Oak Grove Golf Course

If you can find better greens, play them!

Like Lee Iacocca, the automaker icon, Tim Miles, Sr., a longtime golf course operator in northern Illinois, is just that passionate about Oak Grove Golf Course in Harvard. One of Golf Digest’s Top 20 Places to Play in Illinois, Oak Grove has garnered raves from those who’ve ventured out to the quiet, gorgeous layout just 75 minutes northwest of Chicago, near the Wisconsin border between Woodstock and Lake Geneva.

In fact, Miles will go a couple of steps farther, stretching his claim of “best public greens you’ll play” to a 300-mile radius of the course, and promising that if you don’t agree with the quality and value of the Oak Grove experience, he’ll make it right for you.

And speaking of value…Oak Grove’s 4-1/2-star rating from Golf Digest, putting it on the same short list as Cog Hill and Kemper Lakes, attests to how “valued” the course is by the real experts, the people who’ve played them. Only Oak Grove gives you far more “value” when you price it against those courses, and the resort courses of nearby Lake Geneva.

Value involves receiving more than you expect for the price. With no oncourse homes or noisy resorts nearby, and no plans for any, it’ll be just your group and the native wildlife enjoying just the second Illinois course named an Audubon Signature Sanctuary. And that peaceful round comes with deals that get even better the more players you bring with you (yes, they’ll even sneak the occasional five-some onto Oak Grove).

Back to those fabulous greens. Cut to run at a very consistent 11 on the Stimpmeter, they’ll provide tournamentcaliber severity, but are as smooth as silk. They’re the final test on a par-71, Steven Halberg-designed layout that’s fairly tight, includes 90 bunkers and features water on half the holes.

Oak Grove is a marvelous mixture of tree-lined fairways, open prairie and risk/reward opportunities over protected wetlands and marshlands that add up to a daunting 75.0/142 rating and slope from the tips, but the course remains remarkably friendly from the 6,200 and 5,700-yard middle tees. You’ll likely hit five different clubs from the par-3s. And the par-5s vary in length from well over 600 yards to the stunning finishing hole that’ll tempt you to try to reach the green with two well-struck shots. And wait till you challenge the variety of the par-4s that range from 335 yards to over 430 from the middle tees!

Oak Grove’s clubhouse is likewise special, constructed from the timbers of the original 19th-century dairy barn on the site. That clubhouse and outdoor patio are perfect for outings large and small expertly managed by the experienced GolfVisions team. A commonsense approach to pricing means a rate structure that goes lower as the sun does and treats Friday as a weekday.

Those who accepted Iacocca’s challenge were rewarded. So why not take the Oak Grove challenge and schedule your next round at what might be the best-value course with the best public greens in northern Illinois or southern Wisconsin.

For more information, call the course toll-free at (877) 648-4653 or visit its frequently updated Web site at www.oakgrovegolfcourse.com.

Oak Grove Among GolfVisions’ “Jewels of the Fox”

If “value” is what we receive when benefits and amenities exceed cost, then Oak Grove Golf Course in Harvard, IL is not only an extraordinary golf experience, but also a tremendous value.

In fact, Oak Grove embodies what has become the hallmark of its management firm, GolfVisions Inc.: high-quality golf at affordable rates.

Tim Miles, Sr., CEO of GolfVisions, embraced the game during his childhood in the Mississippi River town of Quincy, IL; he played collegiate golf on scholarship and learned the business of golf literally at a grassroots level, as a superintendent and PGA pro. Now, Miles infuses every golf course operated by GolfVisions with his passion for excellence and a congenial, authentic approach.

Today, the GolfVisions portfolio features four courses dubbed “the jewels of the Fox,” 18-hole championship facilities that dazzle with intelligent design, varied landscapes and stunning vistas—not to mention private-club conditioning and friendly, attentive staff—all at rates that reflect Miles’ commitment to offer golfers exceptional value. Oak Grove in Harvard, Foxford Hills in Cary, Settler’s Hill in Batavia and the new Whitetail Ridge in Yorkville extend north to south within the Fox River Valley corridor about an hour west of Chicago. Oak Grove, Foxford Hills and Settler’s Hill have been widely hailed as “must plays” and “best buys” by sundry regional golf publications. The Greg Martin-designed Whitetail Ridge is likewise destined for greatness. One or more of these gems is a reasonable drive from most Chicagoland, Rockford-area and southern Wisconsin locales, but each is a laudable destination too, a worthy reason to make a day of it and play 18 (or more).

One of only 12 courses in Illinois to garner four-and-a-half stars from Golf Digest, Oak Grove is a breathtaking composite of undulating greens, vibrant wetlands, stands of mature trees and generous, impeccably groomed fairways. Yet it remains “Chicagoland golf’s best-kept secret,” according to GM TimMiles, Jr. Oak Grove is one of the CDGA’s toughest public courses from the tips, but nonetheless eminently playable for all levels with five tee placements on each hole. Just 15 minutes south of Lake Geneva, Oak Grove is an exciting alternative to expensive resort golf just over the border.

Located in southern McHenry County just minutes from Barrington, Foxford Hills is another remarkable value, testing golfers’ shot-making savvy with 18 spectacular and distinctly challenging holes. Expansive bentgrass fairways, generous greens and privateclub conditioning guarantee all golfers can have fun on this Tim Nugent-designed homage to his father’s Kemper Lakes layout. Avid golfers in particular relish the riskreward scenarios posed by intriguing bunker complexes, strategically placed water, and length from the tips—over 7,000 yards.The next “jewel,” Settler’s Hill, is downriver in central Kane County. Settler’s Hill lives up to its name, with rolling terrain that winds through thick woods, teeming wetlands and windswept highlands. Quirky greens, deep bunkers, dramatic elevation changes: this is the Settler’s Hill experience. Factor in water on nine holes, colorful seasonal wildflower displays, superb conditioning, and the site’s history as a former Waste Management landfill, and you have an experience unique among area courses—with value its mainstay.

The highly anticipated Whitetail Ridge concludes our tour of GolfVisions’ “jewels of the Fox.” Designed to be demanding yet forgiving, offering golfers a test of brains more than brawn, Whitetail Ridge meanders through unspoiled countryside adjacent to one of the largest and most scenic undeveloped parcels in Kendall County. Expect smooth, consistent greens, impeccable grooming, a strong commitment to pace of play AND reasonable rates. In short, another amazing value has joined the GolfVisions portfolio. “I would challenge anybody to go out and not be engaged, challenged and admire this beautiful environment,” says architect Greg Martin. Later this summer, a 23,000-square-foot clubhouse featuring a bar-and-grill restaurant and banquet facilities for up to 350 opens, further ensuring that Whitetail Ridge will be “the course of choice in Chicago’s southwestern suburbs,” says Miles, Sr.

There you have it. With “the jewels of the Fox,” GolfVisions provides proof positive that exceptional golf needn’t empty the golfer’s wallet.

For more information, contact Whitetail Ridge at 630-882-8988, www.whitetailridgegolf.us; Settler’s Hill at 630-232-1636, www.settlershill.com; Foxford Hills Golf Club at 847-639-0400, www.foxfordhillsgolfclub.com; and Oak Grove Golf Course at 815-648-2550, www.oakgrovegolfcourse.com.