Whitetail Ridge Maturing Well in Rural Yorkville

Opened in 2007, Whitetail Ridge is one of the few new courses built in the Chicagoland area in the last 10 years.  The Greg Martin design is located in Yorkville, at the outer fringes of the Windy City region, and there is plenty of open land in all directions at this remote golf outpost.  The layout is typical of other local work by Martin, a consistently fair challenge with receptive fairways, large sloping greens and plenty of water hazards to test your skills.  The par 71 course is just under 6,600 yards from the back set of 4 tees, and the 71.6 rating / 130 slope feels perfectly appropriate.

The course offers 2 distinct nines.  The front side is nestled below the ridge and has a links style feel as trees are limited to the left side of the par five 2nd fairway and a few newer plantings scattered along several others.  The par 35 back side runs up, down and along the ridge, with mature hardwoods nicely framing the downhill, 396 yard 12th and the parallel, uphill 524 yard 13th holes.

The first hole is a perfect start for a 20 handicapper, a downhill, 351 yard par 4, though the 2nd shot needs to fly 3 traps to reach the green.  The 4th hole is the shortest par 3 on the course at 166 yards, with the pond and the wide, deep bunker fronting the bowl shaped green making an interesting hole, but the best are found at the end of the side.  The 8th hole is a 398 yard par four with a diagonal water hazard splitting the fairway.  The safe play to the roomier left side leaves a more difficult approach to the kidney shaped green.  The 535 yard 9th has a wide, rolling fairway that narrows near the green, with a pond in play the last 100 yards on the right side.  Beware of chip shots from the left of the sloping green, as a poorly executed attempt has a chance of rolling off and into the hazard.

The 10th hole is a totally different animal as it rises up the ridge with a drop off into the prairie at the right edge of the fairway.  One of my stranger shots of recent times was a 5-iron to the partially hidden green which took one hop and became tangled in the flag, eventually falling 4 feet from the cup, and I flushed the putt for a rare and unusual birdie.  The afore-mentioned 12th is a dogleg right with a pond fronting the left to right slanted putting surface, while the 13th has a bend left as it flows up the ridge to a long, narrow green, with thick woods tightly bordering the left side.

The three longest pars on the course are found in holes 14 thru 16.  The 227 yard 14th is a par three beast from the back tees, with some room to bail on the right away from the pond.  The 444 yard 15th is mostly uphill and difficult to reach in regulation for many, and the parallel 550 yard 16th has OB left and one of the trickier greens at the end.  I really like the par threes that bookend (+/- 1 hole) the nine.  The water hazard on 11 sits below and off to the left of the enormous green, while on the 17th the water horseshoes around the front, left and back of the cloverleaf putting surface that tilts in several directions.  Two different tee boxes are used interchangeably which provide varying approach angles and adds to the uniqueness of the hole.

The green fees at Whitetail Ridge are $65 with cart on weekends, with a very reasonable $40 rate after 2 pm, while weekday fees are only $50, with a $40 early bird special before 9 am.  Discounted Senior (60 and over) and Junior (17 and Under) rates are available on weekdays and also weekends after 10 am, a nice touch that many courses don't offer.  A grass driving range is conveniently located just steps from the pro shop, though a few stray range balls will inevitably wander into the 1st fairway.  The 9 minute tee time intervals are properly spaced to minimize lengthy rounds, and the pace of play policy is listed at a brisk 4 hours and 15 minutes.

Whitetail Ridge is set in a residential development of the same name, but an encounter with a homeowner is next to impossible as the houses are set a comfortable distance from the holes.  The layout sprawls across two townships, which is significant because one township is dry, so any alcoholic beverages can only be purchased from the beverage cart on the front nine, an oddity that I can't remember at another golf course in the area. 

Though the course is located in the country about 9 miles west of downtown Plainfield on Route 126, it only takes a little over 30 minutes from my home in Lemont to travel the

26 miles, and the large, sparkling clubhouse standing out against the surrounding farmland makes it hard to miss.  I've visited several times since it opened and I've always enjoyed the rounds, and the ongoing maturation process is evident as the early rough edges are disappearing at this playable Greg Martin signature.  Whitetail Ridge may not reach the level of a destination course for the wider Windy City region, but it's certainly worthy of a visit from west and southwest suburban golfers.

Mr Z Rating

Layout (20%) - 7.5
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 8
Aesthetics (15%) - 7
Amenities (10%) - 8
Value (20%) - 8.5

Total Score - 78.5

Whitetail Ridge Golf Club
7671 Clubhouse Drive, Yorkville
630-882-8988   www.whitetailridgegolfclub.com
4 tees 6,561 - 4,931 yards, par 71
71.1/130 - 66.7/118 rating / slope (men)
71.5/123 - 68.4/116 (women)
M-F $40 w/cart before 9 am, $50 to 2 pm, $35 to 5 pm, $25 after 5
SA-SU $65 w/c to 2 pm, $40 after 2
SENIORS (60) - M-F $30 w/c before 9 am, $40 after 9 am; SA-SU $45 after 10 am
JUNIORS (17 and Under) M-F $30 w/c, SA-SU $45 after 10 am
9 Minute Tee Time Interval
Driving Range On Site