The South Course at Eagle Ridge Golf Club opened in 1984 as the resort's original layout, designed by Roger Packard. Set in the rolling terrain of northwest Illinois near the Mississippi River, the course takes advantage of the region's distinctive topography—unusual for Illinois—with significant elevation changes and wooded hillsides characteristic of the Driftless Area that escaped glacial flattening. The routing moves through mature hardwood forests and offers views across the Galena Territory development and surrounding countryside. Packard's design incorporates the natural contours into a layout that demands accurate placement and course management. The terrain creates uneven lies and requires golfers to navigate both uphill and downhill approaches, with several holes playing along ridgelines or dropping into valleys. Water comes into play on multiple holes, and the tree-lined fairways reward strategic positioning off the tee. The course stretches over 6,800 yards from the back tees and features bentgrass fairways and greens. Eagle Ridge expanded over the years to include additional courses, making it one of the Midwest's larger golf resort complexes. The South Course remains the property's foundational layout and serves both resort guests and members. The facility has hosted regional amateur events and qualifiers, taking advantage of the challenging terrain and Packard's routing through one of Illinois's more dramatic golf landscapes.