Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion has seen its share of ups and downs over the past 25 years. The Steve Smyers design has seen multiple changes in ownership since its founding, including a group that included Smyers himself. The most recent owners are Rodney Cabaness and Shad Zimbro, local businessmen who have been at theContinue reading “The future is bright for Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion, IL”
Category Archives: Illinois
Fyre Lake Golf Course is a magical place
PGA Certified Director of Golf Mark Krizic took over ownership of Fyre Lake Golf Course in July, 2020. Nearly two years later, his initial assessment of the Nicklaus-designed course has only grown more certain. “When I first came here, I said, ‘This is a top-10 Illinois course,’” remembers Krizic. “Look around at this property. There’sContinue reading “Fyre Lake Golf Course is a magical place”
The General rules over The North and The South at Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa
The General at Eagle Ridge Resort is the centerpiece of the Eagle Ridge Resort. The 6,820-yard Roger Packard and Andy North design is the newest of the four golf courses at the sprawling four-season resort just outside the historic town of Galena, and it’s the track that guests plan their golf vacations around. The resort’sContinue reading “The General rules over The North and The South at Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa”
Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa: The original Illinois golf resort
In the early to mid-1800s, Galena, Ill., was the most prosperous and important city in “the West” – much more so than a quiet lakeshore trading post 170 miles to the east named Chicago. Galena was a bustling riverboat and lead mining city, with 14,000 inhabitants, famous for its related, often scandalous, industries: alcohol (RedContinue reading “Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa: The original Illinois golf resort”
Mistwood Golf Club: Private club experience, public course rates
“O Romeoville, Romeoville, where the hell art thou Romeoville?” That’s how I tried to identify a route to Mistwood Golf Club on my phone. Siri, however, just got confused. “Artificial intelligence,” my ass. Anyway, once I got the directions sorted, I headed north to an area I perhaps unfairly associate with over-crowded, expensive courses with a pace ofContinue reading “Mistwood Golf Club: Private club experience, public course rates”
Fyre Lake Golf Course looks to the future
Sometimes the best ideas take a while to come to fruition. Worse yet, sometimes those “can’t-miss” plans sink faster than a chunked ProV in a greenside pond. Fyre Lake Golf Course in Sherrard, Ill. (20 minutes outside Moline in the Quad Cities), is a very good idea that has flared and flickered and nearly goneContinue reading “Fyre Lake Golf Course looks to the future”
TPC Deere Run in Silvis Brings Tour Dreams to Life
TPC stands for “Tournament Players Club.” The TPC network spans North America, and includes some courses in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia. Over half of them are private, many more are exclusive resort courses, and a handful have hosted PGA Tour events. TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, is the long-time venue of theContinue reading “TPC Deere Run in Silvis Brings Tour Dreams to Life”
Lake of the Woods Golf Course in Mahomet
East central Illinois is flat. The best sledding hill in nearby Champaign is the speed-bump in the Wal-Mart parking lot. So you can imagine what the golf courses in the Champaign-Urbana area look like. One notable exception is Lake of the Woods Golf Course in Mahomet, Ill. This municipal layout is part of the ForestContinue reading “Lake of the Woods Golf Course in Mahomet”
Midwestern Golf 