Things to Do in Wheaton

Mature timbers and ponds surround the emerald corridors of Salt Creek Golf Club's executive course as the layout weaves across 3,985 yards of well-maintained terrain. Throughout the par 63 layout, nine par 3s nurture players' relationships with their mid- and short-irons, and nine par 4s—including a 381-yarder that measures as the course's longest hole—ensure that drivers and 3-woods don’t file negligence suits. The course presents memorable shots in its scaled-down layout, such as the harrowing approach into an island green that awaits at the Blue Course's eighth hole. After the round, duffers can retire to the Grill Room, where waiters serve savory sandwiches, burgers, and salads and pour sudsy libations. Guests can recap their rounds in the Grill Room's indoor diner with seven TVs, enjoy breezes on the open-air patio, or attempt to turn their golf bags into makeshift sleeping bags.

LPGA Class A member Rachel Teresi chips away at learning blocks and corrects crooked swings during private lessons and group classes at four Chicagoland golf facilities. Rachel's swing tutorials emphasizes sound fundamentals designed to enhance all areas of one’s game, including driving, pitching, chipping, and shouting at opponents during critical shots. When they aren’t honing the focus and discipline necessary to excel at the mental aspects of golf, students learn important techniques for fitting clubs and maximizing the efficiency of their training. In addition to her work with students, Rachel has contributed to the overall advancement of the game by developing the downloadable iPhone app GolfPro911, which assists with shot selection and offers advice on wooing feral golf carts into sand traps.

Candy-coated shades of pink, lime, and turquoise coax mini mavens into Glamour Girlz, a kids' makeover mecca perched on the upper level of Northbrook Court. Under the supervision of friendly staff, glittery accessories gild little pigtails, earlobes, wrists, and fingers, and mini makeup kits gloss cheeks and lips with color without the need to melt crayons in an Easy-Bake oven. Divas can opt for one-on-one pampering during an individual makeover package, or invite friends for a full-blown party with photo shoots, dress-up sessions, and mock paparazzi interviews about revelers' favorite limo colors.

Marengo Ridge Golf Club, which began as a modest nine-hole course, endured a 25-year gap before taking full advantage of the surrounding landscape’s diverse terrain and expanding into a sprawling 18-hole course. Course architect William James Spear broke ground on the front nine in 1963, designating a large, renovated cow barn as the first clubhouse and cleaving nine holes through densely wooded hills. This layout proved sufficient until a late ‘80s spike in the local caddy population—and business boom—made the addition of a back nine desirable. Construction began in 1988 and, two years later, a new nine-hole track opened for play, presenting golfers with a profound shift in scenery, as this layout was built on an expanse of open farmland. The old clubhouse lasted for three more years, but the awkward location and argyle-wearing cattle called for the construction of a new clubhouse to match the new 18-hole golf club.

Today, golfers enjoy the diverse layout of the 18-hole course from the first hole, the longest par 4 on the course, to the last, a par 5 severe dogleg right. Water enters play on nine holes, including on the first six, creating the potential for an extending water break for thirsty golf carts.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,654 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 72.5 from the back tees
• Course slope of 129 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

Elmhurst Park District's Courts Plus gathers exercisers of all ages to its facility that boasts 60 fitness classes per week, an indoor climbing wall, and experienced personal trainers. From aquatics to martial arts, Courts Plus's troupe of trainers help their members and guests hone lean physiques, and a large gym boasts 70 pieces of cardio equipment, 38 strength-training machines, and impressively accurate mirrors. Youth programs abound as well, including summer camps, junior tennis lessons, and a strength-training program customized for ages 6–15.

Breezes drift east off the Fox River and through the tree lines of Pottawatomie Golf Course, a spectacular layout recognized by Golf World as the No. 15 nine-hole course in America in 2010. The course traces its roots back to 1939, when legendary course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. capitalized on the area's natural splendor to design a course that originally charged golfers a quarter to play and was best conquered by clubs made from stale baguettes.

Recently, the par 35 course has been the subject of a vigorous renovation, including efforts to reshape greens and preserve native habitats for the deer, foxes, and egrets that populate the grounds. These conservation efforts were rewarded in 1997, when Pottawatomie Golf Course became the first nine-hole course recognized as a fully certified sanctuary by Audubon International.

The course's picturesque conditions are on full display at the par-four third hole, where a curving fairway vanishes into the river and golfers must launch approach shots onto a water-surrounded green. After a day of fore-hollering fun, golfers can peruse the pro shop for the latest gear and clubs to replace irons that ran away to chase dreams of one day growing into a cell-phone tower.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
• Nine-hole, par 35 course
• Length of 3,007 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 34.9 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 122 from the farthest tees
• Bent-grass greens, blue-grass fairways
• Scorecard