Opened in 1997, the General is a collaboration between Packard and two-time U.S. Open champ Andy North. With several tees at 100-foot-plus elevations and uphill approach shots from fairways that undulate in width and depth throughout, the 6,820-yard General awards no particular advantage either to the power hitter or the finesse player. It’s a course that tests your mental and physical skills alike.

An added benefit of the exercise is an array of views that seem out of place in topographically deprived Illinois.Eagle Ridge’s accommodations range from a central inn to rental villas and homes, where the look and feel is adequate and homey in a middle-class, Midwestern way. More of a place for corporate outings and golf weekends, these lodgings aren’t quite overflowing with charm or elegance. Then again, it’s not the kind of resort where most golfers would be prone to hang out in their guest room when they could be playing golf, strolling the lakeshore or sauntering through downtown Galena.

The restaurants at each course and in the resort’s main lodge range from ultra-casual pizza and salads to the requisite low-key eatery offering a steak/seafood/pasta menu. The staff at Eagle Ridge is exceedingly friendly, and the resort’s Stonedrift Spa provides at least a half-day’s distraction for non-golfing companions—as well as a place to oil up your neck and shoulders after an afternoon’s duel with the General.