SUMMER 2017 MIDWEST Wisconsin’s Sand Valley the Sweetest of Retreats Take a Tour of the Big Rave Reviews for the Ten’s Best Courses 2017 U.S. Open Course The Loop Gives Forest Despite Difficulties, Chicago GridironTheDunes NewfoundSensational Greats Fame Erin,Project Pulling GoSands BragAhead PLUS: An Event to ‘Eclipse’ All Others, Industry Insider, Tournament Previews & More The Circle of Life Out of the Woods make your experience LEGENDARY LEGENDARY GOLF BY PALMER, PLAYER & TREVINO Whether you’re planning a buddies golf getaway or corporate retreat, Geneva National will tee up a legendary experience on one or all of its three unique masters-designed courses. Located in Southeastern Wisconsin, Geneva National offers customizable Stay & Play packages with lodging at our on-course group villas or other area partner hotels. GenevaNationalResort.com | Lake Geneva, WI The Region’s Premier Club Beloit Club is proud to introduce Limited National Memberships Available [email protected] A state-of-the-art indoor facility available year-round for lessons, custom club fittings/repairs, practice, golf rounds, entertainment, and special events. Amenities include 3 multi-sport simulators, SAM Putt Lab, TPI and K-Vest lab, a Schedule your preview round of golf 3,000 square foot putting green, and full swing driving range. Call 608.473.0089 AWARDED Open to the public! MOST IMPROVED GOLF COURSE GOLF INC. MAGAZINE 2327 S. Riverside Drive, Beloit, WI 53511 625 Third Street Suite 100, Beloit, WI 53511 2016 www.beloitclub.com www.IronworksGolfLab.com Table of Contents Volume 9, Issue 1 Departments 6 Publisher’s Note 8 Bump & Run 22 Featured Courses Map 26 Chicagoland Featured Courses The Open at Erin Hills 34 Instructor’s Corner Features 37 Practice Range Guide Time for Sands 12 Sand Valley’s Grand Opening 38 Wisconsin Featured Courses Proves Worth the Wait 49 Rules of the Game Irish Eyes Are Smiling 40 Erin Hills a Big Hit 50 Michigan Featured Courses With U.S. Open Players, Fans 62 Midwest Select Courses A Virtuous Circle 52 Your complete guide to Chicagoland You Won’t Want The Loop and surrounding area golf courses at Forest Dunes to End 70 The First Tee Running Up the Score 76 The Big Ten’s Best Courses 102 Industry Insider Rate High on Places to Play 108 Pro Golf Preview Tiger By the Tale 88 Woods Still the Story for ON THE COVER: The 136-yard, Important Chicago Project par-3 eighth hole at Sand Valley. COASTAL ALABAMA GOLF Eight signature courses. One amazing destination. Discover why coastal Alabama is emerging as one of the South’s best golfing destinations. With eight championship courses, you have great options to play every day - from scenic coastlines and wetland preserves to rolling hills and links-style golf. Sugar-white sand beaches, top-rated deep-sea fishing, dining, and nightlife options are abundant, but Southern hospitality, fresh seafood, upscale accommodations and of course golf are our specialty. Come see for yourself and experience Coastal Alabama Golf. Start planning your trip today! Visit www.golfgulfcoast.com or call 866.324.7779. The Loop COASTAL ALABAMA www.golfgulfcoast.com GOLF Editor’s Note s anyone in the Great Lakes knows, we cram a year’s worth of Afun & enjoyment into a four- or five-month span, when the air A Division of Killarney Golf Media, Inc. is warm and the grass is green, and life, my friends, is good. P.O. Box 14439 It’s safe to say life has never been better in the Midwest than this Madison, WI 53708 summer, with incredible tournaments, amazing new courses, and Phone: 608-280-8800 Fax: 866-877-9879 a once-in-a-lifetime event happening right here in our backyards. We got the party started in June over in Erin, Wisconsin, where millions tuned in and turned out to see Midwest hospitality on full display at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills. Read our recap starting on page 40. Not far up the road, in Rome, Wisconsin, we witnessed the grand PRESIDENT John Hughes opening of a brand new golf resort, the spectacular Sand Valley. It’s the latest project from development dynamo Mike Keiser, and GENERAL MANAGER it promises to keep the Midwest on the minds of many golfers this Jim Kelsh [email protected] year. Don’t miss our cover story, starting on page 12. MARKETING DIRECTOR A little further down the coast, we take you behind the scenes of AND SALES another huge project, the Jackson Park/South Shore redevelopment. Sarah Starmer [email protected] Designed by Tiger Woods’ TGR Design, the new course will com- bine the two historic South Chicago courses into one championship EDITOR track and teaching facility, next to the Obama Presidential Library. Don Shell Read all about it, beginning on page 88. [email protected] Any other summer and that would be plenty, but this isn’t your CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ordinary summer on the Midwest’s golf scene. If all that weren’t Danny Freels enough we also have a look at The Loop, Tom Doak’s latest design Rob Hernandez and America’s Best New Public Course in 2016 — not to mention Dennis McCann John Morrissett the world’s only reversible golf course — on page 52. Still looking for more? Well, this August we’ll witness the first CONTRIBUTING total solar eclipse to cross the entire continental U.S. in 100 years. PHOTOGRAPHERS Paul Hundley Lucky us, the epicenter for viewing this magical moment is right Nile Young Jr. here in the Midwest, in southern Illinois’ Williamson County. Mark DESIGN AND your calendars, and turn your eyes to our Driveable Destination on PRODUCTION page 94. (No special glasses required to read it.) Muddy Creek Creative There’s plenty more in store, from great tournaments (page 110), to hot new clubs (page 10), cool people (Industry Insider, page 102), FOUNDER Kim Thompson big projects (page 8), and even the Big Ten Conference (page 76). We’ve got it all for you in this issue of GolfTime. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to play some golf! ©Copyright 2017 GolfTime Hope to see you out there. All rights reserved. GolfTime is not responsible or liable for any errors, omissions or changes in information. 6 WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM NEWS & NOTES FROM THE WORLD Bump & Run OF GOLF Twice As Nice Michigan’s awesome Arcadia Bluffs readying dramatic new course by Dana Fry You have one of the world’s greatest golf courses, different than the plush, picturesque Bluffs course a magical, mystical track on the shores of Lake rated No. 13 in America and one of the top 100 in Michigan, one that was named best new course in the world. the land when it opened back in 1999. Every year “The ultimate goal of this course is that it feels golfers flock to your tiny Northern Michigan town of timeless in its design, and will provide golfers an Arcadia to test themselves against your winds, your ‘Old World’ golf course feel that few golfers have bunkers, your grassy rough. What could you possibly ever experienced,” Fry said on his website for Fry/ do for an encore? Straka Global Golf Course Design, the company he Something completely different, of course. owns with longtime partner Jason Straka. Some of the best news out of the Midwest this The team broke ground on the course in fall of year is that venerable Arcadia Bluffs has enlisted Erin 2016, with an expected 2018 opening. Hills co-architect Dana Fry to build a second course We cannot wait. at the club — dubbed The South Course — one very For more information, visit www.arcadiabluffs.com. 431-yard, par-4 12th hole of The Bluffs Course. Bump & Run Bump & Run New Take on the 90-Degree Rule Like most parents, I wanted my kids to enjoy the game of golf as much as I do. When my son and daughter were about 11 and 8, respectively, I signed them up for junior golf and often took them to the course to introduce them to the game. One beautiful day as we headed out to play golf, my kids begged to take a riding cart. I said absolutely not, that it was a great day to play a few holes and walk the golf course. I followed up by saying that unless the temperature was over 90 degrees, I wasn’t going to ever consider taking a cart because golf is supposed to be an activity sport. (Plus, we were on a limited budget.) As we walked up to the first tee, the course had placed a large sign indicating “90-degree Rule in Effect,” — of course referring to carts staying on the cart path or in the rough most of the day. My daughter pointed to the sign and exclaimed, “Look, Mom! They have the 90-degree rule here, too!” I laughed at the double meaning of this golf term and still think it brings a smile to Preserving a Legacy any parent or golfer. (And I thanked the course for supporting my walking platform.) — Sarah Starmer Addison’s Oak Meadows completes major, impressive upgrade The great Ben Hogan once roamed these fairways, but by most accounts the club known as Oak An Anniversary Present — For You Meadows in the sleepy Chicago suburb of Addison was looking a little long in the tooth in recent Bob Vokey marks his 20th year at Titleist with years. Thanks to a visionary, $16.8-million renovation, the renamed Preserve at Oak Meadows is something special returning to the level it deserved when Hogan won the 1941 Chicago Open there.