The Lakes of Boulder Ridge

The Lakes of Boulder Ridge is a retirement-focused neighborhood within the prestigious Boulder Ridge Country Club in Lake in the Hills, Illinois — a private golf community in southern McHenry County about 50 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. Built by Plote Homes between 2004 and 2022, the community will include 242 homes at completion, with a mix of attached ranch and two-story villas (the ranches are typically called villas, the two-story models townhomes), plus a handful of detached single-family homes. A signature feature of the layout is that there are only two units per building, so every residence is an end-unit — a rare configuration in attached-home neighborhoods that adds privacy and natural light. Homes generally range from about 1,710 to 4,729 square feet, with most villas in the 2,000–4,000 sq ft range offering 2–3 bedrooms, 2–3 bathrooms, two-car garages, and full basements (many finished, many walk-outs). A small but charming on-site lake gives a subset of homes waterfront views, and golf-course lots along the fairways are among the most sought-after positions in the neighborhood. The Lakes sits just outside the main gated entrance to Boulder Ridge Country Club, a private, non-equity 27-hole championship golf and social club. The course winds through the West Nine section of a layout designed by Masters and U.S. Open winner Fuzzy Zoeller together with Lohmann Golf Design, and the community actually threads through that section of the course. Country club membership is optional and tiered — residents choose the level that matches their interests (golf, social, or dining) and pay a monthly fee for access. The 65,000-square-foot clubhouse anchors the social life with meeting rooms, dining rooms staffed by an award-winning chef, locker rooms, an aerobics studio, and a full fitness center with personal training (including golf-specific flexibility and strength programs). An outdoor patio overlooks the pool and tennis complex, which also includes a playground so visiting grandkids have somewhere to burn energy. Programming skews toward the wellness and social side: yoga, Pilates, step and slide aerobics, adult water aerobics supervised by licensed trainers, plus golf, tennis, and a Women's League. The HOA runs a modest $167–$197 per month and covers lawn maintenance, snow removal, and common-area upkeep — a big draw for residents who want to lock and leave or simply not deal with Illinois winters. While the community is primarily marketed as a 55+ retirement neighborhood and sits comfortably within the retirement-lifestyle category, age-restriction enforcement appears flexible; several directories list it as all-ages, so buyers should confirm current policy with the association. Location is another strong card: the community is minutes from Huntley, Algonquin, and Crystal Lake, close to the shopping and dining along the Randall Road corridor, adjacent to Exner Marsh Conservation Area for trails and cross-country skiing, and roughly 40 minutes from O'Hare International Airport via I-90, making day trips into Chicago or travel beyond both easy.