Ivanhoe Club

Mundelein, Illinois

Renovations completed in 2002, 2003 and 2004

On-going consultation

Description

Long regarded as one of the finest, and most difficult, courses in Illinois, Ivanhoe is still relatively young, originally designed by Dick Nugent in 1991. There are 27 holes of golf at Ivanhoe, separated into three distinctive nines - the Forest, the Marsh and the Prairie. Some of the holes serve as frontage for an impressive gated real estate community.

I received a call one day from then General Manager, Rich Ackman, as to our interest in taking on the course renovation. It was a welcome call, as Rich is a good friend of the family and the former GM at Quail Creek Country Club in Robinson, Illinois – my hometown. The personal connection ultimately proved valuable - we won the appointment and were retained to do the work!

The planning process was exhaustive, but effective, as our team (Arthur Hills and associate, Ken Williams and me) produced an effective plan and approach that the membership embraced. Our main focus was to enhance the characteristics synonymous with the course names – Forest, Marsh and Prairie - which is exactly what we did. Rebuilding of the tees and greens was fundamental to the plan; as was the bunkering, which would take on a new style – a more traditional grass face, flat bottom style. There was plenty of drainage, tree removal, tree planting and lake bank stabilization, not to mention a few green relocations that would help to further identify the marsh, and new native grass areas to enhance the prairie. The construction of the three nines was phased over three years. When the three courses were completed and re-opened in June 0f 2004, the members proclaimed Ivanhoe’s courses as the “Rebirth of a Champion.”