Whisper Creek No Secret to Northwest Suburban Golfers

The town of Huntley lies at the northwest fringes of the Windy City golf landscape, just north of I-90 at the Route 47 exit.  The once sleepy little village jumped into prominence with the development of the sprawling Del Webb active adult community, and thousands of homes later and Huntley is no longer a mere blip on the suburban Chicago map.  Included with all the amenities that Sun City provides to their residents is a championship golf course that winds through the subdivision.  Whisper Creek opened in 2000, a collaboration between architect Greg Nash and former Masters and U.S. Open winner Billy Casper.

A self-described "Links Style Course with a Prairie Feel", Whisper Creek features an appealing mix of native grasses, wetlands and lakes, with numerous bunkers of all shapes and sizes and undulating greens providing plenty of challenge.  The course stretches to 7,100 yards from the "Oak" tees and sports a hefty 73.7 rating / 133 slope, but can play at a senior friendly 5,550 yards from the "Willow" tees.  In deference to our 55+ ages on a windy day, we chose the 6,155 yard "Birch" tees over the 6,600 yard "Pine" tees, and the 69.3 / 123 rated tees was a good match for our game.

The course is a par 72 with the traditional two par 5 / two par 3 per nine configuration, with the front nine about 100 yards longer from each of the four tee sets.  The fairways are mostly wide and receptive, and hitting 10 of 14 with my erratic driver provided emphatic proof.  The par five 8th and 18th holes are notable exceptions, as the landing areas narrow considerably near the approaching hazards.  On #8, a creek runs along the right side before bisecting the fairway about halfway on the 616 yard hole, while the 18th fairway ends at a pond that expands as it borders the left side up to the green. 

Well placed drives on both holes kept my ball just short of the danger and led to a par and a bogey on two of the more difficult holes at Whisper Creek, but it was the relatively straight forward par five 2nd hole that put me on my heels early.  My second shot drifted right and found a steep, tiny pot bunker about 120 yards from the green, and I thought I could lift a 7 iron over the lip and reach the putting surface.  This proved to be one of the worst golf decisions I made in 2014 as I finally escaped the sand on my fourth try and walked away with a round killing double digit 10.

I recovered and settled into my normal 20 handicap game and played the last 16 holes in 2 over bogey, with equal pars and double bogeys (3 each), with the outlier a seven on the 16th hole.  The 428 yard par four (378 from the Birch tees) has water the majority of the right side and OB to the left, and a weak drive that floated right and landed directly behind a small tree and a three putt on the long, narrow green led to the triple bogey.  Though trees are not a major hindrance on the layout, there are just enough in play to keep your attention.  The dogleg left 12th hole has a grove of mature hardwoods at the turn that adds variety,

and the wetlands tight to the right side of the green provides the challenge.  The 4th hole, a 430 yard par four, is nicely framed by trees to the left of the creek that crosses about 50 yards shy of the green, one of the more interesting holes at Whisper Creek.

Nash and Casper added to the aesthetics by creating water features flowing over large blocks of stone, most prominent near the 9th and 18th greens.  The 403 yard par four 9th has three fairway traps right, and the pond begins just past the bunkers and wraps around the back and to the left of the putting surface.  The green on the 527 yard finish is tucked behind the pond with the waterfall off to the left and the clubhouse in the background.

The par threes on the back nine were both standouts.  The elevated green on the 14th hole is surrounded by native grasses and woods, with a grass depression front right that is just as difficult to escape as the deep sand trap left.  At 189 yards from the tips, the 17th hole has wetlands bordering the left side to a multi-tiered, undulating green, and make sure to enjoy the exceptional view from behind the green.

The topography at Whisper Creek is relatively flat with rolling fairways and mounding around the greens, and though the par threes and fives were easy to remember, several of the par fours melded together in a jumble of sand and grass, and for the life of

me I can't remember the 454 yard 13th hole, the longest par 4 on the course.  But that is not to diminish the quality of Whisper Creek, as the conditions were uniformly above average, and the open spaces on the Audubon Certified landscape helps you forget that you're in a 5,400 home sub-division.

A small practice range and a large putting green sits to the right of the 1st tee, and the zippy electric carts with GPS is a modern feature that fits in with the 21st century vibe of this course.  Whisper Creek also had designated drop zones beyond the

water hazards, a nod towards the senior clientele, but this course is a good, challenging play for all ages.  I had read comments that the pace of play can be snail like on busy days, but our Sunday afternoon round was completed in just over 4 hours.  The $57 weekday and $69 weekend green fees (including cart) is reasonable for the amenities provided, and the 3 pm twilight rates are a bargain at under $40.  Add in the comfortable clubhouse bar for an after round beverage, and a day at a fun to play layout is complete.

Mr Z Rating

Layout (20%) - 7.5
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 8.5
Aesthetics (15%) - 7.5
Amenities (10%) - 8
Value (20%) - 8.5

Total Score - 80

Whisper Creek Golf Club
12840 Del Webb Blvd, Huntley
847-515-7682   www.whispercreekgolf.com
4 tees, 7,103 / 5,550 yds, par 72
73.7/133 - 66.5/117 rating/slope (men)
74.8/132 - 71.4/124 (women)
M-F $57 to 3 pm, $36 after 3 pm
Sa-Su $69 to Noon, $59 to 3 pm, $39 after 3 pm  (All rates include cart w/GPS)
Resident Rates Available
Driving Range Onsite
9 minute tee time intervals