Orchard Valley Golf Course in Aurora set to reopen Sept. 5

Orchard Valley Golf Course is set to reopen Sept. 5 after more than a year of renovations, Fox Valley Park District officials said Monday.

Golfers can reserve tee times online two weeks in advance by going to orchardvalleygolf.com or calling (630) 907-0500, officials said.

The reopening follows an $8.8 million renovation project aimed at updating aging infrastructure at the course that first opened in 1993.

The renovations were funded through bond proceeds and the park district’s existing capital development fund, said Tim Wagner, public relations and content strategist for the Fox Valley Park District.

Renovations include a new irrigation system, reconstructed bunkers, expanded greens and tee boxes, new retaining walls, fairways and greens, reconstruction of select cart paths and a “reimagined” 13th hole that includes a fairway expansion, officials said.

The greens were also addressed to recapture portions of the original 1993 design, officials said.

“We wanted to protect the legacy of Orchard Valley while creating a better experience for today’s golfers and the generations who will follow,” said Fox Valley Park District Executive Director Jen Paprocki.

The golf course’s restaurant, The Orchard Social, reopened in August with expanded indoor and outdoor seating, a full-service bar, private event spaces, panoramic views of the course and a bar and patio that overlook the 18th hole, officials said.

“When you combine the refreshed course with The Orchard Social, we believe we’ve created a destination that people will be proud to call their own,” Paprocki said.

Park district officials said the renovated course’s most noticeable change can be found on the 13th hole.

The 440-yard par-4 retains its challenging tee shot, but the expanded fairway creates a new bailout area down the left side toward the green, allowing a more manageable approach for golfers who previously faced water on their second shot, officials said.

The project was designed by Greg Martin of Sugar Grove-based Martin Design Golf, who aimed to keep the course fun and honor the Ken Kavanaugh design, officials said.

Kavanaugh, from Illinois, is a landscape architect and golf course designer with projects in nine states, including Aurora, Colorado.

Martin worked with the Fox Valley Park District to identify and prioritize capital repair projects at the course.

“Maintain the fun, update the infrastructure and modify the strategy — those were the intended outcomes,” said Martin.

The course reopening was originally targeted for summer, but extensive rain and storms pushed it back, officials said.

Orchard Valley closed in November 2024, following a 31-year run that saw more than 80,000 rounds played during the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined, officials said. The yearlong closure allowed the park district to address multiple infrastructure needs at once, minimizing the disruption that would have resulted from completing the work over several seasons, according to officials.

Orchard Valley is managed by Troon Golf, the world’s largest golf course management and hospitality company, officials said. The park district entered a five-year golf facility management agreement with Troon in 2023, the same year it launched Fox Valley Golf Academy programming at Orchard Valley for youth ages 6 through 14.

“Players can expect a fully refreshed Orchard Valley,” said Ben Nachtwey, Orchard Valley general manager. “They wanted the inside to match the outside, and the product we’re putting out is fantastic. Public golf at its finest.”

awright@chicagotribune.com