf trends had not been favorable. Steady declines in interest in recent years resulted in hundreds of courses across the country closing permanently, including some in central Illinois.

Among Journal Star-area courses no longer open are two in Mason County — Crane Creek Golf Course, located near Kilbourne, and Lakewood Golf Course, located north of Bath.

Crooked Knee Golf Course near Henry, Laurel Greens Golfers Club in Knoxville and Swan Creek Golf Club, located west of Avon, also closed.

Some of the courses were converted to farmland. Jack Nicklaus wept.

Plenty of golfers don't mind traveling to try different courses, and some of the shuttered ones were pretty good. Lakewood, in particular, might have been one of the best nine-hole courses in the state.

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Of courses that remain open, here are five outside the Tri-County area but within Journal Star territory that are worth the trip, regardless of golfers' experience. We can vouch for four. The other has the endorsement of a national golf publication.

Here they are, in alphabetical order. No private courses were considered, unless they are open for public play.

Bunker Links Municipal Golf Course, Galesburg

Earlier this year, Golf Magazine listed Bunker Links among 25 of the country's underrated courses, per readers' recommendations.

The par-71, layout was noted for its playing condition, its clubhouse and its overall cleanliness, among other things.

"I was at home scrolling through my phone and I happened to run across the article. My jaw about hit the floor," Bunker Links general manager Bryan Luedtke told the Galesburg Register-Mail. "But I also felt we made lots of improvements in several years and we were worthy of a mention."

Opened almost 100 years ago, Bunker Links expanded to 18 holes in 1929. The name does not come from a synonym for sand traps but from the course architect, Dwight Carpenter Bunker. He was director of the Galesburg park system.

Edgewood Park Golf Course, McNabb

For 25 years, this course located in Putnam County had only nine holes. But in 1994, architect Jim Spears (not the Jim Spears who owns Jimmy's Bar in West Peoria) helped Edgewood Park double its hole count.

The change is noticeable.

Edgewood Park's front nine is fine, but the back nine has more character and is a tougher challenge. In that respect, Edgewood Park resembles El Paso Golf Club in Woodford County, another nine-hole course that expanded.

Overall, par-72 Edgewood Park provides a good test for the average golfer. And it isn't far from some of the old-school Italian restaurants of the LaSalle-Peru-Spring Valley area, perfect for a post-round repast.

Gibson Woods Golf Course, Monmouth

There are reasons high school boys golf teams from Monmouth have won 13 state trophies, including eight championships. The coaching and mentoring of Bill Pieper and former Peoria Men's City tournament champ Tim Sweborg are prominent.

But another major reason can be found along U.S. Route 34 at the east edge of Monmouth.

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Par-71 Gibson Woods is a solid, old-school course. Its tight fairways, tricky greens and optimal conditions can test any skill level.

Besides, not many golf clubhouses around here have played host to the British Open championship trophy. Oquawka native Todd Hamilton, the 2004 Open winner, brought the Claret Jug to Gibson Woods, one of the courses he played regularly as a youth.

Oak Run Public Golf Course, Dahinda

This par-71 course is one of the focuses of the Oak Run housing development, located in Knox County between Galesburg and Williamsfield.

Oak Run has a nice variety of golf holes. Not too long, not too short. The par-3 holes are strong. Water is more prominent on the back nine.

When it comes to greens fees, Oak Run is an absolute steal — $35 including cart, before 3 p.m., seven days a week. Also setting apart Oak Run is its clubhouse.

The restaurant menu features steak, shrimp and pasta, as well as sandwiches. Considering a lot of course cuisine doesn't exceed hot dogs that have been nuked in a microwave or sitting all day on a rotisserie, such variety is welcome.

Spring Creek Golf Course, Spring Valley

Located adjacent to Interstate 80 between Ladd and Spring Valley, Spring Creek is a tale of two courses.

The par-35 front nine is tight, tree-filled and relatively short, only about 3,000 yards from the tips. It's on the hilly side.

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But the par-37 back nine is more than 500 yards longer than the front. It's also more of a grip-it-and-rip-it affair — wider fairways and three par-5 holes.

Spring Creek's location is advantageous for Peoria golfers who want to meet friends from the Chicago, Quad Cities or Rockford areas. It's roughly midway among all those locations. Plus it's ultra-close to the aforementioned old-school Italian joints, too.