Kane County residents will have a chance to see one of the great golf courses in the world as well as some of the best college golfers in the country this weekend as Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove plays host to the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf regional.

There is no fee to attend.

Rich Harvest Farms, “Home of the Northern Illinois University Huskies” and site of the 2009 Solheim Cup, will be hosting the Sugar Grove Regional on Thursday, May 15, through Saturday, May 17, 2014. The regional will be the second held at the course, which is consistently ranked in the Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.

”Student-athletes playing at Rich Harvest Farms will be in for a great experience,” said Donnie Wagner, associate director with the NCAA. “We are expecting a highly competitive 2014 Division I Men’s Golf Championship, and having an outstanding course like Rich Harvest Farms to play on adds to the overall championship experience for those participating.”

The regional will feature 75 student-athletes from the top universities in the country. The universities participating in the Sugar Grove Regional were announced live on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive on Monday, May 5. The following teams will be traveling to Rich Harvest Farms this weekend:

1. Cal
2. Illinois
3. USC
4. Alabama- Birmingham
5. UNLV
6. Clemson
7. Kent State

Individuals:

1. Niall Platt, Notre Dame
2. Chris O’Neill, Michigan
3. Danny Pizetoski, Richmond

Each university will have a team of five players and an additional five individual players will compete as well. Each day will consist of 18 holes; Thursday and Friday tee times start at 8 a.m. and Saturday tee times start at 7:30 a.m. The top five teams and the low individual will then advance to the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships at Prairie Dunes Country Club (Hutchinson, KS) the following week.

“We are so excited to have a great cross section of teams from around the country come to the Home of the Huskies, Rich Harvest Farms, to compete for a chance to advance to the NCAA Championships!” said Tom Porten, Northern Illinois University (NIU) Director of Golf/Head Men’s Golf Coach. “The student athlete experience will be very unique for all the participants — coaches and spectators alike.”

NIU previously played host to the 2007 NCAA Central Regional at Rich Harvest Farms, and the course was the site of the 2003 and 2012 Mid-American Conference Men’s Golf Championships, and annually hosts NIU’s Northern Intercollegiate tournament.

Rich Harvest Farms President Jerry Rich is an NIU alumnus.

“For the past decade, we have had a strong partnership with NIU in trying to bring championship tournaments to Rich Harvest in an effort to grow the game, and are extremely pleased that our hard work paid off,” Rich said. “We are very excited to have the NCAA returning to the ‘Home of the Huskies’ and look forward to hosting a great event!”

Rich Harvest Farms is encouraging the local community to attend, particularly high school golf teams and local youth groups.

For more information about the NCAA Sugar Grove Regional, please visit www.richharvestfarms.com or contact Vicky McGowan, Sugar Grove Regional Tournament Director, at 630-466-7610. Additional NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships information is available at www.NCAA.com.

Editor’s Note: Do you have a big event coming up in Kane County? Share your information with Kane County Connects by emailing ricknagel23@gmail.com.