FEATURE STORY
Foxford Hills Golf Club
welcomes one and all
By David Berner,
Associate Editor
CARY, Ill. (Aug. 12, 2003) “What you want on that hot dog, buddy?” says the avuncular, bespectacled man behind the grill room counter.
“Onions and relish, mustard. Got it.”
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“Ice for the PowerAid?” says Tim, an affable guy who believes in friendly service and deplores the snooty attitude he sees at some upscale courses these days.
“I can’t stand that. I don’t want any of that here.”
Town and Country Homes, a regional real estate company, owns Foxford Hills but Tim’s company, Golf Visions, manages it and Tim’s approach to running the place is to be personally, even emotionally, involved. That’s why some time behind the snack counter is not unusual. In fact, it’s part of the drill. You’ll also find Tim out on the golf course studying the course conditions, examining the green complexes, the fairways and watching how golfers are making their way around the course. Are they enjoying themselves, having any problems, need something? This philosophy of caring about the golfer and his experience is evident throughout Foxford Hills.
“You’re going to like this place, “ says the starter on the clear but muggy morning I set out to play Foxford.
He
asks my handicap, sets me up at the right tee box, tells me how
to play the opening uphill par-4 and warns me of the coming holes
that work their way through more wooded land. Foxford Hills is
more open, with a links flavor on the front nine, but the back
is cut through the trees.
“Hit 'em straight, “ he says.
You feel welcomed at Foxford Hills. But it’s not that “country club” welcome. There is no bag boy at the bag drop, no pretense in the pro shop, and no intimidating attitude that sometimes stains an upscale club’s attempt at making a customer feel special.
“I want the golfer here to feel comfortable and that has little to do with an attendant at the gate taking your clubs out of the trunk,” says Tim. “No one knows how to tip these people anyway.”
Playing
the course
Standing on the tee at the first hole is not the best view you’ll get on this golf course; so don’t judge the beauty you’ll experience by this beginning. There are some power lines running through this part of the course and there are homes being constructed nearby. But if you put on the blinders and focus in on the opening hole itself, you’ll see a testy little 362-yarder climbing slowly to a bunker-less green complex. The hole is not as easy as it sounds, or as easy as it looks. In fact, despite it’s name “Easy Rider” and it’s handicap rating 17 it’s a design that demands respect.
Make good swings here, come away with a least a bogey, and be prepared for more challenges ahead.
Most of the front nine is open with few trees to work around, so your nemesis is likely to be the bunkers. There are beautifully constructed bunkers all around Foxford Hills, but they really stand out on the outward nine. They not only frame the holes well, but they are brilliant hazards giving players options and challenges at the same time.
The
second hole, a 583-yard par-5, has church pew bunkers down the
right side. The sixth has five cross bunkers starting at about
140 yards out from the green presenting the player with a great
visual and a testy approach. And on the par-4 12th and the par-3
13th waste, or beach bunkers work to keep balls from bounding
into the water on the right side and act as accents for the artistically
laid out greens.
Although the bunkering is what you’ll remember most about Foxford Hills’ layout, the tighter inward nine certainly will not go unnoticed.
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Only getting better
The course is just a year old, and some fairways and greens have had a tough time growing in. But the staff has been working diligently to repair the troubles and they openly admit the course needs a few years of maturing.
“But
still, I would hold it up to any golf course in the Chicago area,
“ says a proud Tim Miles. “The golf course is on 200
acres and it was designed before the home sites were set-up. Golf
was the priority and the best of the land was used for it.”
Foxford Hills is a top-notch course, no doubt. It’s fun to play and you’ll be made to feel comfortable. But comparing it to some of the magnificent courses around Chicago is simply not fair to Foxford. The course needs more time to grow and develop, and a few years to come into its own.
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Where to stay
Hampton Inn
1555 South Route 31
McHenry, Illinois
(815) 578-1900
Super-8
110 South Route 31
McHenry, Illinois
(815) 344-9200
Where to Eat
Chicago Street Pizza
140 Crystal Street
Cary, Illinois
(847) 639-0511
Riverbend Restaurant
6614 S Rawson Bridge Rd
Cary, Illinois
(847) 639-7700
Off Course Diversion
Take a short 14-mile drive over to Woodstock, Illinois and enjoy the charming small town atmosphere, shops and restaurants. And see if the place looks familiar to you. Woodstock, Illinois was the movie set for the Bill Murray film “Ground Hog Day.”
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
