DESTINATION GUIDE
Central Illinois replete with excellent golf and authentic Americana
By Kiel Christianson,
Senior Writer
Central Illinois, the very heart of America's Heartland, offers great golf courses and often surprisingly low green fees. Try Brookhill Golf Course and Willow Pond in Rantour, Scovill Park and Hickory Point and Red Tail Run in Decatur, Meadowview G.C. in Mattoon, and Eagle Creek Resort on the shore of Lake Shelbyville.
MATTOON, Ill. (May 24, 2007) — The soaring price of gas is threatening more than just our collective pocketbooks and national security. It threatens the All-American road trip. You know what we mean: The road trip where you hop in the car with a map and a guide book and head off to find the largest ball of twine in the world, the face of Elvis on a limestone outcropping and museums devoted to hubcaps, fishing lures and airsick bags.
Route 66 is perhaps the most famous American road trip road. It began in Chicago and sliced through central Illinois on its way to the southwest. As such, central Illinois is at the very heart of America's Heartland, where urban voyeurs could mingle with rural salt-of-the-earth types, and each learn something from the other.
OK, OK. So maybe we're being a little dramatic here, setting our sights too high. Maybe you won't find the face of Elvis in rock, but you will find some very American treats and tidbits, get to sample some homestyle cooking and, best of all, find some bargain-priced, top-notch golf.
On the course
If you branch out in any direction from the central Illinois population centers of Springfield-Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, or Bloomington-Normal, you'll find ... well, you'll find lots and lots of corn and soybeans.
But beyond the crops, you'll find golf courses — and lots of them. According to a recent Golf Digest list, Illinois ranked fourth in the nation in the number of public courses. So the vigilant golfer can find a place to tee it up just about anywhere.
North of Urbana is the small town of Rantoul. This former home of the giant Chanute Air Force Base has two golf courses, Brookhill Golf Course and Willow Pond Golf Course. The former is the more picturesque and better-conditioned of the two, but the latter is longer and is located on the old Air Force base, so it has its own appeal.
Decatur boasts an outstanding collection of municipal courses, including Scovill Park Golf Club and Hickory Point Golf Course.
The year 2006 saw the grand opening of the crown jewel of the Park District courses — Red Tail Run Golf Course. Designed by golf legend Raymond Floyd, Red Tail Run has a layout that would be the envy of many an upscale semi-private course that would cost three times as much to play.
South of Decatur is the area surrounding the 11,000-acre Lake Shelbyville. The woodsy, watery topography makes for some fine golf. In Mattoon, is the relatively flat but very well-kept Meadowview Golf Course.
West of Mattoon on Route 16 you'll find — more like stumble upon — Angus Links Golf Course. This quirky but lovely track is built on an old cattle farm, and has a collection of par 3s that'll have you reminiscing about shots until the cows come home.
Between Mattoon and Windsor lies Eagle Creek Resort. Set on the shore of Lake Shelbyville, the resort offers a laundry list of amenities and outdoor activities. The golf course winds through a portion of the 34,000-acre forest and offers views of the 11,000-acre lake. It's one of the hardest "resort" courses you'll find anywhere.
Off the course
| ||||||||||
Here's where the Americana bit comes in.
In Rantoul, you'll find the Chanute Air Museum (aeromuseum.org). Chanute was a huge logistical and training base through most of the 20th century. It was here where many servicemen and women trained to repair and fire Minuteman Missiles.
In Decatur, check out Scovill Park Zoo. Down in Mattoon, you'll find the last Lender's Bagels plant to produce the nation's most widely-sold (and, we presume, eaten) frozen bagels.
Just east of Mattoon is the aforementioned Lake Shelbyville (lakeshelbyville.com), which is an outdoor enthusiast's delight. There are a number of other state and county parks in the immediate area.
The real Americana, however, is to be found when you actually drive the backroads of central Illinois. This is the heart of Amish country, so there are many quaint farms and furniture shops, and more buggy traffic than most folks are used to seeing.
In Chesterville, you'll find the Used Amish Buggy Lot. I mean, come on. That deserves a visit and a few pictures just for novelty's sake. (The novelty being probably the only used vehicle salesman you can actually trust!)
Stay and play
The most central and most comfortable lodging to all the courses included here, except for the Rantoul courses, is Eagle Creek Resort on the shores of Lake Shelbyville in Findlay. It's perfect for families or groups of golfers. There are 138 rooms, including deluxe king rooms that overlook the outdoor pool. The Landing is a separate eight-room house that can be rented for larger private groups. The outdoor pool and deck overlooks Lake Shelbyville and nearby is a fun mini-golf course.
The resort has a hunting lodge feel, with a large central brick fireplace in the lobby and hand-made Amish furnishings in the rooms. In fact, you might run into a few Amish, who are frequent guests at the resort.
Fishing guides, bike rentals, canoe rentals, and other outdoor activities are all available. Stay-and-play packages all include unlimited golf, unlimited range balls, and breakfast for two. They range in price from $218 to $699 per night (double occupancy).
Being a popular summer vacation spot, there are a number of smaller locally-owned inns and quaint bed-and-breakfasts in and around Shelbyville. For a complete listing, log on to: lakeshelbyville.com.
Dining out
At Eagle Creek Resort, you'll find Crenshaw's, a sophisticated yet relaxed bar that overlooks the pool and lake. Appetizers run $7-11, sandwiches $7-8 and pizzas $14.
Right next door is Rosewood Restaurant, also with great views. Entrees here range in price from $18-33. Downstairs, next to the pro shop, is Bunker's, a bar and grill for the golf, pool and putt-putt crowd.
The best steak house in Mattoon by all accounts is the Alamo Steakhouse and Saloon (217-234-7337).
For a bit of burger and corporate history, you can try Burger King (217-234-8122) — the original one. This burger shop was opened in 1954, before the chain, and trademarked the name in Illinois. It lost a lawsuit against the chain (which had a federal trademark on the name) in federal court, but the chain is prohibited from building one of their restaurants within 20 miles of Mattoon. Instead, you can dine in peace at the original Burger King on the house specialty, the Hooter Burger.
Lawsuits. A plucky underdog fighting a large corporation. The Amish. Cheap, great golf. Does this sound like the All-American golf road trip or what?
Just make sure to go before gas shoots up to $10 a gallon and we're all stuck at home wishing we'd seen more of the country when we could afford it.
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.
