Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa

Eagle Ridge Resort's 2019 Golf Season Isn't Just for Guys

Midwest Resort Sights Uptick in Family and Ladies Golf Getaways

By Brian Weis

Golfers including guys, gals, kids, and families alike are already driving, putting and chipping on one of the most scenic and rewarding courses in Illinois. The North Course has officially opened for the season at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa (Eagle Ridge) in Galena, Illinois with the additional three championship golf courses, including one of the top one hundred courses in the country, The General, slated to open this month. While the traditional guys golf trip is still popular, Eagle Ridge has experienced a significant increase in family golf getaways and ladies golf.

"Families are planning more leisure-oriented golf resort vacations so they can spend quality time together while doing what they all enjoy in one location, said Reagan Davis, 28-year PGA professional and golf director at Eagle Ridge. "From world-class golf, spa and dining to kid-friendly activities like swimming, horseback riding, and fishing, a resort like Eagle Ridge is perfect as it provides something for everyone," continues Davis.

Ladies group golf trips and women golfing in general at Eagle Ridge is also more popular than ever. Davis estimates that the resort is almost double the national average for women golfers. According to the

National Golf Foundation's 2018 Golf Industry Report, women comprise 24 percent of all golfers, an increase of more than 13 percent over the prior five years.1

The North Course now open was designed by legendary Roger Packard and thoughtfully incorporates the scenery, the landforms, and is characterized by elevated tee boxes and stunning views of Lake Galena and the surrounding countryside in The Galena Territory. The signature hole is #8, which is a 165-yard par 3 with 80 feet of elevation change from tee to green. The tee shot on #8 crosses the corner of Lake Galena, opening up to a spectacular view of the lake and its majestic rock outcroppings.

The three other courses at Eagle Ridge - the East Course, the South Course and The General - will open as weather and ground conditions continue to improve.

Families and groups can take advantage of several golf packages that feature spa, dining, lodging and green fees. Package details are online at www.eagleridge.com, or golfers can call 800-892-2269 with questions, to make reservations or book a tee time.

Revised: 04/15/2019 - Article Viewed 12,311 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.