GolfTime 2016 Summer Edition

YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME.

SUMMER 2016

Aiming Higher The Magical Mountains of St. George, Utah, Raise the Bar for Golf Getaways

PLUS: Wisconsin’s Wonderful Thornberry Creek, Southern Alabama’s Steamy, Seaside Golf, Ryder Cup Preview & Much More

A One-Man Building BoomTom Doak’s Design Company Brings a Pair of Big Projects to His Home State

Better With AgeChicago’s Own Tour Edge Golf Marks Three Dynamite Decades

Check out our golf road trip at visitmississippi.org/golftrip.

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 fi nd some of the fi nest 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.

Fallen Oak — Biloxi, MS

Golf TIme Display Ad VISIT MS.indd 1 11/25/15 1:07 PM

1. Arrowwood Resortwww.arrowwoodresort.com2. Black Bear Golf Coursewww.golfatthebear.com3. Braemar Golf Course www.braemargolf.com4. Breezy Point Resort www.breezypointresort.com5. Chaska Town Coursewww.chaskatowncourse.com6. Cragun’s Resortwww.craguns.com7. Destination Bloomington www.bloomingtonmn.org8. Edinburgh U.S.A. www.edinburghusa.org9. Geneva Golf Club www.genevagolfclub.com 10. Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resortwww.giantsridge.com11. Golden Eagle Golf Clubwww.golfgoldeneagle.com12. Grand View Lodge www.grandviewlodge.com13. Legends Club www.legendsgc.com14. Madden’s on Gull Lake www.maddens.com15. Minneapolis NW CVB www.minneapolisnorthwest.com16. Prestwick Golf Club www.prestwick.com17. Ridges at Sand Creek www.ridgesatsandcreek.com18. Rush Creek Golf Club www.rushcreek.com19. Stonebrooke Golf Club www.stonebrooke.com20. StoneRidge Golf Clubwww.stoneridgegc.com 21. Territory Golf Club www.territorygc.com22. The Jewel Golf Club www.jewelgolfclub.com23. The Wilds Golf Clubwww.golfthewilds.com24. Thumper Pond Resort www.thumperpond .com25. Wilderness at Fortune Baywww.golfthewilderness.com 26. Willingers Golf Clubwww.willingersgc.com

HOME OF THE2016 RYDER CUP

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YOUR MINNESOTA GOLF

“BUCKET LIST”

ExploreMinnesotaGolf.com

GOLF IN MINNESOTAA GREAT STORY

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.

Play the

BEST of

the BEST

ExploreMinnesotaGolf.com

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Features

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The Magic MountainsSt. George, Utah, Has Gorgeous Golf

& Stunning Scenery at Every Turn

Lambeau LeapLPGA Jumps at New Tournament at Green Bay’s Thornberry Creek

A Double-Dose of Doak Tom Doak’s Design Company

Brings Two (Or Is It Three?) New Courses to Michigan

Rising TidesSouthern Alabama’s Golf Scene

Hotter Than Ever

Publisher’s Note

Bump & Run

Featured Courses Map

Chicagoland Featured Courses

Practice Range Guide

Executive + 9-hole Courses

Instructor’s Corner

Pro Golf Preview

Wisconsin Featured Courses

Rules of the Game

Michigan Featured Courses

Midwest Select Courses Your complete guide to Chicagolandand surrounding area golf courses

Golf Tech Talk

Industry Insider

Departments

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Kiva Dunes Golf Club

Volume 9, Issue 1Table of Contents

Chick Evans

ON THE COVER: The 172-yard 17th hole at Green Spring Golf Club, photo by Joe Newman

The Tour that Lets the Amateur Tee it Up Like a ProIf you are looking for competitive golf tournaments and a chance to meet great golfers, then get your tour card today!

• 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

Email us at: [email protected] or [email protected]

Get Your Tour Card Today!

Chicago Tour Schedule DATE COURSE 16 July George Dunne National22 July Stonewall Orchard30 July Wilmette Golf Club

CHICAGO OPEN 13 Aug Mistwood Golf Club22 Aug Elgin C.C.27 Aug Cog Hill C.C. & Golf Club2 Sep Bolingbrook GC

CHICAGO CHAMPIONSHIP 10 Sep Cantigny

CHICAGO BETTER BALL CHAMPIONSHIP 3 Oct Kemper Lakes GC

Top Players advance to NATIONAL TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

October 21-23, 2016 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Milwaukee Tour Schedule DATE COURSE 9 July Morningstar Golf Club

MILWAUKEE OPEN23-24 July Grand Geneva Resort 6 Aug Fire Ridge Golf Club20 Aug Silver Spring Golf Club

MILWAUKEE CHAMPIONSHIP17 Sep Washington County

Chicago & Milwaukee Tours BORDER BATTLE - Ryder Cup Event24-25 Sep Bull Valley Golf Club

GolfWeek Am Tour_SUM16.indd 1 6/28/16 9:14 AM

6 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM

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 read-ers that GolfTime had become part of the Madison, Wisconsin-based Killarney Golf Media group.

Killarney has been publishing golf-related magazines and guides for more than 30 years. GolfTime joins a family of Killarney prod-ucts 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 archi-tect 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.”

A Division of Killarney Golf Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 14439Madison, WI 53708

Phone: 608-280-8800Fax: 866-877-9879

PRESIDENTJohn Hughes

GENERAL MANAGERJim Kelsh

[email protected]

MARKETING CONSULTANTKim Thompson

[email protected]

EDITORDon Shell

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Danny FreelsRob HernandezJohn Morrissett

Betsy Voyles

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Peter SchulzPeter Wong

Nile Young Jr.

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Muddy Creek Creative

©Copyright 2016 GolfTimeAll rights reserved.

GolfTime is not responsible or liable for any errors, omissions

or changes in information.

Publisher’s Note

Bump & Run NEWS & NOTES FROM THE WORLD OF GOLF

Happy Birthdays at BoyneThe 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 destina-tion. 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

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 be-come 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.

The 560-yard, par-5 fifth hole of The Heather.


Bump & Run

YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME. 11

From the ArchivesThe 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.

Topgolf Taking Over the MidwestGolf/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 hun-dreds of HDTVs. Visit www.topgolf.com.

Pete Dye Punching Up Purdue’s Ackerman HillsArchitect 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 GunsTaylorMade’s M1 a Tank of a ClubTake 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.


eavenly HorizonsThe stunning red-rocked mountains of St. George, Utah, provide a scenic backdrop for unforgettable, affordable golf

By Rob HernandezPhotography by Joe Newman

14 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME. 15

ST. GEORGE, UTAH — Against the back-drop of a day turning to night, a sunset flight into St. George, Utah, gives a first-time visi-tor 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 late-April 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

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 Scotts-dale 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 over-whelmingly positive.

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.

Indeed, that was the reaction of our group to the wonder that was this southwest corner of Utah, not far from where the state inter-sects with southeastern Nevada and north-western Arizona.

HOT ON THE ‘TRAIL’Even absent the incredible coral rock forma-tions that create an amphitheater of natural beauty to the 10 courses on the Red Rock Golf Trail, the quality of the layouts we en-countered 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, Janu-ary 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 BANGThe 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


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 re-quires 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

the 147-yard par 3 to snap pictures of dra-matic 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 419-yard, 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 din-ner on the patio at The Cliffside Restaurant,

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)

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).

that is, which gave us a great look at the lights of the St. George valley below.

ABOVE & BEYONDDay 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 Moun-tains and Zion National Park. It took every-thing 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


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 Hol-low were every bit as challenging and well-maintained as the one that seems to be the buzz of St. George.

“The most iconic Red Rock golf expe-rience 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

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 en-tire 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 experi-ence 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 link-style golf are tucked at the end of a path just beyond the driving range.

Most golfers who include Sand Hollow on their golf-ing 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.

WALKING BACK IN TIME: Sand Hollow’s Hickory Club Round


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 Roast-ing Company in La Verkin. We needed suste-nance 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.

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 special-ist 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 destina-tion 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, non-commercial 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.

22 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME. 23 22 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME. 23

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31

31

31

31

33

33

33

33

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

36

36

36

36

36

40

40

40

40

40

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

421

421

421

421

421

421

50

50

50

50

5050

52

52

52

52

52

6

666

80

94

88

65

Appleton

Eau Claire

Green Bay

Janesville

Kenosha

Racine

Waukesha

Wauwatosa

West Allis

MilwaukeeMadison

43

43

43

90

90

90

90

90

90

90

94

94

94

94

94

94

94

94

45

15

4

3

2

5 12

13

9

11

8

14

1

6

107

GolfTime SUM16 Final.indd 22 6/29/16 10:54 PM


Chicagoland 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Arlington Lakes Golf Club

Arrowhead Golf Club

Broken Arrow Golf Club

Fountain Hills Golf Club

Golf Center Des Plaines

Heritage Bluffs Public Golf Club

Lake Park Golf Course

Libertyville Sports Complex

Links & Tees Golf Facility

Mt. Prospect Golf Club

Prairie Bluff Public Golf Course

Skokie Sports Park

Stonewall Orchard Golf Club

Weber Park Golf Course

White Pines Golf Club

Arlington Heights

Wheaton

Lockport

Alsip

Des Plaines

Channahon

Des Plaines

Libertyville

Addison

Mt. Prospect

Crest Hill

Skokie

Grayslake

Skokie

Bensenville

847-577-3030

630-653-5800

815-836-8858

708-388-4653

847-803-4653

815-467-7888

847-391-5730

847-367-1506

630-233-7275

847-632-9300

815-836-4653

847-674-1500

847-740-4890

847-674-1500

630-766-0304

www.ahpd.org/algc

www.arrowheadgolfclub.org

www.golfbrokenarrow.com

www.fountainhillsgc.com

www.golfcenterdesplaines.com

www.heritagebluffs.com

www.dpparks.org

www.LibertyvilleSportsComplex.com

www.addisonparks.org

www.mtprospectgolf.com

www.prairiebluffgc.com

www.skokieparks.org

www.stonewallorchard.com

www.skokieparks.org

www.whitepinesgolf.com

Rockford

Peoria

Arlington Heights

Aurora

Champaign

Cicero

Decatur

Des Plaines

East St. Louis

ElginEvanston

Joliet

Mount Prospect

Oak Lawn

Oak Park

Schaumburg Skokie

Waukegan

Chicago

Springfield

24

39

55

55

55

55

57

57

57

57

57

57

64

64

64

70

70

70

72

72

74

74

74

74

74

8080

88

88

90

57

80

55

90

Gary

Hammond

136

136

150

150

150

20

2020

20

224224

231

231

231

231

231

231

231

231

231

231

24

24

24

24 24

27

27

27

27

30

30

30

30

30

31

31

31

31

31

31

31

31

33

33

33

33

35

35

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35

35

35

35

36

36

36

36

36

40

40

40

40

40

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

421

421

421

421

421

421

50

50

50

50

5050

52

52

52

52

52

6

666

80

94

88

65

Appleton

Eau Claire

Green Bay

Janesville

Kenosha

Racine

Waukesha

Wauwatosa

West Allis

MilwaukeeMadison

43

43

43

90

90

90

90

90

90

90

94

94

94

94

94

94

94

94

45

Let Us Lead You to Your Next Round

Find us on /golftimemag or follow @GolfTimeMag18 on

GolfTime Magazine is dedicated to people who realize the world’s greatest game is more than a pastime, people who

appreciate the rich variety and value in the region they call home.

www.golftimemag.com

GOLFTIME’S FEATURED COURSES

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pg 36

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pg 38

pg 39

pg 40

pg 39

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24 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM 24 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM

MilwaukeeMadison

43

43

94

43

43

90

90

90

90

90

90

90

94

94

94

94

94

94

94

Indianapolis

164

64

64

64

64

65

65

65

65

65

65

69

69

69

69

70

70

70

70

74

74

74

74

74

80

80

8080

94

Chicago

Springfield

24

39

55

55

55

55

55

57

57

57

57

57

57

57

64

64

64

70

70

70

72

72

74

74

74

74

74

80 80

8080

88

88

88

90

90

Grand Rapids

Kalamazoo

South Bend

Fort Wayne

Peoria

Bloomington

Champaign

Decatur

Detroit

Lansing

196

196

275

69

69

69

69

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

9494

94

94

94

94

96

96

96

96

131

131

131

131

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

11

12

13

14

15

Wisconsin

Crab Orchard Golf ClubThe Links at KokopelliPine Lakes Golf ClubStardust Golf and Country Club

The Bull at Pinehurst FarmsChristmas Mountain VillageTrappers Turn Golf Club

Abbey Springs County ClubAlpine Valley ResortCountry Club Estates Golf CourseDelbrook Golf ClubEvergreen Country ClubGeneva National ResortGrand Geneva Resort & SpaHawk’s View Golf ClubMajestic Oaks at Lake Lawn ResortWhitewater Country Club

Berrien Hills Golf ClubDiscover KalamazooPilgrim’s Run Golf Club

A-Ga-Ming Golf ResortThe Chief Golf Course The Crown Golf ClubElmbrook Golf CourseGrand Traverse Resort & SpaHawk’s Eye Golf ResortLochenHeath Golf ClubManitou Passage Golf ClubShanty Creek Resorts

CartervilleMarionHerrinJohnston City

Sheboygan FallsWisconsin DellsWisconsin Dells

FontanaElkhornFontanaLake GenevaElkhornLake GenevaLake GenevaLake GenevaDelavanWhitewater

Benton HarborKalamazooPierson

KewadinBellaireTraverse CityTraverse CityAcmeBellaireWilliamsburgCedarBellaire

618-985-2321618-997-5656618-942-6816618-527-4122

920-467-1500608-254-3971800-221-8876

262-275-6111262-642-7374262-275-3705262-728-3966262-723-5722262-245-7000800-558-3417877-429-5788262-725-9066262-473-3305

269-925-9002800-888-0509888-533-7742

800-678-0122231-533-9000231-946-2975231-946-9180800-748-0303866-868-8181231-938-9800231-228-6000231-533-8621

www.craborchardgolfclub.comwww.kokopelligolf.comwww.pinelakes18.com

www.golfthebull.comwww.christmasmountainvillage.comwww.trappersturn.com

www.abbeysprings.comwww.alpinevalleyresort.comwww.countryclubestatesgolf.comwww.delbrookgolfclub.comwww.evergreengolf.comwww.genevanationalresort.comwww.grandgeneva.comwww.hawksviewgolfclub.comwww.lakelawnresort.comwww.whitewatercountryclub.com

berrienhills.comwww.discoverkalamazoo.comwww.pilgrimsrun.com

www.a-ga-ming.comwww.golfthechief.comwww.golfthecrown.comwww.elmbrookgolf.comwww.grandtraverseresort.com/golfwww.golfbellaire.comwww.lochenheath.comwww.manitoupassagegolfclub.comwww.shantycreek.com

Illinois

Michigan

Wisconsin Walworth County Inset

pg 42

pg 42

pg 42

pg 42

IFC

pg 61

pg 7

pg 62

pg 62

pg 62

pg 62

pg 62

pg 62

pg 62

pg 62

pg 62

pg 62

pg 78

pg 77

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pg 80

pg 80

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pg 80

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Michigan Traverse City Inset

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

16

17

18

GOLFTIME’S FEATURED COURSES

9

10

28

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Grand Traverse Resort & Spa



MilwaukeeMadison

43

43

94

43

43

90

90

90

90

90

90

90

94

94

94

94

94

94

94

Indianapolis

164

64

64

64

64

65

65

65

65

65

65

69

69

69

69

70

70

70

70

74

74

74

74

74

80

80

8080

94

Chicago

Springfield

24

39

55

55

55

55

55

57

57

57

57

57

57

57

64

64

64

70

70

70

72

72

74

74

74

74

74

80 80

8080

88

88

88

90

90

Grand Rapids

Kalamazoo

South Bend

Fort Wayne

Peoria

Bloomington

Champaign

Decatur

Detroit

Lansing

196

196

275

69

69

69

69

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

9494

94

94

94

94

96

96

96

96

131

131

131

131

MilwaukeeMadison

43

43

94

43

43

90

90

90

90

90

90

90

94

94

94

94

94

94

94

Indianapolis

164

64

64

64

64

65

65

65

65

65

65

69

69

69

69

70

70

70

70

74

74

74

74

74

80

80

8080

94

Chicago

Springfield

24

39

55

55

55

55

55

57

57

57

57

57

57

57

64

64

64

70

70

70

72

72

74

74

74

74

74

80 80

8080

88

88

88

90

90

Grand Rapids

Kalamazoo

South Bend

Fort Wayne

Peoria

Bloomington

Champaign

Detroit

Decatur

Lansing

196

196

275

69

69

69

69

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

9494

94

94

94

94

96

96

96

96

131

131

131

131

Traverse City

Acme

Bellaire

Ellsworth

Suttons Bay

Cedar

6

7

28

43

21

5

19

20

22

23 24

27

21

26

25

29

1

MilwaukeeMadison

43

43

94

43

43

90

90

90

90

90

90

90

94

94

94

94

94

94

94

Indianapolis

164

64

64

64

64

65

65

65

65

65

65

69

69

69

69

70

70

70

70

74

74

74

74

74

80

80

8080

94

Chicago

Springfield

24

39

55

55

55

55

55

57

57

57

57

57

57

57

64

64

64

70

70

70

7274

74

74

74

74

80 80

8080

88

88

88

90

90

Grand Rapids

Kalamazoo

South Bend

Fort Wayne

Peoria

Bloomington

Champaign

Detroit

Decatur

72

72

12

50

14

72 Lansing

196

196

275

69

69

69

69

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

75

9494

94

94

94

94

96

96

96

96

131

131

131

131

Lake Geneva

Elkhorn

Delavan

Suttons Bay

Cedar

Lake Geneva

Elkhorn

Delavan

Suttons Bay

Cedar

Lake Geneva

Elkhorn

Delavan

Suttons Bay

Cedar

189

10

12

151413

1611

17

8


26 GOLFTIME


FEATURED COURSESCHICAGOLAND


A fter more than two decades in the golf business, it's safe to say Tim Govern's seen it all. The golf operations man-

ager 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 tak-ing 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 go-ing 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-

Arlington Lakes Golf Club

By the People, For the PeopleArlington Lakes Golf Club Puts the Community First in Fantastic, Innovative New Redesign

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 com-munity 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. Espe-cially this time of year, you can come out at 8 o’clock and still get six holes in."

The new configurations are part of grow-ing movement in golf to grow the game, and

1 Chicagoland Featured Course


should have plenty of eyes watching the re-ception to the changes at Arlington Lakes, Govern said.

"The USGA invited Mike to a symposium in January this past year to talk about it," he said. "They're really interested in the ideas, a lot of people are looking at it to try and grow the game." Of course, sometimes less is more, as is the case with Arlington Lakes' bunkers, which might have undergone the biggest changes.

"We went from 106 bunkers to 37," Gov-ern said. "So many of them were out of play, and some we combined, as well. From a maintenance standpoint it's much easier, too, they're not the high-faced bunkers. Now they’re perfect and they drain perfectly, too."

The changes didn't stop there. They also

leveled and rebuilt all the tee boxes, added junior tees, and reshaped eight of the club's greens, returning them to their original in-tended size. In addition, the course now has three completely redesigned holes, Govern

said, adding the club will play to a very family-friendly par of 68.

"I haven’t played it yet, but I’m anxious to," he said. "There’s three completely rede-signed holes. No. 7 is the most

intriguing, a short par-4, 320 yards. It gets super narrow up by the green, and offers a lot of risk reward, with a real narrow green.

"There's also an elevated par-3, 125 yards, guarded by water on both sides, and plays into the wind most of the time. And seven or eight others holes had significant changes."

Other major improvements include add-

ing continuous cart paths throughout course, allowing carts on course even after exces-sive 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, be-tween the building, the patio, and the course itself. We think we’re really going to be able to serve the golfing community really well."

TEE STATISTICS Yards Par Blue 5360 68 White 4976 68 Red 4548 68

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 exces-sive 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, be-tween 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

847-577-3030www.ahpd.org/algc

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.


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 at affordable rates on three par-72, 18-hole layouts surrounded by forest preserve. Tees, greens and fairways are bentgrass and water comes into play on 17 holes. Practice on our lighted driving range, putting green, chipping green, and bunkers. The range gained new mats, landscaping, and a handicap-accessible ramp in 2015. Book a group or individual golf lesson from our PGA professional instructors.

Arrowhead has become a favorite destination for golf outings, fundraisers, weddings, and corporate events. The facility includes banquet and meeting rooms, a pro shop, halfway house, and locker rooms. The Arrowhead Restaurant & Bar—open daily for lunch and dinner—features elegant dishes by Executive Chef Alan Pirhofer, hosts live music, and boasts 15 HDTV screens to catch your favorite sports. Don’t miss the a la carte breakfast menu 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!

26W151 Butterfield Rd.Wheaton, IL 60189

630-653-5800www.arrowheadgolfclub.org

Arrowhead Golf Club

TEE STATISTICS

2 Chicagoland Featured Course

LOCATED IN THE SOUTH SUBURBS of Chicago, Broken Arrow Golf Club offers 27 holes of championship golf, the top-rated 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.

16325 W. Broken Arrow Dr. Lockport, IL 60441

815-836-8858www.golfbrokenarrow.com

Broken Arrow Golf ClubTEE STATISTICSSouth/East Yards Par Gold 6945 72 Blue 6582 72 White 6348 72 Red 5211 72East/North Yards Par Gold 7034 72 Blue 6669 72 White 6315 72 Red 5182 72 North/South Yards Par Gold 7027 72 Blue 6663 72 White 6321 72 Red 5255 72

1996-2016NOW CELEBRATING 20 YEARSFriendly atmosphere, family oriented, ONE GREAT EXPERIENCE

Chicagoland Featured Course 3

South/East Yards Par Red 4989 72Gold 5542 72White 6080 72Silver 6347 72Blue 6707 72 West/East Yards Par Red 4905 72Gold 5482 72White 6166 72Silver 6388 72Blue 6643 72 South/West Yards Par Red 4939 72Gold 5512 72White 6084 72Silver 6360 72Blue 6622 72


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, creating a challenge for even the most accomplished golfer. With four sets of tees on each hole, the course will provide a quality golf experience for any player regardless of ability. The par-72 layout features bentgrass tees, fairways and greens.

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

Heritage Bluffs Public Golf Club

TEE STATISTICS Yards Par Gold 7171 72 Black 6617 72 Silver 6038 72 Copper 5035 72


2014 U.S. AMATEUR QUALIFYING SITE


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 challenging plateau greens, all in our quiet parkland setting. The design features most of the original routing with five new holes and historic “template holes” with names like Redan, Eden and Punchbowl. There is even a sloping Biarritz par 3.

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.


TEE STATISTICS Yards Par Black 6350 70 Silver 6005 70 Gold 5345 70

600 See Gwun Ave.Mt. Prospect, IL 60056

847-259-4200www.golfmtprospect.com

Come Back to a New 90 Year Old Classic


* 1.5 miles East of I-355 on Lake Street

Golf Course FeesDaily (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

FootGolf Fees9 holes (walking) $10 per person

Replay $5 per person

Soccer Ball Rental $5 per ball


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 prairie grass which, along with 10 lakes, adds to both the courses beauty and challenge. A complete bunker renovation in the fall of 2012 only adds to the challenge golfers will face at Prairie Bluff. Golfers can warm up, or just practice, at our 10-acre driv-ing range, 10,000-square-foot putting green and short game area complete with practice bunker.

Golfers and non-golfers alike will enjoy Prairie Bluff’s beautiful, newly renovated, 12,000- square-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.

Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club

TEE STATISTICS Yards Par Gold 7007 72 Blue 6466 72 White (M) 6054 72 White (W) 6054 72 Green 5326 72

19433 Renwick Rd.Crest Hill, IL 60403

815-836-GOLF (4653)www.prairiebluffgc.comwww.pbmulligans.com www.pbbanquets.com

Now outings of 80 golfers or more will receive a free foursome!

Chicagoland Featured Course11


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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 Orchard is a true walk in nature and offers natural qualities often associated with golf in the Carolinas. With more than 65,000 mature pine and oak trees, the course features tranquil wetlands, plenty of wildlife and nary a hole that parallels another, offering a very secluded experience. From the 4,968-yard junior short course to the 7,124-yard, par-72 championship layout, each 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. 60Grayslake, IL 60030

847-740-4890www.stonewallorchard.com

Stonewall Orchard Golf Club Designed by Arthur Hills

TEE STATISTICS Yards Par Silver 7124 72 Gold 6506 72 Gold/White 6202 72 White 6032 72 Turquoise 5375 72 Junior 4968 72

Host Site of the Illinois PGA Section ChampionshipHost Site of the 2003, 2005, 2009 & 2015 U.S. Open Qualifier

Host Site of the 2016 Web.com Rust-Oleum Qualifier

Chicagoland Featured Course13

D O E S Y O U R F I R S T I M P R E S S I O N I M P R E S S ?

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Executive + 9-hole Courses

Fountain Hills Golf ClubFountain 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

greens, pro shop, restaurant and lounge. With a 2,000-square-foot patio and banquet facility, Fountain Hills is an excellent location to host your next golf outing, wedding or private party. The clubhouse will accommodate up to 150 guests for any special occasion and it’s available year-round.

Holes • 9 Par • 36 Yards • 3,233

12601 S. Kedzie Ave.Alsip, IL 60803

708-388-4653www.fountainhillsgc.com

Lake Park Golf CourseA 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

1015 Howard AvenueDes Plaines, IL 60018

847-391-5730www.dpparks.org

Golf • FootGolfKayaks

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“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 [email protected] to join E-CLUB for discounts, promotions and special event info.

Corner of Peterson Road & Route 451850 N. Hwy 45, Libertyville, IL 60048847-367-1506www.libertyvillesportscomplex.com www.libertyville.com/golf

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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 Club600 South See-Gwun Avenue, Mount Prospect, IL 60056(847)259-4200www.golfmtprospect.com

The Driving Range at Mt. Prospect Golf Club

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Should 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 put-ting, strengthening your core muscles and improving your balance may be your answer. Improved posture and core stability will help produce a smoother, more stable pendu-lar motion.

Test your stability on a prac-tice green by casting a shadow in front of you. See if your shad-ow moves at all during a put-ting 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 sup-port 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 over-all balance improves ball striking from driver to putter.

We often get asked about the use of belly and long putters vs. regular length put-ters. 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 for-ward (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 bod-ies 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, [email protected] or visit fitgolfchicago.com.

Putt for Dough?By Betsy Voyles, MSPT 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 perfor-mance goals.

Downtown Chicago925 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60642312-214-9079 www.fitgolfchicago.com

FitGolf Performance Center The Golf Fitness Experts 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 fun-damentals 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.

Chris Pytell PGA Professional

Skokie Sports Park3459 Oakton St., Skokie, IL 60076847-674-1500, ext. 3100 www.skokieparks.org

Instructor’s Corner Instructor’s Corner

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.

Eric Pick PGA Professional

Mt Prospect Golf Club600 South See-Gwun Avenue, Mount Prospect, IL 60056(847)380-1280www.ericpick.com

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 begin-ners 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.

Brad Syslo Master Club Fitting Professional

TaylorMade Performance Lab of Chicagoat Olympia Fields Country Club (Public Welcome)2800 Country Club Dr., Olympia Fields, IL 60461708-679-6700 www.TMPLabs.com


2016 Pro Golf Preview

Sensational SummerWorld’s Best Coming to Midwest

July 14 – 17

Web.com TourLINCOLN LAND CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP Springfield, IL COURSE: Panther Creek Country ClubTHE 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 Spring-field a must-play stop for PGA Tour-hopefuls.

July 22-24

LPGAUL INTERNATIONAL CROWNChicago, ILCOURSE: Merit ClubTV: NBC/Golf ChannelTHE 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.

Aug. 5 – 7

Champions Tour3M CHAMPIONSHIP Blaine, MNCOURSE: TPC Twin CitiesDEFENDING CHAMP: Kenny PerryTV: Golf ChannelTHE 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 TourJOHN DEERE CLASSICSilvis, ILCOURSE: TPC at Deere Run

DEFENDING CHAMP: Jordan SpiethTV: CBS/Golf ChannelTHE 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

Memorial 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:


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 TourU.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Columbus, OHCOURSE: Scioto CCDefending Champ: Jeff MaggertTV: Fox, FS1THE SKINNY: Last year Jeff Maggert fought off Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer in the final round

for a two-shot victory. Look for another wild finish with John Daly added into the mix this year.

Aug. 19-21

Symetra TourPHC CLASSIC Milwaukee, WICOURSE: Brown Deer Park GCDEFENDING CHAMP: Annie ParkTHE 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.

Sept. 8-11

Web.com TourDAP CHAMPIONSHIP Beachwood, OHCOURSE: Canterbury Golf ClubTHE SKINNY: The LeBron James Family Foundation is the beneficiary of this new event, located just outside Cleveland.

Sept. 8-11

PGA TourBMW CHAMPIONSHIPCarmel, INCOURSE: Crooked Stick GC

DEFENDING CHAMP: Jason DayTV: NBC/Golf ChannelTHE SKINNY: The biggest purse ($10 million). The best golfers (the top 70 get in). The most fireworks-inducing 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 TourNATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHAMPIONSHIP Columbus, OHCOURSE: OSU GC - Scarlet CourseTHE 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 TourRYDER CUPChaska, MNCOURSE: Hazeltine NationalDEFENDING CHAMP: EuropeTV: NBC/Golf ChannelTHE 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.

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FEATURED COURSESWISCONSIN


The Green Bay Packers started com-ing to Thornberry Creek at Onei-da 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

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 up-ping the ante to get ready.

“It has opened up some avenues to get some things done and improve the facili-ties,” 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 ex-panded. 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 ex-panded to allow use of all clubs.

A new practice green will be built and a

Turning Pro Big Improvements, Big Tournament Take Wisconsin’s Thornberry Creek to Another Level By Rob Hernandez


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.

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 improve-ments 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

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 Black-wolf Run opened and exploding 10 years later when Whistling Straits joined the mix. Central Wisconsin figures to become a

focal point of golfers from far and wide early next year as the first of the several much-anticipated layouts at Sand Valley south of Wisconsin Rapids officially opens.

“We’ve always seen ourselves as an upper-level public golf course that people that can come out and play,” Becker said. “We’ve al-ways 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 af-ter. 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.”


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 Madi-son (site of the American Family Insurance Championship) next summer when the eyes of the golf world will be looking toward Wis-consin. 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 lever-age Thornberry’s partnership with the Pack-ers 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

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 perspec-tive,” 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 go-ing to have a lot of those who made this pos-sible 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 Thornber-ry, it figures to stay that way for many years to come.

Visit www.golfthornberry.com for more information.

Rules of the Game

Anchors Aweigh By John Morrissett

Even 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 grip-ping 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 inde-pendently. Therefore, if the hands are

together, one or both forearms may be anchored against the body (think of the pre-1970s putting strokes with the fore-arms locked against the body that would still be allowed today).

• 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 inadver-tently 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 grip-ping 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 play-er (like Langer) has steady enough nerves to hold a long putter in front of his chest with-out 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.

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.


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FEATURED COURSESMICHIGAN

The South Course at Gull Lake View Golf Club

HOME is where the heart isTom 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 land-scape 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, par-ticularly in the Midwest. Nationally, existing courses have been closing and new con-struction has come to a standstill in recent years. According to the National Golf Foun-dation, 2015 saw just 17 new course open-

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, Re-

naissance Golf Design, are opening two three fantastic new layouts in his home state of Michigan this year, creating a one-compa-ny building boom and bucking the recent

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 exceed-ingly clever course — or courses — in The Loop, maybe the world’s first truly “revers-ible” 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 strik-ing similarities, and will help herald a new dawn in the Midwest golf scene, one where quality trumps quantity.

TO INFINITY & BEYONDIt’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 endan-gered Kirtland Warbler, Roscommon’s pines

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.


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. Some-thing different.

Mission accomplished. The Loop, as it is so aptly named, is a bril-

liant and ballsy beauty (or beauties) that is so

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 counterclock-wise. Both courses bear the signature “mini-malist” architectural style Doak has become famous for, with wide, naturally rolling fair-ways, 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

didn’t have so many projects going,” Thomp-son 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 think-ing. 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.

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.


“I’m really pleased with it. Whichever way you’re playing, it never feels like you are go-ing the wrong way.”

Both loops offer plenty of excitement along the way, too. Two of the best holes, ac-cording 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 bun-kering 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 gim-mick 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 TOPThree hours south of the Loop, in the roll-ing 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

Stoatin Brae joins an already-strong lineup of courses at Gull Lake View, including the highly regarded Bedford Valley Golf Club.


a former apple orchard, Stoatin Brae’s land-scape 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 in-volved, his thumbprint is easy to spot every-where at Stoatin Brae, having instilled his design philosophy and aesthetics in his crew

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 spectacu-lar 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 re-members 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 Scott-sdale, and El Conquistador Golf Club in Tuc-son, Arizona, Hudson returned to join some-thing very special in his hometown. And he said the excitement is palpable.

“Everybody’s asking about it,” Hudson

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.

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.

76 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM 76 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM

Hudson said he’s come home to help Stoa-tin Brae take the resort to another level — both literally and figuratively.

“Jon Scott has done a fantastic job of get-ting 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 half-way 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.

“We’ve got five other golf courses that are go-ing full-bore. We’ve got 60 villas that are full this weekend. We’re operating at 100 per-cent 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 be-ing 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.

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.


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.

TEE STATISTICS

Yards Par RatingSlope

Blue 6203 71 69.5 120

White 5955 71 68.2 116

Red 5263 73 70.9 119

690W.NapierAvenue•BentonHarbor,Michigan

269-925-9002berrienhil ls.com

BERRIEN HILLS GOLF CLUB

Check us Out on Facebook

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 experience truly exceptional.

Your journey takes you down manicured fairways lined with tall white pines and black oaks to your destination, the pristine, undulating bent grass greens. Pilgrim’s Run is a “must play” for golfers who enjoy the combination of tranquility, beauty and great golf!

Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club is located just 30 minutes north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Golf Packages are available. Proper golf attire is required.

11401 Newcosta Ave.Pierson, MI 49339

888-533-7742www.pilgrimsrun.com

Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club

TEE STATISTICS Yards Par Gold 7093 73 Blue 6471 73 White 5737 73 White (W) 5737 73 Red 4863 73

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

Course Record: 29-36=65 Lee Janzen, PGA Tour (two time U.S. Open winner)

The 16th Hole

Michigan Featured Course 20

The Ultimate Golf Destination

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

full-service hotels | cozy cabins | historic inns

Pictured: The Legend, Shanty Creek Resorts

A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort Antrim Dells

SundanceThe Torch

The Chief Golf Course

The Crown Golf Club

Elmbrook Golf Course

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa The Bear

Spruce RunThe Wolverine

Hawk’s Eye Golf Club

LochenHeath Golf Club

Manitou Passage Golf Club

Shanty Creek ResortsCedar River The Legend

Schuss Mountain Summit

TraverseCity.com/golf800-TRAVERSE

Voted “Greatest Midwest Town” - Midwest Living Magazine

YOUR GAME. YOUR TIME. 83 82 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM

MIDWEST SELECT COURSESMIDWEST SELECT COURSESAbbey Springs Golf Course (R)Fontana, WI, 262-275-6111, www.abbeysprings.com Ackerman Hills (P)West Lafayette, IN, 765-494-3139, www.purduegolf.com A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort (R)Kewadin, MI, 800-678-0122, www.a-ga-ming.comAldeen 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 Apple Orchard Golf Course (P)Bartlett, 630-540-4807, www.bartlettparks.org/facilities/golfThe Arboretum Club (P)Buffalo Grove, 847-913-1112, www.arboretumgolf.com 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.comBear 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.comBeeches 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.comBiltmore 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

Black Hawk Run Golf Club (P)Stockton, 815-947-3011, www.blackhawkrun.com Black Sheep Golf Club (PV)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 ClubSouth 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)Riverside, IA, 877-677-3456, www.riversidecasinoandresort.com Bob-O-Link Golf Club (PV)Highland Park, 847-432-0917, www.bobolinkgolfcourse.com The Bog (P)Saukville, WI, 262-284-7075, www.golfthebog.com 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.comBoyne 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.comBridges 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

Bucks Run Golf Club (P)Mt. Pleasant, MI, 989-773-6830, www.bucksrun.com Buena Vista Golf Course (P)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.comCedardell 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

Coyote Crossing Golf Course (P)West Lafayette, IN, 765-497-1061, www.coyotecrossinggolf.com Coyote Run Golf Course (P)Flossmoor, 708-957-8700, www.coyoterungolf.com Crab Orchard Golf Club (P)Carterville, 618-985-2321, www.craborchardgolfclub.comCraig 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.comCrystal 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/deererunDeerfield 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 KalamazooKalamazoo, 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


MIDWEST SELECT COURSES


MIDWEST SELECT COURSESEvergreen Golf Club (P)Elkhorn, WI, 262-723-5722, www.evergreengolf.com Evergreen Park Country Club (P)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 Fountain Hills Golf Club (P)Alsip, 708-388-4653, www.fountainhillsgc.com Four Winds Golf Club (P)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.comGalena Golf Club (P)Galena, 815-777-3599, www.galenagolf.webs.comGaylord 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/

Golf Club of Coldwater (P)Coldwater, MI, 517-279-2100, www.golfclubofcoldwater.com The Golf Club at Harbor Shores (R)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 Grayslake Park Golf Course (P)Grayslake, 847-548-4713, www.glpd.com Graystone Golf Links (P)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 CoursesHamilton 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.comHawksHead 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

High Point Golf Club (P)Essex, 815-365-4000, www.golfhighpoint.com Highland Park Country Club (P)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)Hobart, IN, 219-942-2577 Indian Run Golf Club (P)Scotts, MI, 269-327-1327, www.irgolfclub.com Innsbrook Country Club (PV)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

Lacoma Golf Club (P)East Dubuque, 815-747-3874, www.lacomagolf.comLafayette Golf Course (P)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.orgLake 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 CourseCable, 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 The Legend at Bergamont (PV)Oregon, WI, 608-291-2400, wwwthelegendatbergamont.comLeisure Village Golf Course (PV)Fox Lake, 847-587-6795, www.leisurevillagefoxlake.com Libertyville Golf Course (P)Libertyville, 847-362-5733, www.libertyville.com/golfcourseLick 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.comLochenHeath Golf Club (P)Williamsburg, MI, 231-938-9800, www.lochenheath.comLockport 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




MIDWEST SELECT COURSESMaple Hills Golf Course (P)Augusta, MI, 269-731-4430 Maple Meadows Golf Club (P)Wood Dale, 630-616-8424, www.dupagegolf.comMarengo 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

Oak Meadows Golf Course (P)Addison, 630-595-0071, www.dupagegolf.com Oak Park Country Club (PV)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.comPine 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

Pottawatomie Golf Course (P)St. Charles, 630-584-8356, www.pottawatomiegc.com Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club (P)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/golfRobert A. Black Golf Club (P)Chicago, 312-742-7931, www.cpdgolf.com/courses

Rockford Country Club (PV)Rockford, 815-962-0948, www.rockfordcc.com Rolling Green Country Club (PV)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




Sportsman’s Country Club (P)Northbrook, 847-291-2351, www.sportsmansgolf.com Springbrook Golf Course (P)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.comSydney 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

TPC Deere Run (SP)Silvis, 309-796-6000, www.tpc.com/deererunTraditions at Chevy Chase (P)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)University Park, 708-747-0306, www.universitygolfclub.com University Ridge (P)Verona, WI, 608-845-7700, www.universityridge.com Valley Green Golf Course (P)North Aurora, 630-897-3000, www.valleygreengc.com Valley-Lo Sports Club (PV)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 LakeGreen 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

MIDWEST SELECT COURSESWicker Park Golf Club (P)Highland, IN, 219-838-9809, www.wickermemorialpark.com Wild Rock Golf Club (R)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.htmWillow 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.orgWinnetka Golf Club (P)Winnetka, 847-501-2050, www.winnetkagolfclub.com Wolf Run Golf Course (P)Aurora, 630-906-1402, www.wolfrungolfcourse.net

Wood Wind Golf Club (P)Westfield, IN, 317-669-8550, www.woodwindgolf.com Woodbine Bend Golf Course (PV)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

Addison Links & Tees Golf Facility (P)Addison, 630-458-2660, www.addisonparks.org BallyBunionLong Grove, 847-634-3363 Bartlett Golf CenterBartlett, 630-830-9385 Better ShotsGilberts, 847-697-5000 Birdies & EaglesSouth Elgin, 847-931-2233 Bobby’s Hunt Club Golf CenterGurnee, 847-549-6090 Boulder Golf RangeHoffman Estates, 847-426-1588, www.boulderrange.com Bushwood Golf Practice CenterMaywood, 708-344-2700, www.bushwooddrivingrange.com Chicago Family Golf CenterChicago, 312-616-1234 Chicagoland Golf AcademyChicago, 312-285-4673, www.chicagolandgolfacademy.com Crystal Lake Learning CenterCrystal Lake, 815-479-9150 Ditka’s Sports DomeBolingbrook, 630-739-7600, www.ditkasportsdome.com Diversey Driving RangeChicago, 312-742-7929, www.cpdgolf.com/courses Double Eagle Practice CenterJustice, 708-458-9200 Douglas Park Learning Course and Miniature Golf (P)Chicago, 312-747-7670, www.cpdgolf.com/courses/douglas-park Flagg CreekCountryside, 708-246-3336, www.flaggcreekgolfcourse.org Fresh Meadow Learning Center (P)Hillside, 708-449-6767, www.freshmeadowgc.com Golf Center Des PlainesDes Plaines, 847-803-4653, www.golfcenterdesplaines.com Golf FarmWauconda, 847-526-4000, www.golf-farm.com Golf Learning Center at Hamilton LakesItasca, 630-773-7997 Green Valley Golf RangeHanover Park, 630-289-6600, www.greenvalleygolfrange.com Greyslake Golf Practice CenterGrayslake, 847-752-8483Harry Semrow Driving RangeDes Plaines, 847-296-5764, www.forestpreservegolf.comHighland Park Golf Learning CenterHighland Park, 847-433-3422, www.highlandparkillinois.net

Joe Louis Driving RangeRiverdale, 708-849-1731, www.forestpreservegolf.comThe Driving Range at Libertyville Sports ComplexLibertyville, 847-367-1506, www.libertyvillesportscomplex.com Links & Tees Golf FacilityAddison, 630-458-2660, www.addisonparks.org Lippold Park Family Golf CenterCrystal Lake, 815-477-5401, www.crystallakeparks.org Marquette Park Learning Center (P)Chicago, 312-747-2761, www.cpdgolf.com Master GolfGrayslake, 847-223-6886, www.mastergolfonline.com Fresh Meadow Golf Learning CenterHillside, 708-449-6767, www.freshmeadowgc.com Oakton Driving RangePark Ridge, 847-692-3580, www.parkridgeparkdistrict.com Parfection Park Golf CenterYorkville, 630-553-6855 Partner Golf CenterChicago, 773-286-2060, www.partnergolfcenter.com PGN Fun VillageHickory Hills, 708-430-7900, www.hickoryhillsresortinfo.com Pro CircleSpring Grove, 815-675-2747, www.procirclegolf.com Riedy’s Tee TimeLisle, 866-587-3122, www.riedysteetime.com Skokie Sports ParkSkokie, 847-674-1500 ext. 3100, www.skokieparks.org Sugar Grove Driving RangeSugar Grove, 630-466-4554, www.sugargrovefuncenter.com Sunset Meadows Arlington Heights, 847-394-5865 www.ahpd.org/algcT-Time Golf RangeHomer Glen, 708-301-6500, www.ttimegolfrange.com TopGolfWood Dale, 630-595-4653, www.topgolf.com The Players Club of Chicago Justice, 708-924-9889, www.tpcchicago.com Village of Bridgeview Sports DomeBridgeview, 708-924-8290, www.villageofbridgeview.com Westland GolfHuntley, 847-669-0204 Woodland TrailsMt. Prospect, 847-296-4653, www.rtpd.org Zigfield Troy Golf (P)Woodridge, 630-985-9860, www.zigfieldtroygolf.com

CHICAGOLAND PRACTICE FACILITIES

SouthTaking it Deep in the Deep

There’s a lot to Love about Teeing it up in South Alabama By Danny Freels


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

Prattville. It’s one of the most popular stops on the trail, and for good reason. The three courses here – Judge, Legislator and Senator

– 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 mark-ers 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

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.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.


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

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 MOSTAs great as the area is, golfers owe it to themselves to take it even deeper into south


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 beauti-ful 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 stick-ing 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,


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

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 combina-tions 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 dif-ferent suggestion: “Go south, young man.” Deep south.

Please visit Alabama.travel/golf for more information.

CONNECTFOURSOME

Social Media Site “All Square Golf” Aims at Golfers

By Don Shell

Golf Tech Talk

All Square can help golfers find tee times on amazing courses like Cutters Ridge at Manistee National Golf Resort.


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 conversa-tion and fast friendship.

Today, of course, reminders of our on-course 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

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 easy-to-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

GolfTech Talk

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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 ev-ery stakeholder in the golf industry together.”

Including, of course, the courses them-selves. 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,

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 con-necting 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 commis-sions 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 partner-ship with none other than Robert Trent Jones Jr., the architect who has designed more than 270 golf courses in over 40 coun-tries on six continents.

Sounds like a perfect match.

For more information and to sign up for a free account, visit www.allsquaregolf.com.

GolfTech Talk

SHARPERTHAN EVER

Industry Insider

30 years after David Glod started it in his garage, Tour Edge is still a cutting-edge company

By Don Shell

One day in 1986, David Glod pulled the “sold” sign out of the yard of

his little bungalow in the sleepy suburb of Bloomfield Hills, Michi-

gan, 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 com-

ponent-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 graph-ite 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, be-cause 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 Bloom-field Hills,” he said. “I just kept the darn place the whole time. There’s really nothing in my

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 & BETTERGlod, who played college golf at Florida Southern with Rocco Mediate and Lee Jan-zen 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 Ber-tha (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 simi-lar 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 com-petition 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 indus-try 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 compa-nies flooding the market with closeouts, which kind of stepped on the Bazooka,” Glod recalled. “But it just so happened we devel-oped a really cool, really expensive product, too expensive for the Bazooka moniker any-way, and that’s when the Exotics line was born, 11 years ago.”

A WHOLE NEW WORLDThe 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.


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 driv-er 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 BORNThe rest, of course, is history, a history that grows longer and stronger with each pass-ing 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

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 cur-rently using a Tour Edge putter. Heavy-hit-ting 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. Com-panies 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 re-birth – 30 years young. That’s our feeling.”

For more information, visit www.touredge.com.

Note: Please park responsibly. And not on our golf courses.

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Glod started his company as a club repair business 30 years ago, but has been designing clubs of his own for a quarter century.

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GolfTime 2016 Summer Edition

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