Golf in Illinois: PrairieView Golf Club

Byron, Illinois will not register in the minds of many golfers. However, once you play PrairieView, Byron becomes a place you want to visit often. Situated about 20 minutes southwest of Rockford, the course meanders through both its namesake as well as a forest preserve on the bluffs overlooking the Rock River. I have wanted to play PrairieView since I first read about them ten years ago. I had yet to meet anyone who had played there, but the website and course reviews attracted me. I finally took the opportunity to play two weeks ago, and I do not regret it. When first arriving, the club seems to be virtually in the middle of nowhere, and I was skeptical as to how a public course in this vicinity could afford to keep their course in as nice of shape as I had seen in the pictures. However, the final comments of the starter in the pro shop rang true throughout my round, “This is the best kept secret in the state.”

This Week in Golf

Front Nine

Hole #1 – Hunter Mahan come roaring to the front of the pack last weekend to take the WGC Bridgestone Invitational by two strokes over Ryan Palmer. He shot 64 on Sunday and 66 on Saturday at Firestone Country Club to shoot twelve under par for the week. Many big names including Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson were near the top of the leaderboard heading into the final round. However, no one could keep pace with Hunter’s outstanding putting.

This Week in Golf

Front Nine
Hole #1 – Stuart Appleby won the inaugural Greenbrier Classic with a sensational final round score of 59! The golfer from Down Under is only the fifth professional in PGA Tour history to record a sub-60 score in regulation play. The first was shot in 1979, and the most recent was three weeks ago by Paul Goydos in the John Deere Classic. However, the first ever known 59 was also scored at the Greenbrier by Sam Snead in 1959, but it was during an unofficial event. Appleby’s 59 comes on the Great White Course at the Greenbrier, which played as a par 70 last week. His final round 59 is only the second final round 59 in history. The first was recorded in Las Vegas in 1999 by David Duval, who also won.