At least the cars are being preserved. And hey, it IS his money. Here we have a mid length par 3 with bunkers all around. RICH HARVEST FARMS Sugar Grove, Illinois Rich Harvest Farms has been ranked among Americas 100 greatest courses. I still drive it on weekends and really don’t take magnificent care of it. The course rating is 78.0 and it has a slope rating of 151 on Bent grass. Mr. Editor:—This community has at last been visited with the long looked-for showers, which has given new life to the growing crops. But they are his to do as he wishes, and if I had the money I would have a few. “Mint condition” doesn’t quite cover it. Silver – Amen, Holy Stone – Hole 5 – 162 yards – Par 3 “I paid good money for those holes,” Sam retorts. The best line is just to the right of the bunker on the left. (What survived an auction in the early Eighties, of Bill Harrah’s collection, started the National Auto Museum in Reno, Nevada, which operates today to preserve automotive history. Rich is a perfectionist. Note how long and narrow the green is . He scans the course like a tank commander surveying the battlefield. A 1956 Corvette convertible sits in the middle of the cavernous room, roped off and surrounded by plastic banquet tables. Even before I leave Jerry Rich, Jerry Rich has left me. Powellville. Rich tells me the big Caddy once belonged to the Chairman of U.S. Steel (which goes some way to explaining the company’s fall from grace). The prospect of helming the comedic land yacht featured in National Lampoon’s Vacation– as opposed to caning the Ferrari GTO or cruising in the Auburn Speedster– makes me slightly nauseous. He lives in a world of his own. Below is a look at the green and the numerous bunkers protecting it. We enter the museum’s workshop. That said, I have a genuine appreciation for and love of the car designer's art. Only there are no battles. IntRAnet Entrepreneur?? Thumbs up. It’s Sunday afternoon and the course is empty. Our time is so fleeting, and the entropic forces of nature so unrelenting. For Jerry Rich, somewhere out there, there’s work to be done. With a carry over water, a middle bunker and a green that is much wider than it is deep, this par 3 is Mr. Rich’s interpretation of the 12th hole at Augusta National Golf Club. Excellent story, Robert. Gold – Old Oaks – Hole 5 – 373 yards – Par 4 He’ll never buy his way out of it. The Silver Nine starts off with a dogleg left that requires a carry over a scrub area to reach the fairway. The Harvest Chaska, MN. The best advice here is hit it as far as possible. We’ve got to sell it.”. To drive a car, any car, is to commune with its essence. Nearly any hole location on this green will bring a bunker into play either long or short. Below is a photo of the plaque on the aiming tree that tells the story of how this hole got its name. Whether he is building a golf course, a business or a car collection Mr. Rich throws himself into his projects and gives 200%. . Gold – Heaven’s Beginning – Hole 1 – 407 yards – Par 4 Whether he is building a golf course, a business or a car collection Mr. Rich throws himself into his projects and gives 200%. SUGAR GROVE, IL - AUGUST 17: Jerry Rich, owner of the Rich Harvest Farms, poses with (L-R) Natalie Gulbis, Cristie Kerr,Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer of the U.S. Solheim team inside the car museum on the grounds of Rich Harvest Farms, host site of the 2009 Solheim Cup on August 17, 2009 in … there are roughly 55 members. There are still about 2,500 museum quality cars, trucks and a smattering of motorcycles, in about a number of buildings in Spanaway, Washington. Once the tour finished we headed for the 1st tee. Participate in farm fests and grow your farm. After the three friendly opening holes we come to the first brute of a hole. Jonathan Meagher manages the course as the General Manager. Especially a fellow who hoards so many he can never, and probably doesn’t intend to use them. Gold – Snead’s Crotch – Hole 3 – 352 yards – Par 4 Paul Russell, the guy who restores Ralph Lauren’s (among many others’) cars likes seeing his restorations driven and enjoyed, although he has some mixed feelings. Jonathan Meagher manages the course as the General Manager. I think the colloquial, “makes me…nauseous” is winning over “nauseates me” or “makes me nauseated.” I still think you ought to use a linking verb like feel or become if you insist on describing your physical condition as nauseous. The large tractors needed to plow, plant and harvest large tracts of acreage range from $110,000 to almost $270,000 for the latest and greatest. It was Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove. How often do you take your Ferraris for a spin? Lets get him working on world peace! Perfect for … Opinion: Jeep’s Super Bowl Ad Won’t Unite Us, Harley-Davidson Hardwires Five-Year Growth Plan, 2021 Kia Seltos S Turbo AWD Review – Routine Competence, 2020 Mercedes-Benz AMG E53 Coupe Review – A $96K Bargain, QOTD: VW Golf – Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone? . Otherwise, he responds to my questions with minimal, often monosyllabic replies. My how time flies. Rich aims his golf cart straight at the birds and chases them into flight. Regarding the “pursuit of happiness,” Scientific America: Mind had a fairly analytical and professional analysis as to why some people are happy, others aren’t and how wealth doesn’t make a difference. Young poor men collect comic books and actions dolls, store them in their orginal packaging, to look at. Here we are just 60 months later and I’m about to tee it up at the sixth and final Top 100 course in the Chi-town. To echo previous posters’ comments: good story! And here is a a look at the green. I never met either Bill Harrah or Otis Chandler. The whole production that is Rich Harvest Farms is quite amazing. It’s a big dream, maybe an impossible one; but as Robert Browning once said, “A man’s reach must exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”. Usually from what I have observed though it works out just the reverse. Below are a few Ferrari pics. One of the Top 100 U.S. golf courses is transformed into a winter wonderland every holiday season. Here we have a dogleg left par 4 that is a great place to break out a draw off the tee. This short par 5 doglegs right with a green that is protected by a water hazard. True enough, the cars should be driven. Today, there is so much hate speech concerning the automobile with it’s internal combustion motivation, that I applaud anyone who passionately preserves our automotive history in any form. Farm truck driving season is here. I worried that just being near my junky car would hurt the value of the the beauties. Wow. I have increasingly come to dislike it. I’m not a car person, but anytime you have the opportunity to see over 100 antique and exotic cars you really don’t want to miss it. The next day, we take a short trip in Rich’s rolling Rosebud: his personally restored 1961 Mercedes Benz Roadster. I’m sure there is a more sophisticated description but since this is a golf website we’re going to just keep it simple. Although the fairway looks wide open the best line is to the right of the tree tops in what appears to be the middle of the fairway. We stop to move some branches and pick-up a piece of trash. . Where I was going there didn’t appear to be much development at all. Rich Harvest Farms Auto Collection Pictures. It also is home to a beautiful auto collection. The Harvest Chaska, MN. Rich… It’s great to see that he is sharing is passion and love of the game with the next generation. As we head for the links, Rich’s mood improves. We started our game on the Silver Nine. There are a number of teeing options with the longest being a a whopping 7,735 yards. It was a real pleasure to visit Rich Harvest Farms and see the manifestation of one person’s passion and love for the game of golf. The tree dead straight out from the tee is a good aiming point. It has also started a farm machinery bank for … Here we have a mid length one shot hole. Yes, cars are machines that need to be driven. Chris Hallam, who farms … Stock markets, computers, golf courses . But what kind of guy comments on other people’s clothes? The situation(like everything), is purely psychological. (I wrote about Russell in the Nov 2000 Atlantic, and anyone who wants a copy can find it on the Atlantic website if they subscribe, or email me at [email protected], and I will email a copy). Now he has 80 cars, ranging from a 1954 Corvette to a 1932 Cadillac V16. It really is the hunt, and the pursuit of something that makes it enjoyable. ~Shrug~ to each his own. I only wish he could feel the same pleasure he once did, caning his yellow GTO through a local tunnel, letting the engine's reverberations transport him to paradise. The photo below was taken from the tee box and taking a line up the right side or middle will provide the most favorable angle for the second shot. Once I was off I-88 I made a few turns and found myself at the gate to the club. Get ready to experience the real village farm manager life. Now he has “That’s a 100 point car,” Rich says, walking past the Corvette without a moment’s pause. The Harvest is the perfect blend of the peaceful ‘country life’ yet close enough to enjoy the perks of city living. Start cultivating land and harvest different types of crops on your countryside farmland. The sad part is, my brother-in-law knows little about cars and enjoys them even less…merely feigning interest for courtesy’s sake. The club has also hosted some big amateur events such as the Western Junior and two NCAA Regionals. This hole is a tricky par 5 that has long native grass all around the fairway waiting to swallow up balls that are hit off line. Don Hastings, Jr. was born on April 15, 1929, son of Louise Brown Hastings and Donald Madison Hastings, Sr. He has a 1934 Duesenberg Town Car that looks like it is right out of old-time Hollywood. Players who choose a bold line and aim further right with their tee ball will have a longer carry to the fairway, but a shorter approach to the green. I love to see cars in great running condition, but even more than that–I love seeing them run in great running condition. At the end of Rich Harvest Links, long shadows and a gaggle of geese cover the final green. This short par 4 is best played with something less than driver off the tee for many players. Here is a view of the green and the numerous bunkers protecting it. Rich Harvest Farms stands as a monument to one man’s love of golf. motorized golf carts and caddies available It's that is an Open Air Museum with thousands of rare, antique things to look at. “It’s too far from the back door,” Rich pronounces. Rich make notes on a scorecard as he goes, detailing dozens of “issues." Five years ago when I started this quest I didn’t know a soul that lived in Chicago and wondered if I really had any chance of playing the six Top 100 courses located in the windy city. The second we get out of the car, Rich says it again. I apologize for the somewhat shaky quality but my five year old took most of these pics while her old man attempted to … He is a highly moral man with a deep appreciation for engineering excellence and a profound understanding of systems. Did Jim Rich’s departure from car collecting sour his famous father on the enterprise? Harvest has a $250 M car collection. Achingly beautiful, fiendishly spectacular, perfectly groomed, but empty. Why did you buy seven Lamborghini Countaches when you can’t fit into one? Jerry Rich needs to embrace the human condition. and then some more. From November 25 to December 31, Rich Harvest Farms will be glowing with the lights of over 40 different illuminated displays. Silver – Beauty & the Beast – Hole 7 – 523 yards – Par 5 Auto museums usually leave me cold, unmoved, for reasons others above already expressed – a static display does little to make the heart beat faster, the blood pump stronger. Next to that, a 1934 Duesenberg Town Car; a vehicle that combines Hollywood glamour and arrogant authority. Below is a photo taken from the the member tees we were playing. I was disappointed to have to go so quickly. But Rich’s 6’5” frame is relaxed. Correction: meant to write in the last post, “had the pleasure of knowing Harold Lemay” since he is indeed, sadly, deceased; perhaps trying to figure out a way to get a Dusenberg into heaven. Below is the look into the green. Mr. Rich is clearly a person who indulges and nurtures his passions in a positive way. Roger W. is drinking a RHF IPA by Three Angels Brewing at Rich Harvest Farms - Rich Harvest Links Course. When I say little club I’m not kidding . (he doesn’t keep plastic wrap on the sofas in his living room does he?) My dad is like a less wealthy version of this guy. Let me rephrase that . on-site accommodations. Silver – Devil’s Elbow – Hole 4 – 430 yards – Par 4 Mr. Rich is clearly a person who indulges and nurtures his passions in a positive way. Silver – Chance – Hole 2 – 483 yards – Par 5 And here is a look at the greenside bunkering. Rich Harvest Farms is a private golf course and country club near Sugar Grove, Illinois, about 50 miles (80 km) west of downtown Chicago.Built in 1989 and expanded in 1999, the 18-hole championship golf course is on an expansive 1,800 acres (7.3 km 2). “I met Maury through Paul Lemke, the former head golf professional at Butterfield Country Club, where I was a member,” Rich wrote. The end result is Rich Harvest Farms, Jerry Rich’s very own golf Shangri-La. As the article probably indicates, I have no more love for static automotive displays than plastic sushi. Apply to Parking Attendant, Refuse Collector, Customer Service Representative and more! Pretty cool. Below is a view of the approach shot into the green. Hello little farmer! Next year, if a late frost shrivels all the tender blooms, leaving the tree branches bare of fruit, we can fondly remember this year’s rich harvest. The further right the tee ball is hit, the more length necessary to clear the bend and have a good look at the green. Those trees are actually in line with the left side of the fairway. Trees Atlanta would like to remember Donald Madison Hastings, Jr. 1929-2013. This is the kind of unvarnished reporting that puts the TTs in TTAC, and keeps me coming back for more. “We won a lot of competitions with that car.”. An intranet is an internal computer network that uses the same technology as the Internet but is private. “Jim used to help me with the collection before he went into the restaurant business. Reportedly, Mr. Chandler, whose collection of Classics, “muscle cars,” and motorcycles was mostly disposed of last fall, got interested in American muscle because he liked to drive them. "It was the most exotic automobile ever made." Now that Mr. Rich had this golf course in what was essentially his back yard he decided to create a little club and invited a few friends to join. This interesting little short par 5 is a fun little hole. Rich aims his golf cart straight at the birds and chases them into flight. The hole doglegs sharply to the left so drives must carry far enough to have a look the green, but not so far that they run through the fairway. Both the Harrah and Chandler collections, were disposed of for the most part, through auctions. Among Movie Cars and extremely rare cars such as Ferrari, Porsche, and others I have never heard of before. Silver – Bunker Hill – Hole 6 – 394 yards – Par 4 At least, that’s how they see it. The hole doglegs to the right, so middle to left side of the fairway is the ideal spot to place the tee shot. Sweet home Chicago, what a wonderful new friendship we have. True such people may preserve them for future generations. I reminded myself that I was going to Rich Harvest FARMS and didn’t worry too much as I saw more and more farmland. 132 Valet Waste jobs available on Indeed.com. This guy’s hobby is not exactly my thing… I’d rather drive a Kia then “admire” a Ferrari from behind a velvet rope. Here is a view of the green. Harold was such a consumate collector of interesting vintage cars – he favored American iron – that when a car which seemed right for him was on the docket at any northwest (America) car collector auction, the call went out, on microphone by the auctioneer, “Where’s Harold?”. It’s no wonder he has been so … The hole moves to the right so drives that take the shortest route across the water will leave much longer approach shots than those that take the bolder line with more water to carry. Imagine a … Before we teed off J gave us a full tour of the facilities including a grand plantation style building, cabins and an indoor short game facility of epic proportions. Is there a common theme running through your collection? When the Solheim Cup was played here in 2009 the women played the course from a similar yardage of 6,670, but with an extra par 5 making the course play to a par of 73. The 18-hole Rich Harvest Links course at the Rich Harvest Farms facility in Sugar Grove, features 7,601 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. Colt (1918), Augusta, Ga. / Dr. Alister Mackenzie & Bobby Jones (1933), Pebble Beach, Calif. / Dr. Alister Mackenzie & Robert Hunter (1928), Southampton, N.Y. / William S. Flynn (1931), Pebble Beach, Calif. / Jack Neville & Douglas Grant (1919), Mamaroneck, N.Y. / A.W. Rich said his collection began in 1969 with a Mercedes Roadster 300SL. Thanks for the well written piece — I had forgotten what a great writer you are when you aren’t lambasting Lutz or wailing against Wagoner! Owner & General Manager at Rich Harvest Farms Greater Chicago Area 259 connections. The two nines at Rich Harvest Farms are called the Silver and the Gold. “I met Maury through Paul Lemke, the former head golf professional at Butterfield Country Club, where I was a member,” Rich wrote. At the end of Rich Harvest Links, long shadows and a gaggle of geese cover the final green. Players who hit the ball high and long can attempt to carry the grove of trees and really shorten their approach shot. With the exception of the bunker on the right there is not a tremendous amount of trouble here. I don’t actually fault this guy that much. The whole perfection thing with cars I really don’t get, if you can’t feel like you can go out and really run them. I saw a guy the other day driving a gently-battered and faded all-original 1941 Chevy Convertible, and it brought out so much more lust than some unusuable museum classic. It only "comes alive" and reveales itself when it's in motion, doing what its creators built it to do. As the sodium lights warm-up, I realize I’m looking at the back end of an impossibly glamorous 1932 Auburn Speedster. Rich Harvest Farms is a private 1,800 acre farm in Sugar Grove, IL that is owned by Jerry Rich. 68 yards deep to be exact!!! Company Website. Gold – Covered Bridge – Hole 9 – 485 yards – Par 5 Gold – Lake Katherine – Hole 6 – 468 yards – Par 4 Jerry Rich is the owner, president, and designer of Rich Harvest Farms, the site of the 2017 Division I Women's (May 19-24) and Men's (May 26-31) Golf Championships. That is a seriously narrow chute and a long carry from these tees. Some people have kids. I know intelligent people differ on this, but I hate seeing nauseous used instead of nauseated. Every year he tells me about the car collection. . He can’t understand why anyone would settle for anything less than perfection, like, say, a ripped pair of jeans. With a layup second shot to the right part of the fairway the water can nearly be taken out of play for the third shot. As a matter of fact, I use the cars for what they are intened – I drive them every day – only to shake the dust off, mind you. I think this is especially true for the collector mentality, where the chase to the next acquisition brings more excitement than the actual ownership once the thrill of the hunt and the victory of the “kill” is over. The longer club played from the tee the further left a play should aim in order to not run through the fairway. What’s it like to drive a Mercedes Gullwing? Formerly the Northern Intercollegiate, the Rich Harvest Farms Intercollegiate is a golf tournament hosted by Northern Illinois University Huskies Men’s Golf Team. Rich said his collection began in 1969 with a Mercedes Roadster 300SL. Family Truckster? For every Jay Leno or Rowan Atkinson who has an easygoing pleasure of using his cars, and a acute understanding of what they are for, there will be an anal-rententive Jerry Rich-guy who takes pride in perfectionism. This hole is a par 5 that plays a little downhill and has a carry over water to reach the green. Sugar Grove is roughly an hour west of downtown Chicago which makes it even a little further from my starting point in Winnetka. Enter Jerry Rich, entrepreneur-philanthropist, classic car collector and owner of Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove. The 1800 acres property originally started with just six holes that played from various tee boxes which modified the par value … this guy does it all! Urban agriculture generally refers to the cultivation, processing and distribution of agricultural products in urban and suburban settings, including things like vertical production, warehouse farms, community gardens, rooftop farms, hydroponic, … After a couple of years of play on the three holes it seemed logical to build a few more . The Silver Nine is finished off with a healthy par 4 that requires a carry over water to reach the fairway. Now he’s in personal bankruptcy. Gold – The Cottage – Hole 8 – 432 yards – Par 4 “They don’t sweat.”. . Designed by Greg Martin/Jerry Rich, the Rich Harvest Links golf course opened in 1998. I guess that’s why some people, even when they achieve what us dirt people call success, making millions or billions of dollars entreprenuring around, continue to work at something. What to Expect: Rich Harvest Farms is the brainchild self-made millionaire, golf enthusiast, car collector, and all around great guy Jerry Rich. Anyway, I admire Mr. Rich. I don’t have the dough to collect cars but the few fantasies I have about them involve driving them as a major motive. While on the subject of building things, it is worth mentioning that Mr. Rich has also created the Kids Golf Foundation of Illinois. Rich leads me to the back of the building, into a dark, vast, industrial space. Luckily for me Al had contacts at both clubs and was able to arrange a game for us. His voice is as soft as the endless sheathes of silk hiding in the corn surrounding his estate. They also get to view a subset of our stunning collection of vintage automobiles, including more than 70 cars in total. Whatever it was that Mr. Rich did with the stock market and computers he made himself a very, very wealthy man. Eastern Illinois University. I came across a copy of the July 17, 1989 issue of AutoWeek, when I was going through some things after moving, late last year, and there’s the late, one-time owner of the Los Angeles Times, on the cover, exercising a 1971 Plymouth Baracuda convertible. Silver – Burn – Hole 8 – 380 yards – Par 4 He fully deserves the success he achieved. Paul’s comment about lust for the gently battered ’41 Chevy convertible (there couldn’t have been too many of those because of the war effort) reminded me how, when I was 9 or 10, some friend of my father’s was less than admiring of the women I was ogling in a Playboy. Pine Valley, N.J. / George Crump & H.S. "Not as nice as the Roadster." Here we have a look at the green. We also had the distinct pleasure of playing this one into the wind. Each car … My brother-in-law gets the pleasure of being a guest of Mr. Rich every year…(I’m not sure about the reason – if the connection is because of his former pro golf status or his current employ at Smith Barney). After introductions, we follow his ’71 Tahoe to our accommodations. It has always seemed to me that vintage car enthusiasts, especially car collectors on the level of Bill Harrah, Otis Chandler or Harold LeMay, have what one might call “Dorian Grey disease,” wherein which they feel if the car or cars don’t age, they won’t. The security guard waved me through and I pull my tiny Toyota Yaris rental into a small parking lot loaded with Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris and exotic cars I didn’t even recognize. Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, IL | Private | Jerry Rich and Greg Martin | 7,656 yard | Avg Par 3: 224 The Harvest is the perfect blend of the peaceful ‘country life’ yet close enough to enjoy the perks of city living. ... out Rich’s 50,000-square-foot display of his car collection, regarded as one of the best in the world. The course rating is 78.0 and it has a slope rating of 151 on Bent grass. . I also am a car collector, except that I do it one at a time, sequentially, like serial monogamy.