Prairie Woods Golf Course, Avalon

Overseeing lands that include 100-year-old trees, rolling hills, and plenty of ponds, Allen and Lavonne Dorr could have been content to continue their lives as farmers and leave the part of the land that wasn't well suited for planting as their own idyllic little secret. But more than 20 years ago, they realized that the space poor for planting would work nicely as a golf course, and an idea was born. In 1995, Prairie Woods opened as a nine-hole course, adding nine more in 1997.

Today, Allen, Lavonne, and their family still have a crucial role in Prairie Woods' operation. That includes the course, of course, as well as a driving range with all-grass tees and targets up to 200 yards away, a chipping green with practice bunker and putting green, and the pro shop and restaurant for after-golf equipping and refreshing. A few fast facts:

• Par: 71
• Rating (from championship tees): 69
• Slope (from championship tees): 118
• Distance (from championship tees): 6,016 yards
• Toughest hole, according to head pro Jon Turner: the 9th, with trees aiming to mess up the tee shot, water on the right, and a dogleg right making it easy for a shot to end up out of bounds
• Grass: rye, bluegrass, and bentgrass on the tees and fairways, Penncross on the greens