Highland Woods Golf Course in Hoffman Estates, Illinois is a Forest Preserve course that I’ve played on numerous occasions. It’s inexpensive (usually <$50), and you can often find a tee time on Saturday or Sunday morning, whereas most other area courses have permanent tee times.
It plays to 6,772 from the Blues, and 6,934 yards from the Golds, making it a very long course, which I like. Normally, we play the Blues. There is a range, although it seems a little overpriced, so even though I normally go to the range at other courses, I skip it here. Adjacent to the first tee there is a putting green, which is a plus.
The course starts out with a straight par 4, which shouldn’t cause too much trouble. The fairway is wide, and the green slopes back to front, so with a good poke off the tee, you should be hitting 8-9 iron. (It also helps to have a warm-up hole, as I skip the range.)
The second is where the fun starts. It’s a reachable par 5 (512) because the dogleg can be cut, if your driver is strong enough to clear the bunkers on the right. It really isn’t that long (maybe 230 to clear), but depending on the wind, it may play more. Note: If you really kill your driver (and I mean really, not just in your head), you may want to take 3-wood. If you go to far, you’ll run out of fairway, and be hitting your second from the rough, or worse, it’s OB.
Even if you can’t clear them, be sure to be just left of the bunkers, and you may be able to go for it in two. You’ll maybe have 210+ to the green, which is protected pretty well by bunkers on either side. If you have confidence in your sand game, fire away.
The fifth is an interesting par 4. There’s lots of room to the right of the traps for a good drive, but if you’re feeling strong, and the wind isn’t too much, you may be able to clear them.
The green is behind the bunkers, so if you aim right, you should have a good approach into them. Even if you hit in (or short) of the sand, you should still have an unimpeded shot. Here’s a picture from just short of the bunkers on the left.
Now for the sixth hole, a 571 yard par 5. I’ve played with many different partners on this course, and any regular will tell you it’s the toughest hole. My friend Rick calls it his hex hole. The tee shot is tough; if you hit it too deep, there’s water on the right and OB on the left. I’d suggest playing hybrid, hybrid, iron, but nobody ever does.
The second shot is really the make or break one here. The thing to remember is that there is an additional water hazard to the right, that you may not be able to see, depending on where your drive lands. Trust me: Play your second to the left side of the fairway; left-center is ideal. Here’s a picture of a good drive. Note that you can’t see the water hazard I mentioned but trust me, it’s there.
The ninth hole is a medium length par 4, but you can really cut a lot off this hole with a good tee shot. You’ll see the 150-yardmarker in the middle of the fairway, but there’s lots of room to the right of it to shave off a few yards. Aim over the hill on the right and let it fly; you’ll be left with a short approach:
As you finish the 9th, you’re at the clubhouse, in case you need to use the restroom, grab a soda, etc. It seems (at least on Saturday mornings) that most groups stop for one thing or another, so if you don’t, it may just add to your wait time on the tenth tee.
The 11th is a reachable par 5, as long as the tee shot is good and strong. If you can reach the 250 yard marker, you can pretty easily go for it, mainly because everything else is downhill, making it more like 220-230. Here’s a picture of the 250 yard shot:
Again, the green is flanked by bunkers, but don’t let them scare you. Here’s a shot from the green looking back, showing the severity of the downhill slope playing into this green.
The 13th is one of my favorite holes at Highland Woods, mainly because if you can par it, you’ve really accomplished something. (same goes for 14, but we’ll get there in a minute). This par three plays to 214 yards from the Blues, and if there’s any wind, it’s probably in your face. I rarely play anything more than an iron off a tee anymore, but on this hole, it happens more often than not. The green is receptive, but it’s still a long way for a par 3.
The 14th is another hole where, if you can par it, you’ve really accomplished something. It’s a 449 yard par 4 with a downhill tee shot. For a Forest Preserve course, 449 yards is a very long way, and it feels like it. The fairway shifts at about 160 or so to the right, but that really shouldn’t come into play on the tee shot. Plan on hitting a longer-than-usual iron into this green. Again, a par feels like a birdie here.
On the sixteenth tee, the only thing to think about is being right of the bunkers on the left. A strong drive could probably clear them, but there are more bunkers behind it. In addition, there’s lots of room up the right side to bail. I normally take a 3-wood or hybrid off the tee, and am rarely left with more than a 9-iron into this small green. With a good tee shot, this should be a birdie opportunity.
The finishing hole is another risk/reward hole, although more reward than risk, which is rare. It plays at 386 yards from the Blues, but the fairway slopes downwards halfway through the hole, making it a little shorter. In addition, if your tee shot carries the halfway point, it will run downhill quite a bit, leaving you around 100 yards or less. Even if you don’t try going over or through the trees, and play it safe to the right, you should only have 150 or so to the green.
This course would not be considered high-end, or posh, by anyone. That being said, there’s something great about paying $50 for a 7,000 yard challenge, where you can more often than not get a tee time on a weekend morning. Because of that, I’ll continue to play Highland Woods for the challenge (and the price), and feel comfortable recommending it to anyone.
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I played this course for the first time recently and really enjoyed it. Great course to walk and not too bad for drives that miss the fairways. Greens are fantastic compared to it’s local competition.
This course will challenge Palatine Hills going forward