The Glen Club
If your number one priority in a club is the quality of golf course that comes with it, look no further than the Glen Club, built in 2001. With more than 35 feet of elevation changes, rolling terrain and running streams, the Club's Tom Fazio designed course is the best along the North shore. At least that's what Golf Magazine said about the 7,149-yard Glen Course when it ranked it the top course in the state in 2008. Off the course, this club is tailored more for business people than families. Members will enjoy waived greens fees that normally cost $177, as well as discounted rates at Chef Clay Rasley's American restaurant, the Grill. Social banquets and weddings also are offered by the club and include terrace seating overlooking the 18th green.
The Glen Club
2901 W. Lake Ave.
Glenview, IL 60026
(847) 724-7272
theglenclub.com
White Hawk Country Club
Located less than an hour away from downtown Chicago, White Hawk's courses sit on more than 250 acres of wooded Indiana prairies. Four nine-hole courses make up the landscape, each with bodies of water infringing on narrow fairways and tall grass waiting to swallow up balls around the greens. Founded in 1998, White Hawk stays true to its rural roots, offering two different styles of restaurants. Traditions Bar & Grill is the bar and wings type of joint, where golfers coming in after a tough round can watch the game. Hawk's Landing, meanwhile, recommends reservations and serves up seafood pasta, Mexican favorites and hearty portions of Porterhouse and Sirloin. Members get priority access to the second-floor lounge, discounted banquet prices and unlimited golf carts for use with GPS navigation.
White Hawk Country Club
1001 White Hawk Drive
Crown Point, IN 46307
(219) 661-2323
whitehawkcountryclub.com
Hawthorn Woods Country Club
Chicagoland waited impatiently for more than a decade for the arrival of Hawthorn Woods, which finally opened in 2006. And it was worth the wait. It's not often a signature Arnold Palmer golf course is overshadowed, but that's exactly what happens when you step inside the club's 21,000-square foot clubhouse. A state-of-the art fitness center with HD televisions on every apparatus are the highlight of the massive lodge. There are also two tennis courts, swimming pools and a ballroom complete with European chandeliers. Don't limit yourself to just the indoors, though, after you've played a round on Palmer's 7,045-yard course, members have the option of hiking, biking or fishing along the trails around the course, which is flushed with colors of the changing landscape.
Hawthorn Woods Country Club
1 Tournament Drive North
Hawthorn Woods, IL 60047-8401
(847) 847-3259
hawthornwoodsgolf.com
About The Author
Sean Quinn is a writer and editor based in New York City. He has spent the last decade covering major sporting events from the NFL playoffs to the U.S. Open. He has written for the Kansas City Star and ESPN, among others. He is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
