Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[stasek]

Let’s not forget about Big Run. If all of these rumors are true (wouldn’t shock me), golf scene around Lemont will be drastically drastically different in the not too distant future.

[mci711]

There is a TPC rumor about cog hill as well. I'd say Big Run should just be let go of and turned into houses because it is awful. But, I never play there and if it closes players that frequent there may take tee times at other courses actually worth playing that I may be at - so hopefully it stays open.

[propman]

A friend of mine who is well connected mentioned last summer that Big Run had been sold. I'll see if I can get more info,

Big Run is a course that I play maybe twice a year (max). It usually bruises my ego more than any other course I have ever played.

Very unigue course for Chicago area,

 

 

[Argonne69]

I finally got a chance to play Palatine Hills, one of the few courses in the area that makes it difficult for a single to get a tee time. Anyway, I was somewhat impressed with the terrain. It's a nice, rolling piece of property. I thought there was a good mix of holes. Nothing really stood out, but there were no real bad holes, either. My biggest beef is that I feel the course could use more fairway bunkering. Conditions were very good except for the 18th fairway that sits in the low part of the property. The dried out turf was still recovering from being underwater. Otherwise the fairways were fine. The rough was cut to a nice height, although there were a few place where the ball would sit down, making it tough to find. Bunkers were playable. Green looked and rolled great. Probably the fastest greens I've played since May 1st, rolling a good 10, and maybe pushing 11. Many holes seemed to be cut in some odd spots. It was rare to have one on a flat area. Pace of play was a real mixed bag. My group teed off behind a number of foursomes in single carts. While it wasn't horrendous, we did wait on every single shot on the front nine. 'Not sure what was holding things up, but we managed to make the turn in 2:15. Thankfully the groups were only playing nine holes. We made it around the back in 1:30, and didn't run into a group until the 18th tee. I have no idea how many groups called it quits after nine holes, but it sure appears there was a real slowdown somewhere.

Decent round ballstriking. A few blocked tee shots on the front, but managed to get it together on the back. Unfortunately I could never get comfortable on the greens, and only managed one birdie on the day.

Can't say I'd rush to get back out there, but it's not a bad course for the locals. Definitely worth the $31 to walk.

[cpeck12]

Not Chicago, but I'll be playing Hawkshead Links in South Haven, MI Friday morning. Weather looks gorgeous, and it's always a fun course.

[ssp]

I have to give kudos to St Andrews. They do a great job with conditions with their price point and amount of play.

[Argonne69]

Against my better judgement, I booked George Dunne on Friday morning for $28. Hopefully it's not a death march. If it is, I won't feel bad walking off the course after nine holes at that price.

Maple Meadows tomorrow for $25.20. With winds forecast to be 20 to 30 mph, I don't feel like paying top dollar to get my butt whipped.

[Jazzmastafish]

I wouldn't call it a conditioning issue. That's just how they are. CCC greens have had that yellowish hue to them for a couple seasons, but they always roll true and they get downright fiery mid summer. Def want to stay below the hole, especially on 5. Water might make it look better to your eye, but then they wouldn't play firm and fast, would they? It's funny, last time I was there, I was telling my buddy I thought the greens had character and I liked the way they looked like a yellow-green Crayola and play firm and fast, instead of that over-watered green all too typical around here. Maybe I've been listening to too much Andy Johnson, aka The Fried Egg... But hey different strokes for different folks...

If you're looking for certain shades of green, Ravisloe is around the corner, but they never get the green speeds super quick, because their greens are more severe.

Now it's certainly possible to have a bright green and firm and fast, I did grow up caddying at Bev, but with the shoestring budget Calumet has been under for a while now, ain't gonna happen there.

[tmw1582]

-Played Dubs last Saturday and I thought it was in great shape even though the greens were a bit on the slow end. Played with a member at the fair price of $87. I think the bad rep it gets is based on it's price. If that was a $100 track I think many people would rave about it.

-Playing Harborside Port on Saturday morning. I little pricey as well but I always enjoy my rounds there.

-On the challenging holes of Chicagoland let me add a vote for Cantigny Woodside #2. 521 from the blues with a very tight fairway. You pretty much need to hit driver because of the length, but you are tree-lined to the left and OB to the right. If you have a good drive you have to make the decision to layup in that little island area, or go for the green which has the creek in front. Last time I played I had a perfect drive to just under 300 yards. I then hit a perfect shot right at the pin with my TM GAPR 3 iron. I usually get about 230-240 out of that. The shot was so good that the ranger who was swapping carts with a guy in my group said, "looks like someone is not working enough in the office during quarantine. That is too good of a shot." We get up to the green and I'm in the creek, bogey... Such a tough hole.

-Now a question, if anyone is still reading. What is the trick to getting a decent tee time at the Preserve on the weekends? Do they reserve some tee times in peak season for residents? When I go to book I'm labeled as a public golfer. Does that matter? On Monday night I was looking to get a foursome out in the 6am or 7am timeframes on Saturday and there was nothing for a foursome. I love the course but I have not been able to get a time there this summer.

[geochitown]

saturday mornings are booked with permanent tee times at the preserve

 

id call

 

 

[Gdane]

I ran into the same thing at the beginning of the week, and called the pro shop yesterday. I'm fairly certain they limit their public tee time reservations to 7 days in advance, and when I checked for a Sunday time after they came available didn't see anything before 10am. Turns out they have a solid block of permanent times on weekend mornings. The idea of that isn't new to me, but surprised that the Preserve has their completely booked solid for weekend mornings.

[mci711]

Dubs isn't a $100 course in the Chicago area though. Other courses around the $100 price point - Harborside, Seven Bridges, Bolingbrook, Cantigny, Stonewall etc. Dubs is way better than all of those, Cantigny being the only one relatively in the conversation. $150 is more than fair in my opinion for a top 60 (yes, overrated) golf digest ranked, historic, and past PGA host course.

[tmw1582]

And that's fair. I really enjoyed my round there and you could tell that it is a course that could host tournament. I think you are right that it is a better than those mentioned when conditioning is up to par. Although I might enjoy Cantigny a little more.

[tmw1582]

Thanks. I figured it had to be something like that. I guess that will be a once year outing only course.

[Drew_G]

First off, I'm a big fan of firm and fast! I don't need green to enjoy a round of golf, that's for sure. The Calumet greens did roll smooth and true as I stated, it's just that they were yellow.

I had the week off last week and played golf 8 days in a row and the CCC greens were the ONLY thing I saw like that. I also played Ravisloe last week, three days prior to Calumet right down the street, and Rav was lush and beautiful with smooth and fairly fast greens. And then less than a mile (?) away the CCC greens are yellow? That IS a conditioning issue. Considering people were claiming those greens to be slow in early May, I'm guessing something happened there in the last month to create your crayola effect. Lots of rain. Then suddenly hotter and humid. Then they get cut and rolled. Limited maintenance staff possibly? The one greenskeeper guy that realizes its a simple nitrogen deficiency got laid off? That could all lead to yellower than normal greens. It could also mean they "spring back" quicker, color-wise.

At any rate, it's a nice course, especially the remaining Ross holes. And the pin was in the back on 5 so staying below the hole there wasn't an issue!

[AUTIGER07]

Got out to Prairie View for the first time this morning. Overall I was extremely impressed with the course and thought that it was a steal for ~$30 with a cart. The course was in great shape from tee to green but the greens really started to firm up during the later holes. #18 in particular I hit a 52* in for my 2nd shot and the ball rolled out 35-40 feet after hitting the green. Can't remember the last time I saw that happen on a green in Illinois.

I ended up with a 76 from the black tees and overall was pleased with the score but the round was a bit of a mess / jekyll & hyde. Played the front 9 in 36 with 3 birdies but shot 40 on the back with 18 putts. Just couldn't make anything coming home. The greens getting significantly faster over the last 5-6 holes really played mind games on me and had me second guessing everything from 10 footers to 40 footers.

I'll definitely head back out there in the future and would recommend playing out there for anyone who hasn't. It's a great track.

 

Nice shot of #14 after a perfect tee shot left me in prime position to pull-hook my 58* into the left bunker.

[Argonne69]

It turned out to be a very nice day at Maple Meadows. The forecast for 20+ mph winds didn't pan out. Instead they were probably 10 to 15 mph. The lower humidity was also welcomed. The course was in great shape, much nicer than a month ago when it was waterlogged. Greens were rolling 9 to 10. Pace was 3:55. 'No complaints.

A bit of hit or miss on the front nine. Nice fairway wood out of the right fairway bunker on the long par 4 6th to pin high, allowing me to salvage a par. I really do not like the par 5 8th, as the landing area is ~25 yds wide with a penalty area left, and the PA (pond) right. Adding insult to injury, if you put one in the right PA you wind up dropping on the side of the hill. One of these days I'm going to wise up and lay up off the tee. The back nine was another story, with three birdies, including the long par 3 13th playing 195 into the wind, and the long par 4 15th playing 430 downwind. First birdie on the 15th for me.

[TheBear95]

PrairieView is excellent. Combine it with Aldeen in Rockford and that's a great day of golf. And, you're not going to beat the value. Well worth the drive.

[NJgolfer11]

HELLO MY CHICAGO FRIENDS!

 

GO CUBS!

[Shriner]

Agreed Argonne, the tee shot on the 8th is silly. You have to give golfers a landing area and it doesn't exist. Otherwise a really nice course for the money.

[coachgp]

Is Ravisloe doing an unlimited summer solstice event this year? Haven't seen anything

[DavePelz4]

Took the afternoon off yesterday and played Prairie Bluff. The course was in very good condition and playing fast no doubt to the 20+ MPH winds that were pervasive throughout the day. #7 at 431 yards uphill and into the wind was everything anyone could handle. Not embarrassed to say I didn't get home in 2 and had a 40 yard pitch into the green. Putting down wind was touch the ball and pray.

Our group is back there tomorrow and hopefully the forecast with much lower wind speeds holds true.

[Argonne69]

I'm beginning to run out of adjectives to describe the weather lately. Dandy? It was a fine day at George Dunne. Tee to green the course was in nice shape. The fairways are beginning to brown in spots, but it was playing OK. They had a few sprinklers going, which I thought odd given the late morning time. Don't you usually do that at dawn? The greens looked like they were still healing from aeration. In mid-June? What's with that? The holes weren't huge, but they were affecting the roll. The rough was manageable. The bunkers were absolute trash. Didn't GD completely redo the bunkers a few years back? It's sad to see them in such garbage shape. This wasn't your typical lack of grooming level of bad. I'm talking weeds growing in the middle of many of them. When did they let the left fairway bunker on #16 grow in? The hole plays much different with all that room on the left now. The pace was nice for a change. We made the turn in 2 hours, and the back took another 2:15. Given that I've had rounds of 5:30 and 5:45 in recent years, I'll gladly take it.

One of the best ballstriking days in recent memory, twelve fairways and 15 greens. The driver is simply working. 'Hit a great drive on the 4th, but it rolled through the fairway 2 ft in front of leftmost bunker. Only bad swing was on the par 4 15th where I got a bit too greedy trying to fade it close to the right side, and I caught a tree branch. Luckily the ball came to rest under the trees, but I was forced to punch out. Unfortunately I didn't capitalize on the driving, and only made one birdie all day.

[TheBear95]

Played Dunne last fall and that bunker area on #16 was beginning to transition over. I agree, that without the bunker, that hole really opens up. But, that's better than an unplayable area. I think that bunker "was under repair" for at least five years, lol.

[chisag]

 

... Thanks for the heads up. I probably play Prairie Bluff 50 times a season. I have NEVER seen the greens this fast. I almost want them to keep them this fast but when the wind blows 25-30+ it would be a problem. But dam it was nice rolling the ball on them today. Winds started off mild and it was heavenly, but by the back 9 they really picked up and the last 4 holes a cold front blew in and it was unpleasant without a jacket.

[taylorx300]

Has anyone played Aurora CC? heading there on Sunday.

[cpeck12]

Gorgeous day today after getting out of the Chicago area. Perfect morning for golf at Hawkshead Links in South Haven, MI. Course was in amazing shape and can’t wait to play it again.

[Symphonize]

Also left Illinois for 54 holes of golf, played Coyote Crossing In West Lafayette IN Thursday afternoon. Love that course, but didn’t have a great experience. 2 of us teed off at 4:00, finished the front 9 around 5:30, and right before we were getting ready to head off to the back 9, and league or event headed out for a shotgun start on the back 9. So we had to play the front 9 again. Would have been nice if they told us that, maybe could have squeezed on the back 9 first, I love that back 9.

 

Then yesterday played both Purdue courses, our 3 was the first group off at Kampen at 7:40. When we called the day before, they said they would be there at the range at 7. So we got there at 6:45, chipped and putted around, only to find out the range wouldn’t open until 8. Kinda a bummer. But the course was great as always. I couldn’t hit a putt to save my life, hit nothing outside of 4 feet.

Afternoon round at Ackerman was enjoyable as well, got my one birdie for the weekend (average about 1 birdie every 2-3 rounds as an 18 index), and was on fire on the greens, converting many 4-8 footers, which was great for the bingo-bango-bongo game we had going.

[Holy Moses]

Is St Andrews’ grass range open?

[ldchristopher]

Bear and I played Browns Lake and Oak Grove today. Browns Lake was great. For a sub-6400 yard par 72 it’s got some teeth and the small greens make sharp iron play necessary. Every course is in excellent shape right now with the weather we’ve had and Browns was no exception. It took me a while to get going (waking up at 4:15 probably didn’t help) and I botched some holes on the front but got in a nice groove once we made the turn. I had a lot of birdie looks and made none. So it goes. We walked it in two-and-a-half hours. 77.

Oak Grove was playing really fast and firm tee to green but the greens were a touch slower than usual. The bunkers were atrocious and just looked like a great place to damage wedges. The rocks in the sand at Oak Grove seem to get bigger every year. We played behind four Boomers who played molasses slow. Did they ever let us play through? Of course not. Why be considerate? I drove the ball well and my iron play was decent. I finally dropped a birdie putt on 9 and had some other par saves. The stupidest hole in Chicagoland (is Harvard really Chicagoland?) got even stupider. They let the reeds get really high on 11 so it looks like it requires much more to carry the marsh. Other than that and the 4:20 pace, enjoyable round. 76.