Foxford Hills Golf Club - Cary’s Resort Golf in the Suburbs

For a perfect resort golf experience without leaving Chicagoland area proper, look no further than to Foxford Hills Golf Club in Cary.

At a charming, Southernstyle clubhouse Foxford Hills Golf Club, with a spacious veranda evokes the Carolinas. Inside, it’s bright and airy with a well-stocked pro shop, an inviting bar and grill, and accommodating locker rooms. Hospitality is friendly, not fussy, and always courteous. Attention to detail is everywhere. It’s resort golf ambiance, and you haven’t yet set foot on the golf course.

Ah, the golf course. The first six holes are relatively wide open, with expansive greens, spacious, undulating fairways, and discrete water and wetlands. The look is windswept and coastal; you almost expect to hear the muted thunder of the ocean and cries of gulls. Many of the next 12 holes, especially the back nine, meander up and down hills framed by mature hardwood trees. Sixty distinctive MacKenzie-style bunkers populate the course. The flavor is vintage Carolina...the conditioning, consistent with what you’d find at elite private clubs. 

Best of all, the whole 7,023 yards is priced considerably lower than the typical resort golf experience. Then again, “Foxford Hills is not your typical daily-fee public golf course,” notes John Miles, general manager since the facility opened in 2002.

18 Signature Holes

“Foxford Hills has 18 signature holes,” Miles proclaims. Indeed, the course—which occupies land that once housed a mink farm—was conceived that way. The developer and original owner, Town & Country Homes, allocated the site’s choicest acreage for the golf course. Then came the creation of a memorable sequence of golf holes, each a unique experience unto itself, each an integral part of the whole.

Although Foxford Hills is the centerpiece of a residential development, homes are visible only sporadically...reflecting the strategic placement of the golf course amidst the natural beauty of the McHenry County Conservancy District’s protected woods and wetlands. It’s also a testament to the finesse and creativity that went into course design. Small wonder that from the beginning, Foxford Hills has garnered accolades. In 2002, it was a Golf Digest nominee for “Best New Public Course” of the year. It’s been hailed as a must-play in numerous local and regional golf publications.

Now owned by the Cary Park District, Foxford Hills has been operated by GolfVisions, a management firm based in the Chicago suburbs, since its inception. Consistency has paid dividends. Explains Miles, “At Foxford Hills, we pursue excellence all day, every day. We always focus on quality and aim high. We try to exceed expectations and ensure our guests are happier when they leave than when they arrive.”

This commitment to excellence, and the quality of the golf course itself, have allowed Foxford Hills to flourish even in an intensely competitive golf market. Affordability plays a vital role, too. “People pay $130 to play 18 holes in Galena, and this is a Galena-caliber course a lot closer to home with prime-time, weekend greens fees topping out at $79,” notes Miles. “Our rates move with the sun and we’re always running specials that can be found on our Web site and in the local newspapers. Cary residents are eligible to purchase resident discount cards for reduced greens fees and driving range use. You hear a lot of talk about exceptional values, but Foxford Hills really is an amazing golf experience for the money.”

It’s playable, too. As a catchphrase, “multiple tee placements” has almost become a cliché within the golf industry. At Foxford Hills, though, five placements per hole create a truly flexible, dynamic layout that now plays more than 7,000 yards from the tips thanks to construction of a new tee box on #5 in 2006. From the forward tees, however, total length is about 5,600 yards, rendering the course accessible to golfers of all abilities.

“There’s no intimidation factor,” Miles promises. “No matter your skill level, you’ll have the chance to hit the fairway and play out of the fairway. And our rough isn’t as penal as many other courses. We cut it at 2-1/4" versus the usual 3. We’re set up for the public golfer.”

Nonetheless, Foxford Hills does pose a staunch challenge for the best golfers. As such, it has hosted multiple competitive events over the years, including a number of Chicago District Golf Association tournaments and the 2007 McHenry County Amateur. In 2004, the course held a U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier. “That was a premier event here with the field playing the course at 6,500 yards for a winning score of 72,” Miles recalls. “The ladies commented that the course was tough but fair and complimented us on the outstanding playing conditions.”

Foxford Hills remains a highly regarded tournament venue, and this season, will host the CDGA’s Net Championship on June 9. But ALL golfers can and do enjoy Foxford Hills, thanks to the course’s consummate playability and the friendly atmosphere that pervades the operation. “We genuinely welcome all golfers here,” noted Miles. “Beginning golfers, recreational golfers, competitive golfers, men and women, juniors and seniors, business associates who want to mix a little business and pleasure. Every golfer, regardless of ability, can feel comfortable here. It’s a big reason why Foxford Hills has continued to grow and prosper in a tough market.”

The Total Experience

Consistent with the resort golf look and feel of Foxford Hills are the amenities in the offing. The pro shop carries all the essentials to replenish your golf bag and a variety of attractive apparel running the style gamut from classic to sporty. The full-service bar and grill serves up a diverse menu of delicious fare for 19th-hole gatherings and “fast food” for golfers atthe turn. A roomy driving range, framed by lofty oaks, offers 30 stalls with grass tees and a short-game practice area. This year, Foxford Hills has taken its cue from Wrigley Field and installed driving range lights, affording golfers a couple extra hours each day to hone their skills.

Speaking of that driving range...Foxford Hills employs two golf professionals who are available for lessons. In conjunction with the Cary Park District, the course runs a popular junior program that draws 90-100 resident and non-resident children per year. Demonstrating its commitment to growing the game, Foxford Hills hosts a junior golf league for 7- to 18-year-olds on Monday evenings.

The same attributes that make Foxford Hills a must-play for any golfer make it an especially appealing venue for outings. “We do cater to small and medium outings based on the size of the facility we have,” Miles explains. “That’s a good niche to have because a lot of courses will just book big outings and turn away smaller ones. But a group can have a great smaller outing here with all the special touches and attentive service you’d expect for a large party.”

Foxford Hills management schedules most outings on a consecutive tee-time basis, limiting shotguns to two or three per year. The course also offers a permanent tee-time program for Saturday and Sunday mornings. Beyond that, “Our priority is and always will be the daily-fee player,” says Miles.

For all golfers, Foxford Hills Golf Club emphasizes pace-of-play, encouraging a 4.5-hour round. “We want our guests to know we respect their busy schedules,” Miles says. “They are here to have fun and relax, and stressing about slow play is not relaxing. It’s just one more aspect of giving our golfers a spectacular, resort-caliber experience for a reasonable price.”

For more information, or to book a tee time, visit www.foxfordhillsgolfclub.com or call (847) 639-0400.