SUNDAY DRIVE
You pull up to the beautiful New England-style clubhouse with traditional cedar shake exterior and grand white columns - you are suddenly reminded of a home away from home. The friendly golf staff greets you and assists in taking your clubs out of your car. After a quick polishing, your clubs are loaded into your cart while you grab a made-to-order breakfast sandwich in Chats, a casual, upbeat dining experience with al fresco breakfast and lunch options. You share a friendly handshake with the head pro, then hit the driving range to warm up before teeing off on hole one. As you make your way around the front nine, you make some quality shots and play aggressively to bring out the teeth of the course. You are willing to take the risks, and luckily avoid the bunkers, but the subtle breaks on the greens make putts outside of five feet tough to read. Nonetheless, you enjoy the challenge and relax with a convenient sandwich wrap on the go from Chats as you make the turn from the clubhouse. You drive over the arced, white bridge that connects you to the back nine and are on your way to hole 10. As you pull up to the tee box of 10, the breathtaking views of the Chatham
Valley sink in, and for a moment, you wonder if you’re still in flat Indiana. This hole offers a 40-foot elevation drop with rolling hills, and ponds on each side of the fairway – a classic Pete Dye design and signature of his. The meandering cart path crosses over rippling creeks and tree lined paths from hole to hole. You exchange friendly waves with neighbors enjoying the expansive back porches of their custom homes as you play ahead to the next hole. Finally, you have made it to hole 18 and look uphill at the 386-yard stretch, seeing the beautiful clubhouse in the distance. You are so close to finishing an incredible round but have one last uphill challenge before making it to the top of the green. You sink the last putt of the round while soaking in the vast views from atop the 18th green. A refreshing mango-scented cool towel hand-delivered from the staff wipes away the hard efforts of your victory. At last, you head back to the clubhouse to enjoy a rewarding round of drinks around the bonfire pits with friends. Another incredible day at your home away from home, Chatham Hills. sl For information, visit chathamhills.com
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