Stats for the State of Illinois Certified Signature Sanctuaries: 2 Featured Signature Courses: Oak Grove Golf Course ThunderHawk Golf Club

Oak Grove Golf Course
When a 230-acre private hunt club near Harvard, McHenry County,  Illinois, was transformed into a privately owned, daily fee golf course, Audubon International’s Signature team was there to help property owners retain and enhance the site’s significant features.  Natural habitats were incorporated into the course design, while an innovative biofilter system prevents pollution in the property’s lakes, wetlands, and tributaries to the Nippersink Creek.  The wetlands and creeks are part of a large marsh complex that flows to Alden Sedge Meadow, a 300-acre natural area located one mile east of Oak Grove.  “One of my goals was to make it look like we didn’t move any dirt,” says golf course architect Steve Halberg, “like all we did was change the grass type.”  Although construction involved both wetlands mitigation (6.45 acres were created to replace 3.9 acres of wetland filled) and habitat restoration, the resulting natural landscape and golf course achieved Halberg’s intent.  The property now includes 68 acres of restored Mesic Prairie and 41 acres of enhanced wetlands. To see more of Oak Grove, access its website at  www.oakgrovegolfcourse.com

ThunderHawk Golf Club
ThunderHawk Golf Club, located in Beach Park, Illinois, is a 243 acre public golf course developed by the Lake County Forest Preserve on land formerly used for agriculture.  Rather than lose the site’s valuable habitat and natural character to inappropriate development, the ThunderHawk project showcases how the Audubon Signature Program helped to not only incorporate, but also enhance natural landscaping and restore wildlife habitat on site.  Audubon International worked with the forest preserve staff and the design team at Robert Trent Jones II to restore over 60 acres of native Midwestern prairie, preserve 15 acres of wetlands, and create an additional 17 acres of wetlands.  More than 900 oaks and maples were planted, to bring the number of forested acres on site to 84.  In addition, the small sundrop  (Oenothera perennis), a state-threatened species found on site, was protected during construction.  A total of 72% of the property remains as natural habitat.  Learn more about the endangered species at ThunderHawk Golf Club by going to: http://www.lcfpd.org/thunderhawk/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.view