Serene Stonewall Orchard a Rare Windy City Hills Design

Windy City golfers may not be familiar with Arthur Hills.  The active octogenarian architect has been creating quality courses since 1966, morphing his landscaping business into world class golf designs, with credit for over 185 courses over the last 40 years.  If you've spent time golfing in Florida, Hilton Head or Northern Michigan, you've quite likely experienced a Hills design, but his portfolio in the Chicago area that is open to the public is limited to the Bolingbrook Golf Club and to Stonewall Orchard in Grayslake, which I visited last October.

Stonewall Orchard is hidden off Illinois Route 60, a few miles southeast of the intersection of Routes 120 & 12 at the far northern edge of metro Chicago.  The par 72 layout carries a hefty 74.7 rating / 148 slope from the tournament worthy 7,124 yard Silver tees, and being host to 3 U.S. Open Qualifiers since it opened in 1997 (and another scheduled for 2015) is a clear indication of its quality and challenge.  We wisely skipped the 6,500 yard Gold tees and settled for the Whites at just over 6,000 yards, a much better complement to our skill level but still carrying a significant 133 slope.

The course is spread over a serene piece of prime Lake County property featuring rolling hills, wetlands, lakes and over 65,000 pines, oaks and assorted hardwoods, providing a picturesque palette that Hills fashioned into an aesthetically pleasing golf experience.  It does not play as tight off the tee as the volume of trees would suggest, as there are ample landing areas on most holes.  Only 41 traps are strategically placed around the layout, a surprisingly low amount considering the steep rating and slope, but a Hills trademark that is common on his designs.  The water hazards on two-thirds of the holes and the quick greens with plenty of movement more than make up for the lack of traps and gives Stonewall Orchard its bite.

The 1st hole is a straight forward, mid-length par four that eases you into the round, but the 2nd hole is bordered by a lake that juts in front of the green, the first of up to six shots (depending on the tees played) that require a carry over a hazard.  The short, 341 yard 4th hole made my list of favorite par fours I played in 2014.  The tee shot crosses the tip of the lake that guards the right side of a relatively narrow strip of fairway that is slanted towards the water and lies below a mound that defines the left border.  The green is perched tightly above the water for a short but challenging 2nd shot.

Another carry over wetlands is needed from the Silver and Gold tees on the 8th hole, the type of risk / reward scenario that Hills uses often.  The 510 yard par 5 is reachable in two for better players, but the wetlands and a long greenside bunker are tight left to a small putting surface.  I scratched out a par on the #1 handicap, but I quickly threw that away on the next hole.  The par three 9th is downhill from the elevated tee, with water wrapping around the right and back sides of the large green. and a 3 putt after dumping my tee shot in the pond left a triple bogey on the scorecard, as fortunes can change quickly at Stonewall Orchard.

The back nine starts with a 537 yard par five, with a turn right off the tee and a second twist left near the green, and approaches require a deft touch as mature hardwoods right and wetlands left near the green will penalize off target efforts.  After two par fours (the long 493 yard dogleg left 11th and the 369 yard 12th), the scenic par three 13th is all carry over wetlands with a stand of pine trees behind the large, undulating green.  The other +400 yard par 4 on the back nine, #15, was the highlight to a mostly uninspiring round.  My best drive of the day carried the wide bunker on the right, a six iron stayed left of the water and found the front edge of the long, narrow green, and I drained a 45 footer for an unexpected birdie, one of the few memorable moments I had during the round.

The return to the clubhouse at the 16th tee starts with a 390 yard par 4, a pretty hole from the elevated tee with a large, lone oak just off the left edge of the fairway and a pond partially hidden to the right.  The par three 17th is positioned across the water from #4, with a large, two tiered green.  The last hole is an exciting finish, a gigantic 615 yarder cut through the woods.  The trees open the last 150 yards to a view of the smallest green on the course that sits on the edge of the pond shared by the 9th green.

All this comes at an above average price, as the weekend morning greens fee with cart tops out at $95, one of the handful of Windy City courses commanding such a rate, though early morning and afternoon discounts are readily available that will knock some dollars off for frugal golfers.  Stonewall Orchard does its best to provide the appropriate amenities expected: a stately clubhouse with a fully stocked pro shop, a driving range located conveniently between the 1st and 2nd holes, friendly service and 9 to 10 minute tee time intervals.  An added benefit is the absence of homes within a drivers distance of this secluded property, always a plus in my golf world.

Stonewall Orchard's website proudly states that the course is an "Arthur Hills Masterpiece".  Whether this is marketing hyperbole or an accurate assessment is best left to the individual, but there is no denying that this is a very good layout.  My recommendation is to find a comfortable price point, take the ride out to Grayslake and judge for yourself, but I don't think you'll be disappointed by what you find.

 

Mr Z Rating

Layout (20%) - 9
Playability (20%) - 8.5
Conditioning (15%) - 8.5
Aesthetics (15%) - 8
Amenities (10%) - 8.5
Value (20%) - 8

Total Score - 84.25

Stonewall Orchard Golf Club
25675 IL-60, Grayslake
847-740-4890  www.stonewallorchard.com
4 tees 7,124 - 5,375 yds, par 72
74.7/148 - 69.5/133 rating / slope
M-TH $69 w/cart before 8 am, $70 walk/$84 ride to 2 pm, $69 w/c to 3 pm, $59 w/c to 4 pm, $41/55 after 4
F $73/87 to 3 pm, $59 w/c to 4 pm, $41/55 after 4
SA-SU $77/95 to Noon, $75 w/c to 1 pm, $59 w/c to 4 pm, $41/55 after 4
SENIORS (55) - $41/53 before Noon M-TH
10 minute tee time interval before 3 pm, 8-1/2 after 3
Driving Range and Practice Area Onsite