Provided photo (3)/bottom left: Josh Berhow
It was a horrible walk of shame. You’ve been there too. we all have. If you dance toward the green with your wedge and putter and take your putting surface off the fairway, you will receive a penalty. When I returned to the cart a few minutes later, I realized I had forgotten my wedge at the end.
Frustrated, I muttered to myself and then took a golf jog to the green. It looked like they were in a hurry, but in reality they were only moving at a brisk walking pace. I scooped up No. 54 and looked back at the fairway, hoping to catch up with the next group. But then I remembered that there was no group behind us. Any hole. This day’s course was ours.
If you think about it, we used up all our property: house, ATV, lake, fishing, jacuzzi, skeet shooting, fitness center, bar cart. Heck, the chef was also here just for us.
Sure, you’ve probably heard about luxury resorts that have plenty of activities to keep you busy in addition to golf, but have you ever been to a resort that’s all-inclusive and where only your group is on the property? Yes, your own private resort.
Welcome to Bunker Hill Farm. A place where luxurious retreat meets blissful seclusion. The itinerary is completely up to you.
The day before teeing up, we parked in the gated driveway of Bunker Hill Farms in Woodstock, Illinois, about 90 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. An hour later, we were kicking leaves and rolling down a remote ATV trail, thinking this was one of the most fun golf trips I’ve ever had (even though I’ve never played golf before). I was thinking that it might be.
Most of your stay here begins with an ATV ride. It’s a great way to see the 450 acres and learn about its buildings and history. Plus, have you ever driven a brand new ATV? They. teeth. A. Blast.
The first stop on the trail was at the top of a man-made hill. We jumped down and climbed the stairs to reach the highest point of the grounds. Here, we learned about Bunker Hill Farm and how owner Mike Domech and his wife, Amy, purchased the property in 2005 and turned it into a family vacation spot. It has continued to evolve ever since.
Domecq acquired approximately 40,000 seedlings to replant the land and dug a lake. Today, it is home to perch, walleye, trout, and bass. The golf course was built and opened in 2010, and the 7,300 square foot lodge was completed in 2012. Three years later, the owners purchased another 250 acres and founded the nonprofit Bunker Hill Charities. In 2017, we expanded across the road and built an event venue with a spa silo, spa garden, and guest loft. They added a shooting pavilion in 2018 and a six-bedroom cottage a year later. Originally 150 acres, it is now three times that size.
For many years, Bunker Hill Farm was kept largely private, accessible by invitation only, and used primarily by celebrities and those with connections. Even people in nearby small towns barely know of its existence. However, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, organizers decided to change course and open the facility to the public. Business boomed. Today, it is used for friends’ trips, company outings, couples’ vacations, family retreats, weddings, and more. It could be anything, really, but a group recently rented it to play Dungeons & Dragons.
All proceeds go to Bunker Hill Charities, which has donated more than $2 million to more than 70 agencies in the local community. Much of that funding is generated through two annual fundraisers: Rockin’ the Hill and the Songwriters Concert. Steven Tyler, Tyler Hubbard, and Styx are just a few of the musical artists who have stayed and performed here. The walls of the two homes are covered with autographed guitars and photos of other musicians who have lived on the property.
The minimum occupancy is 8 people and there are 13 rooms. The cost is about $1,150 per person per day, and you get basically everything you want, including unlimited food and drinks, a personal chef, your own golf course, ATVs, skeet shooting, and luxurious accommodations. The best part? The only other company is the several staff members who are on hand during the day to help make your stay as comfortable and memorable as possible, from picking up forgotten items to stocking up on drinks. The result is a truly unique, customizable, all-inclusive luxury experience.
The cottage has six bedrooms, a fitness center, entertainment area, spacious outdoor seating area (and fireplace), and a screened porch larger than most apartments in New York City. The lodge across the street has 4 bedrooms, Jacuzzi, lake, beach, and golf course. No detail was spared in either house.
On our first day, we rode ATVs and had appetizers and drinks in the old open-air Binz dairy barn next to our cottage. The space is transformed into a tranquil outdoor oasis, complete with running water, plants, flowers, and hidden speakers blasting your favorite music (we chose Chris Stapleton).
This barn was also the location of our first dinner. It was a stunning four-course meal prepared by the resort’s chef, Mario Scodato.
Scordato has started his own pasta company and teaches cooking classes, but his main job is at Bunker Hill Farm, where he creates mouth-watering lunches and dinners for guests. He’s a wizard with an emphasis on local, organic, and seasonal ingredients, and you’ll miss his sweet corn risotto and boozy fruit.
The next morning (our only full day on site) we started with a light breakfast and then walked a few hundred yards to the shooting range where the experts had us take turns shooting clay pigeons and targets spread out across the range. Of course, you don’t have to do this. There’s also yoga, a spa, pontoons, paddleboarding, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, and for a little upgrade, helicopter tours and hot air balloon rides.
After a quick lunch, try some pork tenderloin! (When is that served for lunch?!) — We were shuttled to the other side of the grounds for tea time. Equipped with our predictors, we loaded up our carts with snacks, drinks, and fishing rods. Because you never know when you’ll want to cast.
Designed by Harry Vignocchi, this course is an 18-hole par 72 with a tipout of 6,700 yards. Almost hidden within the grounds, the reversible layout (they call it “unconventional”) uses eight greens, parts of the same fairway, and several tee boxes to create 18 different holes I will. One green (which will play as holes 5, 8, and 14) is protected by a water and stone facade and can be played from an island tee box. The other hole (No. 7) requires a semi-blind second shot to a green with the aiming point right next to a waterfall.
The greens are some of the purest I’ve ever played on. The number of rounds per year is less than 250, which is about the same as the daily traffic at the popular public course. There is a caretaker with a staff of approximately 6 people who manage the entire property including the course.
Freedom is intoxicating. There’s no starter or marshal telling you to pick up the pace or stop playing eight-man teams. You can play as many holes as you like. Let’s take a mulligan. lity. Skip the hole. You are the king of the course doing what you love.
After golf we stayed on that side of the property and rode the ATV again (we couldn’t get enough of it the first time because it was so much fun). Then we ate flatbread, fished, and swam to a giant rubber boat in the middle of the lake as if we were teenagers again. After a dip in the jacuzzi, Scordato prepared us a final dinner of homemade bucatini and shrimp.
That evening we smoked cigars which are available to guests. We newcomers had no idea if any of them were good — spoiler: they were — but at Bunker Hill Farm, splurging just feels right.