Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa

I was on a guys' golf trip using a stay and play package. I would play the South Course again in a heartbeat. On many holes you can miss on one side of the fairway and still be able to find it, unlike the General. The holes have character and I didn't mind a few quirky ones. There are holes where you can relax and not be stressed about missing the fairway by 5 yards and losing yet another ball, as at the General. The North Course was a good track and my second favorite of the 3. The greens slope quite a bit.

This course is supposed to be the cream of the crop. When you pay $135 to play golf you expect high quality treatment from the starter, rangers, on course beverage/food cart, yardage indicators, etc. When we booked our tee time, the starter neglected to inform there was a play day ahead of us to the sum of 8 4-somes. We never would have played. It took 6 hours to play 18 holes on a course that had one drink cart who quit that day and did not have a ranger on the course to monitor pace of play. We watched all day as the playday searched in 4 foot grass 30 yards off the tee on a hole to hole basis, leave trash on the course, damage the course, etc. I will never play any course at Eagle Ridge in Galena, IL again. I highly recommend Lacoma golf course in East Dubucque, IL and Woodbine Bend Golf Course just west of Stockton, IL. Everything you expect for your dollar is accounted for at these clubs.

The Good: The cornerstone course at Eagle Ridge Resort is a Roger Packard design that has stood the test of time. Very interesting track that winds through woodlands and puts a premium on iron play from uneven lies. Excellent Par 5's, a postage stamp downhill Par 3, and one of the more beautiful Par 4's you'll find. Good course conditions and slick, tricky greens. Decent clubhouse and practice facilities. Good rates for guests and packages.

The Bad: While locals will say the course is "open", the hilly routing is very difficult for the 15+ handicapper. Too many blind tee shots. Several forgettable Par 4's. Not a $100 golf course. No GPS is a negative.

The Verdict: The second best course at the Eagle Ridge complex. Lots of character and sporty enough to keep all golfers interested.

Best Hole: All the Par 5's are great, but the downhill Par 4 7th has a great view of Galena Lake over the trees.

The Good: Fun, sporty track is the second course built at the Eagle Ridge Resort. Roger Packard routing meanders through woods and over creeks that makes the course very tight off the tee. Some great risk-reward Par 5's, nice variety in Par 3's and a great closing hole. Very nice course conditions and receptive greens that putt well. Nice clubhouse and very friendly staff will make the experience enjoyable. Good value if you are a guest at the resort.

The Bad: Greens can be a little on the slow side compared to the other courses. Lack of driving range is a big minus. No GPS and not many yardage markers. The Par 5 16th is tricked up. Overpriced at $115 for public play.

The Verdict: The South course is no "ugly duckling" to The General and the original North. A very enjoyable golfing experience if you like target golf.

Best Hole: The closing, downhill Par 4 can erase a great round or give you a great topic of discussion at the 19th hole.

The Good: The crown jewel of the Eagle Ridge Resort, Roger Packard & Andy North's track has more of an northern Michigan feel than western Illinois. Rugged design has impressive vistas and elevation changes, with some eye-popping Par 4's and Par 5's. Fantastic course conditions and excellent, large undulating greens. Very nice clubhouse with locker rooms and a full gourmet restaurant. Superb staff will get your day started off great and monitor pace of play. Guest and replay rates are very good.

The Bad: Fairways can be a little too moist. No driving range or short game practice area on-site is a huge minus given the quality of course. No GPS. Too many forced carries and small targets for the mid-high handicapper. Rates at nearly $150 for public play is a little steep. Par 3's aren't overly memorable.

The Verdict: "The General" is a Top 5 public golf course in Illinois. One could argue with better practice facilities it could be the most complete golf experience in the state.

Best Hole(s): The Par 5 6th is mesmerizing with a theater of woodlands engulfing the hole. The Par 4 #13 is an absolute brute with a great view of the Galena territory in the background.

Truly a gem, The General course is cut through the beautiful, rolling hills of Galena. Spread out nicely, the course really takes advantage of its landscape. It's hard to believe you're even in Illinois while on this course. Conditions were good but not excellent and for over $100 a round I would expect pristine. None-the-less the course is beautiful.

Course was in good shape and so early in the season it was almost empty. For some reason range balls were not part of the package.

Some of the greens were being aerated which is expected this time of year. Otherwise the experience was excellent.

wooded course, must be straight or your score is going up !!! can"t wait to play it again. and beat the holes that beat be!

I have heard people refer to the General as "gimmicky" with some of the holes being a little extreme with elevation and a few blind tee shots. I am not a golf course design expert, but I think it is a beautiful course with some spectacular views/holes. It's a little costly but deals can be had if you stay at the resort or look on Golfnow. The General can be challenging but not overwhelming. And if you find the general too tough, head to the North course, which has some great views of Lake Galena and tends to eat a few less golf balls. Both courses are definitely worth playing and gorgeous in the fall!

One of my favorite courses! Challenging with incredible scenery. A must play if staying at Eagle Ridge.

This was an excellent course. It was well maintained. It had interesting and challenging hole. I especially like the variety of hole on this course.

Great views and vistas with very challenging holes interspersed with manageable holes. When you are done you will feel a satisfaction if you shot a decent score. Greens are quick with a lot of undulation so get your ball in the correct spot and your score will benefit mightily! Flat lies are basically a rumor so learn to play with the ball well above or below your feet or else! One of our favorite layouts.

GW Johnson

Played the course as a single on a Friday AM - teed off at 9 AM and played behind a twosome. Played two balls and sometimes three when time permitted. Greens were incredible! Rolled like a pool table top - took a little getting used to but i adjusted quickly. The conditions were great, and the views outstanding. The rate was reduced by 30% because i was staying at the resort and was $100 as a result. That's kinda pricey for me but i had a $75 gift card so it was much more palatable. I would love to play the course again, but probably would play twilight so that the rate isn't so expensive.

The north and south courses were in excellent condition. Didn't play the General but it was likely pristine. All are challenging and fun although on the pricey side for this rural area. Thankfully, Golf Now made it a real bargain but tee times were very limited. Another gripe is the lack of driving ranges and extra costs to use.

The General is a fine example of outstanding golf. Even though it rained the day proceeding our arrival, the course was in great shape (cart path only). I have played several other notable courses in Illinois including Cog Hill & Weaver Ridge and The General continues to amaze and impress, truly earning its status as a Top 100 course. The greens roll fast, but true, and generally speaking have less break than you would think. The elevation changes often with most holes playing significantly uphill or downhill. A special note of interest: the carts are basic and do not include GPS or a ball/club cleaner (which I would expect from a course of this caliber). Definitely a course to be enjoyed by the straighter hitters as hitting in the rough will often result in a lost ball or an unplayable lie. Very challenging tee to green, but with four levels of tee boxes I believe this course could be enjoyed by the intermediate to expert golfer. If you are a beginner or consider yourself a novice, definitely add this to your bucket list, but do not attempt to play until you get better!

Course needs attention. Greens are way too soft and entire course has gone to the dogs since I first played it 20 years ago. For $75 its a rip off.

The south course winds thru valleys with wide fairways and reasonably large greens. The greens and fairways were in good shape for being aerated recently. The houses along the fairways blend in nicely with the landscape. Difficulty of the course is average if you play the tees suited for your game. Playing back tees make the course difficult.

For the most part, the course was in decent shape. The fairways were a little dry and had some brown spots. The bunkers could be maintained a little better with clearly defined edges. The greens were cut a little long and some of the previous hole cuts were loose and uneven. The tee boxes were a little tight and mostly soft, so it was hard to put tees in the ground.

I found the course to be a little more difficult than I expected as many of the fairways are tight and completely tree lined, so if a ball goes in there, don't expect to find it. The fairways are also heavily contoured, so don't expect many flat lies and be ready to have a forced carry over a hazard to the green. About half of the greens are relatively flat and the other half are either curved or sloped.

Overall, the course was in good condition and provided some great scenery. The course played tougher than expected, but was a good challenge. The carts could probably use an upgrade considering our seats were torn. Make sure to bring plenty of extra balls and be ready to spend some extra time looking for errant shots/lost balls.

Great place to play a quick nine holes . bring your "A " game . not easy