Local Flavor: Pine Hills Golf Club and Restaurant

Tucked into a valley alongside Covel Creek, the Pine Hills Golf Club and Restaurant has been an Ottawa, Illinois, community hub for more than a century. This secluded, naturalistic golf course, built by architect Tom Bendelow in 1924, offers visitors a relaxing escape amongst the sandstone bluffs and pristine Covel Creek.

“It’s a really beautiful property,” says Adrienne Pike, vice president of operations and venue coordinator for Pine Hills.

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Service That’s Up to Par

The Pike family took over the course in 2010 and made it part of their mission to make Pine Hills more family friendly. Each year, the course hosts the Pine Hills Amateur Invitational Tournament and is certified as a U.S. Kids Golf course. Pine Hills hosts junior clinics for young golfers, and many members of the championship-winning Ottawa Township High School golf team grew up playing on the Pine Hills course.

As a family business, Pine Hills aims to make visitors feel at home on the course and at its bar and restaurant. Prioritizing homemade pizzas, sandwiches and brunch options, the seasonal restaurant at Pine Hills is a welcoming respite before or after a round of golf. When she isn’t helping with gardening or landscaping, Pike’s mother, Julie, is baking cheesecake desserts that make guests feel right at home.

“We treat each other and our guests as family,” Pike says.

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In Due Course

At a new open-air pavilion carved into a hillside behind the clubhouse, guests can create even more special memories on the course as they plan their weddings, graduation parties and more. The venue was designed by Pike as a labor of love that would allow guests to celebrate major milestones at a location that has become meaningful to generations of Ottawa residents.

“Whether they’re golfing as a family or having their wedding reception with us, our goal is making sure that their special day is as special as it can possibly be,” Pike says.