Since Mark Klausner took over the ownership of Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa seven years ago the facility has taken on an exciting fresh new look. That’s especially true this year.
“We continue to expand our horizons,’’ said Klausner, a resident of the Eagle Ridge area for 25 years.
“We’re re-inventing ourselves all the time,’’ said Colin Sanderson, the resort’s director of sales and marketing. “Since 2019 we’ve taken the profits and put it all back into the resort and we’ve been building partnerships within the area.’’
Already the resort has added the Smokehouse Barbecue to its dining options and celebrated a rare double honor for its 63-hole golf complex.
Coming soon will be a unique new package combining fishing with the golf. Details haven’t been announced yet, but the new package is a no-brainer. The golf has always been extensive, and fishermen have found great success in Lake Galena. The tiger muskies are biting, and one angler recently caught one that measured within an inch of the Illinois record.
Klausner remains especially proud of the Stonedrift Spa, which has been a big hit since its opening a year ago. The barbecue was a natural, too, as the Smokehouse – the brainchild of general manager Steve Geisz, a smoker enthusiast – fills a need for the entire area. Barbecue restaurants have been a rarity there, and the Smokehouse opened a month ago.
Eagle Ridge has added barbecuing at the Highland Restaurant, which adjoins The General golf course. Sun sails are also being added to the Highland to provide comfort for outdoor diners.
As for the golf, Scott Szbowicz was hired in the spring to revamp the instruction program. He’s been operating as a roving instructor in the Chicago area but has taken residence in the Galena area and will have an increasing presence at the resort.
The golf operation also got a big boost when the raters at GolfWeek magazine judged both Eagle Ridge’s oldest and youngest courses in the top 15 in Illinois. The General, an Andy North and Roger Packard design that opened in 1997, was ranked No. 7 and the North Course, which opened on July 4, 1977, was ranked No. 15. More