WeaverRidge - Illinois - USA

The respected design team of Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry were engaged by the WeaverRidge Golf Club to layout a course here in the late 1990s and they certainly made the very best use of a landscape formed thousands of years ago by retreating glacial action.

The result of the Hurdzan-Fry efforts was the construction of an 18-hole course now regarded as one of the best in the state of Illinois. In fact, such is the quality of WeaverRidge, it is now ranked as one of the very best public courses in the whole country.

Set on land that was formerly a family farm with wooded valleys, wandering creeks and a couple of sparkling lakes, WeaverRidge features dramatic elevation changes that get the pulse racing, particularly on the back nine.

After a stern start, with two par fives at the first three holes, the short, par four, 5th brings a little early respite to the round. The tee shot has to carry a pond to find the fairway on the right and the question is how much water do you want to take on to shorten the approach to the green?

The inward half is simply sensational, regarded by many seasoned observers as one of the best nines in public golf. It starts with the downhill 10th (played to a green protected by the Big Hollow Creek) and ends with a wonderful elevated tee shot at the par five 18th (played to a fairway that has the creek crossing before the raised green is reached).

In between these two, there are a set of really strong holes to be found - none more so than the 228-yard par three 12th, where the tee box sits 120 feet above the level of the putting surface. Then again, maybe your favourite will be the picture-perfect, par three, 17th which is played across a pond to a green nestled in the trees.