Food tastes better. the air smells cleaner and the grass looks greener.

Or maybe it just seems that way for those fortunate enough to win the Chicago District Golf Association's Illinois State Amateur Championship. It is, after all, the state's most coveted amateur crown.

"I would put it in the same class for Illinois golfers as the U.S. Open for guys on the PGA Tour," says 24-year-old Bloomington native Todd Mitchell, who will defend his 2002 Illinois State Am title at the acclaimed Piper Glen Golf Club in Springfield on August 11-14.

"There's just so much adreneline. People think of golf as a gentleman's game, and they don't see the emotion that goes on inside, the high and lows. At the State Am, every mistake and every birdie you make is magnified."

Magnified not only because competitors crave a piece of the old silver title trophy, but also because most are aware and appreciative of the event's rich history. They want to follow in the footsteps of Barrington-raised Gary Hallberg, who used a pair of State Am titles as a springboard to a successful PGA career, and Pekin native D.A. Points, who won the State Am three times and mow competes on the nationwide circuit of the PGA Tour.

"It was a testing ground for me," recalls the 45-year-old Hallberg. "I was very confident as a young golfer, but you don't sleep well the night before those last State Am rounds. I can remember being very nervous to see if I could pull it off."

Not all champions go on to play in the Masters and win three PGA tournaments like Hallberg. But there are other positives you'll never spot in a sports section.

"I used it as a stepping-stone for confidence in golf and life," notes 34-year-old Orland Park native Rich Dukelow, State Am champion in 2001. "It opened a lot of doors for me as far as friendships and a lot of opportunity."

The list of those who have come close only to fall short of a State Am victory is almost as noteworthy as the roll call of champions. Guys like Jay Haas, who has won nine titles on the PGA Tour, and Scott Harrington, the CDGA's 2002 Player of the Year.

Harrington, who recently finished up his senior season on the Northwestern University golf team, turned pro in June. His best finish in the State Am was seventh, and it's one thing he'd like to change about his memorable 2002 summer.

"I would have loved to have been amateur champion in Illinois. It's a great title to have," Harrington reflects. "I was always impressed with how professionally the tournament was run. That's what immediately struck me with the big electronic leaderboard.

"It's such a great quality field, and it's physically and mentally draining. Whoever wins has to be tough the last day. It was really windy and difficult last year (at Cantigny), but to be the champion you should have to be able to play and perform under the toughest circumstances."

According to Robert Markionni, executive director of the CDGA, State Am officials strive for an even playing field when they choose their State Am venues. The disparity in age of the last two winners is one testament that they are meeting this objective.

"The challenge is trying to determine the best amateur in the state," Markionni says. "We're not looking for the best putter or iron player or the person who hits the farthest. We want the golfer to have to play all the clubs in his bag.

"We also want to make it the best possible event. We look at what the USGA does with the U.S. Open, or what the WGA and PGA Tour do with the Western Open. We learn from those tournaments and try to take many of the same approaches and do a few other things ourselves."

This year marks the first time since 1995 the State Am is being held in Springfield. Piper Glen is both scenic and scintillating, sitting on almost 400 acres of rolling, forested countryside. It was built and designed nine years ago by Bob Lohmann, whose resume as an architect includes The Merit Club in Libertyville, which hosted the 2000 Women's U.S. Open.

Besides its unpredictable landscape, Piper Glen features Polecat Creek snaking up, down and around many of the fairways and greens, where tiered putting surfaces and undulations are the standard. Add in the whipping winds that are almost always prevalent, and you've got an extremely difficult test.

"Basically it's a target-type golf with a lot of holes you need to hit drivers on," says Dave Ryan, a longtime State Am competitor who lives in nearby Taylorville. "But I think an older guy can win on that course.

"Bottom line, it's whoever putts the best. The greens have some pretty good undulations in them, and there's a lot of water hazards."

According to club pro Erik Anderson, Piper Glen has a steady flow of customers flocking down from Wisconsin and up from St. Louis, especially in the early spring. With a new clubhouse and easily accesible practice range, the public course has been recognized with a 4.5 star rating from Golf Digest, which is equivalent to an A grade.

"Probably the signature hole would be no. 9," Anerson notes, explaining, "It's a double-dogleg par 5. Polecat Creek runs along the whole lefthand side of the hole and cuts right across in front of the green.

"It's a risk-and-reward situation. A good majority of the golfers have to lay up, but there are a few who try to get there in two."

For more information about Piper Glen, call toll free at 1-877-635-7326 or log on to the course's Web site at www.piperglen.com for details and a virtual tour of the course. For more information on the State Am this August, see "At A Glance," page 21.