Rich Harvest Farms – Played May 2023
- Rankings: Golf Digest #73
- Location: 7S771 Dugan Road, Sugar Grove, Illinois
- Year: 1999
- Architects: Jerry Rich & Greg Martin
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts & Caddies Available
Score Card Information:
- Pro: 7,704 yards, Par 72, 79.8 Rating/155 Slope
- Champ: 7,154 yards, Par 72, 76.6 Rating/152 Slope
- Member: 6,716 yards, Par 72, 75.0 Rating/148 Slope
- Links: 6,019 yards, Par 72, 71.7 Rating/140 Slope (Men’s), 77.5 Rating/149 Slope (Women’s)
My wife and I recently took our first trip to Chicago together. I’d been a couple of times for golf but had never done the proper visit to see the sights and take in this legitimate American city. But you know me, golf was definitely a part of the itinerary. The first on the list of new courses to see was Rich Harvest Farms.
The club actually sits about an hour west of Chicago, so plan accordingly if you are staying in the city. The club is in a rural setting on a big piece of property.
The owner is Jerry Rich who invented a computer-based stock exchange aggregation method that put him on the business map.
Allegedly, while a guest at a famous Georgia club, he asked how much it would cost to be a member. That was/is a big no-no. In light of that, he built six holes in 1990, and then Greg Martin came in to up the roster to 18 for the small membership, numbering about 50.
Mr. Rich is well-known for junior golf support as he started the Kid’s Golf Foundation of Illinois. The club has also hosted big-time events, most notably the 2009 Solheim Cup, 2015 Western Amateur, and 2017 NCAA Championships. Rich has been known to foot the bill on some of these events and donates a lot of money to the game.
The course Rich Harvest Farms is not traditional. It is a modern, penal setup that can be stretched to over 7,700 yards. Deep rough pinches in the fairways as do trees, not to mention the copious bunkers.
Let’s get into the tour. One thing to note, we played the Silver routing first and then the Gold, so this may be out of order for some.
Hole 1 – 411 yards – Par 4
Right from the start, the difficulty of Rich Harvest Farms is present. Keeping your drive out of the bunkers and the thick rough is paramount.
More bunkers guard the green as well.
Hole 2 – 540 yards – Par 5
You play out of a chute here to a long hole that bends mostly right but the fairway snakes in two directions.
The green is off in the distance here, but notice how the fairway meanders two different ways and doesn’t present a straight approach.
You can see the slopes of the green from this far out.
Hole 3 – 351 yards – Par 4
The third hole has an interesting name stemming from a Sam Snead story. He asked where to hit the shot and was told at the crotch of a tree. Snead hit the actual tree with his drive and the name was born.
The hole is a sharp dogleg left with numerous trees. If you are anywhere left, your next shot will likely be a pitch-out.
The perched green is a small target with tough chipping all around it.
Hole 4 – 189 yards – Par 3
Take note of the tree to the right of the green that overhangs it a bit. You have to be careful with your tee shot here. Pins on the left sit is a very shallow part of the green.
Hole 5 – 373 yards – Par 4
I noticed the narrow fairways at Rich Harvest Farms throughout the round. This is a prime example. On this slight dogleg right, rough and trees guard the right side, making it difficult to cut the corner.
An approach from the right is not the correct strategy!
Hole 6 – 453 yards – Par 4
It’s imperative to favor the right side on this tee shot. The water comes into play and long grass sits to the left. If you’ve got a fade, dial it up here.
A good drive will present a green light situation to a pretty generous target. However, if you miss, your bunker play is likely to be tested.
Hole 7 – 187 yards – Par 3
The par threes here are all pretty demanding. This one is no exception with a long carry to a heavily sloped green. If you are on the wrong section, three-putting is a distinct possibility.
Hole 8 – 414 yards – Par 4
This hole ate my lunch as I’m sure it does to many players. Your drive must be in the fairway because the approach is over water to a very small target.
This view from the left shows how difficult the hole can be if you miss your drive.
Look at how small this landing area is.
Hole 9 – 504 yards – Par 5
If you can string together a drive and three wood, this is one of the few definitive birdie opportunities. However, be careful, as rough runs across the fairway.
As you reach the top of the hill you get a look at the rest of the hole. From here, anything in the short grass in front of the green gives you a straightforward chip.
Hole 10 – 393 yards – Par 4
Here we have one of the more open holes on the course. Deep rough is still a factor but the trees have retreated. The fairway sits at an angle to the tee as the hole moves to the right before culminating in a long, skinny green.
Hole 11 – 482 yards – Par 5
This short five plays around long grass and a pond up the right side. Favoring the left side of the fairway will set you up to go for the green.
The goals here are carrying the water and not missing right. Anything else will leave you with a manageable chip.
Hole 12 – 186 yards – Par 3
We played this hole into the wind for a bit of an added challenge. The green angles from left to right and is a pretty big target. Even with the length, you can play a safe shot to the middle of the green and get out of here with a par.
Hole 13 – 420 yards – Par 4
This is one of the toughest holes I have ever seen with a landing area that is downright claustrophobic. The hole itself bends to the left slightly.
This was my tee shot that missed the fairway by about 7 yards. There is a window but the rough is too thick for me to hit longer clubs out of.
Hole 14 – 170 yards – Par 3
This is Rich Harvest Farms’ homage to the 12th at Augusta. The main difference is that the green is much more undulating than the original version. It’s also a good bit longer.
Hole 15 – 399 yards – Par 4
We’ve got a long, uphill beast of a dogleg left here. That is fitting because this hole has a “wolf” tee well back of the others.
Your challenges are not complete after a good drive. The approach is severely uphill to a green guarded by very deep bunkers.
Hole 16 – 536 yards – Par 5
This is another narrow landing area and most of the hole is blind because it drops off to the fairway below. It plays pretty straight.
All but the most confident will probably lay up here with the pond cutting in just short of the green.
The green is large but not overly deep.
Hole 17 – 386 yards – Par 4
Long hitters can challenge the right corner on this dogleg, but like all the holes here, hitting the fairway is important. Avoid those bunkers on the left at all costs.
Most of the sand you see here is well short of the green. A good tee shot will leave you with a shorter iron to a green you can attack.
Hole 18 – 387 yards – Par 4
From this tee (there are two orientations) the fade is kind of the only play. Otherwise, the rough and bunkers are in your future.
The green is very long, so take note of the pin position. All of the bunkers are quite deep and will challenge you to get up and down.
Rich Harvest Farms is one of the hardest golf courses I have ever played. If you like to challenge yourself, it is definitely a place you should check out.