PrairieView Golf Club

Designed by renowned golf course architect James Spear in 1992, PrairieView Golf Club is a relatively new golf course that has set the new standard for golf in the region since the day it opened. Owned and operated by the Byron Forest Preserve District, it is immediately clear upon arrival that the property was developed by a group which truly values and appreciates the preservation of the beauty of the land.

The praise for Prairieview is well-deserved. Its skillful blend of natural terrain with thoughtful golf course design has earned it the #2 spot in GolfAdvisor's "Best Value Courses 2014," a 4-star "Places to Play" rating from Golf Digest and a 4½-star rating in Chicagoland Golf magazine. Of course, there's a lot more to achieving success than just a superb layout built on great bones — and again, PairieView does not disappoint. The grounds are impeccably manicured, and the staff is friendly and well-trained.

The course measures up to 7,158 yards from the tips, but offers three additional tee locations to accommodate all players. PrairieView features a couple holes with tree-lined fairways, but links-style is the dominant design mode. In keeping with that pedigree, more than 150,000 square-feet of bunkers were created around the course, meaning it will take some doing and a lot of luck to avoid ending up in the sand at some point.

To score well, pay particular attention to the long par-5s, particularly No. 6. The longest hole on the course, No. 6 requires a decent carry to reach the fairway, which is bordered by a river along the entire length of the right side. There's more water to avoid a couple holes later on No. 8, a par-3 which places a pond perilously close to the right edge of the green.

You can practice that shot (along with all the others) on PrairieView's 15-acre practice facility. The 320-yard driving range has natural grass and mat tees and more than 10 targets of varying distances to calibrate with. The practice area counts two putting greens, a chipping/pitching green, and even two sand bunkers.

There's really no doing it justice on paper — a golf course like PrairieView is a true pleasure that must be experienced for yourself!