Designer Notes:

Gold: 361 yds Blue: 355 yds Green: 318 yds

Built in 1897, the Country Club of Peoria is one of the oldest clubs in Illinois. The Club is situated on 105 rolling acres with prominent views of the Illinois River. The golf course features tree lined fairways and small, undulating greens. Emphasis is placed on accuracy and placement off the tee.

Following completion of a Master Plan, the Club chose to close its course in 2008 and overtake a complete make over. All the greens and fairways were killed and grassed with newer varieties of bentgrasses. These grasses will help the course cut maintenance costs, decrease water use, and provide better playing conditions. All of the tees were either rebuilt or leveled to provide a smooth teeing surface, again with newer turfgrass varieties.

The Club also turned the corner in tree maintenance. Once known to replace trees that have died off, the Club is now in the middle of a tree removal and maintenance program. After all, a course that once had over 3,000 trees can afford to lose a few. This program was undertaken to open up vistas and improve sunlight and air circulation. As part of the Master Plan, the design incorporated the additional of numerous fairway bunkers to create strategy throughout the golf course.

The first hole is a great example of creating strategy on a golf course. As a short, downhill par 4 the hole featured no fairway sand bunkers. The penalty for a wayward tee shot included an over growth of trees on the right and out of bounds on the left. Today many of the trees have been removed or thinned and fairway bunkers added. This provides the golfer with the option of challenging one of the bunkers in order to place their drive on the proper side of the fairway and set up a shorter shot. The conservative play is to play short of the bunkers and face a longer approach shot to a small, guarded green. Creating these options is what keeps a golf course fun, interesting, and challenging.