Getting To Know: The Glen Club By Brian Weis

Getting To Know: The Glen Club

An Insightful Interview With Alex Prior, Head Golf Professional

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Alex Prior who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
The Glen Club, designed by renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio, is a remarkable feat of engineering. For over 70 years, the land was used as a Naval Air Base complete with runways and a total elevation change of three feet. Today, the land has been beautifully transformed into a dynamic terrain with rolling berms, stunning vistas and naturally harmonious transitions.

The routing features dramatic elevation changes - up to 40 feet on certain holes - mature trees and natural areas, meandering lakes and flowing streams. There are 75 acres of prairie grass flowing naturally throughout the layout.

Each of the spectacular par 3's face a different point on the compass. The par 5's are big and bold yet contain ample driving zones and generous bailout regions. The par 4's range from short and sweet to long and tough. Many elements of a superb Fazio design are here and offer a challenge in many forms, from the classic perched greens undercut by bunkers to the awesome peninsula greens menaced by water.

The finishing 18th hole is one of the most picturesque on the course with two water features and strategically placed bunkers that demand accurate tacking from one safe area to the next. Walking off the 18th green will leave a lasting impression of a spectacular test of skill in an environment that offers an array of memorable golf holes.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
The Glen Club strives to provide the best golf experience to our guests. GOLF magazine recently ranked us as one of the Top 100 golf courses "you can play" nationally and our Tom Fazio design will both challenge and delight each of your guests, regardless of ability.

When comparing The Glen Club to other venues, please consider these advantages provided by The Glen Club:
* Our convenient location - proximate to O'Hare Airport, the North Shore, west and northwest suburbs and downtown Chicago via major expressways.
* Our exclusive feel on the golf course - We are a semi-private facility and you can expect an exclusive venue for guests, secluded within The Glen development.
* Our challenging, yet friendly golf experience - Our golf course is a classic Fazio: wide fairways, a run-up approach available on second shots and large greens.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
Playing within the wide fairways is key as the rough and native fescue is penal.
Stay below the hole as our putting greens consistently measure between 12 and 14 on the stimpmeter.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
Golf Magazine - No. 4 - Best Courses You Can Play in Illinois - 2013
Golf Magazine - No. 2 - Best Public Course in Illinois - 2012
Golf Magazine - No. 72 - Top 100 Courses You Can Play - 2012
GolfWeek - No. 2 - Best Courses You Can Play in Illinois - 2012
GolfWeek - No. 3 - Best Courses You Can Play in Illinois - 2010
Golf Magazine - No. 72 - Top 100 Courses You Can Play - 2010
GolfWeek - No. 24 Best Tour Courses You Can Play - 2008
GolfWeek - The Best Courses You Can Play 2006-7
Golf Magazine - Top 100 Courses You Can Play 2002, 2004, 2006
Zaget Survey - America's Top 50 Golf Courses 2003-2005
Golf Digest - Best New Upscale Public Course 2002
Golf Magazine - Top 10 New You Can Play 2002
Great Lakes Golf Magazine - Best Course in Illinois 2002
Sports Illustrated - Top 10 New Courses 2001

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
The signature hole at The Glen Club is #4. It is a great par 3 with a downhill tee shot to an undulating green. You will find yourself hitting a short to mid iron to the green that is surrounded by tall native grass. Due to the elevation change and swirling winds #4 is different and challenging every time. Par is a great score.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
Our favorite hole is #11 which is a challenging par 3 with water along the left side of the fairway and green. Measuring 218 yards from the back tees, this shot is all carry with a small area to bail out on the right. This hole will not only test your skill but is also one of the most picturesque holes on the course.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
Blackened Shrip Tacos - Jicama Slaw, Pineapple Salsa, Sour Cream and Guacamole

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Kris Mikkelsen - 62 scored on July 19, 2002 at the 27th Annual Collegiate Golf Championships / USA vs. Japan

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,149
Slope: 140
Rating: 74.8

More Information
The Glen Club
2901 West Lake Avenue
Glenview, IL, 60026
847-832-6450
www.theglenclub.com

Revised: 06/18/2014 - Article Viewed 33,337 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.