It’s late spring of 1993 at the intersection of Galena Boulevard and Orchard Road on Aurora’s far west side. At the northwest corner stands a golf hole like no other in the area, its two-tiered green surrounded by a large pond with waterfalls cascading down granite ledges. The cobblestone seawall in front – a player’s threshold between delight and doom – reads “Orchard Valley” in all caps.
Minus the palm trees, it looks like a par-3 the blimp might float over some Sunday on NBC – and the new golf course and restaurant set to open in July certainly has grabbed the community’s attention.
“There was a lot of publicity around it, we had people stopping and asking when we’re going to open,” recalls Jim McNair, Orchard Valley’s first golf course superintendent. “This was at a time when upscale golf was taking off, and there was a renaissance of golf design going on nationwide and also in the Chicago area.
“Many of those were private clubs, but at Orchard Valley the idea was to bring the private club experience to public golf.”
Built and owned by the Fox Valley Park District, Orchard Valley Golf Course opened in July of 1993. Like a John Daly drive, OV boomed onto the scene, as the Ken Kavanaugh-designed layout played host to the Illinois Open Championship in 1996 and 1998. By the early 2000s OV earned Top 10 status among public courses in Chicagoland by Golf Digest and GOLF magazines.
“We had the publicity, we had the equipment, we had the facility – and the facility was built in the right way,” McNair says. “We worked with the architect very well, and friends became family. There was a cohesion, and everybody saw the potential of what it could be – and we were able to live that and become part of it.
“It was at a time when golf was becoming really popular again. And when you talk about the growth on the west side of Aurora, golf was a part of that.”
Time for a reset
Still thriving 31 years later, as evidenced by 80,000 rounds played in the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined, OV and its aging infrastructure stand ready for necessary renovations, as Park District officials aim to tee up the golf course for the community’s next generation – a vision that spans the next three decades.
As such, Orchard Valley Golf Course will be closed beginning Nov. 4, 2024, through the 2025 season with a target reopen date of Summer 2026.
The District’s Board of Commissioners approved the $8.8 million renovation at its September meeting. FVPD Executive Director Jen Paprocki mailed letters to Orchard Valley season passholders and residents of the Orchard Valley subdivision, informing both groups of the upcoming renovation schedule. Additionally, Paprocki and FVPD Director of Operations Jerad Campbell are set to present the new plans and answer any questions at Orchard Valley’s homeowners association meeting on Oct. 17. Another presentation is planned before the Fairway Homes of Orchard Valley HOA in November.
“Closing the entire course for a year was a difficult decision; however, the benefits outweighed a multi-year approach, which would’ve partially closed the course for two-plus years,” Paprocki says. “This renovation allows us to continue to build on the momentum of our Fox Valley Golf Academy program for youth, while enhancing Orchard Valley’s overall golfer experience with minimal delay.”
Paprocki noted that although construction is set to begin in November, Orchards Restaurant, the clubhouse/pro shop, and practice range will be open through Dec. 31, 2024.
Recent newspaper accounts included plans to rebuild Orchard Valley’s six on-course bridges. Bridge replacement, along with renovations to the clubhouse, pro shop and restaurant, will be action items presented to the Board before the end of the calendar year.
Multiple improvements planned
Since OVGC opened in 1993, time has exposed deficiencies along its 6,800-yard championship layout and although the course has been well-maintained, infrastructure repair and renovation is needed, says Greg Martin, of Sugar Grove-based Martin Design Golf which FVPD engaged to identify and prioritize capital repair projects.
“There are many parts to the golf course that are aging out, and it’s time to address those … in some cases it’s overdue,” Martin says. “I always say that if the patient is opened up, take care of as many things as you possibly can. We don’t want to have to come back and do it again.
“Respecting the ownership and respecting the golfers, doing it once is going to be better for them rather than multiple years of disruption.”
Here’s a snapshot of the planned improvements, which will be paid for through bond proceeds and the District’s existing capital development fund:
- Renovated, realigned, relocated and reconstructed bunkers
- New irrigation system
- New retaining walls on holes No. 2 and 17
- Refreshed and some expanded greens
- Expanded and resurfaced tee boxes
- Re-grassing tees/fairways/greens with newer, more disease-resistant seed varieties
- Realignment and reconstruction of select cart paths
- Added fairway (partial wetland fill-in) on hole No. 13
Those even slightly familiar with OV likely are aware of No. 13 – a 440-yard sniper of a par-4 with out-of-bounds right and left, and expansive wetlands in front and to the right of the green. No. 13 has been OV’s No. 1 handicap hole since day one.
“When a golfer steps off of Orchard Valley, there’s going to be talk about 13,” says Martin. “When you walk away with a par there, you’ve done something – and bogey is acceptable.”
Teeing it up for the future
The FVPD in January 2023 entered a five-year golf facility management agreement with Troon, LLC – the world’s largest golf course management and hospitality company. In June 2023, the District launched Fox Valley Golf Academy programming at Orchard Valley. The Academy provides opportunities for players ages 6 through 14 to embark on a “golf journey” with progressive instruction at every stop along the way.
In addition to the infrastructure renovations, some of which are designed to speed up pace of play, the upcoming work is intended to improve the course and its aesthetics.
“What we’re attempting to do,” says Martin, “is modernize the golf course from infrastructure and strategy standpoints, while remaining respectful of the original design concepts.”
To monitor renovation progress, please visit the Project Updates page for up-to-date status and expected completion dates. View the Project Overview here. For more information about Orchard Valley Golf Course or Orchards Restaurant, visit www.orchardvalleygolf.com or call 630-906-0500.
