For the fifth consecutive year, the Lake County Forest Preserves’ ThunderHawk Golf Club near Beach Park was named one of the best courses in Illinois, in Golfweek’s America’s Best Courses 2006 (March 2006). ThunderHawk was ranked one of the state’s 10 top Best Public-Access courses.

For the past ten years, Golfweek’s America’s Best has ranked the top 100 classic (before 1960) and modern courses, and best state-by-state public-access. Opened in 1999, ThunderHawk was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and is an 18-hole championship public course.

Courses are selected by a nationwide team of evaluators surveying over 2,000 nominated courses on standards, including: strategic considerations of shot making, interest of greens and contours, best quality of conditioning, landscape and tree management, natural setting and overall land plan.

Since opening, ThunderHawk Golf Club has received many accolades from the golf industry. The acclaimed course was also named one of the “Best Places to Play” and “Best in State” by Golf Digest, and “5 Stars” by Chicagoland Golf.

ThunderHawk also received designation by Audubon International as the first public course to be certified as an Audubon Signature Sanctuary in Illinois. It is the third public golf course in the world to earn this certification for excellence in environmental stewardship.

Golfers can take advantage of ThunderHawk’s new “Bounceback” program offered this May. Purchase a greens fee and cart during specified times throughout the month of May and receive a coupon for $15 off weekend play and $10 off weekday play in June. Check the website for other golf specials at www.LCFPD.org. Go to the Golf tab and select the course of your choice.

For more information on ThunderHawk or any of the Lake County Forest Preserve golf clubs, please visit the Forest Preserve website or call 847-367-6640. For more information on the America’s Best Courses, visit Golfweek’s website at www.golfweek.com.