A "CLUB IN THE COUNTRY" - RUSTIC CHARM AND MEMORABLE LAYOUT WELCOMES GOLFERS TO THE BOURNE

The Bourne is the kind of golf course that elicits a wide range of opinions from golfers, ranging from "Great Golf Course in the Country", "Scenic Views and Challenging Shots", "Interesting Holes", "Amazing and Memorable", "Hidden Gem", and "Well Worth the Trip" to "Amateurish Layout", "Crazy Routing", "More Time Riding than Actually Playing", and "Worst Golf Course I've Ever Played".   So here is what I can share after my 1st visit to The Bourne. This is definitely NOT the worst course I've ever played.  But it well might be the most unique and memorable course I've played, as it is far from your typical layout.

The owner and architect of The Bourne, Dick Wehrli, took most conventional golf course design rules, crumpled them up and threw them into the waste basket.  He created holes that maximized the dramatic topography of the property, so scenic elevated tee shots exist on the 2nd, 9th, 10th and 13th holes, but the flow of the routing was compromised (especially on the long ride from the 17th green to the 18th tee).  Hazards exist in places you'd not expect, so trees in the fairways and impossibly narrow shot windows are common. And leave your sand wedge at home, as not a single trap is found at The Bourne.

Although the scorecard yardage is a modest 5,917 par 71 from the Long Tees (5,280 yards from the Short Tees), you'll be humbled if you lack precision and don't think your way around this course. There are very few shots that a combination of thick woods, creeks, ponds and native grasses don't need to be successfully navigated. A common theme before starting a round at The Bourne was to bring a lot of golf balls, and after losing 9, I totally agree with that sentiment.    

The 1st hole is a straight forward dogleg right par 4 (most every hole has some degree of

dogleg here), but the 2nd quickly unveils many of the features that The Bourne presents. The view from the tee on the 385 yard par 4 overlooks a pond and a tangle of creek / prairie bordering the entire left side, with a forest background in the distance.  The fairway angles left and the small green is slightly raised and sits snugly between the hazard and a thick stand of mature hardwoods to the right, creating the first of several difficult approaches.  The best strategy here might well be to lay up short of the green and get up and down for a par.

A similar play repeats on the short par four 12th hole, but this time it's the drive that causes the heartburn.  Thick "lost ball" woods left and more trees right form an extremely tight landing area off the tee.  I tried to thread a 4 wood through the chute and bounced through the fairway and into the woods left.  In retrospect, two 5 irons would have provided a much better chance at par on the 312 yard hole. The safe play is often the smart play to avoid the ever present danger here.

The Bourne is happy to show off its quirky side, too.  The 4th hole is a 421 yard par 5, and no, that yardage is not a misprint.  About 200 yards from the tee, a thick row of mature pine and spruce trees completely crosses and blocks the fairway.  Rather than trying to carry the wall of evergreens,  I laid up with a 7 wood and had enough room to carry a 5 iron over on the totally blind 2nd shot, but if you get too close, you'll be hitting backwards to create space to lift a shot over this one of a kind hazard. 

The elevated tee on the par 5 13th hole presents another big view as the creek meanders across the fairway below about 200 yards out, but it's the 2 large hardwoods on each edge of the fairway that tightens the way to the green that you'll likely remember.

The 14th thru 16th holes offer a change as the course shifts from parkland to a more linksy feel with a par 4-3-4 triangle at the far edge of the property.  The 16th is a good lead in to a big finish, a 340 yard par 4 with trees / shrubs / evergreens scattered about the fairway as unusual obstacles to the pin.  

Which brings us to the devilish and hard to describe 17th hole.  Although it looks much closer, there is room for a 200 to 240 yard drive on the 396 yard par 4 (there's more fairway available to the left) before you reach the ever present creek, which runs diagonally from right to left towards the green.  The 2nd shot offers a glimpse of the flag and requires an uncomfortable carry over the hazard (and led to my last lost ball of the round) as the green sits just a few paces beyond the penalty area.

So the lengthy ride to the 18th tee of the 477 yard par 5 leads to an outstanding finish to the round.  The tee shot angles to the right with a few imposing trees on the fringes of the fairway, and a big drive will open a risk / reward 2nd shot by carrying the creek, which crosses the fairway about 50 yards from the putting surface.  A mound behind the green layered with native grasses and wildflowers provides a beautiful backdrop on this stellar hole.  And don't forgot to take in the view at the top of the mound looking back down the fairway, one of the best on a course filled with scenic vistas.

For Windy City area golfers making the hour drive southwest to Marseilles, be warned that this is a rugged course. The term I heard was that The Bourne has a "rustic feel", which translated means don't expect highly manicured conditions.  And truth be told, that's what makes The Bourne, well, The Bourne.  Shots with a high degree of difficulty, hazards you'd never see at other courses and a routing that twists and turns across the hilly, heavily wooded LaSalle County countryside in unexpected ways? That's all part of the lure of The Bourne.  It knows it's not like other courses and basks in the glory of its uniqueness.  

My first impulse after completing the round was "OK, I played The Bourne, I'm good now".  But in retrospect, I do want to return and use the knowledge I gained to shave several strokes off my score (and lose a few less balls).  I know what to expect, and I'll experience The Bourne and enjoy it for what it is, a one of a kind club in the country.

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