SUMMER 2016
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
Aiming Higher
The Magical Mountains of St. George, Utah, Raise the Bar for Golf Getaways
ATomOne-Man Building Boom Doak’s Design Company Brings a Pair of Big Projects to His Home State Better With Age Chicago’s Own Tour Edge Golf Marks Three Dynamite Decades PLUS: Wisconsin’s Wonderful Thornberry Creek, Southern Alabama’s Steamy, Seaside Golf, Ryder Cup Preview & Much More
Fallen Oak — Biloxi, MS
Mississippi is home to some of the best courses you can play in the United States according to Golf Magazine. Chalk it up to hospitality. Which also means you’ll find some of the finest meals, down home dishes, luxurious resorts and boisterous diversions between tee times. The game isn’t told on the scorecard, but in the stories you bring home. Check out our golf road trip at visitmississippi.org/golftrip.
GOLF IN MINNESOTA
1. Arrowwood Resort
www.arrowwoodresort.com
A GREAT STORY
2. Black Bear Golf Course www.golfatthebear.com
3. Braemar Golf Course
The overall “Quality” of golf in Minnesota cannot be matched. The listing of golf courses included in the roster of the Explore Minnesota Golf Alliance constitutes a hall of fame of “Award-Winning” courses.
www.braemargolf.com
4. Breezy Point Resort
www.breezypointresort.com
5. Chaska Town Course
www.chaskatowncourse.com
6. Cragun’s Resort www.craguns.com
7. Destination Bloomington www.bloomingtonmn.org
Play the
8. Edinburgh U.S.A.
BEST of the BEST 12 14
6
11 4
www.edinburghusa.org
www.giantsridge.com Duluth
2
14
18 5 19
9
Alexandria
17
21
94
23 13 26
20 16
2
www.golfgoldeneagle.com
12. Grand View Lodge
www.grandviewlodge.com
13. Legends Club
www.legendsgc.com
9 St. Cloud
14. Madden’s on Gull Lake www.maddens.com
21
15. Minneapolis NW CVB Twin Cities
ExploreMinnesotaGolf.com
15 8
7
Duluth 11. Golden Eagle Golf Club
Brainerd
24
Twin Cities
3
6
11 4
1
St. Cloud 94
10. Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort
12
1 Alexandria
9. Geneva Golf Club
10 www.genevagolfclub.com
10
Brainerd
24
25
25
www.minneapolisnorthwest.com
16. Prestwick Golf Club
22www.prestwick.com
22
17. Ridges at Sand Creek
Rochester
www.ridgesatsandcreek.com
Rochester
18. Rush Creek Golf Club www.rushcreek.com
19. Stonebrooke Golf Club
35
www.stonebrooke.com
20. StoneRidge Golf Club www.stoneridgegc.com
YOUR MINNESOTA GOLF
21. Territory Golf Club
“BUCKET LIST”
www.territorygc.com
22. The Jewel Golf Club www.jewelgolfclub.com
HOME OF THE 2016 RYDER CUP
23. The Wilds Golf Club www.golfthewilds.com
24. Thumper Pond Resort www.thumperpond .com
25. Wilderness at Fortune Bay www.golfthewilderness.com
26. Willingers Golf Club www.willingersgc.com
ExploreMinnesotaGolf.com
Table of Contents
Volume 9, Issue 1
Get Your Tour Card Today!
Departments
6
Publisher’s Note
8
Bump & Run
22 Featured Courses Map 26 Chicagoland Featured Courses 44 Practice Range Guide 45 Executive + 9-hole Courses
Chick Evans
46 Instructor’s Corner Features
The Magic Mountains 12
St. George, Utah, Has Gorgeous Golf & Stunning Scenery at Every Turn
Lambeau Leap 54
LPGA Jumps at New Tournament at Green Bay’s Thornberry Creek
A Double-Dose of Doak 66 Tom Doak’s Design Company Brings Two (Or Is It Three?) New Courses to Michigan
Rising Tides 92
Southern Alabama’s Golf Scene Hotter Than Ever
The Tour that Lets the Amateur Tee it Up Like a Pro
If you are looking for competitive golf tournaments and a chance to meet great golfers, then get your tour card today!
48 Pro Golf Preview 52 Wisconsin Featured Courses 60 Rules of the Game 64 Michigan Featured Courses 82 Midwest Select Courses
Your complete guide to Chicagoland and surrounding area golf courses
102 Golf Tech Talk 108 Industry Insider ON THE COVER: The 172-yard 17th hole at Green Spring Golf Club, photo by Joe Newman
•
18 & 36 hole stroke play and better ball tournaments
•
USGA Handicap to maintain tournament integrity
•
Visa Gift Cards & Trophies at each tournament for champions and top finishers in each flight
•
Five Flights to compete in, play only against your skill level
Chicago Tour Schedule
Milwaukee Tour Schedule
DATE
DATE
16 22 30
July July July
CHICAGO OPEN 13 22 27 2
Aug Aug Aug Sep
COURSE
George Dunne National Stonewall Orchard Wilmette Golf Club Mistwood Golf Club Elgin C.C. Cog Hill C.C. & Golf Club Bolingbrook GC
CHICAGO CHAMPIONSHIP 10
Sep
Cantigny
CHICAGO BETTER BALL CHAMPIONSHIP 3
Oct
Kemper Lakes GC
9
July
COURSE
Morningstar Golf Club
MILWAUKEE OPEN 23-24 July 6 Aug 20 Aug
Grand Geneva Resort Fire Ridge Golf Club Silver Spring Golf Club
MILWAUKEE CHAMPIONSHIP 17
Sep
Washington County
Chicago & Milwaukee Tours BORDER BATTLE - Ryder Cup Event 24-25 Sep
Bull Valley Golf Club
Top Players advance to
NATIONAL TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP October 21-23, 2016 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Kiva Dunes Golf Club
www.amateurgolftour.com Email us at: Chicago@amateurgolftour.net or Milwaukee@amateurgolftour.net
Publisher’s Note
A Division of Killarney Golf Media, Inc. P.O. Box 14439 Madison, WI 53708
Phone: 608-280-8800 Fax: 866-877-9879
PRESIDENT John Hughes
GENERAL MANAGER Jim Kelsh
jim@golftimemag.com
MARKETING CONSULTANT Kim Thompson
kim@golftimemag.com
EDITOR Don Shell
editor@golftimemag.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Danny Freels Rob Hernandez John Morrissett Betsy Voyles
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Peter Schulz Peter Wong Nile Young Jr.
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Muddy Creek Creative ©Copyright 2016 GolfTime All rights reserved. GolfTime is not responsible or liable for any errors, omissions or changes in information.
6
F
or 11 years this was Kim Thompson’s page. As founder and publisher of GolfTime, Kim used this space to promote the game of golf and, of course, introduce each new issue of the magazine. In last spring’s issue, Kim also used this column to inform readers that GolfTime had become part of the Madison, Wisconsinbased Killarney Golf Media group. Killarney has been publishing golf-related magazines and guides for more than 30 years. GolfTime joins a family of Killarney products that are published on both print and digital/online platforms. We are excited to add GolfTime and look forward, as Kim noted last spring, to “bigger and better things” for the magazine. We have plenty of big stories for you this summer, even some mountain-sized stories, starting with GolfTime Contributor Rob Hernandez’s cover story on St. George, Utah. The red-rock peaks provided an unforgettable backdrop, with some memorable golf, as well. Read Rob’s story, starting on page 12. Rob gives us a linebacker-sized story starting on page 54, with a feature about the new LPGA event at Thornberry Creek Golf Club, home of the Green Bay Packers. The event caps a wild month-long stretch in Wisconsin next summer. Across the lake, there’s magic going on in Michigan, where architect Tom Doak is turning one course into two, and building another for good measure in his home state. Don Shell takes us on a tour of The Loop, Doak’s “reversible” course, and Stoatin Brae, a gorgeous new track at Gull Lake View Golf Resort, starting on page 66. For those of you already planning your fall golf getaways, Danny Freels offers an inside look at southern Alabama, a place full of great beaches, good food, friendly folks and world-class golf. Don’t miss the feature, starting on page 92. There’s lots more where that came from, with great golf packed into every page of this issue. We talk to Tour Edge Golf’s founder, David Glod, to celebrate his company’s 30th anniversary (see page 110). We show you the latest in golf tech, with a look at AllSquareGolf.com, the social network built just for golfers (page 102). And we give you a glimpse of the great things going on at Boyne USA Resorts, which are busy celebrating milestones and major news (page 8). So please, read on. This is an exciting time for golf in the Midwest, and exciting times for this magazine. Thanks for sharing a little bit of it with us. We’ll always remember, “It’s Your Game, and It’s Your Time.”
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
Bump & Run
Happy Birthdays at Boyne The Heather Hits the Half-Century & Bay Harbor Turns 20 WHEN IT COMES TO GREAT GOLF in the Midwest, it’s tough to beat Boyne USA, which has 10 terrific tracks spread across Northern Michigan. And while the resort is always a celebration of golf, this year is a little extra special up north. At Boyne Highlands, the Robert Trent Jones-designed The Heather turns a nifty 50, celebrating a half-century as Northern Michigan’s first big-name public course.
Opened for play in 1966, The Heather was the first Boyne golf course and widely credited with starting Northern Michigan’s golf course construction boom. Robert Trent Jones Sr., the era’s most famous golf course architect, was given the task of designing a layout to put Boyne Highlands on the map as more than a ski destination. He succeeded in spades; to this day, The Heather is ranked among the top 20 courses in Michigan.
Not to be outdone, Bay Harbor Golf Club — which brought the first lakeside, five-star resort golf experience to the region — will commemorate its 20th year in operation. With three distinct nines designed by Arthur Hills (The Links, The Preserve and The Quarry), Bay Harbor Golf Club is regularly ranked among the country’s Top 100 courses by Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine. “We’re excited to memorialize two of the most important events in the evolution of the BOYNE Golf brand,” says Bernie Friedrich, Boyne Resorts’ senior vice president of golf and resort sales. “The Heather put Northern Michigan on the map as more than just a winter sports escape, while Bay Harbor Golf Club elevated the
NEWS & NOTES FROM THE WORLD OF GOLF
The 560-yard, par-5 fifth hole of The Heather. region to a national golf destination.” If that’s not enough to celebrate, the stunning Inn at Bay Harbor has just taken the wraps off a $2 million renovation, along with the announcement that it has become one of just 100 Marriott Autograph Collection Hotels worldwide. Owned by Boyne Resorts, the stately Inn at Bay Harbor is situated on the shores of Lake Michigan’s beautiful Little Traverse Bay, with 123 exquisite rooms, fine dining and more. For more information, visit www.boyne.com.
Bump & Run Pete Dye Punching Up Purdue’s Ackerman Hills Architect adds his expertise to Birck Boilermaker Complex He might have turned 90 last December, but Pete Dye is still going strong. The Indianapolis resident is taking the wraps off his latest renovation this year, with the Ackerman Hills course at the Birck Boilermaker complex at Purdue University. Dye, who designed the famed Kampen Course there, is donating his services — a steep discount from the $1 buck he charged to design the Kampen. The goal is to bring the Bill Diddle-designed parkland layout into the 21st century. When it opens this summer, Ackerman Hills will also be added to the lineup of the Pete Dye Golf Trail, giving the excellent lineup a great eighth entry. Visit www.purduegolf.com for more information, or www.petedyegolftrail.com.
Breaking Out the Big Guns TaylorMade’s M1 a Tank of a Club Take one look at this beast, this tank of a golf club, and it’s little wonder why TaylorMade’s new M1 driver is the hottest on the PGA Tour. Three of the top 5 players in driving distance have it in their bags, and plenty more wish they did. The company’s longest driver ever, the M1 is built to be ultra-thin, ultra-light, and exceedingly awesome at launching little balls big distances. It’s like having a Howitzer in your hands. $499. Visit www.taylormadegolf.com.
Topgolf Taking Over the Midwest Golf/Entertainment Mecca expanding to Indiana, Ohio The bowling alley-meets-driving range extravaganza called Topgolf is sweeping the nation with its innovative, entertaining take on the game of golf, and it’s only getting bigger in the Midwest. With two locations in the Chicago market already, Naperville and Wood Dale, Topgolf is expanding throughout the Midwest. New locations are coming to the Cincinnati suburb of West Chester, Ohio (in July), and the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers, Indiana, in spring 2017. Topgolf has 26 locations worldwide with more than 8 million players annually. Players hit golf balls containing computer microchips that track each shot’s accuracy and distance while awarding points for hitting targets on the outfield. Each venue offers an upscale and fun experience, featuring an impressive food and beverage menu, music, games, climate-controlled hitting bays and hundreds of HDTVs. Visit www.topgolf.com.
10
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
From the Archives The 100th Anniversary of Chick Evans’ Incredible U.S. Open Win Many of you know the name Chick Evans for the incredible scholarship program for caddies in his name. But did you know it’s the 100th anniversary of his most historic win? That’s right, Evans, the amazing amateur, won the 1916 U.S. Open at the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis, beating pro Jock Hutchinson by two strokes. Evans went on to win the U.S. Amateur as well that year, but today his greatest accomplishment was starting the Chick Evans Scholarship Foundation, which has been beautifully run by the Western Golf Association in Chicago since 1929. For more information, visit www.wgaesf.org.
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
11
eavenly
Horizons The stunning red-rocked mountains of St. George, Utah, provide a scenic backdrop for unforgettable, affordable golf By Rob Hernandez Photography by Joe Newman
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
13
PREVIOUS SPREAD: The Ledges Golf Club is seemingly cut straight through the middle of the red rock canyons, as the fantastic 320-yard, par-4 14th can attest. LEFT: The spectacular Sand Hollow is full of fabulous views, particularly the terrific 372-yard, par-4 12th.
ST. GEORGE, UTAH — Against the backdrop of a day turning to night, a sunset flight into St. George, Utah, gives a first-time visitor to the region stunning views of all the earthly splendor that makes the area unique. But, to a Midwestern golfer who hadn’t seen 80-degree weather yet, let alone spectacular red-rock formations splashed all over this geographical canvas, it also causes a tinge of disappointment. Day turning to dusk meant there’d be a 10-hour wait until morning, when the first tee shot could be struck. Needless to say, good things awaited in the morning, and the three unforgettable lateApril days of wall-to-wall golf that followed. Once out in the morning light, it didn’t take long to realize why St. George and its courses 14
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
along the Red Rock Golf Trail are starting to attract golfers from all over the country. “People are blown away,” said Brian Oar, a golf vacation specialist for St. George Utah Golf, who arranges golf and condo packages on and off the Red Rock Golf Trail. “They can’t believe that St. George, in the past, hasn’t been on the high radar, so to speak, of golf destinations like Scottsdale or (Las) Vegas or Mesquite (Nevada). St. George, for the past 10 or 15 years, has been this secondary or sort of unknown golf destination to people. But when they are here and actually experience what we have to offer now, especially with the addition of Sand Hollow (in 2008),” the reaction is overwhelmingly positive.
Indeed, that was the reaction of our group to the wonder that was this southwest corner of Utah, not far from where the state intersects with southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona.
HOT ON THE ‘TRAIL’ Even absent the incredible coral rock formations that create an amphitheater of natural beauty to the 10 courses on the Red Rock Golf Trail, the quality of the layouts we encountered supported Oar’s point that St. George merits serious consideration when golfers are pondering where to spend their next guys’ or gals’ weekend with their clubs and an appetite. It might not have the volume of courses of
a Myrtle Beach or a Palm Springs, but golfers can crisscross the area like jackrabbits across a fairway and still not play all the courses on The Trail in a week’s time. Not only that, St. George has an eye-popping backdrop to its courses that can’t be found anywhere on the planet, and a pleasant consistency to its weather that is tough to match. Average temperatures in the region never dip below the mid-50s (in December, January and February) and only once top 100 degrees (in July). The area also never gets more than an inch of rain, on average, in any one month and, when asked what St. George and the surrounding area is best known for, tourism spokesperson Joe Newman quickly responded: “Sun.” “Whether you’re from a rainy destination or a cold-weather winter destination, your body craves that sunshine,” Newman said. “Whether it’s January or it’s July, you can get it in St. George.” Its abundance in late April allowed our group to pull off an ambitious schedule, playing 90 holes of golf in three days, capped by an afternoon hike to the Emerald Pools at nearby Zion National Park.
OFF WITH A BANG The Ledges Golf Course served as our introduction to St. George golf on our opening day. The design work of the late Matt Dye, The Ledges sits 900 feet above the St. George Valley and provides golfers YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
15
ST. GEORGE’S GOLFING PEAKS Coral Canyon (18 Holes): It’s all about the colors here and you will be amazed at how green the fairways are in this rustic desert. ($115 for 18)
Dixie Red Hills (9): If you want to play in the red rocks, you can’t get closer than this. ($27.50 for nine).
Falcon Ridge (18): Has so many water features you’ll forget you’re golfing in the desert. ($99 for 18)
Green Spring (18): You might want to tee off a couple of extra balls to see if you can cut the corner to the green on No. 15. ($59 for 18)
The Ledges (18): Red rock panoramas from the rim of Snow Canyon State Park make you feel like you’re playing golf in a postcard. ($75 for 18) Stay left of the right side’s rock wall on Sand Hollow’s famed 304-yard, par-4 13th — but not too far left. a great view of Snow Canyon State Park, especially from the back nine. The front nine goes out and back from gorgeous sandstone mountains. One of the rock formations has what looks to be the outline of a fish, after which the course’s Fish Rock Grille is named. Drivers get a workout on the front nine, which offers generous landing areas off the tee. The par-4 ninth hole, which measures 398 yards from the blue tees with a pond bordering the green, serves as a bridge to the target golf that defines the back nine and requires more thought in club choice. Unlike courses in the Midwest, which typically have a signature hole, those in St. George seem to have signature stretches. At The Ledges, that stretch begins at No. 11, where we literally paused on the tee box of 16
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
the 147-yard par 3 to snap pictures of dramatic vistas that were all around us. That afternoon, we encountered the most unique two-hole stretch of our journey on the Red Rock Trail at Green Spring Golf Course in Washington. Nos. 5 and 6 play over a red-rock ravine with a nearly 100-foot drop, making for an imposing tee shot on the 154-yard, par-3 fifth hole and requiring a pair of 200-yard shots — the second an all-carry long iron or hybrid — on the 419yard, par-4 sixth. If negotiating those two holes doesn’t take your breath away, the cart ride over the deepest part of the ravine between the point of the approach shot and the green on No. 6 certainly will. It was easily the most dramatic view of the day — until we sat down to dinner on the patio at The Cliffside Restaurant,
that is, which gave us a great look at the lights of the St. George valley below.
ABOVE & BEYOND Day 2 of our tour took us to two can’t-miss golf destinations — Sky Mountain before lunch and Sand Hollow, ranked as Utah’s top public course since it opened in 2008, during the afternoon. One of Sky Mountain’s most striking features is the view from its driving range, which looks out over the Pine Valley Mountains and Zion National Park. It took everything we had to pull ourselves away from the backdrop of the practice facility to enjoy the views from the rest of the course. Not only were those impressive, so was every detail of the Jeff Hardin design, right down to the concrete cart paths that gave this municipal track a country-club feel. Sky Mountain is owned and operated by the city
St. George GC (18): Open since 1976 and the only par 73 on the trail, you’ll see why this course has been a favorite forever. ($47 for 18)
Sand Hollow (27): Unique resort property that includes an 18-hole championship track as well as a walkable nine-hole links-style course. ($155 for 18)
Sky Mountain (18): Appropriately named for the amazing views from the elevated tee boxes; anywhere you look and anytime you play, it’s simply gorgeous. ($65 for 18)
Southgate (18): A ”doable” course that weaves alongside the Santa Clara River and just close enough to make it beautiful and keep the game interesting. ($65 for 18)
Sunbrook (27): Bridges, water hazards and elevation drops make every hole an adventure. ($70 for 18).
WALKING BACK IN TIME: Sand Hollow’s Hickory Club Round
Go for the gusto on the tee of the 310-yard, par-4 third at Falcon’s Ridge. of Hurricane and is far greater test than its 6,383 yards would suggest. In fact, all three courses we played leading up to the championship course at Sand Hollow were every bit as challenging and wellmaintained as the one that seems to be the buzz of St. George. “The most iconic Red Rock golf experience is at Sand Hollow,” Newman said. “You get some feel for the red-rock features in the middle of the course, but turning onto No. 11, it’s just mind-blowing, just that experience that people dream about.” And it’s not difficult to see why. From its signature bunkers, distinguished by their red sand and deepened by the persistent winds of the area, to its signature stretch on the back nine, Sand Hollow sets 18
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
the standard in St. George. Holes 11 through 15 sit on the rim of a canyon with a series of breathtaking and imaginative holes. The 12th is a 372-yard par 4 with a rock wall running along the entire right side of the hole, giving wayward drives a chance to ricochet back into play. The 13th is a driveable par 4 that measures 304 yards from the blue tees, while No. 14 is a 191-yard par 3 with a forced carry over the canyon’s edge. After enjoying a steak dinner at Anasazi Steakhouse, where you have the option of grilling your own on a hot stone at your table, we got a good night’s sleep and got ready for a busy final day. It began with the most unique experience of the trip, on the Links Nine back at
The bags of hickory-shafted golf clubs are stored in a back office, just off the pro shop. The nine holes of linkstyle golf are tucked at the end of a path just beyond the driving range. Most golfers who include Sand Hollow on their golfing itinerary during a visit to St. George, Utah, don’t do so to take a trip back in time on the Links Nine, if they even know about it. They are there to play the 18-hole championship course. It features stunning holes, including a stretch of five holes on the back nine (Nos. 11 through 15) that sit on the rim of a canyon, and consistently ranks as the best public golf course in Utah and among the top-10 public or private in the state. “I can’t tell you how many people have gone out of their way to see the championship course, but have missed the Links Nine,” said Andy Staples, who collaborated with John Fought on the designs of both layouts. “One of the greatest things (about the Links Nine) is nobody knows about it, so every time that you get out there, no one else is out there.” Indeed, we had the place almost to ourselves the day our group of six traded in our Callaways and TaylorMades for a set of Louisville Slugger hickory sticks — yes, the brassie, the spoon, the mashie and the niblick — and set out on foot to test out the 3,600-yard Links Nine. Tee shots were struck with persimmon drivers. Putts were holed with antique replica putters that looked more like hockey blades. No scores were kept. It was two hours of pure bliss. The fun and imaginative layout was designed to allow shots to get where they needed to go through the air or, as is the often way of links-style golf, on the ground. The course was designed as a throwback to Scottish links golf, with big, gigantic greens and multiple ways to play the hole. You don’t have to hit high-flying tee shots and high-flying approach shots. Most of the holes have a ground-game option to reach the flag. There is one unforgettable hole where that isn’t an option — the 350-yard second hole where a rock wall
cuts across the fairway about 100 yards out from the tee box. The wall was built with black lava rock unique to the region and harvested from the construction site of a medical center in nearby Hurricane, Utah, and has become one of the course’s most talked-about features. “That was all me,” Staples said. “I’m like ‘C’mon, man. We’ve got 27 holes; you’re not going to let us do something funky?’ We started putting the wall down on the fifth hole. The owners were like ‘Oh, my gosh. That’s the rock wall you were thinking of?’ I’m like yeah, ‘we can do it everywhere.’ … They loved it so much they were even bringing people out to look at it. They even had locals saying, ‘Gosh, how old is that wall? Has it been here a long time?’” It hasn’t been there as long as it might have looked. Golfers just have to know where to look.
THE MOUNTAINS WIN AGAIN Do not miss Zion National Park There is one must-see on every golfer’s visit to the St. George, Utah, area that doesn’t require a tee time or a dinner reservation. Zion National Park forms part of the backdrop for many of the golf courses on the Red Rock Golf Trail. Increasingly, golfers who come to the region to treat themselves to championship-caliber courses learn they can’t cheat themselves out of an opportunity to see the wonder that is Zion. The 229 square miles that encompass the park feature a range in elevation of more than 5,000 feet. Towering rock formations that nature has painted in a brilliant assortment of reddish and light brown create an awe-inspiring experience that make a trip to Zion worth every minute. “If you’ve never been to Zion, (it’s like) you’re on another planet,” said Brian Oar, a golf vacation specialist for St. George Utah Golf. “You can’t imagine it until you’re standing there, really.” “As a golfer, you come for the golf and you visit Zion while you’re there,” said Joe Newman, the marketing communications specialist for golf for St. George Convention & Tourism. “The Zion visitor is not often a golfer. … But it’s like if there was a destination just outside Yellowstone Park that was full of golf courses and a golf group goes there, they’re going to see Yellowstone. “I think it’s kind of rare that you have a golf destination that close to such a big attraction.” Zion is perhaps best paired with a morning round at Sky Mountain Golf Club or, possibly, Sand Hollow, and offers a week’s worth of natural attractions within its borders. Hiking The Narrows along the Virgin River is one of the park’s most popular activities. There are points within The Narrows where the canyon walls are loom a thousand feet tall and the river less than 30 feet wide. Much of the hike is made wading through the Virgin River, an experience that should be familiar to golfers used to wading into shallow water hazards to retrieve golf balls.
“It’s beautiful, first of all,” Newman said of hiking The Narrows, his favorite activity. “You’re in the middle of the beauty. You can experience a little bit of the river. And, if you’re really adventurous, you can hike up The Narrows. You’re right in the heart of Zion.” We devoted an afternoon — our final afternoon of a five-day stay — to our Zion visit. That was enough time to see a section of the Weeping Rock Trail at the foot of The Narrows and take a more ambitious hike along the Emerald Pools Trails where we were treated to a chorus of croaking bullfrogs and a pair of climbers scaling down one of the mammoth canyon walls. Admission to the park is $30 for a private, noncommercial vehicle with up to 15 passengers. An individual with no car can gain entrance to the park for $15. Children 15 and under free. Those who don’t have a half-day or more to devote to the region’s natural beauty can check out Snow Canyon State Park in St. George. Its dominant feature is the mile-after-mile of flat red rock that offers plenty of create-your-own hiking options. “You can drive right to the spot, walk five minutes and be on red rock or sandstone,” Oar said. “It’s kind of a ‘mini’ Zion National Park.”
ABOVE: Zion National Park is simply a must-do day trip for anyone visiting the area. BELOW: The golf courses in St. George bring the mountains to your doorstep. Sand Hollow, (see sidebar, page 19). We then squeezed in another nine at Coral Canyon, built in 2000 and one of the “older” courses on the trail, before grabbing one of Aunt Becky’s cinnamon rolls at River Rock Roasting Company in La Verkin. We needed sustenance for the final leg of our journey — a trip to Zion National Park to hike to the Emerald Pools and enjoy close up the striking rock formations we’d seen from a distance. And if you thought that was saving the
best for last, wait until you see how little it costs to play golf on the Red Rock Golf Trail. An 18-hole greens fee ranges from $47 at Southgate Golf Club and St. George Club to $155 at Sand Hollow Resort, making St. George one of the most affordable golf destinations in the entire country. But don’t confuse cheap golf for cheap courses. Please visit www.redrockgolftrail.com and www.visitstgeorge.com for more information.
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
21
Kenosha Kenosha
GOLFTIME’S FEATURED COURSES Chicagoland
Waukegan Waukegan
8 13
Arlington Arlington Heights Heights Elgin Elgin
90 90
1 Mount Mount Prospect Prospect 10
Schaumburg Schaumburg
5 7
Skokie Skokie
12 Evanston 14 Evanston
Des Des Plaines Plaines
9
Arlington Lakes Golf Club
Arlington Heights
847-577-3030
www.ahpd.org/algc
pg 28
2
Arrowhead Golf Club
Wheaton
630-653-5800
www.arrowheadgolfclub.org
pg 32
3
Broken Arrow Golf Club
Lockport
815-836-8858
www.golfbrokenarrow.com
pg 33
4
Fountain Hills Golf Club
Alsip
708-388-4653
www.fountainhillsgc.com
pg 45
5
Golf Center Des Plaines
Des Plaines
847-803-4653
www.golfcenterdesplaines.com
pg 34
6
Heritage Bluffs Public Golf Club
Channahon
815-467-7888
www.heritagebluffs.com
pg 35
7
Lake Park Golf Course
Des Plaines
847-391-5730
www.dpparks.org
pg 45
8
Libertyville Sports Complex
Libertyville
847-367-1506
www.LibertyvilleSportsComplex.com
pg 44
9
Links & Tees Golf Facility
Addison
630-233-7275
www.addisonparks.org
pg 36
10
Mt. Prospect Golf Club
Mt. Prospect
847-632-9300
www.mtprospectgolf.com
pg 37
11
Prairie Bluff Public Golf Course
Crest Hill
815-836-4653
www.prairiebluffgc.com
pg 38
12
Skokie Sports Park
Skokie
847-674-1500
www.skokieparks.org
pg 39
13
Stonewall Orchard Golf Club
Grayslake
847-740-4890
www.stonewallorchard.com
pg 40
14
Weber Park Golf Course
Skokie
847-674-1500
www.skokieparks.org
pg 39
15
White Pines Golf Club
Bensenville
630-766-0304
www.whitepinesgolf.com
pg 41
15
Oak Oak Park Park
2
1
Chicago
Cicero Cicero
88 88
Aurora Aurora Oak Oak Lawn Lawn
4 55 55
11
Joliet Joliet
80 80
Let Us Lead You to Your Next Round 94 94
3
Hammond Hammond 80 80
GolfTime Magazine is dedicated to people who realize the world’s greatest game 6 is more than a pastime, people who appreciate the rich variety and value in the region they call home.
Gary Gary
57 57
6 65 65
41 41
22 22
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
20
www.golftimemag.com 30
Find us on /golftimemag or follow @GolfTimeMag18 on
YOURGAME. GAME.YOUR YOURTIME. TIME. YOUR YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
6 30 23 23
94
GOLFTIME’S FEATURED COURSES Illinois 1 Crab Orchard Golf Club 2 The Links at Kokopelli 3 Pine Lakes Golf Club 4 Stardust Golf and Country Club 90
Carterville Marion 90 Herrin Johnston City
7
pg 42
Sheboygan Falls Wisconsin Dells Wisconsin Dells
920-467-1500 www.golfthebull.com 608-254-3971 www.christmasmountainvillage.com 800-221-8876 www.trappersturn.com
pg 42 pg 42
94 94
IFC
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
23 24
Fontana Elkhorn Fontana Lake Geneva Elkhorn Lake Geneva Lake Geneva Lake Geneva Delavan Whitewater
262-275-6111 262-642-7374 262-275-3705 262-728-3966 262-723-5722 262-245-7000 800-558-3417 877-429-5788 262-725-9066 262-473-3305
www.abbeysprings.com www.alpinevalleyresort.com www.countryclubestatesgolf.com 43 www.delbrookgolfclub.com www.evergreengolf.com www.genevanationalresort.com www.grandgeneva.com www.hawksviewgolfclub.com www.lakelawnresort.com www.whitewatercountryclub.com
90
Ellsworth
pg 62
43
90
pg 62
131 131
90 90
pg 62
90 90
pg 62 pg 62 pg 62
94
90
son
90 90
17Lake Geneva12
96 96
196 196
pg 78
88 88
43
9 72
Chicago
88 88
69 69 80 80
80 80 80 80
94 94
South Bend
80 80
69 69
80 80 80 80
80 80
Elkhorn Elkhorn
74 74
Delavan Delavan Suttons Bay Suttons Bay 74 74
Peoria
90
Milwaukee pg 80
Cedar
65 65
Fort Wayne 65 65
57 57
69 69
131
Cedar
55 55
74 74
Bloomington
pg 80 pg 80
57 57
55 55
pg 80
55 55
96
Grand Rapids 65 65
74 74 57 57
pg 80
72 72
Champaign
74 74
74 74
69 69
Springfield
Decatur
72 72
55 55
88
196
88
Chicago 69 69
74 74
pg 80
Kalamazoo
94 94
39 39
Cedar
94 94
94 94 94 94
pg 80
pg 80
196 196
90 90
50
69 69
18
94
Lake Geneva Lake Geneva
14
88 88
pg 79
19
131 131
43 43
16 15 11 13 14 Delavan 10 18 Suttons Bay
90
pg 77
Lansing
43
90 90
pg 62
94
Grand Rapids
96 96
94 94
pg 62
pg 80
Milwaukee
94 94
43 43
80 80
www.a-ga-ming.com www.golfthechief.com www.golfthecrown.com www.elmbrookgolf.com www.grandtraverseresort.com/golf www.golfbellaire.com www.lochenheath.com www.manitoupassagegolfclub.com www.shantycreek.com
Milwaukee 131 131
94
94 94
Madison
90
800-678-0122 231-533-9000 231-946-2975 231-946-9180 800-748-0303 94 866-868-8181 231-938-9800 43 231-228-6000 231-533-8621
131
43 43
90 90
43
Kewadin Bellaire Traverse City Traverse City Acme Bellaire Williamsburg Cedar Bellaire
20
6
pg 62 pg 62
Cedar
5
90 90
90 90
75 75
Suttons Bay
43 43
7
94 94
Elkhorn
Michigan Traverse City Inset 21 A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort 22 The Chief Golf Course 23 The Crown Golf Club 24 Elmbrook Golf Course 94 25 Grand Traverse Resort & Spa 26 Hawk’s Eye Golf Resort 90 27 LochenHeath Golf Club 28 Manitou Passage Golf Club 29 Shanty Creek Resorts
131 131
Bellaire 72
Madison
269-925-9002 berrienhills.com 800-888-0509 www.discoverkalamazoo.com 888-533-7742 www.pilgrimsrun.com
131
pg 7
12
Benton Harbor Kalamazoo Pierson
Traverse City 75 75
94 94
90 90
Michigan 18 Berrien Hills Golf Club 19 Discover Kalamazoo 20 Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club
75 75 75
Acme
94 94
Abbey Springs County Club Alpine Valley Resort Country Club Estates Golf Course Delbrook Golf Club Evergreen Country Club Geneva National Resort Grand Geneva Resort & Spa Hawk’s View Golf Club Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn Resort Whitewater Country Club
75 75
94 94
pg 61
Wisconsin Walworth County Inset 8
22 6 29 2
27 25
pg 42
90
The Bull at Pinehurst Farms Christmas Mountain Village Trappers Turn Golf Club
6
28
618-985-2321 www.craborchardgolfclub.com 618-997-5656 www.kokopelligolf.com 90 618-942-6816 www.pinelakes18.com 618-527-4122
Wisconsin 5
21
43
94
70 70
57 57
96
74 74
65 65
70 70
70 70
70 70
70 70
Indianapolis 74 74
Lansing 74 74
90
88
65 65
39
43
80
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
94
57 57
131
70 70
80
69
64 64
90
24
70 70
55 55
90
74
64 64
80
80
196
80
57 57
3
4
1 2 57 57
65 65
64 64
55 94
64 64
64 64 164 164
57
64 64
64 64
94
Kalamazoo
65
94
CHICAGOLAND FEATURED COURSES
Mt. Prospect Golf Club
26
GOLFTIME
1
Arlington Lakes Golf Club
Chicagoland Featured Course
By the People, For the People Arlington Lakes Golf Club Puts the Community First in Fantastic, Innovative New Redesign
A
fter more than two decades in the golf business, it's safe to say Tim Govern's seen it all. The golf operations manager at Arlington Lakes Golf Club — part of the Arlington Heights Park District's crown of courses — has certainly seen enough to know people want a new experience in golf. That's what makes him so excited about taking the wraps off the club's $2.4-million ren-
ovation this July: it's all done with the people in mind. "It's the first improvements we've made since it was built in 1978, so we think it's going to be great for the community," Govern said. "And what we’re tying to do with the course is make it more playable. That’s what people are really looking for. Courses over the last few years have been built to be re-
ally, really difficult, and this is getting back to what players want. Mike Benkusky did the redesign, and he really hit it on the head." The club's renovations are a long time coming, spearheaded by a grassroots community movement to upgrade the course, which sits on the site of a former missile base. It took community members 14 years to purchase a parcel of land from the U.S. Army, giving the club some much-needed elbow room, no longer shoehorned into its original 90 acres. Virtually everything changed about the course other than the look and feel of the parkland beauty, including the routing,
which is flip-flopped from the original to allow for greater flexibility. In addition to becoming a more player and family-friendly course, Arlington Lakes will now also offer three- and six-hole rounds, to better work with people's increasingly busy schedules. "We're really excited about it, and we're going to start pushing the three- and six-hole options," Govern said. "Two of the biggest complaints about golf are time and expense, and this will address both of those. Especially this time of year, you can come out at 8 o’clock and still get six holes in." The new configurations are part of growing movement in golf to grow the game, and
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
29
should have plenty of eyes watching the re- leveled and rebuilt all the tee boxes, added ception to the changes at Arlington Lakes, junior tees, and reshaped eight of the club's Govern said. greens, returning them to their original in"The USGA invited Mike to a symposium tended size. In addition, the course now has in January this past year to talk about it," he three completely redesigned holes, Govern said. "They're really interested said, adding the club will play to TEE STATISTICS in the ideas, a lot of people are a very family-friendly par of 68. Yards Par looking at it to try and grow the "I haven’t played it yet, Blue 5360 68 game." Of course, sometimes but I’m anxious to," he said. White 4976 68 Red 4548 68 less is more, as is the case with "There’s three completely redeArlington Lakes' bunkers, which signed holes. No. 7 is the most might have undergone the biggest changes. intriguing, a short par-4, 320 yards. It gets "We went from 106 bunkers to 37," Gov- super narrow up by the green, and offers a ern said. "So many of them were out of play, lot of risk reward, with a real narrow green. and some we combined, as well. From a "There's also an elevated par-3, 125 yards, maintenance standpoint it's much easier, guarded by water on both sides, and plays too, they're not the high-faced bunkers. Now into the wind most of the time. And seven or they’re perfect and they drain perfectly, too." eight others holes had significant changes." The changes didn't stop there. They also Other major improvements include add30
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
PREVIOUS SPREAD: Arlington Lakes has undergone a truly transformative renovation, with new tees and greens, new holes, and much more, all with the player in mind. ABOVE: The $2.4 million renovation includes finer amenities like a renovated clubhouse and even continuous cart paths around the course. ing continuous cart paths throughout course, allowing carts on course even after excessive rain, and some major renovations to the patio area of the clubhouse, creating a more welcoming feel, Govern said. "The clubhouse got quite a nice facelift, and the patio area, as well," he said. "You walk into the clubhouse and it’s going to be a friendly, welcoming, modern feel, compared to before, when you felt like you were back in
the ’80s. It’ll be a nice change." The result is an almost brand-new club the community is clamoring to see, Govern said. "There’s definitely a buzz going with it, and we sold out for our grand opening event, so that’s a testament," he said. "We were able to do so much more than we anticipated, between the building, the patio, and the course itself. We think we’re really going to be able to serve the golfing community really well."
1211 S. New Wilke Rd. Arlington Heights, IL 60005
847-577-3030 www.ahpd.org/algc
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
31
2
Chicagoland Featured Course
Chicagoland Featured Course
1996-2016
Arrowhead Golf Club ARROWHEAD GOLF CLUB IN WHEATON, Illinois, is widely known and recognized for its beautifully maintained course, exceptional views, and professional and dedicated staff. Arrowhead is a public golf course offering impeccable golf TEE STATISTICS at affordable rates on three par-72, 18-hole layouts surrounded South/East Yards Par by forest preserve. Tees, greens and fairways are bentgrass and Red 4989 72 water comes into play on 17 holes. Practice on our lighted Gold 5542 72 White 6080 72 driving range, putting green, chipping green, and bunkers. The Silver 6347 72 range gained new mats, landscaping, and a handicap-accessible Blue 6707 72 ramp in 2015. Book a group or individual golf lesson from our West/East Yards Par Red 4905 72 PGA professional instructors. Gold 5482 72 Arrowhead has become a favorite destination for golf outings, White 6166 72 fundraisers, weddings, and corporate events. The facility includes Silver 6388 72 Blue 6643 72 banquet and meeting rooms, a pro shop, halfway house, and South/West Yards Par locker rooms. The Arrowhead Restaurant & Bar—open daily for Red 4939 72 lunch and dinner—features elegant dishes by Executive Chef Alan Gold 5512 72 White 6084 72 Pirhofer, hosts live music, and boasts 15 HDTV screens to catch Silver 6360 72 your favorite sports. Don’t miss the a la carte breakfast menu Blue 6622 72 Saturdays and Sundays during the golf season. At Arrowhead, you can expect a country club feeling in a public setting and great golf, food, drink, and events every time. We are Arrowhead, and we’re ready to serve you!
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
NOW CELEBRATING 20 YEARS Friendly atmosphere, family oriented, ONE GREAT EXPERIENCE
Broken Arrow Golf Club LOCATED IN THE SOUTH SUBURBS of Chicago, Broken Arrow Golf Club offers 27 holes of championship golf, the toprated West Short Links, and a full-service clubhouse with many amenities. Developed from woodlands, the North Course features dual greens, designed for players to control difficulty. The East Course, arguably the most difficult course, features sloping fairways, hidden water, and 18 bunkers. The South Course is a maturing, parkland-style golf course, flanked by 22 bunkers and seven ponds. The clubhouse also offers a full-service restaurant. Diners will be satisfied with a new menu coupled with our friendly staff. The banquet facility is perfectly suited to host every special occasion for 30 to 300 guests.
TEE STATISTICS South/East Yards Par
Gold Blue White Red
6945 72 6582 72 6348 72 5211 72
East/North Yards Par
Gold Blue White Red
7034 72 6669 72 6315 72 5182 72
North/South Yards Par
Gold Blue White Red
7027 72 6663 72 6321 72 5255 72
26W151 Butterfield Rd. Wheaton, IL 60189
16325 W. Broken Arrow Dr. Lockport, IL 60441
630-653-5800
815-836-8858
www.arrowheadgolfclub.org 32
3
www.golfbrokenarrow.com YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
33
Chicagoland Featured Course
6
2014 U.S. AMATEUR QUALIFYING SITE
Heritage Bluffs Public Golf Club COME SEE FOR YOURSELF WHY HERITAGE BLUFFS ranked as a five-star course in Chicagoland Golf magazine. Situated on 166 rolling, wooded acres, Heritage Bluffs is home to an incredible 18 holes of championship golf on a setting seldom seen in the Chicagoland area. From the mounded, links-style first hole to the tree-lined No. 18, Heritage Bluffs has it all, including elevation changes, lakes, bunkers and wetlands. The course received a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary designation, as well as numerous awards from Golf Digest since opening in 1993, and hosted a US Amateur Qualifier in 2014. The Dick Nugent design can stretch to more than 7,200 yards, TEE STATISTICS creating a challenge for even the most accomplished golfer. With Yards Par Gold 7171 72 four sets of tees on each hole, the course will provide a quality golf Black 6617 72 experience for any player regardless of ability. The par-72 layout Silver 6038 72 features bentgrass tees, fairways and greens. Copper 5035 72 Conveniently located just minutes from I-80 and I-55, Heritage Bluffs offers one of the finest practice facilities in the area including: a driving range with five target greens, a large putting green and a chipping green with a bunker. Rounding out your golf experience is the fully stocked pro shop and the Grille Room, featuring a delicious array of food and beverage choices.
24335 West Bluff Rd. Channahon, IL 60410
815-467-PUTT (7888) www.heritagebluffs.com YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
35
Chicagoland Featured Course
* 1.5 miles East of I-355 on Lake Street
Golf Course
Fees
Daily (M-Su)
$12/R; $15/NR
Junior/Senior*
$10/R; $12/NR
Twilight (after 6 p.m.)
$10/round
Replay
$8/round
Early Bird** (8-10 a.m.)
$7/round
* Junior/Senior rates valid M-F until 2 p.m. ** Early Bird rates valid M-F only
Golf Range Fees: Bucket fee includes use of the short game area. Putting green use only $5 additional.
Bucket type
Fee
Jr/Sr.* Rate
Early Bird
$7
n/a
Small/White
$7
n/a
Med./Yellow
$10
$8
Large/Green
$12
$10
Texan
$17
n/a
NEW! The Pro
$20
n/a
10
Mt. Prospect Golf Club NEWLY RESTORED in a multi-million dollar project by Esler Golf Design, Mt. Prospect will take you back to a style of architecture made famous by names like Raynor, MacDonald and Ross. With low square tee boxes, strategic cross bunkers and TEE STATISTICS challenging plateau greens, all in our quiet parkland setting. The Yards Par design features most of the original routing with five new holes Black 6350 70 and historic “template holes” with names like Redan, Eden and Silver 6005 70 Punchbowl. There is even a sloping Biarritz par 3. Gold 5345 70 The course will test every level of player without being your typical modern “waterpark” design, it is all about grass, sand and trees. Located in a historic neighborhood just minutes from O’Hare. Mt. Prospect is the closest thing to the conditions and feel of an old private club, with a daily fee rate. A new continuous cart path keeps carts out everyday and the new Club Car fleet features Visage connected “touchscreen GPS” on each cart. The newly added golf learning center includes a large bent grass tee, 300+ yard range, a large short game area and challenging practice greens. Home to state champion high school teams, Mt. Prospect has one of the oldest and most successful junior golf programs in Illinois. Adult group and private lessons are also available with our PGA professional staff. Our beautiful clubhouse grill room and patio look over the golf course and are the perfect place to relax with a drink or have one of our famous 1/2 pound “Mt. Prospect Burger.” What’s new is “old” again. Come play the Mt. Prospect Golf Club.
Come Back to a New 90 Year Old Classic FootGolf
Fees
9 holes (walking)
$10 per person
Replay
$5 per person
Soccer Ball Rental
600 See Gwun Ave. Mt. Prospect, IL 60056
847-259-4200
www.golfmtprospect.com
$5 per ball YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
37
11
Chicagoland Featured Course
Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club OPENED IN JULY OF 1998 by Lockport Township Park District, Prairie Bluff Golf Club offers 18 holes of championship golf spread out over 237 acres of rolling terrain. Each of Prairie Bluff’s superbly manicured holes is framed by flowing TEE STATISTICS prairie grass which, along with 10 lakes, adds to both the courses Yards Par beauty and challenge. A complete bunker renovation in the fall Gold 7007 72 of 2012 only adds to the challenge golfers will face at Prairie Blue 6466 72 White (M) 6054 72 Bluff. Golfers can warm up, or just practice, at our 10-acre drivWhite (W) 6054 72 ing range, 10,000-square-foot putting green and short game area Green 5326 72 complete with practice bunker. Golfers and non-golfers alike will enjoy Prairie Bluff’s beautiful, newly renovated, 12,000square-foot clubhouse complete with a remodeled pro shop offering the latest in equipment and apparel along with a remodeled dining area, bar area and outdoor patio serving great food with outstanding service. Along with a beautiful banquet room that will accommodate 200 guests, Prairie Bluff is the perfect location for your next golf outing, banquet, wedding or any other event. Let the staff at Prairie Bluff help make your next visit the best it can be.
Now outings of 80 golfers or more will receive a free foursome! 19433 Renwick Rd. Crest Hill, IL 60403
815-836-GOLF (4653) www.prairiebluffgc.com www.pbmulligans.com www.pbbanquets.com 38
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
13
Chicagoland Featured Course
Host Site of the Illinois PGA Section Championship Host Site of the 2003, 2005, 2009 & 2015 U.S. Open Qualifier Host Site of the 2016 Web.com Rust-Oleum Qualifier
Stonewall Orchard Golf Club Designed by Arthur Hills
OPEN SINCE 1999, Stonewall Orchard has quickly earned its spot among Chicago’s top public golf course facilities and has been named one of the state’s top courses by Golf Digest for the past three years. Stonewall Orchard is the current home of the Illinois PGA’s Section Championship and hosted U.S. Open qualifying in 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2015. Designed by renowned architect Arthur Hills, Stonewall TEE STATISTICS Orchard is a true walk in nature and offers natural qualities often Yards Par associated with golf in the Carolinas. With more than 65,000 Silver 7124 72 mature pine and oak trees, the course features tranquil wetlands, Gold 6506 72 Gold/White 6202 72 plenty of wildlife and nary a hole that parallels another, offering White 6032 72 a very secluded experience. From the 4,968-yard junior short Turquoise 5375 72 course to the 7,124-yard, par-72 championship layout, each Junior 4968 72 hole provides its own identity and challenge to golfers of all skill levels. Offering the public a country club environment in a relaxed atmosphere, Stonewall Orchard is one golf course you’ll want to play time and time again.
25675 W. Hwy. 60 Grayslake, IL 60030
847-740-4890
www.stonewallorchard.com 40
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
DOES YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION IMPRESS?
w w w. n i l e y o u n g . c o m
Practice Range Guide
The Driving Range at the Libertyville Sports Complex
The Driving Range at Mt. Prospect Golf Club
15% off any price Range Card with this coupon Corner of Peterson Road & Route 45 1850 N. Hwy 45, Libertyville, IL 60048
847-367-1506
www.libertyvillesportscomplex.com www.libertyville.com/golf
Valid thru 9/30/16
“Best Driving Range” in Chicago 5 years in a row, Daily Herald Readers’ Choice Award. Open daily, all 12 months. Full flight range with lights. Weather protected automated tee station with heaters, outside matted tees and spectacular grass tee practice area. Putting and Chipping greens, too. Email ckowal@libertyville.com to join E-CLUB for discounts, promotions and special event info.
Mt. Prospect Golf Club now offers a state of the art golf learning center including a bent grass tee driving range, target greens, short game area and two amazing practice putting greens which can be used as a putting course. Mt. Prospect has one of the oldest and most successful junior golf programs in Illinois. Adult group and private lessons are also available with our PGA professional staff.
Mt Prospect Golf Club
600 South See-Gwun Avenue, Mount Prospect, IL 60056
(847)259-4200
GET BENEFITS OUR FANS RECEIVE SPECIAL GOLF OFFERS AND UPDATES ON THE LATEST GOLF NEWS
44
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
Fountain Hills Golf Club Fountain Hills Golf Club is one of Chicagoland’s finest 9-hole courses. The course features bentgrass greens and a wonderful mixture of golf holes with trees, sand and water throughout. The facility also features a lighted driving range with 30 tee stations, two practice putting and chipping ENJOY OUR NEWLY RENOVATED BAR, GRILL AND BANQUET greens, pro shop, FACILITIES WITH EXCITING NEW MENU OFFERINGS. restaurant and lounge. With a 2,000-square-foot patio and banquet facility, Holes • 9 Par • 36 Yards • 3,233 Fountain Hills is an excellent location to host your next golf outing, wedding or private party. 12601 S. Kedzie Ave. Alsip, IL 60803 The clubhouse will accommodate up to 150 guests for any special occasion and it’s available 708-388-4653 www.fountainhillsgc.com year-round.
www.golfmtprospect.com
ALL OUR FRIENDS Just Click on the at www.golftimemag.com
Executive + 9-hole Courses
Lake Park Golf Course A little gem, tucked away in Des Plaines for over 50 years, this 18-hole, par 3 short course has beautifully kept greens greens & strategically placed sand bunkers. Set around scenic Lake Opeka, which doubles as a hazard, the course is a favorite of local golfers who want to improve their all important short game. For young golfers and families, it’s the perfect beginner’s course, both enjoyable and challenging round after round. Along with great golf and new FootGolf, we have lessons, tournaments, and parties.
Holes • 18 Par • 54 Yards • 1,515 Golf • FootGolf Kayaks Paddleboats Sailing • Fishing
1015 Howard Avenue Des Plaines, IL 60018
847-391-5730 www.dpparks.org
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
45
Instructor’s Corner
Instructor’s Corner
FitGolf Performance Center
Putt for Dough?
The Golf Fitness Experts
By Betsy Voyles, MSPT
S
hould you get a professional fitting for putting? Is your poor posture costing you strokes on the dance floor? Whether you are right- or left-hand low now, if you are struggling with your putting, strengthening your core muscles and improving your balance may be your answer. Improved posture and core stability will help produce a smoother, more stable pendular motion. Test your stability on a practice green by casting a shadow in front of you. See if your shadow moves at all during a putting stroke. If it does, see if you can stabilize yourself by slightly contracting your lower abdominals and bending slightly more from your hips to straighten and lengthen your spine. You can also put pressure on both of your insteps to help stabilize your stroke. If you have difficulty finding your lower abdominals, stand as tall as you possibly can with your stomach pulled in and shoulders down and back. Maintain that level of support as you assume your putting address position. Anything you can do during the day to challenge your balance is another way to improve putting accuracy. Standing on one leg while brushing your teeth or waiting for an elevator, for example, can help your body learn to stabilize itself. Improved overall balance improves ball striking from driver to putter. 46
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
We often get asked about the use of belly and long putters vs. regular length putters. Putting, putters, and putting grips vary greatly, so try as many variations as you want to find what feels the best for you. Even Tour players change these variables on a regular basis. The most important factor is how stable you are without compromising your body in the process. It is amazing how many “just putting” injuries we treat a year. The worst thing you can do to your low back is load it (standing or sitting), bend forward (round or slouch), then rotate. Many golfers feel they need to round way over the ball to get their eyes directly over the ball. This compromises their bodies and their putting accuracy. Yes, many outstanding players have this type of putting stance, but they have hit thousands of balls to groove the motion, and many have had a number of physical problems that still haunt them. Your body has fewer joints to control if it is strong, stable, and balanced. And as you know, your body is the most important piece of equipment that you own. For golf health and fitness questions, or for more information about the FitGolf program, please contact us at 312-214-9079, bvoyles@fitgolf.com or visit fitgolfchicago.com.
Let Chicagoland’s most experienced golf performance specialists get your body and game moving in the right direction. We design fully customized programs that focus on your specific strength, flexibility, posture, balance, coordination, and injury history which may be affecting your game. Video, 3D and weight transfer technologies are also used in your evaluation and training. We’ll work with your golf pro to help meet your golf performance goals.
Chris Pytell PGA Professional Chris Pytell has conducted more than 10,000 individual and group lessons since 1994. He enjoys instructing men, women, and junior golfers of all ages and levels, having transformed many junior players into competitive collegiate golfers. Because he believes that the learning process accelerates when golf is taught at a simple level, his lessons concentrate on the fundamentals of the game. Chris still plays in 10–15 PGA tournaments annually, believing that by maintaining his competitive edge, he will help his students achieve their full potential.
Downtown Chicago
Skokie Sports Park
312-214-9079
847-674-1500, ext. 3100
Eric Pick PGA Professional
Brad Syslo
We are pleased and excited to add Class A PGA Professional Eric Pick to our teaching staff here at Mt. Prospect Golf Club. While working at The Golf Learning Center at Sea Island Club he was exposed to some of the top instructors in the industry including Jack Lumpkin, Todd Anderson, Gale Person, and Mike Shannon. In 2008, Eric Pick Golf Academy was founded, improving the golf games of hundreds of students including the 2012 IHSA Girl’s State Class A Champion. Continuing to regularly compete in Illinois Section events, Eric has played in 4 Illinois Opens and 9 consecutive Illinois PGA Championships.
GOLFER. FITTER. TECHNOLOGY. TaylorMade Performance Labs, utilize MAT-T (Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade) to provide golfers with a 3-D club fitting experience that far exceeds anything previously available to the public. MAT-T works for golfers of all abilities from beginners to touring professionals. Master Club Fitting Professionals will analyze this data to provide you with clubs that are built around your golf swing, allowing you to hit the ball longer and straighter with better control.
925 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60642 www.fitgolfchicago.com
3459 Oakton St., Skokie, IL 60076 www.skokieparks.org
Master Club Fitting Professional
Mt Prospect Golf Club
TaylorMade Performance Lab of Chicago
(847)380-1280
708-679-6700
600 South See-Gwun Avenue, Mount Prospect, IL 60056 www.ericpick.com
at Olympia Fields Country Club (Public Welcome) 2800 Country Club Dr., Olympia Fields, IL 60461 www.TMPLabs.com YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
47
2016 Pro Golf Preview
Sensational Summer World’s Best Coming to Midwest
M
emorial Day saw Rocco Mediate win a wild Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores. Early June saw William “The Hurt” McGirt take the Memorial Tournament at Murfield Village on the PGA Tour. Late June saw Kirk Triplett rally to win the inaugural American Family Insurance Championship in front of huge crowds on the PGA Tour Champions. But there’s plenty more in store for golf fans in the Great Lakes this year. Here’s a rundown of other major events in the Midwest: July 14 – 17
Aug. 5 – 7
Web.com Tour LINCOLN LAND CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP
Champions Tour 3M CHAMPIONSHIP
Springfield, IL COURSE: Panther Creek Country Club THE SKINNY: This brand-new Web.com Tour event is scheduled through 2020 on the Hale Irwin-designed Panther Creek Country Club, making the city of Springfield a must-play stop for PGA Tour-hopefuls. July 22-24
LPGA UL INTERNATIONAL CROWN Chicago, IL COURSE: Merit Club TV: NBC/Golf Channel THE SKINNY: Played at Gurnee’s great Merit Club, site of the 2000 U.S. Women’s Open, the UL International Crown pits 32 players from eight countries in the team match, won by Spain in the inaugural 2015 tournament.
Blaine, MN COURSE: TPC Twin Cities DEFENDING CHAMP: Kenny Perry TV: Golf Channel THE SKINNY: Kenny Perry tries for the trifecta in the Twin Cities, having won this event back-to-back years headed into 2016. Aug. 11-14
PGA Tour JOHN DEERE CLASSIC Silvis, IL COURSE: TPC at Deere Run DEFENDING CHAMP: Jordan Spieth TV: CBS/Golf Channel THE SKINNY: The unofficial launching pad for the PGA Tour’s greatest golfers (see Woods, Tiger, and Spieth, Jordan, et al), is moving back in the Tour YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
49
DEFENDING CHAMP: Jason Day TV: NBC/Golf Channel THE SKINNY: The biggest purse ($10 million). The best golfers (the top 70 get in). The most fireworksinducing course (Rory McIlroy won with 20-under par here in 2012). It all adds up to another incredible “5th Major” event in the Midwest.
Sept. 22 – 25
Web.com Tour NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHAMPIONSHIP Columbus, OH COURSE: OSU GC - Scarlet Course THE SKINNY: The Web.com Tour heads to Columbus for the third event of the Tour Finals, in a tournament that has raised nearly $5 million for pediatric cancer programs. Sept. 30-October 2
PGA Tour RYDER CUP schedule to accommodate the Olympic Games, essentially “taking one for the team.” But it’s an opportunity for some new faces at the event, and who knows? Maybe even the world’s next No. 1. Aug. 11-14
Champions Tour U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Columbus, OH COURSE: Scioto CC Defending Champ: Jeff Maggert TV: Fox, FS1 THE SKINNY: Last year Jeff Maggert fought off Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer in the final round 50
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
for a two-shot victory. Look for another wild finish with John Daly added into the mix this year.
Sept. 8-11
Aug. 19-21
Beachwood, OH COURSE: Canterbury Golf Club THE SKINNY: The LeBron James Family Foundation is the beneficiary of this new event, located just outside Cleveland.
Symetra Tour PHC CLASSIC Milwaukee, WI COURSE: Brown Deer Park GC DEFENDING CHAMP: Annie Park THE SKINNY: After making two stops in Michigan and another in Decatur, Illinois, the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino welcomes back the LPGA’s developmental tour for its second year at the former home of the PGA Tour’s Greater Milwaukee Open.
Web.com Tour DAP CHAMPIONSHIP
Sept. 8-11
PGA Tour BMW CHAMPIONSHIP Carmel, IN COURSE: Crooked Stick GC
Chaska, MN COURSE: Hazeltine National DEFENDING CHAMP: Europe TV: NBC/Golf Channel THE SKINNY: The Ryder Cup is named after the English businessman Samuel Ryder, who donated the trophy. The biennial competition between Team USA and Team Europe will be broadcast to 500 million homes in 180 countries. Since 1927 the Ryder Cup is the only sporting event where Europe is represented as a team. The event will attract 250,000 spectators with resulting economic impact in excess of $150 million to the area. NBC Sports and its cable partners will combine to produce 27 hours of coverage over a three-day period. YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
51
WISCONSIN FEATURED COURSES
SentryWorld
Turning Pro T
he Green Bay Packers started coming to Thornberry Creek at Oneida in 2008 when the course first earned its designation as the official home course of the storied NFL franchise. The LPGA Tour will start coming to Thornberry Creek in 2017 when the LPGA Oneida Classic begins its three-year run at 54
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
the popular 27-hole facility, nine miles due west of Lambeau Field. With its place on a busy Wisconsin golf calendar next year — the state will play host to the U.S. Open, the PGA Tour Champions and the LPGA Tour in a four-week window next summer — Thornberry Creek is upping the ante to get ready.
Big Improvements, Big Tournament Take Wisconsin’s Thornberry Creek to Another Level By Rob Hernandez “It has opened up some avenues to get some things done and improve the facilities,” said Mark Becker, director of golf at the Oneida Nation-owned facility. “The golf course is in fantastic shape; it always has been. We’re taking it to another level now.” Earlier this summer, the course’s practice facility — adjacent to its nine-hole, double-
flag course — was closed so it could be expanded. According to Joshua Doxtator, the general manager at Thornberry Creek, the practice tee will be moved back into what is now existing parking space and expanded by 36,000 square feet with the target area expanded to allow use of all clubs. A new practice green will be built and a YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
55
state-of-the-art short game facility will be added. This winter, men’s and women’s locker rooms will be built in Thornberry’s massive 69,000-square-foot clubhouse that will build on its reputation as one of the state’s great public facilities. Add in drainage improvements to many of the bunkers and other work from tee-to-green, and it’s clear Thornberry is going from good to great and beyond. “You talk about the next word (after great) and exceptional is probably what comes to mind,” said Doxtator. “The golf course will be in exceptional shape. From 3½-inch rough to a beautiful intermediate cut (of rough) to fairways you could probably putt on … our 56
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
loyal guests who have been coming for years and years (will) see upgrades in a lot of areas. We’ll have a brand new practice facility that will arguably be the best in the area. There will be a lot of added value.” Indeed, Thornberry’s relationship with the LPGA Tour and IMG, which will run the event, has fostered great anticipation during an ultra-competitive era for destination golf in Wisconsin. The Kohler area has commanded much of that traffic, starting in 1988 when Blackwolf Run opened and exploding 10 years later when Whistling Straits joined the mix. Central Wisconsin figures to become a
PREVIOUS SPREAD: From the 428-yard, par-4 first hole, emblazoned with the Green Bay Packers logo, you know you’re in for a treat at Thornberry Creek. ABOVE, CLOCKWISE: The 409-yard, par 4 finishing hole. The reminders of the Packers partnership are everywhere. The club is literally counting the minutes until it hosts the LPGA Tour event next summer. focal point of golfers from far and wide early next year as the first of the several muchanticipated layouts at Sand Valley south of Wisconsin Rapids officially opens. “We’ve always seen ourselves as an upperlevel public golf course that people that can come out and play,” Becker said. “We’ve always been that in the Green Bay area. Now, we’re taking that to another level. … We want to make this as a destination course;
when people come and play those other golf courses, we want to be on that list as well. I think we are getting to that level. “That is the whole goal of what we’re after. People will be pleasantly surprised if they haven’t played here before of how great a golf course it is and what a kind of experience they can have. We have that triangle of golf with Whistling Straits and Sand Valley; we want to be part of that.” YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
57
ABOVE: The green of the first hole on the Champions course. RIGHT: The original Iroquois Nine at Thornberry Creek gives the club 27 stellar holes. First, Thornberry Creek must compete with Erin Hills near Milwaukee (site of the U.S. Open) and University Ridge in Madison (site of the American Family Insurance Championship) next summer when the eyes of the golf world will be looking toward Wisconsin. The LPGA Tour event seems well positioned to keep the Green Bay stop from getting overlooked against the other two. It will offer a $2 million purse, one of just two non-majors on the LPGA Tour schedule to put up that kind of money, and promises to draw a world-class field. It will also leverage Thornberry’s partnership with the Packers to possibly stretch the limits of marketing creativity and put the LPGA Oneida Classic in position to be the region’s social event of the summer. “Being the tournament owner, we have the opportunity to be as creative as we want to be,” Doxtator said. “Everything has a cost, but it’s important for us in year one to paint a vivid picture of what this tournament looks like in years to come and then build on that year after year.” With national television exposure from Golf Channel and NBC, it is Doxtator’s hope 58
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
that the tournament will allow the Oneida Nation to “tell our story” to the rest of the golf world. “It’s big, from the Oneida Nation perspective,” Doxtator said. “July 4th weekend is a homecoming for the tribe. There are 17,000 tribal members spread out throughout. A lot of them come back that weekend for a major pow-wow and activities and things like that. After that weekend, we go straight into event week for the LPGA Tour. It was one of those things where we were cognizant we were going to have a lot of those who made this possible back here to enjoy the festivities.” Becker added: “The whole community is really on board, from the mayor on down. Everyone is really excited. We’re going to have our Cheeseheads on and shoot off some fireworks. It’s going to be a great time. It’s going to be very festive. … It’s going to be a heck of an experience.” And, when it comes to golfing Thornberry, it figures to stay that way for many years to come. Visit www.golfthornberry.com for more information. YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
59
Christmas Mountain Village™
Rules of the Game
Etched into the rolling hills of Wisconsin Dells, Christmas Mountain Village welcomes the public to a golf experience rated four-star by Golf Digest:
Anchors Aweigh
By John Morrissett
E
ven though the change was announced three years ago, new Rule 14-1b (the “anchoring ban,”) has still managed to generate a fair amount of discussion after it took effect Jan. 1, 2016. Therefore, let’s review its key points to make sure no one runs afoul of the new rule this golf season. The rule was introduced to prohibit a player from anchoring the club (or the gripping hands) against the body during the stroke as, in the opinion of the USGA and the R&A of St Andrews, such a method for making a stroke is not appropriate for golf because of the tradition of a free-swinging stroke and the potential advantages gained from it. The highlights of the new rule: • The rule targets the method for making a stroke and not a type of club. • The anchoring prohibition applies to all strokes, not just putts. • During the stroke, the club or a gripping hand must not be anchored against the body (with the exception that the club or gripping hand may be anchored against the forearm, allowing a player to have the shaft of his putter run up his forearm almost to his elbow). • The player must also not have his anchor forearm against his body to achieve essentially the same result when his hands are separated and work independently. Therefore, if the hands are 60
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
together, one or both forearms may be anchored against the body (think of the pre-1970s putting strokes with the forearms locked against the body that would still be allowed today).
Challenging 18-Hole Championship Course • Family-Friendly 9-Hole Course Full-Service Pro Shop • Practice Facilities • Lessons • Club Rentals Clubhouse with Restaurant & Bar
Call 608.254.3971 to book your tee times. christmasmountainvillage.com | Find Us on Facebook
• Intent plays an important role with this rule, with there being a penalty only when a player intentionally anchors the club or gripping hand to his body; there is no penalty of the club or hand inadvertently touches the player or his clothing during the stroke. Given the above, a player may no longer anchor his putter against the stomach or chest (or chin). Many people have asked why Bernhard Langer’s putting stroke is allowed. The key is that the club, his gripping hands, and his forearms (as his hands are separated) are not anchored to the body; it is fine to use a long putter as long as it is not anchored as described the rule. If a player (like Langer) has steady enough nerves to hold a long putter in front of his chest without anchoring it, he is free to do so. While some golfers have been forced to change their putting methods (some, like Adam Scott, with great success), it will be interesting to see whether, say, 25 years from now, people will have any recollection or knowledge of the anchored stroke.
VOTED GOLF DIGEST’S
“BEST PLACES TO PLAY” ����
John Morrissett is the Competitions Director at Erin Hills, site of the 2017 U.S. Open, and former Director of Rules of Golf for the USGA. ©2015 Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited, Inc. All rights reserved. CMV.04.15.28 05/15
MICHIGAN FEATURED COURSES
The South Course at Gull Lake View Golf Club
64
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
HOME
is where the heart is Tom Doak’s Design Company Pours Everything Into Two Exciting New Projects in His Home State of Michigan By Don Shell
F
or more than two decades they came, with their bulldozers and blueprints, backhoes and big names, ready to transform the Midwestern landscape into some kind of golfer’s summertime paradise. We’ve seen courses by Nicklaus and Palmer. Weiskopf, Dye, and Fazio. Coore and Crenshaw. By both Jones (Rees) and Jones (Junior). They’ve all been here, and plenty others, during the “Golden Age” of golf course construction, when resorts and developers didn’t bat an eye at seven-figure fees or rising costs. That, of course, was then. Since the slowdown in golf in the early 2000s, new course openings have been few and far between across the country, particularly in the Midwest. Nationally, existing courses have been closing and new construction has come to a standstill in recent years. According to the National Golf Foundation, 2015 saw just 17 new course open68
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
ings nationwide, sharply contrasted with the 177 course closings. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (or the NGF) to see the best building days in golf are likely behind us. Just don’t tell that to Tom Doak. Doak and his architecture company, Renaissance Golf Design, are opening two three fantastic new layouts in his home state of Michigan this year, creating a one-company building boom and bucking the recent
PREVIOUS SPREAD (top to bottom): The stunning new Stoatin Brae will become the sixth course at Gull Lake View Golf Resort. The Loop at Forest Dunes doubles your pleasure, as one of the world’s only reversible courses. ABOVE: The fantastic Tom Weiskopf-designed Forest Dunes was named the 2015 National Golf Course of the year. BELOW LEFT: Tom Doak had just a 90-minute commute to his project at Forest Dunes, from his home in Traverse City, Michigan. trends in the golf business. Indeed, in an era where new courses are as rare as new ideas, Doak’s brought plenty of both home with him this year. Renaissance Golf Design is busy putting the finishing touches on the stunning new Stoatin Brae, an 18-hole championship track destined to be the sixth course at Gull Lake View Golf Resort in Augusta, Michigan. And Doak himself has lent his name to an exceedingly clever course — or courses — in The Loop, maybe the world’s first truly “reversible” course at Forest Dunes Golf Resort in Roscommon. The Loop opened to very limited play in
late June, while Stoatin Brae will have a soft opening of at least nine holes this summer, followed by a grand opening in spring of 2017. We took a look at each this spring, and it’s safe to say that the two courses bear striking similarities, and will help herald a new dawn in the Midwest golf scene, one where quality trumps quantity.
TO INFINITY & BEYOND It’s a cool, sunny spring day as we head into the Jack pine-filled forests of Roscommon, a sandy, secluded getaway in the heart of Northern Michigan. Home to the endangered Kirtland Warbler, Roscommon’s pines YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
69
are now home to something even rarer: one of the world’s only reversible golf courses. Rumor has it Doak had the plans scribbled on paper for 20 years, stuffed in the back of a drawer somewhere. He showed them to Lew Thompson, a trucking magnate and owner of Forest Dunes Golf Club, who wanted Doak to build him something special. Something different. Mission accomplished. The Loop, as it is so aptly named, is a brilliant and ballsy beauty (or beauties) that is so 70
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
cleverly executed you wonder why no one’s done it since that wily Old Tom Morris put an end to it at the Old Course in St Andrews. The Loop’s two loops, the Black and the Red, will be played one direction one day, and the other the next. The Black routing will play clockwise, while the Red runs counterclockwise. Both courses bear the signature “minimalist” architectural style Doak has become famous for, with wide, naturally rolling fairways, scraggly waste bunkering and green complexes built to test both strategy as well as skill. Doak, who lives in Traverse City, about 90 minutes to the west of Roscommon, might’ve put a bit more into the project simply due to proximity, but also due to the seas of his schedule parting perfectly, Thomson said. “We got the best of Tom, and I don’ t say that to offend people who have used Tom in the past, but we got Tom at a time when he
ABOVE: The architectural routings of the counter-clockwise Red loop, and the Black (formerly Blue) loop. LEFT: The contours of Doak’s greens are less severe than others on his resume, as they must play from multiple angles. BELOW: Doak’s trademark minimalist bunkering style is often cleverly hidden from view depending on what way you’re playing. didn’t have so many projects going,” Thompson explained. “And with this one (near his home) he was able to devote much more of his time and it is really showing.” Amazingly, what isn’t showing, is the other course while walking either loop. Doak and his design team of Brian Slawnick, Brian Schneider and Eric Iverson, collaborated on
the layouts, which required some mental gymnastics and literally 360-degree thinking. The trickiest part, Doak said, was to maintain a balance between the loops. “We just had to make sure that the best of the holes are distributed relatively equally between the two loops, so that one version of the course doesn’t trump the other,” he said.
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
71
“I’m really pleased with it. Whichever way you’re playing, it never feels like you are going the wrong way.” Both loops offer plenty of excitement along the way, too. Two of the best holes, according to Doak, are the sixth and seventh playing in the counterclockwise direction. “The sixth is a very short par 3 with a wide and shallow green, and the seventh is a short par 4 with a long and narrow green that has a dip in the middle of it. But those are also two of the best holes playing clockwise.” The remarkable thing about the Loop is how distinct both directions feel, with bunkering and shot options completely different depending on which way you’re playing — and without feeling forced. “There’s no gimmick to it,” said Elliott Oscar, the head golf professional at Forest Dunes, who came over from Lawsonia last winter to be a part of something special. “I think what people will see is there’s no gimmick to it. They think the reversible part is the attraction, but if it was just a stand-alone golf course in either direction, those would both stand on their own in their own right. So we have a great golf course here in the (Tom) Weiskopf course, and essentially two new Doak courses that can stand on their own two feet.”
REACHING FOR THE TOP Three hours south of the Loop, in the rolling hillside of southwest Michigan, is the stunning sixth jewel in the Scott family crown at Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort. Named after the picturesque plateau it sits upon, Stoatin Brae (Gaelic for “The Grand Hill,”) is unquestionably grand. With 20-mile views and rolling, wind-whipped acreage of 72
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
Stoatin Brae joins an already-strong lineup of courses at Gull Lake View, including the highly regarded Bedford Valley Golf Club. YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
73
a former apple orchard, Stoatin Brae’s landscape was perfect for the minimalist style Doak’s design team brought to the table. “There is a point on the golf course where you should be able to see 15 flag sticks by looking around you,” said Renaissance Golf Design’s Eric Iverson, who led the project along with Brian Slawnick, Don Placek and Brian Schneider. “And most of the course is exposed to the wind. A little breeze always adds to the interest of a golf course.” While Doak himself wasn’t directly involved, his thumbprint is easy to spot everywhere at Stoatin Brae, having instilled his design philosophy and aesthetics in his crew
74
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
after years of working together. The course has all the elements of classic Doak design — from the bunkering to the green complexes and plenty in between. The new course will play to par 71 over 6,800 yards, draped over one of the highest spots in Kalamazoo County. A spectacular new clubhouse and restaurant sit at the peak of that hill, overlooking the Kalamazoo River Valley and the rest of the beautiful Gull Lake area. Stoatin Brae’s new head golf professional, Matt Hudson, knows this land well, having grown up just a few miles away, and even remembers picking apples here as a kid, when it was Hillcrest Orchards Cider Mill. After moving away to work as a golf professional at TPC at Sugerloaf in Atlanta, TPC at Scottsdale, and El Conquistador Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona, Hudson returned to join something very special in his hometown. And he said the excitement is palpable. “Everybody’s asking about it,” Hudson
ABOVE: The par-4 10th hole starts the very strong back nine with a bang, but don’t miss the “bunker”-style halfway house. LEFT: Head Golf Professional Matt Hudson points out a landmark 20 miles away from one of the highest points in the county, and the site of Stoatin Brae’s new clubhouse and restaurant. said. “They’re excited about it. There’s not a lot of golf being built in the United States right now, and we’ve got one of two in the state. People are excited to see it. In a time in our economy when golf is closing, we are expanding, and that’s really exciting.”
Stoatin Brae joins Gull Lake View’s five stellar courses, four of which were built and designed by the Scott family, who started the resort and continue to run it today through Jon Scott, grandson of the resort founder Darl Scott. YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
75
The wide, flat green of the long par-4 13th hole is a fair representation of Stoatin Brae’s complexes, with slight contours rather than deep swales. Hudson said he’s come home to help Stoatin Brae take the resort to another level — both literally and figuratively. “Jon Scott has done a fantastic job of getting this place going and promoting growth, which is what this is all about,” Hudson said. “It’s kind of a homecoming, of sorts. I couldn’t have had better experiences. I’ve gotten to be inside the ropes on close to a dozen PGA Tour events. I’ve learned so much about how to run an upscale facility. And hopefully I can bring a lot of that experience and knowledge here and really make this place what we want it to be.” Even on this sunny, late-spring day, with the meat of the growing season still ahead, it’s clear Stoatin Brae is already well on its way. From the heavy stone and timber clubhouse, to the brilliant bunker-style halfway house built into the hillside and out of view, the Scott family is building on a legacy that’s made it a fan-favorite for more than 50 years. “We’re in a really good spot,” Hudson said. 76
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
“We’ve got five other golf courses that are going full-bore. We’ve got 60 villas that are full this weekend. We’re operating at 100 percent capacity. It’s pretty awesome. We’ve got all these people that are coming here from Detroit and Chicago and Indianapolis and Cincinnati and Canada. They’re coming here to play our golf courses and stay with us, and we have groups that’ve been coming here for 30-plus years. And the golf ’s great and the conditions are always good and it’s in a beautiful part of the country, sure, but really I think it’s a testament to how we treat people. And we treat people the right way.” In an era of golf course contraction, any construction is a thing worth celebrating. But with two projects like these in Michigan this year, it’s clear golfers in the Midwest are being treated to something truly special. For more information about The Loop, visit www.forestdunesgolf.com. Please visit www.gulllakeview.com for more information about Stoatin Brae.
BERRIEN HILLS GOLF CLUB
20
Michigan Featured Course
The 16th Hole
Check us Out on Facebook
Course Record: 29-36=65 Lee Janzen, PGA Tour (two time U.S. Open winner)
Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club At Berrien Hills Golf Club, we’re all about the golf. Our pristine greens and natural riverfront beauty are accented by mature hardwoods and winding streams, all nestled minutes from I-94, as well as downtown St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. Berrien Hills has been a local tradition since 1924, and our greens and fairways provide a challenge and memorable experience to golfers of all levels. At Berrien Hills Golf Club, our mission is to provide an excellent golfing experience, in a relaxed atmosphere.
ENCOUNTER ONE OF WEST MICHIGAN’S finest upscale public golf facilities. This magnificent course was built on over 400 acres and bears the hallmark of premier design and construction. With bentgrass fairways, distinctive green complexes, and four sets of tees it is certain to make your golfing e xperience truly exceptional. TEE STATISTICS Your journey takes you down manicured fairways lined with Yards Par tall white pines and black oaks to your destination, the pristine, Gold 7093 73 undulating bent grass greens. Pilgrim’s Run is a “must play” for Blue 6471 73 White 5737 73 golfers who enjoy the combination of tranquility, beauty and White (W) 5737 73 great golf! Red 4863 73 Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club is located just 30 minutes north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Golf Packages are available. Proper golf attire is required.
T E E S TATISTICS
Yards Par Rating Slope
Blue
6203
71
69.5
120
White
5955
71
68.2
116
Red
5263
73
70.9
119
690 W. Napier Avenue • Benton Harbor, Michigan
269-925-9002 berrienhills.com
2014 “Top 10 Hidden Gems in US” Golf Channel
2010 & 2011 “Top 50 Public” GolfWorld Reader’s Choice Awards
2009 “Favorite Hidden Gem” PGA Professional Guide to Travel
2007 U.S. Open Qualifier 2002 “Top 100 You Can Play” GOLF Magazine
1999 “4th Best New Affordable Public Course in the US/Canada” Golf Digest
11401 Newcosta Ave. Pierson, MI 49339
888-533-7742
www.pilgrimsrun.com 78
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
79
The Ultimate Golf Destination
A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort Antrim Dells Sundance The Torch
The Chief Golf Course The Crown Golf Club Elmbrook Golf Course Grand Traverse Resort & Spa The Bear Spruce Run The Wolverine
Hawk’s Eye Golf Club LochenHeath Golf Club Manitou Passage Golf Club
Pictured: The Legend, Shanty Creek Resorts
Shanty Creek Resorts Cedar River The Legend Schuss Mountain Summit
Voted “Greatest Midwest Town” - Midwest Living Magazine
Enjoy a great day on the links, and so much more! 40 wineries & tasting rooms | 20 microbreweries | farm-to-table dining sugar-sand beaches | quaint port villages | casinos
TraverseCity.com/golf
full-service hotels | cozy cabins | historic inns
800-TRAVERSE
MIDWEST SELECT COURSES Black Hawk Run Golf Club (P)
Bucks Run Golf Club (P)
Coyote Crossing Golf Course (P)
Ackerman Hills (P)
Black Sheep Golf Club (PV)
Buena Vista Golf Course (P)
Coyote Run Golf Course (P)
Fontana, WI, 262-275-6111, www.abbeysprings.com West Lafayette, IN, 765-494-3139, www.purduegolf.com
A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort (R)
Kewadin, MI, 800-678-0122, www.a-ga-ming.com
Aldeen Golf Club (P)
Rockford, 815-282-4653, www.aldeengolfclub.com
Anetsburger Golf Course (P)
Northbrook, 847-291-2971, www.anetsbergergolf.com
Angels Crossing Golf Club (P)
Vicksburg, MI, 269-649-2700, www.golfangelscrossing.com
Annbriar Golf Course (P)
Waterloo, 888-939-5191, www.annbriar.com
Antioch Golf Club (P)
Antioch, 847-395-3004, www.antiochgolfclub.com
Apple Canyon Lake Golf Course (P)
Apple River, 815-492-2477, www.applecanyonlake.org
Stockton, 815-947-3011, www.blackhawkrun.com Sugar Grove, 630-879-2000, www.blacksheepgolfclub.com
Blackberry Oaks Golf Course (P)
Bristol, 630-553-7170, www.blackberryoaks.com
Blackberry Patch Golf Club (P)
Coldwater, MI, 517-238-8686, www.blackberrypatchgolf.com
Blackstone Golf Club (P)
Marengo, 815-923-1800, www.blackstonegc.com
Blackthorn Golf Club
South Bend, IN, 574-232-4653, www.blackthorngolf.com
Bliss Creek Golf Course (P)
Sugar Grove, 630-466-4177, www.blisscreekgolf.com
Bloomingdale Golf Club (P)
Bloomingdale, 630-529-6232, www.bloomingdalegc.com
BlueTop Ridge at Riverside (P)
Bartlett, 630-540-4807, www.bartlettparks.org/facilities/golf
Riverside, IA, 877-677-3456, www.riversidecasinoandresort.com Bob-O-Link Golf Club (PV) Highland Park, 847-432-0917, www.bobolinkgolfcourse.com
Buffalo Grove, 847-913-1112, www.arboretumgolf.com
Saukville, WI, 262-284-7075, www.golfthebog.com
Apple Orchard Golf Course (P) The Arboretum Club (P)
Arlington Lakes Golf Club (P)
Arlington Heights, 847-577-3030, www.ahpd.org/algc
Arrowhead Golf Club (P)
Wheaton, 630-653-5800, www.arrowheadgolfclub.org
Aspen Ridge Golf Course (P)
Bourbonnais, 815-939-1742, www.aspenridgegolf.com
Atwood Homestead Golf Course (P)
Rockford, 815-623-2411, www.wcfpd.org/golf
Aurora Country Club (PV)
Aurora, 630-892-3785, www.auroracc.com
Balmoral Woods Country Club (P)
Crete, 708-672-7448, www.balmoralwoods.com
Barrington Hills Country Club (PV)
Barrington, 847-381-4200, www.barringtonhillscc.com
Barrington Park District (P)
Barrington, 847-381-0687, www.barringtonparkdistrict.org
Barker Lake Golf Course Legend (P)
Winter, WI, 715-266-4152, www.haywardlakes.com/barkerlake
Bartlett Hills Golf Club (P)
Bartlett, 630-837-2741, www.bartletthills.com
Battle Ground Golf Club (P)
Battle Ground, IN, 765-567-2178, www.golfbattleground.com
Bay Harbor Golf Club (P)
Bay Harbor, MI, 866-548-7427, www.boynegolf.com
Bear Slide Golf Club (P)
Cicero, IN, 317-984-3837, www.bearslide.com
Bedford Valley Golf Course (R)
Battle Creek, MI, 269-965-3385, www.gulllakeview.com
Beeches Golf Club (P)
South Haven, MI, 269-637-2600, www.beechesgolfclub.com
Berrien Hills Golf Club (P)
Benton Harbor, MI, 269-925-9002, www.berrienhills.com
Beverly Country Club (PV)
Chicago, 708-636-8700, www.beverlycc.org
Big Fish Golf Club (P)
Hayward, WI , 715-934-4770, www.bigfishgolf.com
Big Run Golf Club (P)
Lockport, 815-838-1057, www.bigrungolf.com
Billy Caldwell Golf Course (P)
Chicago, 773-792-1930, www.forestpreservegolf.com
Biltmore Country Club (PV)
Barrington, 847-381-1960, www.biltmore-cc.com
Binder Park Golf Course (P)
Battle Creek, MI, 269-979-8250, www.binderparkgolf.com
Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex (P)
West Lafayette, IN, 765-494-3139, www.purduegolf.com
Bittersweet Golf Club (P)
Gurnee, 847-855-9031, www.bittersweetgolf.com
Black Forest at Wilderness Valley (R)
Gaylord, MI, 866-585-7090, www.blackforestgolf.com
82
MIDWEST SELECT COURSES
Abbey Springs Golf Course (R)
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
The Bog (P)
Bolingbrook Golf Club (P)
Bolingbrook, 630-771-9400, www.bolingbrookgolfclub.com
Bon Vivant (P)
Bourbonnais, 815-935-0400, www.bonvivant.com
Bonnie Brook Golf Course (P)
Waukegan, 847-360-4730, www.waukegangolf.org
Bonnie Dundee Golf Club (P)
Carpentersville, 847-426-5511, www.bonniedundeegc.com
Boone Creek Golf Club (P)
McHenry, 815-455-6900, www.boonecreekgolf.com
Boughton Ridge Golf Course (P)
Bolingbrook, 630-739-4100, www.bolingbrookparks.org
Boulder Ridge Country Club (PV)
Lake In The Hills, 847-854-3010, www.boulderridge.com
The Bourne Golf Course (P) Marseilles, 815-496-2301
Bowes Creek Country Club (P)
Elgin, 847-214-5880, www.bowescreekcc.com
Boyne Highlands Resort (P)
Harbor Springs, MI, 866-548-7427, www.boynegolf.com
Boyne Mountain Resort (P)
Boyne City, MI, 866-548-7427, www.boynegolf.com
Brae Loch Golf Course (P)
Grayslake, 847-968-3444, www.lcfpd.org/brae_loch
Braidwood Fairways (P) Braidwood, 815-458-2965
The Brassie (P)
Chesterton, IN, 219-921-1192, www.thebrassie.com
Briar Leaf Golf Club (PV)
LaPorte, IN, 219-326-1992, www.briarleaf.com
Briar Ridge Country Club (PV)
Schererville, IN, 219-322-3660, www.briarridgecc.com
Briarwood Country Club (PV)
Deerfield, 847-945-2660, www.briarwoodcc.com
Brickyard Crossing (P)
Indianapolis, IN, 317-492-6572, www.brickyardcrossing.com
Bridges Golf Course (P)
Madison, WI, 608-244-1822, www.golfthebridges.com
Bridges of Poplar Creek Country Club (P)
Hoffman Estates, 847-781-3681, www.bridgesofpoplarcreek.com
Bristol Oaks Country Club (P)
Bristol, WI , 262-857-2302, www.bristoloaks.com
Broken Arrow Golf Club (P)
Lockport, 815-836-8858, www.golfbrokenarrow.com
Brown Deer Park Golf Course (P)
Milwaukee, WI, 414-352-8080, www.browndeergolfclub.org
Bryn Mawr Country Club (PV)
Lincolnwood, 847-676-2660, www.brynmawrcountryclub.com
Buck’s Barn Golf Resort (P)
Thomson, 815-259-8278, www.bucksbarngolfresort.com
Mt. Pleasant, MI, 989-773-6830, www.bucksrun.com DeKalb, 815-758-4812, www.buenavistagc.com
Buffalo Grove Golf Club (P)
Buffalo Grove, 847-537-5819, www.buffalogrovegolf.com
The Bull at Pinehurst Farms (P)
Sheboygan Falls, WI , 920-467-1500, www.golfthebull.com
Bull Valley Golf Club (PV)
Woodstock, 815-337-4411, www.bullvalleygolfclub.com
Burnham Woods Golf Course (P)
Burnham, 708-862-9043, www.forestpreservegolf.com
Butler National Golf Club (PV)
Oak Brook, 630-990-3333, www.butlernational.org
Butterfield Country Club (PV)
Oak Brook, 630-323-1000, www.butterfieldcc.org
Calumet Country Club (PV)
Homewood, 708-799-2230, www.calumetcc.com
Cantigny Golf (P)
Wheaton, 630-668-8463, www.cantignygolf.com
Cantigny Youth Links (P)
Wheaton, 630-668-8270, www.cantignygolf.com/youthlinks
Cardinal Creek Golf Course (P)
Beecher, 708-946-2800, www.cardinalcreekgolf.com
Carriage Greens Country Club (P)
Darien, 630-985-3730, www.carriagegreens.com
Cary Country Club (P)
Cary, 847-639-3161, www.carycountryclub.com
The Castle Course at Northern Bay (R)
Arkdale, WI, 608-339-9891, www.www.castleatthebay.com
Cedardell Golf Club (P) Plano, 630-552-3242
Centennial Park Golf Course (P)
Munster, IN, 219-836-6931, www.munster.org
Chalet Hills Golf Club (P)
Cary, 847-639-0666, www.chaletgolf.com
Chapel Hill Country Club (P)
McHenry, 815-385-3337, www.chapelhillgolf.com
Chesapeake Run Golf Club (P)
North Judson, IN, 574-896-2424, www.chesapeakerungolf.com
Chicago Golf Club (PV) Wheaton, 630-665-2988
Chicago Highlands (PV)
Westchester, 630-214-9490, www.chicagohighlands.com
Chicago Hts Park District Golf Course East (P) Chicago Hts, 708-754-3673, www.chparkdistrict.net
Chicago Hts Park District Golf Course West (P) Chicago Hts, 708-754-1400, www.chparkdistrict.net
Chick Evans Golf Course (P)
Morton Grove, 847-965-5353, www.forestpreservegolf.com
The Chief Golf Course (P)
Bellaire, MI, 231-533-9000, www.golfthechief.com
Christmas Mountain Village (R)
Wisconsin Dells, WI , 608-254-3971, christmasmountainvillage.com
Cinder Ridge Golf Course (P)
Wilmington, 815-476-4000, www.cinderridge.com
Coachman’s Golf Resort (R)
Edgerton, WI, 608-884-8484, www.coachmans.com
Cog Hill Golf & Country Club (P)
Lemont, 630-257-5872, www.coghillgolf.com
Columbus Park Golf Course (P)
Chicago, 312-746-5573, www.cpdgolf.com/courses/columbus-park
Conway Farms Golf Club (PV)
Lake Forest, 847-234-6979, www.conwayfarmsgolfclub.org
Country Lakes Country Club (P)
Naperville, 630-420-1060, www.countrylakescountryclub.com
Countryside Golf Course (P)
Mundelein, 847-968-3466, www.lcfpd.org/countryside
The Course at Aberdeen (P)
Valparaiso, IN , 219-462-5050, www.golfataberdeen.com
Coyote Creek Golf Club (P)
Bartonville, 309-633-0911, www.golfcoyotecreek.com
West Lafayette, IN, 765-497-1061, www.coyotecrossinggolf.com Flossmoor, 708-957-8700, www.coyoterungolf.com
Crab Orchard Golf Club (P)
Carterville, 618-985-2321, www.craborchardgolfclub.com
Craig Woods Golf Course (P)
Woodstock, 815-337-3116, www.crystalwoodsgc.com
Crane’s Landing Golf Club (R)
Lincolnshire, 847-634-5935, www.craneslandinggolf.com
Cress Creek Country Club (PV)
Naperville, 630-355-7300, www.cresscreekcc.com
Crestview Golf Course (P)
Kalamazoo, MI, 269-349-1111, www.crestviewgolfcourse.com
The Crown Golf Club (P)
Traverse City, MI, 231-946-2975, www.golfthecrown.com
Crystal Highlands Golf Facility (P) Lake In The Hills, 847-659-1766
Crystal Lake Country Club (PV)
Crystal Lake, 815-459-1237, www.clcountryclub.com
Crystal Tree Golf & Country Club (PV)
Orland Park, 708-403-3000, www.crystaltreecc.org
Crystal Woods Golf Club (P)
Woodstock, 815-338-3111, www.crystalwoodsgc.com
Dayton Ridge Golf Club (P) Ottawa, 815-434-0145
Deer Creek Golf Club (P)
University Park, 708-672-6667, www.deercreekgolfcourse.com
Deer Valley Country Club (P) Deer Grove, 815-438-4653
Deer Valley Golf Course (P) Big Rock, 630-556-3333
TPC Deere Run (SP)
Silvis, 309-796-6000, www.tpc.com/deererun
Deerfield Golf Club (P)
Riverwoods, 847-945-8333, www.deerfieldgolf.org
Deerpath Golf Course (P)
Lake Forest, 847-615-4290, www.deerpathgolfcourse.com
The Den at Fox Creek (P)
Bloomington, 309-434-2300, www.thedengc.com
Devil’s Head Resort (R)
Merrimac, WI, 800-472-6670, www.devilsheadresort.com
Discover Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, MI, 800-888-0509, www.discoverkalamazoo.com/golf
Douglas Park Learning Course & Mini Golf (P) Chicago, 312-747-7670, www.cpdgolf.com
Downers Grove Golf Course (P)
Downers Grove, 630-963-1306, www.dgparks.org
Dunes Club (PV)
New Buffalo, MI, 269-469-5539
Eagle Brook Country Club (PV)
Geneva, 630-208-4653, www.eaglebrookclub.com
Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa (R)
Galena, 800-892-2269, www.eagleridge.com
Eaglewood Resort & Spa (R)
Itasca, 877-285-6150, www.eaglewoodresort.com
Eastern Hills Golf Course (P)
Kalamazoo, MI, 369-385-8175, www.kalamazoogolf.org
Edgebrook Country Club (SP)
Sandwich, 815-786-3058, www.forestpreservegolf.com
Edgebrook Golf Course (P)
Chicago, 773-763-8320, www.forestpreservegolf.com
Edgewood Valley Country Club (PV)
La Grange, 708-246-2800, www.edgewoodvalleycc.com
Elgin Country Club (PV)
Elgin, 847-741-2707, www.elgincc.com
Elmbrook Golf Course (P)
Traverse City, MI, 231-946-9180, www.elmbrookgolf.com
Erin Hills (P)
Erin, WI, 262-670-8600, www.erinhills.com
Evanston Golf Club (PV)
Skokie, 847-676-0300, www.evanstongolfclub.org
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
83
MIDWEST SELECT COURSES Golf Club of Coldwater (P)
High Point Golf Club (P)
Lacoma Golf Club (P)
Evergreen Park Country Club (P)
The Golf Club at Harbor Shores (R)
Highland Park Country Club (P)
Lafayette Golf Course (P)
Elkhorn, WI, 262-723-5722, www.evergreengolf.com Evergreen Park, 773-238-6680
Exmoor Country Club (PV)
Highland Park, 847-432-3600, www.exmoorcountryclub.org
Family Golf Center Illinois (P) Chicago, 312-616-1234
Flagg Creek Golf Course (P)
Countryside, 708-246-3336, www.flaggcreekgolfcourse.org
Flossmoor Country Club (PV)
Flossmoor, 708-798-4700, www.flossmoorcc.org
The Fort Golf Resort (R)
Indianapolis, IN, 317-543-9597, www.thefortgolfcourse.com
Foss Park Golf Course (P)
North Chicago, 847-689-7490, www.fossparkgolf.org
Coldwater, MI, 517-279-2100, www.golfclubofcoldwater.com Benton Harbor, MI, 269-927-4653, www.harborshoreslife.com
The Golf Club of Illinois (P)
Algonquin, 847-658-4400, www.golfclubofil.com
The Golf Courses of Lawsonia (P)
Green Lake, WI , 800-529-4453, www.lawsonia.com
Golf Nation (PV)
Palatine, 847-202-4653, www.golfnation.us
Golf Vista Estates Golf Course (P) Monee, 708-534-8204
Grand Geneva Resort & Spa (R)
Lake Geneva, WI, 800-558-3417, www.grandgeneva.com
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa (R)
Acme, MI, 800-236-1577, www.grandtraverseresort.com
Fountain Hills Golf Club (P)
Grayslake Park Golf Course (P)
Four Winds Golf Club (P)
Graystone Golf Links (P)
Alsip, 708-388-4653, www.fountainhillsgc.com Mundelein, 847-566-8502
Fox Bend Golf Course (P)
Oswego, 630-554-3939, www.foxbendgolfcourse.com
Fox Lake Country Club (P)
Fox Lake, 847-587-6411, www.foxlakecc.net
Fox Run Golf Links (P)
Elk Grove Village, 847-228-3544, www.foxrungolflinks.com
Fox Valley Golf Club (P)
North Aurora, 630-879-1030, www.aurora-il.org
Foxford Hills Golf Club (P)
Cary, 847-639-0400, www.foxfordhillsgolfclub.com
Frankfort Square Park District Golf Course (P)
Frankfort, 815-469-1600, www.fspd.org/Square-Links-Golf-Course.asp
French Lick Resort (R)
French Lick, IN, 888-936-9360, www.frenchlick.com
Fresh Meadow Golf Club (P)
Hillside, 708-449-3434, www.freshmeadowgc.com
Fyre Lake National Golf Club (P)
Sherrard, 800-575-1394, www.fyrelakenational.com
Galena Golf Club (P)
Galena, 815-777-3599, www.galenagolf.webs.com
Gaylord Golf Mecca (P)
Gaylord, MI, 800-345-8621, www.gaylordgolfmecca.com
Geneva Golf Club (PV)
Geneva, 630-232-2055, www.genevagc.com
Geneva National Resort (R)
Lake Geneva, WI , 262-245-7000, www.genevanationalresort.com
George W. Dunne National Golf Course (P)
Oak Forest, 708-429-6886, www.forestpreservegolf.com/courses
The Glen Club (SP)
Glenview, 847-724-7272, www.theglenclub.com
Glen Flora Country Club (PV)
Waukegan, 847-244-6300, www.glenfloracc.com
Glen Oak Country Club (PV)
Glen Ellyn, 630-469-5600, www.glenoakcountryclub.org
Glen View Club (PV)
Golf, 847-729-6500, www.glenviewclub.com
Glencoe Golf Club (P)
Glencoe, 847-835-0250, www.glencoegolfclub.com
Glendale Lakes Golf Club (P)
Glendale Heights, 630-260-0018, www.glendalelakes.com
Glendarin Hills Golf Club (P)
Angola, IN, 260-624-3550, www.glendarinhills.com
Gleneagles Country Club (P)
Lemont, 630-257-5466, www.golfgleneagles.com
Glenview National 9 GC (P)
Glenview, 847-657-1637, www.golfglenview.com
Glenview Park Golf Club (P)
Glenview, 847-724-0250, www.golfglenview.com
Glenwoodie Golf Club (P)
Glenwood, 708-758-1212, www.glenwoodiegolf.com
Golf Center Des Plaines (P)
Des Plaines, 847-803-4653, www.dpparks.org/golfcenter/
84
MIDWEST SELECT COURSES
Evergreen Golf Club (P)
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
Grayslake, 847-548-4713, www.glpd.com Tinley Park, 708-720-6600
Great River Road Golf Club (P)
Nauvoo, 800-233-0060, www.golfnauvoo.com
Green Acres Country Club (PV)
Northbrook, 847-291-2200, www.greenacrescountryclub.com
Green Garden Country Club (P)
Frankfort, 815-469-3350, www.greengardencc.com
Green Meadows Golf Course (P)
Westmont, 630-810-5330, www.dupagegolf.com
Greenshire Golf Course (P)
Waukegan, 847-360-4777, www.waukegangolf.org
Greywalls (P)
Marquette, MI, 906-225-0721, www.marquettegolfclub.com
Griffith Golf Center (P) Griffith, IN, 219-923-3223
The Grove (PV)
Long Grove, 847-550-0983, www.thegrovecc.com
Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort (P)
Augusta, MI, 269-731-4149, www.gulllakeview.com
Hamilton County Golf Courses
Hamilton County, IN, 800-776-8687, www.8greattowns.com
Harborside International (P)
Chicago, 312-782-7837, www.harborsideinternational.com
Harrison Hills Golf & Country Club (P)
Attica, IN, 765-762-1135, www.harrisonhills.com
Harry Mussatto (WIU) (P)
Macomb, 309-298-3676, www.golf.wiu.edu
Harry Semrow Driving Range (P)
Des Plaines, 847-296-5764, www.forestpreservegolf.com/courses
Hawk’s Eye Golf Resort (R)
Bellaire, MI, 866-868-8181, www.golfbellaire.com
HawksHead Links (P)
South Haven, MI, 269-639-2121, www.hawksheadlinks.com
Hawk’s View Golf Club (P)
Lake Geneva, WI, 877-429-5788, www.hawksviewgolfclub.com
Hawthorn Woods Country Club (PV)
Hawthorn Woods, 847-847-3259, www.hwccgolf.com
Hayward Golf Club (P)
Hayward, WI, 877-377-4653, www.haywardgolf.com
Heather Ridge Golf Course (P)
Gurnee, 847-367-6010, www.heatherridgegolf.com
Heritage Bluffs Public Golf Club (P)
Channahon, 815-467-7888, www.heritagebluffs.com
Heritage Glen Golf Club (P)
Paw Paw, MI, 269-657-2552, www.heritageglengolf.com
Hickory Hills CC (P)
Hickory Hills, 708-598-5900, www.hickoryhillscntryclub.com
Hickory Knoll Golf Course (P) Lake Villa, 847-356-8640
Hickory Point Golf Club (P)
Forsyth, 217-421-7444, www.decatur-parks.org/golf/index.php
Hickory Ridge Golf Course (P)
Galesburg, MI, 269-382-6212, www.golfhickoryridge.com
Essex, 815-365-4000, www.golfhighpoint.com Highland Park, 847-433-9015, www.highlandparkcc.com
Highland Woods Golf Course (P)
Hoffman Estates, 847-359-5850, www.forestpreservegolf.com
The Highlands of Elgin (P)
Elgin, 847-931-5950, www.highlandsofelgin.com
Hilldale Golf Club (P)
Hoffman Estates, 847-310-1100, www.hilldalegolf.com
Hinsdale Golf Club (PV)
Clarendon Hills, 630-986-5330, www.hinsdalegolfclub.org
The House on the Rock Resort (R)
Spring Green, WI, 608-588-7000, www.thehouseontherock.com
Hughes Creek Golf Club (P)
Elburn, 630-365-9200, www.hughescreek.com
Hunter Country Club (P) Richmond, 815-678-7940
Hunter’s Ridge Golf Course (P)
Princeton, 815-879-6531, www.huntersridgegc.com
Idlewild Country Club (PV)
Flossmoor, 708-798-0514, www.idlewildcc.net
Indian Boundary Golf Course (P)
Chicago, 773-625-9630, www.forestpreservegolf.com
Indian Hill Golf Club (PV)
Winnetka, 847-251-1711, www.indianhillclub.org
Indian Lakes Resort (R)
Bloomingdale, 630-529-6466, www.indianlakesresort.com
Indian Oaks Country Club (P)
Shabbona, 815-824-2202, www.indianoakscountryclub.com
Indian Ridge Country Club (P)
East Dubuque, 815-747-3874, www.lacomagolf.com Lafayette, IN, 765-458-4588, www.lafayette.in.gov/golf
LaGrange Country Club (PV)
LaGrange, 708-352-0066, www.lagrangecc.org
Lake Barrington Shores Golf Club (PV) Barrington, 847-382-4240, www.lbsgolf.com
Lake Bluff Golf Club (P)
Lake Bluff, 847-234-6771, www.lakebluffgolfclub.com
Lake Doster Golf Club (P)
Plainwell, MI, 269-685-5308, www.lakedostergolf.com
Lake Michigan Hills Golf Club (P)
Benton Harbor, MI, 269-849-4653, www.lakemichiganhills.com
Lake Park Golf Course (P)
Des Plaines, 847-391-5730, www.dpparks.org
Lake Shore Country Club (PV)
Glencoe, 847-835-3000, www.lakeshorecountryclub.com
Lake Zurich Golf Club (PV) Lake Zurich, 847-438-2431
Lake Lawn Resort (R)
Delavan, WI, 262-725-9066, www.lakelawnresort.com
Lakemoor Golf Course (P)
Lakemoor, 815-759-0011, www.lakemoorgolfclub.com
Lakewoods Forest Ridges Golf Course
Cable, WI, 800-255-5937, www.lakewoodsresort.com
Lansing Country Club (PV)
Lansing, 708-474-1590, www.lanscc.com
The Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms (P)
Bingham, MI, 231-271-2020, www.leelanauclub.com
Indian Run Golf Club (P)
The Legend at Bergamont (PV) Oregon, WI, 608-291-2400, wwwthelegendatbergamont.com Leisure Village Golf Course (PV)
Innsbrook Country Club (PV)
Libertyville Golf Course (P)
Hobart, IN, 219-942-2577
Scotts, MI, 269-327-1327, www.irgolfclub.com Merrillville, IN, 219-980-9060, www.innsbrookcc.com
Inverness Golf Club (PV)
Palatine, 847-359-0244, www.invernessgolfclub.org
Inwood Golf Course (P)
Joliet, 815-741-7265, www.inwoodgc.com
Ironwood Golf Course (P)
Normal, 309-454-9620, www.golfironwood.org
Island Hills Golf Club (P)
Centreville, MI, 269-467-7261, www.islandhillsgolf.com
Itasca Country Club (PV)
Itasca, 630-773-1800, www.itascacountryclub.com
Ivanhoe Club (PV)
Mundelein, 847-970-3800, www.ivanhoeclub.com
Jackson Park Golf Club (P)
Chicago, 773-667-0524, www.cpdgolf.com/courses/jackson-park
Joe Louis “The Champ” Golf Course (P)
Riverdale, 708-849-1731, www.forestpreservegolf.com/courses
Joliet Country Club (PV)
Joliet, 815-723-9613, www.jolietcountryclub.com
Kampen Course (P)
West Lafayette, IN, 765-494-3139, www.purduegolf.com
Kankakee Country Club (P)
Kankakee, 815-933-6615, www.kankakeecountryclub.com
Kankakee Elks Golf Club (P)
St. Anne, 815-937-9547, www.elksgolf627.com
Kemper Lakes Golf Course (PV)
Long Grove, 847-320-3450, www.kemperlakesgolf.com
Ken Loch Golf Links (P) Lombard, 630-620-9665
Kishwaukee Country Club (PV)
DeKalb, 815-758-6849, www.kishwaukeecc.org
Klein Creek Golf Club (P)
Winfield, 630-690-0101, www.kleincreek.com
Knollwood Club (PV)
Lake Forest, 847-234-1600, www.knollwoodclub.org
Kokopelli Golf Club (PV)
Marion, 618-997-5656, www.kokopelligolf.com
Fox Lake, 847-587-6795, www.leisurevillagefoxlake.com
Libertyville, 847-362-5733, www.libertyville.com/golfcourse
Lick Creek Golf Course (P) Pekin, 309-346-0077
Lincoln Oaks Golf Course (P)
Crete, 708-672-9401, www.lincolnoaksgolfcourse.com
Lincolnshire Country Club (PV)
Crete, 708-672-5090, www.lincolnshirecountryclub.com
Links & Tees Golf Facility (P)
Addison, 630-458-2660, www.addisonparks.org
The Links at Carillon (P)
Plainfield, 815-886-2132, www.carillongolf.com
The Links at Kokopelli (P)
Marion, 618-997-5656, www.KokopelliGolf.com
LochenHeath Golf Club (P)
Williamsburg, MI, 231-938-9800, www.lochenheath.com
Lockport Golf & Recreation Club (PV) Lockport, 815-838-8692
Longwood Country Club (P) Crete, 708-758-1811
The Loon Golf Resort (R)
Gaylord, MI, 989-732-4454, www.loongolfresort.com
Lost Dunes (PV)
Bridgman, MI, 269-465-9300, www.lostdunes.com
Lost Marsh of Hammond (P)
Hammond, IN, 219-932-4046, www.lostmarshgolf.com
Lost Nation Golf Club (P)
Dixon, 815-652-4212, www.lostnationgolf.com
Lynx Golf Course (P)
Otsego, MI, 888-586-5969, www.lynxgolfcourse.com
Makray Memorial Golf Club (P)
Barrington, 847-381-6500, www.makraygolf.com
Manistee National Golf & Resort (R)
Manistee, MI, 231-398-0123, www.manisteenational.com
Manitou Passage Golf Club (P)
Cedar, MI, 231-228-6000, www.manitoupassagegolfclub.com
Manteno Golf Course (P)
Manteno, 815-468-8827, www.mantenogolf.com
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
85
MIDWEST SELECT COURSES Oak Meadows Golf Course (P)
Pottawatomie Golf Course (P)
Rockford Country Club (PV)
Maple Meadows Golf Club (P)
Oak Park Country Club (PV)
Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club (P)
Rolling Green Country Club (PV)
Augusta, MI, 269-731-4430
Wood Dale, 630-616-8424, www.dupagegolf.com
Marengo Ridge Golf Club (P)
Marengo, 815-923-2332, www.marengoridgegolfclub.com
Marquette Park Learning Center (P)
Chicago, 312-747-2761, www.cpdgolf.com/courses/marquette-park
Marywood Golf Club (P)
Battle Creek, MI, 269-968-1168, www.marywoodgolf.com
McArthur Golf Course (P) East Chicago, IN, 219-391-8362
McHenry Country Club (PV)
McHenry, 815-385-3435, www.mchenrycc.net
Meadowlark Golf Course (P)
Hinsdale, 708-562-2977, www.forestpreservegolf.com
Meadows Golf Club (P)
Blue Island, 708-385-1994, www.meadowsgc.com
The Medalist Golf Club (P)
Marshall, MI, 269-789-4653, www.themedalist.com
Medinah Country Club (PV)
Medinah, 630-773-1700, www.medinahcc.org
The Merit Club (PV)
Libertyville, 847-918-8800, www.meritclub.org
Mid-Iron Golf Club (P) Lemont, 630-257-3340
Midlane Golf Resort and Suites (R)
Wadsworth, 847-360-0550, www.midlaneresort.com
Midlothian Country Club (PV)
Midlothian, 708-371-2626, www.midlothiancc.org
Milham Park Golf Course (P)
Kalamazoo, MI, 269-344-7639, www.kalamazoogolf.org
Mill Creek Golf Club (P)
Geneva, 630-208-7272, www.millcreekgolfcourse.com
Minne Monesse Golf Club (SP)
Grant Park, 815-465-6653, www.minnemonesse.com
Mission Hills Country Club (PV)
Northbrook, 847-498-3200, www.missionhillsclub.com
Mistwood Golf Club (P)
Romeoville, 815-254-3333, www.mistwoodgc.com
Morningstar Golfers Club (P)
Waukesha, WI, 262-662-1600, www.golfthestar.com
Morris Country Club (PV)
Morris, 815-942-3628, www.morriscountryclub.com
Moss Creek Golf Club (P)
Winamac, 574-595-3142, www.golfmosscreek.com
Mt. Prospect Golf Club (P)
Mt. Prospect, 847-259-4200, www.mppd.org/facility/golf
Naperbrook Golf Course (P)
Plainfield, 630-378-4215, www.naperbrookgolfcourse.org
Naperville Country Club (PV)
Naperville, 630-355-0747, www.napervillecc.org
Nettle Creek Country Club (P)
Morris, 815-941-4300, www.nettlecreek.com
Nickol Knoll Golf Course (P)
Arlington Heights, 847-590-6050, www.ahpd.org/nkgc
Nippersink Country Club & Lodge (SP)
Genoa City, WI, 262-279-6311, www.nippersinkresort.com
North Shore Country Club (PV)
Glenview, 847-729-1200, www.north-shorecc.org
Northmoor Country Club (PV)
Highland Park, 847-432-6092, www.northmoor.org
Northwood Golf Club (P)
Rhinelander, WI, 715-282-6565, www.northwoodgolfclub.com
Oak Brook Golf Club (P)
Oak Brook, 630-368-6400, www.oak-brook.org
Oak Club of Genoa (P)
Genoa, 815-784-5678, www.oakclubgenoa.com
Oak Grove Golf Course (P)
Harvard, 815-648-2550, www.oakgrovegolfcourse.com
Oak Hills Country Club (SP)
Palos Heights, 708-448-5544, www.oakhills.com
86
MIDWEST SELECT COURSES
Maple Hills Golf Course (P)
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
Addison, 630-595-0071, www.dupagegolf.com Oak Park, 708-453-5554, www.oakparkcountryclub.com
Oak Springs Golf Course (P) St. Anne, 815-937-1648
Oak Terrace Resort (P)
Pana, 800-577-7598, www.oakterraceresort.com
The Oaks Golf Course (P)
Cottage Grove, WI, 608-837-4774, www.golftheoaks.com
Odyssey Country Club (P)
Tinley Park, 708-429-7400, www.odysseycountryclub.com
Old Elm Club (PV)
Fort Sheridan, 847-432-6272, www.oldelmclub.com
Old Oak Country Club (P)
Homer Glen, 708-301-3344, www.oldoakcc.com
Old Orchard Country Club (P)
Mt. Prospect, 847-255-2025, www.oldorchardcc.com
Old Top Farm Golf Course (P) Crystal Lake, 815-479-9361
Old Wayne Golf Course (PV) West Chicago, 630-231-1350
Olde Mill Golf Club (P)
Schoolcraft, MI, 269-679-5625, www.oldemillgolfclub.com
Olympia Fields Country Club (PV)
Olympia Fields, 708-748-0495, www.ofcc.info
Onwentsia Club (PV)
Lake Forest, 847-234-0120, www.onwentsiaclub.com
Orchard Valley Golf Course (P)
Aurora, 630-907-0500, www.orchardvalleygolf.com
Otsego Club (R)
Gaylord, MI, 800-752-5510, www.otsegoclub.com
Otter Creek Golf Course (P)
Columbus, IN, 812-579-5227, www.ottercreekgolf.com
Palatine Hills Golf Course (P)
Palatine, 847-359-4020, www.palatinehills.org
Palmira Golf Club (P)
St. John, IN, 219-365-4331, www.palmiragolf.com
Palos Country Club (P)
Orland Park, 708-448-6063, www.paloscountryclub.com
Palos Hills Golf Club (P)
Palos Hills, 708-599-0202, www.paloshillsweb.org
Park Hills Golf Course (P)
Freeport, 815-235-3611, www.golfparkhills.com
Park Ridge Country Club (PV)
Park Ridge, 847-823-0410, www.parkridgecc.org
Peter Jans Golf Course (P)
Evanston, 847-475-9173, www.peterjansgolf.org
Pheasant Run Resort (R)
St. Charles, 630-584-4914, www.pheasantrun.com
Pheasant Valley Country Club (P) Crown Point, IN , 219-663-5000
Phillips Park Golf Course (P)
Aurora, 630-256-3760, www.aurora-il.org/parksandrecreation
Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club (P)
Pierson, MI, 888-533-7742, www.pilgrimsrun.com
Pine Hills Golf Club (P)
Ottawa, 815-434-3985, www.pinehillsgc.com
Pine Lakes Golf Club(P)
Herrin, 618-942-6816, www.PineLakes18.com
Pine Meadow Golf Club (P)
Mundelein, 847-566-4653, www.pinemeadowgc.com
Pinecrest Golf & Country Club (P)
Huntley, 847-669-3111, www.pinecrestgc.com
Pistakee Country Club (P) McHenry, 815-385-9854
Plum Creek Country Club (P)
Carmel, IN, 317-573-9900, www.plumcreekgolfclub.com
Plum Tree National Golf Club (P)
Harvard, 815-943-7474, www.plumtreegolf.com
Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club (PV)
Benton Harbor, MI, 269-944-1433, www.pointowoods.com
St. Charles, 630-584-8356, www.pottawatomiegc.com Crest Hill, 815-836-4653, www.prairiebluffgc.com
Prairie Isle Golf Club (P)
Prairie Grove, 815-356-0202, www.prairieisle.com
Prairie Lakes Resort (R) Marseilles, 815-795-5107
Prairie Landing Golf Club (P)
West Chicago, 630-208-7600, www.prairielanding.com
Prairie View Golf Club (P)
Carmel, IN, 317-816-3100, www.prairieviewgc.com
The Prairies Golf Club (P) Kalamazoo, MI, 269-343-3906
PrairieView Golf Course (P)
Byron, 815-234-4653, www.prairieviewgolf.com
Prairie Vista Golf Course (P)
Bloomington, 309-434-2217, www.prairievistagc.com
Prestwick Country Club (PV)
Frankfort, 815-469-2136, www.prestwickcc.com
Purgatory Golf Club (P)
Noblesville, IN, 317-776-4653, www.purgatorygolf.com
Quail Ridge Golf Club (P)
Ada, MI, 616-676-2000, www.quailridgegc.com
Rail Golf Course (P)
Springfield, 217-525-0365, www.railgolf.com
Randall Oaks Golf Club (P)
West Dundee, 847-428-5661, www.randalloaksgc.com
The Ravines (P)
West Lafayette, IN, 765-497-7888, www.ravinesgolf.com
Ravines Golf Club (P)
Saugatuck, MI, 269-857-1616, www.ravinesgolfclub.com
Ravinia Green Country Club (PV)
Deerfield, 847-945-6200, www.raviniagreen.com
Ravisloe Country Club (P)
Homewood, 708-798-5600, www.ravisloecountryclub.com
Red Arrow Golf Course (P)
Kalamazoo, MI, 269-345-8329, www.kalamazoogolf.org
Red Tail Run Golf Club (P)
Decatur, 217-422-2211, www.redtailrun.org
RedTail Golf Club (P)
Village of Lakewood, 815-477-0055, www.redtailgolf.com
Renwood Golf Course (P)
Round Lake Beach, 847-231-4711, www.renwoodgolf.com
Resorts of Tullymore & St. Ives (R)
Stanwood, MI, 800-972-4837, www.tullymoregolf.com
Rich Harvest Farms (PV)
Sugar Grove, 630-466-7610, www.richharvestfarms.com
Ridge Country Club (PV)
Chicago, 773-238-9400, www.ridgecc.org
Ridgemoor Country Club (PV)
Chicago, 708-867-8400, www.ridgemoorcc.com
Ridgeview Golf Course (P)
Kalamazoo, MI, 269-375-8821, www.ridgeviewgolf.com
River Bend Golf Course (P)
Lisle, 630-968-1920, www.riverbendgolfclub.org
River Forest Country Club (PV)
Elmhurst, 630-279-5444, www.riverforestcc.org
River Glen Country Club (P)
Fishers, IN, 317-849-8274, www.riverglencc.com
River Heights Golf Course (P)
DeKalb, 815-758-1550, www.riverheightsgc.com
River Oaks Golf Course (P)
Calumet City, 708-868-4090, www.forestpreservegolf.com/courses
River Pointe Country Club (P)
Hobart, IN, 219-942-2747, www.riverpointecc.net
Riverside Golf Club (PV)
North Riverside, 708-447-8152, www.rgc.org
Rob Roy Golf Course (P)
Prospect Heights, 847-253-4544, www.rtpd.org/golf
Robert A. Black Golf Club (P)
Chicago, 312-742-7931, www.cpdgolf.com/courses
Rockford, 815-962-0948, www.rockfordcc.com Arlington Heights, 847-253-0400, www.rollinggreen.org
Royal Fox Country Club (PV)
St. Charles, 630-584-4000, www.royalfoxcc.com
Royal Hawk Country Club (PV)
St. Charles, 630-443-3500, www.royalfoxcc.com
Royal Melbourne Country Club (PV)
Long Grove, 847-913-8380, www.royalmelbourne.net
Ruffled Feathers Golf Club (P)
Lemont, 630-257-1000, www.ruffledfeathersgc.com
Ruth Lake Country Club (PV)
Hinsdale, 630-986-2060, www.ruthlakecc.org
Salt Creek Golf Club (P)
Wood Dale, 630-773-0184, www.saltcreekgolfclub.com
The Sanctuary Golf Course (P)
New Lenox, 815-462-4653, www.golfsanctuary.com
Sand Creek Country Club (PV)
Chesterton, IN, 219-395-5200, www.sandcreek.com
Sandy Hollow Golf Course (P)
Rockford, 815-987-8888, www.rockfordparkdistrict.org
Sandy Pines Golf Course (P)
DeMotte, IN, 219-987-3611, www.sandypinesgc.com
Schaumburg Golf Club (P)
Schaumburg, 847-885-9000, www.schaumburggolf.com
Scherwood Golf (P)
Schererville, IN, 219-865-2554, www.scherwood.com
Scovill Golf Club (P)
Decatur, 217-429-6243, www.decatur-parks.org/golf/index.php
Senica Oak Ridge Golf Club (P)
LaSalle, 815-223-7273, www.senicasoakridge.net
SentryWorld (P)
Stevens Point, WI, 866-479-6753, www.sentryworld.com
Settler’s Hill Golf Course (P)
Batavia, 630-232-1636, www.settlershill.com
Seven Bridges Golf Club (P)
Woodridge, 630-964-7777, www.sevenbridges.com
Shady Oaks Country Club (P)
Amboy, 815-849-5424, www.shadyoakscc.com
Shamrock Golf Course (P) St. Anne, 815-937-9355
Shanty Creek Resorts (R)
Bellaire, MI, 231-533-8621, www.shantycreek.com
Shepherd’s Crook Golf Course (P)
Zion, 847-872-2080, www.shepherdscrook.org
Shiloh Park Golf Course (P)
Zion, 847-746-5500, www.shilohparkgolf.com
Shoreacres (PV)
Lake Bluff, 847-234-1472, www.shoreacres1916.com
Silver Lake Country Club (P)
Orland Park, 708-349-6940, www.silverlakecc.com
Silver Oaks Golf Club (PV)
Braidwood, 815-458-2068, www.braidwoodrecclub.com
Silver Ridge Golf Course (P) Oregon, 815-734-4440
Skokie Country Club (PV)
Glencoe, 847-835-5835, www.skokiecc.com
South Gleason Park Golf Course (P) Gary, IN, 219-980-1089
South Shore Country Club (P)
Cedar Lake, IN , 219-374-6070, www.southshorecc.com
South Shore Golf Club (P)
Momence, 815-472-4407, www.ssgcm.com
South Shore Golf Course (P)
Chicago, 773-256-0986, www.cpdgolf.com/courses
Spider Lake Golf Resort (R)
Hayward, WI, 715-462-3200, www.spiderlakegolfresort.com
Spirit Hollow Golf Course (R)
Burlington, IA, 319-752-0004, www.spirithollowgolfcourse.com
Spooner Golf Club (P)
Spooner, WI, 715-635-3580, www.spoonergolf.com
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
87
MIDWEST SELECT COURSES TPC Deere Run (SP)
Wicker Park Golf Club (P)
Wood Wind Golf Club (P)
Springbrook Golf Course (P)
Traditions at Chevy Chase (P)
Wild Rock Golf Club (R)
Woodbine Bend Golf Course (PV)
Northbrook, 847-291-2351, www.sportsmansgolf.com Naperville, 630-848-5060, www.springbrookgolfcourse.org
St. Andrews Golf & Country Club (P)
West Chicago, 630-231-3100, www.standrewsgc.com
St. Charles Country Club (PV)
St. Charles, 630-377-9340, www.stcharlescc.com
St. Ives Golf Club (R)
Stanwood, MI, 800-972-4837, www.tullymoregolf.com
Stardust Golf and Country Club (P) Johnston City, IL, 618-527-4122
States Golf Club (P)
Vicksburg, MI, 269-649-1931
Steeple Chase Golf Club (P)
Mundelein, 847-949-8900, www.mundeleinparks.org
Stone Creek Golf Club (P)
Urbana, 217-367-3000, www.stonecreekgolfclub.com
Stonebridge Country Club (PV)
Aurora, 630-820-8887, www.stonebridge-cc.org
Stonehenge Golf Club (PV) Barrington, 847-381-8600
Stonewall Orchard Golf Club (P)
Grayslake, 847-740-4890, www.stonewallorchard.com
Stony Creek Golf Course (P)
Oak Lawn, 708-857-2433, www.golfstonycreek.com
Storybrook Country Club (P)
Hanover, 815-591-2210, www.storybrook.com
Streamwood Oaks Golf Club (P)
Streamwood, 630-483-1881, www.streamwood.org
Sugar Creek Golf Course (P)
Villa Park, 630-834-3325, www.sugarcreekgolfcourse.org
Summertree Golf Course (P) Crown Point, IN, 219-663-0800
Sunset Ridge Country Club (PV)
Northfield, 847-446-5222, www.sunsetridgecc.org
Sunset Valley Golf Course (P)
Highland Park, 847-432-7140, www.sunsetvalleygolfcourse.org
Swan Lake Resort (R)
Plymouth, IN, 800-582-7539 www.swanlakeresort.com
Swanhills Golf Course (P) Belvidere, 815-547-3232
Sweetgrass Golf Club (R)
Harris, MI, 906-723-2251, www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com
Sycamore Golf Club (P)
Sycamore, 815-895-3884, www.sycamoreparkdistrict.com
Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course (P)
Chicago, 312-742-7930, www.cpdgolf.com/courses
Tagalong Golf Resort (R)
Birchwood, WI, 800-657-4843, www.tagalonggolf.com
Tahkodah Hills Golf Course (P) Cable, WI, 715-798-3760
Tam O’Shanter Golf Course (P)
Niles, 847-965-2344, www.niles-parks.org
Tamarack Golf Club (P)
Naperville, 630-904-4000, www.tamarackgc.com
Tanna Farms Golf Club (P)
Geneva, 630-232-4300, www.tannafarms.com
Telemark Golf Course (P)
Cable, WI, 715-798-3104, www.telemarkgolfcourse.com
Terrace Hill Country Club (PV) Algonquin, 847-658-4653
Thornapple Creek Golf Club (P)
Kalamazoo, MI, 269-344-0040, www.thornapplecreek.com
ThunderHawk Golf Club (P)
Beach Park, 847-968-4295, www.lcfpd.org/thunderhawk
Timber Pointe Golf Club (P)
Poplar Grove, 815-544-1935, www.golfthepointe.com
Timber Ridge Golf Club (P)
Minocqua, WI, 715-356-9502, www.timberridgegolfclub.com
TimberStone at Pine Mountain (R)
Iron Mountain, MI, 906-776-0111, www.pinemountainresort.com
88
MIDWEST SELECT COURSES
Sportsman’s Country Club (P)
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
Silvis, 309-796-6000, www.tpc.com/deererun Wheeling, 847-465-2300, www.chevychasecountryclub.com
Trappers Turn Golf Club (P)
Wisconsin Dells, WI, 800-221-8876, www.trappersturn.com
Tuckaway Golf Club (P)
Crete, 708-946-2259, www.tuckawaygc.com
Tullymore Golf Club (R)
Stanwood, MI, 800-972-4837, www.tullymoregolf.com
Turkey Creek Golf Club (P) Merrillville, IN, 219-980-5170
Turnberry Country Club (PV)
Crystal Lake, 815-459-3356, www.turnberrycc.com
Twin Lakes Golf Club (P) Westmont, 630-852-7167
Twin Lakes Recreation Area (P)
Palatine, 847-934-6050, www.saltcreekpd.com
Twin Orchard Country Club (PV)
Long Grove, 847-634-3800, www.twinorchardcc.org
University Golf Club (P)
Highland, IN, 219-838-9809, www.wickermemorialpark.com Wisconsin Dells, WI, 608-253-4653, www.wildrockgolf.com
Willow Crest Golf Club at Oak Brook Hills Marriott (R) Oak Brook, 630-850-5530, www.willowcrestgolf.com
Willow Glen Golf Club (P)
Great Lakes, 847-688-4593, www.mwrgl.com/default.htm
Willow Run Golf Course (P)
Mokena, 815-485-2119, www.willowrungolf.net
Willowhill Golf Course (P)
Northbrook, 847-480-7888, www.willowhillgolfcourse.com
Wilmette Golf Club (P)
Wilmette, 847-256-9646, www.golfwilmette.com
Wing Park Golf Course (P)
Elgin, 847-931-5952, www.cityofelgin.org
Winnetka Golf Club (P)
Winnetka, 847-501-2050, www.winnetkagolfclub.com
Wolf Run Golf Course (P)
Westfield, IN, 317-669-8550, www.woodwindgolf.com Stockton, 815-858-3939, www.woodbinebend.com
Woodbine Golf Course (P)
Homer Glen, 708-301-1252, www.woodbinegolf.com
Woodruff Golf Course (P)
Joliet, 815-741-7272, www.woodruffgc.com
Woodstock Country Club (PV)
Woodstock, 815-338-5355, www.woodstockcc.com
Wynstone Golf Club (PV)
North Barrington, 847-304-2810, www.wynstone.org
Yarrow Golf & Conference Center (R)
Augusta, MI, 800-563-4397, www.yarrowgolf.com
Youche Country Club (PV)
Crown Point, IN, 219-663-1418, www.youchecc.org
Zigfield Troy Golf (P)
Woodridge, 630-985-9860, www.zigfieldtroygolf.com
Aurora, 630-906-1402, www.wolfrungolfcourse.net
University Park, 708-747-0306, www.universitygolfclub.com
University Ridge (P)
Verona, WI, 608-845-7700, www.universityridge.com
CHICAGOLAND PRACTICE FACILITIES
Valley Green Golf Course (P)
North Aurora, 630-897-3000, www.valleygreengc.com
Addison Links & Tees Golf Facility (P)
Joe Louis Driving Range
Valley-Lo Sports Club (PV)
Addison, 630-458-2660, www.addisonparks.org
BallyBunion
The Driving Range at Libertyville Sports Complex
Glenview, 847-729-5550, www.valleylo.org
Vernon Hills Golf Course (P)
Vernon Hills, 847-680-9310, www.vernonhillsgolf.com
Villa Olivia Country Club (P)
Bartlett, 630-289-1000, www.villaolivia.com
Village Green Golf Course (P)
Mundelein, 847-566-7373, www.villagegreengc.com
Village Greens of Woodridge (P)
Woodridge, 630-985-3610, www.villagegreensgolf.com
Village Links of Glen Ellyn (P)
Glen Ellyn, 630-469-8180, www.villagelinksgolf.com
Visit Green Lake
Green Lake, WI, 800-253-7354, www.visitgreenlake.com
Walnut Greens Golf Course (P)
Schaumburg, 847-490-7878, www.walnutgreensgolf.com
Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame (P)
South Bend, IN, 574-631-4653, www.warrengolfcourse.com
Water’s Edge Golf Club (P)
Worth, 708-671-1032, www.watersedgegolf.com
WeaverRidge Golf Club (P)
Peoria, 309-691-3344, www.weaverridge.com
Weber Park Golf Course (P)
Skokie, 847-674-1500 ext. 3600, www.skokieparks.org
Wedgewood Golf Course (P)
Plainfield, 815-741-7270, www.wedgewoodgc.com
Western Acres Golf Course (P)
Lombard, 630-469-6768, www.westernacres.com
Westmoreland Country Club (PV)
Wilmette, 847-251-4600, www.westmorelandcc.org
Whisper Creek Golf Club (P)
Huntley, 847-515-7682, www.whispercreekgolf.com
White Deer Run Golf Club (P)
Vernon Hills, 847-680-6100, www.whitedeergolf.com
White Eagle Golf Club (PV)
Naperville, 630-983-6836, www.whiteeaglegc.com
White Hawk Country Club (P)
Crown Point, IN, 219-661-2323, www.whitehawkcountryclub.com
White Mountain Golf Course (P)
Tinley Park, 708-478-4653, www.whitemountaingolfpark.com
White Pines Golf Club (P)
Bensenville, 630-766-0304, www.whitepinesgolf.com
Whitetail Ridge Golf Club (P)
Yorkville, 630-882-8988, www.whitetailridgegolfclub.com
Whittaker Woods Golf Club (R)
New Buffalo, MI, 269-469-3400, www.golfwhittaker.com
Long Grove, 847-634-3363
Bartlett Golf Center Bartlett, 630-830-9385
Better Shots
Gilberts, 847-697-5000
Birdies & Eagles
South Elgin, 847-931-2233
Bobby’s Hunt Club Golf Center Gurnee, 847-549-6090
Boulder Golf Range
Hoffman Estates, 847-426-1588, www.boulderrange.com
Bushwood Golf Practice Center
Maywood, 708-344-2700, www.bushwooddrivingrange.com
Riverdale, 708-849-1731, www.forestpreservegolf.com
Libertyville, 847-367-1506, www.libertyvillesportscomplex.com
Links & Tees Golf Facility
Addison, 630-458-2660, www.addisonparks.org
Lippold Park Family Golf Center
Crystal Lake, 815-477-5401, www.crystallakeparks.org
Marquette Park Learning Center (P) Chicago, 312-747-2761, www.cpdgolf.com
Master Golf
Grayslake, 847-223-6886, www.mastergolfonline.com
Fresh Meadow Golf Learning Center
Hillside, 708-449-6767, www.freshmeadowgc.com
Oakton Driving Range
Park Ridge, 847-692-3580, www.parkridgeparkdistrict.com
Chicago Family Golf Center
Parfection Park Golf Center
Chicagoland Golf Academy
Partner Golf Center
Crystal Lake Learning Center
PGN Fun Village
Ditka’s Sports Dome
Pro Circle
Diversey Driving Range
Riedy’s Tee Time
Double Eagle Practice Center
Skokie Sports Park
Douglas Park Learning Course and Miniature Golf (P)
Sugar Grove Driving Range
Flagg Creek
Sunset Meadows
Fresh Meadow Learning Center (P)
T-Time Golf Range
Golf Center Des Plaines
TopGolf
Golf Farm
The Players Club of Chicago
Golf Learning Center at Hamilton Lakes
Village of Bridgeview Sports Dome
Green Valley Golf Range
Westland Golf
Greyslake Golf Practice Center
Woodland Trails
Harry Semrow Driving Range
Zigfield Troy Golf (P)
Chicago, 312-616-1234
Chicago, 312-285-4673, www.chicagolandgolfacademy.com Crystal Lake, 815-479-9150
Bolingbrook, 630-739-7600, www.ditkasportsdome.com Chicago, 312-742-7929, www.cpdgolf.com/courses Justice, 708-458-9200
Chicago, 312-747-7670, www.cpdgolf.com/courses/douglas-park Countryside, 708-246-3336, www.flaggcreekgolfcourse.org Hillside, 708-449-6767, www.freshmeadowgc.com Des Plaines, 847-803-4653, www.golfcenterdesplaines.com Wauconda, 847-526-4000, www.golf-farm.com Itasca, 630-773-7997
Hanover Park, 630-289-6600, www.greenvalleygolfrange.com Grayslake, 847-752-8483
Des Plaines, 847-296-5764, www.forestpreservegolf.com
Yorkville, 630-553-6855
Chicago, 773-286-2060, www.partnergolfcenter.com Hickory Hills, 708-430-7900, www.hickoryhillsresortinfo.com Spring Grove, 815-675-2747, www.procirclegolf.com Lisle, 866-587-3122, www.riedysteetime.com Skokie, 847-674-1500 ext. 3100, www.skokieparks.org Sugar Grove, 630-466-4554, www.sugargrovefuncenter.com Arlington Heights, 847-394-5865 www.ahpd.org/algc Homer Glen, 708-301-6500, www.ttimegolfrange.com Wood Dale, 630-595-4653, www.topgolf.com Justice, 708-924-9889, www.tpcchicago.com
Bridgeview, 708-924-8290, www.villageofbridgeview.com Huntley, 847-669-0204 Mt. Prospect, 847-296-4653, www.rtpd.org Woodridge, 630-985-9860, www.zigfieldtroygolf.com
Highland Park Golf Learning Center
Highland Park, 847-433-3422, www.highlandparkillinois.net
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
89
South Taking it Deep in the Deep
There’s a lot to Love about Teeing it up in South Alabama By Danny Freels
W
hile it’s true that lots of northern golfers head south to Alabama during the winter, many make a mistake by not heading far enough south. Well not a mistake really, because teeing it up in north or central Alabama is pretty sweet. Arguably even sweeter, though, is to start one’s golf getaway even further south than that – say, somewhere around the capital city of Montgomery. From there to the southern tip of the state, there’s nothing but friendly people, fantastic food, wonderful weather, and exceptional golf. Oh, and for an added bonus, there’s the pearly white beaches, swaying palm trees, and beautiful blue water of the Gulf of Mexico.
HOT ON THE ‘TRAIL’ The Capitol Hill site on Alabama’s highly successful Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is located just north of Montgomery in 94
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
Prattville. It’s one of the most popular stops on the trail, and for good reason. The three courses here – Judge, Legislator and Senator
PREVIOUS SPREAD: The fantastic, 458-yard, par-4 finishing hole at Kiva Dunes is just steps from the beach and gorgeous, golf-side rental condos. ABOVE: Beautiful bunkering surrounds the 419-yard, par-4 third hole of Capitol Hill’s sensational Senator course. – are long, strong and extremely attractive. The Judge, in fact, is one of the prettiest courses I’ve ever played, and I’ve played a bunch. From the tips, The Judge measures a whopping 7,813 yards (four other markers are available) and it wows you right off the bat with a drive that drops 200 feet to the fairway. What a way to start a round! From there, The Judge moves up and down through tree-lined fairways, around lakes and over ponds. The holes are beautifully bunkered, the fairways are firm and fast, and
the greens are well-sloped and speedy. For sure, The Judge is tough. Yet it’s so pretty, you probably won’t mind any punishment that comes your way. Like The Judge, The Legislator is a pine tree-lined traditional type of layout. It’s also the shortest of the three at Capitol Hill, with a back tee length of “only” 7,477 yards. Built along a bluff, this beautiful track keeps golfers constantly off balance due to several areas of steep terrain. Elevated tee shots and approaches are common, but many holes YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
95
play uphill as well. Beginning at the 11th, The Legislator works its way for six holes through a cypress swamp that’s probably a bit creepy at twilight. The finishing holes are a long par 5 and a short par 4 that sits below Capitol Hill’s handsome clubhouse. Attractive in a different way is The Senator, site of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic each spring. From the back tees, this lovely course measures a sturdy 7,654 yards. Often described as a “Scottish-links style” layout, The Senator felt to me much more Irish than Scottish. The high mounds of heavy grass that border many of the par 4s 96
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
and 5s greatly resemble the tall dunes that are common on famous Irish links such as Ballibunion. And just like at Ballibunion, this grass is difficult to play out of. Similar in another way, most, if not all of the holes here play up to a perched green, few of which are totally visible from below. And bubba, are these greens fast! Highland Oaks is another stop on the RTJ Golf Trail and it’s located in the city of Dothan, just two hours southeast of Montgomery. Dothan, by the way, was a successful cotton growing area back in the day until the boll weevil moved in and ate up
The treacherous 505-yard, par-5 finishing hole at Craft Farms Cotton Creek Golf Club is one of two awesome Arnold Palmer designs there. the product. The farmers turned to growing peanuts and you could say they made hay doing it – one quarter of all peanuts grown in the U.S. today come from this area. Fittingly, Highland Oaks is very pretty but so challenging it’s downright nutty. There are three regulation-size 9-hole courses here — Highlands, Magnolia and Marshwood — plus a short course. The par-3 course is pretty challenging, too. Lengthwise, the three combinations of the
regulation nines measure between 7,704 yards and 7,513 yards. The bunkers are deep and the greens are well-undulated and unusually quick. Fortunately, the fairways are wide, which may help when playing the par-5 sixth hole on the Marshwood course. From the tips, it’s 701 yards.
COAST WITH THE MOST As great as the area is, golfers owe it to themselves to take it even deeper into south YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
97
The sensational, 175-yard, par-3 13th hole at Kiva Dunes might be one of the prettiest par 3s on the planet. Alabama — and I mean all the way to the teeny, tiny tip in the southern-most part of the state. Their reward will be the beautiful Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area on the Gulf of Mexico, where the golf is great, the seafood is scrumptious, and the sun always shines. It’s appropriate that the founder of the beautiful Craft Farms Golf Resort in Gulf Shores amassed his fortune as a sod farmer. It takes good turf to make a great golf course, and who better to recognize ideal land for growing grass than a sod farmer? Craft Farms’ two courses — Cypress Bend and Cotton Creek — were both designed by Arnold Palmer and both opened in the late 1980s. At 6,848 yards from the back tees, Cypress Bend is the shorter of the two layouts, while Cotton Creek is a bit longer at 7,127 yards from the tips. Both courses are very pretty, bordered by trees, and feature lots of water. Cypress Bend, in fact, has water in play on every hole. Not surprisingly, due to the nearness of the Gulf of Mexico, it’s windy ’round these parts and it can feel as if the wind is in your face on every shot. For that reason alone, choosing the right tee to play from at Craft Farms is very important. Choosing the right tee to play from at Kiva Dunes Golf Club, on the other hand — located as it is on a strip of land sticking out into the Gulf — is a must. Actually, choosing a tee that’s one forward from what you’re used to playing is not a terrible idea. Designed by 1976 U.S. Open champion Jerry Pate and opened in 1995, Kiva Dunes is not long by today’s standards at 7,092 yards from the back markers. It’s very open, 98
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
99
however, and the strong, consistent wind will often knock balls out of the sky well short of the target. The fairways are wide, thankfully, but there’s a whole lot of water, wetlands and sand in play. In addition, the large greens here are well sloped, very firm and really fast. Kiva Dunes is a beautiful golf course without a doubt. But like one of the always-hungry alligators cruising around in a nearby pond, it will eat you up if you don’t watch out. On another trip to Alabama a few years 100
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
ago, I was introduced to the work of a golf course architect I had never heard of, Earl Stone. The course was Rock Creek in the city of Fairhope, and I was taken not just by its beauty, but how fun and playable it was for a recreational golfer like me. I have played other Stone courses since and they’re cut from the same cloth: challenging but friendly. Another work by Mr. Stone is the Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club in Gulf Shores. Opened in 1995, Peninsula features three nine-hole layouts: Cypress, Lakes and
The seventh hole at Peninsula Golf Club’s Lakes nine is 530 yards of beauty, with Mobile Bay as a backdrop. Marsh. From the tips, the various combinations measure between 7,185 yards and just over 7,000 yards. Just based on the names of the three nines, it’s clear there’s plenty of water and wetlands in play at this beautiful facility. As it is at so many of Mr. Stone’s designs, however, Peninsula is good test for the better player, but also a challenging yet manageable and enjoyable round of golf for those of us with less ability. To my way
of thinking, that’s the mark of a really good golf course. In 1865, the newspaperman Horace Greeley famously told his readers: “Go west, young man.” In 2016, this writer has a different suggestion: “Go south, young man.” Deep south. Please visit Alabama.travel/golf for more information. YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
101
Golf Tech Talk
CONNECT
FOURSOME Social Media Site “All Square Golf” Aims at Golfers By Don Shell
All Square can help golfers find tee times on amazing courses like Cutters Ridge at Manistee National Golf Resort.
GolfTech Talk
ORLANDO — One of the favorite pastimes of golfers everywhere is to check out the course names on the apparel of their peers. Sometimes it elicits a knowing nod, other times it launches into an in-depth conversation and fast friendship. Today, of course, reminders of our oncourse exploits are no longer confined to our custom-logoed caps, or worn proudly on our sleeves. Now we can connect with our fellow golf aficionados across the globe, thanks to the slick new social media site, All Square (allsquaregolf.com). “Golfers like to brag about where they’ve played, compare where they’ve played, and tell their friends,” All Square co-founder Arthur De Rivoire explained. “ ‘I’ve been to 104
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
St Andrews, I’ve been to Pebble Beach. … We’ve created an environment where you can share your experiences around golf.” Launched in Europe in 2015, the All Square team has taken the site to the States this year, beginning in January at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. The site and app offer a simple signup and an easyto-use interface, with the look and feel of many other social media sites on the market today. Rather than Instagram-filtered photos of food, or random musings from your high school friends, what sets All Square apart is the singular focus on the world’s finest golf. And it puts it together beautifully — and thoroughly. “We’ve realized that the golf market is
Stay & Play at the #1 All-Access Golf Course in ALABAMA Located 1 Hour South of Birmingham
ASK ABOUT OUR “MAN CAVE PACKAGE” 256.208.7600 | information@pursellfarms.com
GolfTech Talk
super-fragmented,” said Arthur, the Geneva, Switzerland native, who now calls Palo Alto home. “Whenever you want the latest news of the PGA you’ve got to go to their website. And whenever you want to buy a green fee you’ve got to go to another website. And if you want to follow Rickie Fowler, you’ve got to go to Twitter. So we’re trying to bring every stakeholder in the golf industry together.” Including, of course, the courses themselves. That might be the game-changing aspect of All Square: the ability for the site to become the Yelp of the world’s best courses, 106
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
and to start a two-way conversation between courses and customers. “All Square connects golfers worldwide, that’s the first part of the project,” Arthur explained. And the second part is we’re connecting golf courses with golfers, so that they can continue the relationship, and help them target the right audience of golfers. “You can check in with the app, and we’ve mapped out more than 33,000 courses worldwide. We’ve built a ranking system, and every course has its own profile. You can send an inquiry, and see reviews of other courses, too. You can also see what courses your (connections) have played, and get their opinions on courses, too.” Free for golfers, All Square charges $80 per month for courses to manage their profiles and gather analytics. “In the end, it’s roughly one green fee per month,” Arthur said. “Some (sites) are destroying value for courses, and that’s not what we want to do. We want to partner with courses, we don’t want to take any commissions on booking. We want to work together with courses so we can bring them value and bring them new golfers.” And you might be surprised at some of the people you can already find on All Square. The site just announced a partnership with none other than Robert Trent Jones Jr., the architect who has designed more than 270 golf courses in over 40 countries on six continents. Sounds like a perfect match. For more information and to sign up for a free account, visit www.allsquaregolf.com.
Industry Insider
SHARPER
THAN EVER 30 years after David Glod started it in his garage, Tour Edge is still a cutting-edge company By Don Shell
O
ne day in 1986, David Glod pulled the “sold” sign out of the yard of his little bungalow in the sleepy suburb of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and hung out the shingle of Tour Edge Golf for the first time.
Now 30 years later, Glod’s company has gotten exponentially bigger and
better, and today is a pretty far cry from the little club repair business he started in his one-car garage. “We started as a repair company, and then we started assembling component-part clubs,” Glod recalled. “I really started designing 25 years ago. My first club was a cavity back iron, and it had the widest sole of anything in golf at the time. It was called the Fiber-Sonic. It showed I had some pretty forward-thinking design skills, because wider irons are more popular now.” But Glod and Tour Edge certainly didn’t stop there.
Industry Insider
Industry Insider
“Back then the metalwood just came out,” he said. “That was the dawn of the graphite shaft, too. What we would do was take a metal head and shafted them in graphite at 44 inches, which was kind of an unheard of thing at that time. With the lighter weight and the longer shaft, people were hitting them 15-20 yards longer. We sold quite a few of them around Chicago back then. “I probably still have one or two in my garage.” Of course, that’s not quite accurate, because Glod doesn’t have room in his garage, the same one he started the company in 30 years ago. “My mainstay is in Michigan, in Bloomfield Hills,” he said. “I just kept the darn place the whole time. There’s really nothing in my 110
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
garage, because I use it for my car. “We used the whole house, back in the day. That’s partly why we bought it. After 2-3 years of being in that house, we moved into our first building, 5,000 square feet. We went from five to 10 to 20 and so on. And now we’re in 55,000 square feet. We built this building in 2006, our 10th year this year in Batavia.”
BIGGER & BETTER Glod, who played college golf at Florida Southern with Rocco Mediate and Lee Janzen before becoming a teaching pro, has watched his company take him to heights he never found as a player. As his company got gradually bigger, so, too, did his clubs. It was one of the biggest that he says launched Tour
Edge into another echelon. “The first real big hit was the Bazooka driver, around the time of the first Big Bertha (in the early 1990s),” he said. “We all remember when we first saw that, we were like, ‘Wow, that thing is big!’ You hit it and it made that ‘ping!’ sound, and we saw that avenue right away. “That (Big Bertha) driver was $300 at the time, which was a pretty big price tag then, for anything. So we came in with one similar at $150, so it was that perfect Chicago, Midwestern thinking, of ‘OK, we’re a quality company, but we’re also your best bang for your buck.’ And we didn’t have much competition in that zone, so Bazooka, and all the things that stemmed from it, filled this niche of mid-price custom quality products. “That’s been our bread and butter for most of our life.” While the Bazooka certainly made a big bang for the company, it was their other woods that ran their roots deep in the industry over the past decade. Competition in the driver market made it tough to keep pace, and Tour Edge had to innovate once again. “What happened was the larger companies flooding the market with closeouts, which kind of stepped on the Bazooka,” Glod recalled. “But it just so happened we developed a really cool, really expensive product, too expensive for the Bazooka moniker anyway, and that’s when the Exotics line was born, 11 years ago.”
A WHOLE NEW WORLD The Exotics line boldly took Tour Edge into uncharted territory, where it became more than a bargain clubmaker. Much more. “So wow, it’s a whole different frontier,” Glod said. “We were really getting into really high-tech production methods. Our staff, our marketing team, our R&D team … we have a bunch of good players here, and it was kind of neat, because we were making clubs we really want to play. That was an exciting frontier. We had the longest 3-wood by 20 yards when we came out with the thing.” The story behind the Exotics line — and the magical blend of metals that makes it work so well — might be even better than the clubs themselves. It started back in 2003, with a long flight and a fortuitous meeting. “The best story over the past 30 years was the Exotics 3-wood birth,” Glod said. “Through my Japanese friend-slash-agent, Hideki Sato, who introduced me with this specific maker in Taiwan, who had this brais-
LEFT: Glod’s passion as a player has always come through in his club design. RIGHT: Though they don’t pay for player endorsements, Tour Edge hasn’t been without big-name fans, including the legendary Rodney Dangerfield. YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.
111
NUMBER 18
Glod started his company as a club repair business 30 years ago, but has been designing clubs of his own for a quarter century. ing technology. They use braising for a lot of things, mostly aerospace or racing cars. It’s bonding dissimilar materials. Titanium and steel still can’t be welded together … they have to use braising.” Blending titanium with steel in a clubhead creates a lighter, hotter club, more like a driver than a typical wood. And after a year and a half of work, Glod remembers walking into a leadership meeting and saying, “Guys, we’re not even going to talk about this thing in this meeting. We’re going to go hit it.”
A STAR IS BORN The rest, of course, is history, a history that grows longer and stronger with each passing year. The Exotics line has been red-hot for a decade, despite not having the budget the “big boys” do to pay players to use their clubs. Even still, many of the pros will put Tour Edge clubs in their bags, a testament to 112
WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
the technology and quality that goes beyond brand name. Brandt Snedeker won the 2013 PGA Tour Championship with an Exotics CB4 3-wood in his bag. David Toms is currently using a Tour Edge putter. Heavy-hitting J.B. Holmes has used their driving iron for the past three years, as well. But with the success of this year’s new EXG line, as well as a slowdown among its competitors, Tour Edge is poised for even greater things in the next 30 years, Glod says. “I think you’re going to see Tour Edge grow quite a bit,” he said. “There’s an opening in the market, and we’re getting much more serious about how we attack those openings. Companies are losing sight of what golfers really want. There’s lot of old thinking out there, and we’re starting fresh. We’re calling it a rebirth – 30 years young. That’s our feeling.” For more information, visit www.touredge.com.
Playing a round at Ross Bridge
When it comes to championship public golf, there’s no better destination than Alabama, where we’re proud to claim three of America’s 50 Toughest Courses as selected by Golf Digest. For starters, there are the 468 holes along the world-renowned Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Stretching from the mountains in the north to the Gulf Coast in the south, these 26 courses will test your golfing skills as well as your intestinal fortitude. Then there are the many other impressive courses scattered across the state, designed by the likes of Arnold Palmer and Jerry Pate. Each with its own set of challenges, each with its own set of rewards. And each along an epic road trip to the state of Alabama. Note: Please park responsibly. And not on our golf courses.
To start your Alabama Road Trip, scan this code with your smartphone.
WHERE LUCK MEETS LUXURY.
SPEND THE NIGHT WITH LUXURY AT MILWAUKEE’S #1 ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATION, FEATURING HIGH-ENERGY GAMING, AWARD-WINNING DINING, BARS, LIVE MUSIC AND 4-STAR LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS.
BOOK YOUR ROOM TODAY!