Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[Argonne69]

Fun day out at The Preserve. A little steamy, but there was a light breeze that was helping to keep the heat index in check. The course was in nice shape. Greens were somewhat slow, the usual 9. At this point I don't see fast greens until the fall when we get cooler nights. Did anybody know that there is a daily pin sheet for the course? I was griping to the ranger when I finished the round that the course need to use standard red/white/blue flag colors to indicate pin positions, and he told me that they have pin sheets available. Well, that's the first I've heard of it. 'Certainly going to come in handy in the future.

I officially hate the 9th hole now. I hit what I thought was my best drive ever on the hole today, only to find it sitting down in a strip of nasty rough just in front of the bunkers 170 yds from the center of the green. A bunker I could deal with, but this lie was so nasty I could only get a sand wedge on it and get it half way to the hole. It's bad enough that the fairway is less than twenty yards wide at the 150 marker, but why do they have to have thick rough in front of the bunkers? Ugh.

Very nice day ballstriking with 11 fairways, 12 greens, two birdies, and five bogies. Best hole of the day was the par 5 15th. With a bit of a headwind I nailed my drive down the left side, leaving 205 to the front. A fairway wood came up three yards short of the green, and a chip and a putt to the back pin location gave me my second birdie of the day.

I'm curious if anyone else thinks Maple Meadows is a harder course? I certainly think The Preserve is the nicer looking course, but other than two or three holes there doesn't seem to be as much trouble off the tee. Maybe the holes just suit my eye better.

[B-Man]

"Did anybody know that there is a daily pin sheet for the course?"

Yes. But only about half the holes have ever been correct.

[B-Man]

Oh and I only use driver probably half the time at The Preserve. 3 wood on the 1st, 6th, 7th, 9th. Long iron on 12 and 16.

[Shriner]

Yes, the 9th is just silly. I could not agree with you more on Maple Meadows being harder. You have narrower, tighter fairways at Maple Meadows with that long, wispy grass which is basically a lost ball penalty. Oak Meadows is just larger everything (fairways, greens, yardage). I have long believed the yardage really drives course ratings and slopes.

[Argonne69]

I played with a Twosome riding, and another single riding. On the front nine they were calling out distances to the flag using the cart's GPS, which apparently is programmed with the day's pin location, and they just didn't seem right. When we got to the 10th, the grounds crew was setting the pin in the back right, with the cup currently in the middle. I have to assume they were still in the process of setting pins, working their way backwards through the course. It was already 10:40 am at that point. Wha?

[AUTIGER07]

Totally agree. The long iron and 3W gets a workout off the tee at the Preserve.

[Argonne69]

I assume it's less than driver at Maple Meadows on 3, 8, 14, and 18?

 

[AUTIGER07]

I've actually never played out at Maple Meadows but from what I can see on Grint that looks likely. Maybe a driver on #8 if not into a headwind but I could also see laying back on #12 depending on the trees at the 250-275 landing zone.

[ldchristopher]

Afternoon round at Midlane today. The front is in rough shape. It's clear that the course was under water early in the season and then baked out in June. The fairways had lots of dead patches and the green were awful. Just bump after bump. The bunkers were absolute trash. The fairway bunkers were rock hard while the green side ones were a lovely mud/sand/rock mixture. The back nine was in slightly better shape, which makes sense because it's not a flood plain. The sand was still trash but the greens were much better and there were significantly less dead spots in the fairway. I played well. I had a very David Sims-esque front nine with nine pars. On the back I made a long birdie putt on 10 and had good looks inside 10 feet on 15, 16 and 18. Can't complain about a 1-over 72 but I'm not sure if I'll be back again this year.

[2Tall4Golf]

Played there Memorial Day weekend. It was in rough shape then, figured I’d give it a month to recover from the flood damage. Sounds like I’ll be staying away a while longer if not for the rest of this year.

[DavePelz4]

Played hooky yesterday and joined friends at Blackstone. Think I've played more rounds there this year than any other course in the area. The course just never disappoints. Played relatively fast, greens quick and undulating as always. If I had to criticize anything, the sand in the bunkers was very firm and I had to switch to a low bounce wedge to play shots. Four hours and 5 minutes but apparently the group behind us didn't like that pace as one of the guys in the group behind hit into me on 15, no fore, no nothing. With a white shirt on you wouldn't think there would be problems spotting someone against a green background.

Bridges of Poplar tomorrow and need to figure out where to play on Sun/Mon.

[DavePelz4]

Wow...guess we all need to play closer attention to our surroundings!

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/glencoe/ct-gln-glencoe-golf-club-car-hijacking-tl-0709-20200702-bw34juyybvdide6hvsbtugfu7a-story.html

[MountainKing]

 

I'll agree with the MM assessment. There's a lot more scoring chances at the Preserve, and a lot more holes where you can be a little wild and still in play. They do a good job of making some of the fairways look tight but when you get out there they're huge. The 9th being the exception, one of my least favorite holes in the Chicagoland, I have yet to post better than a double on that hole, gonna just play it as a 3 shot hole next time.

[Argonne69]

I saw that. 'Seems like an odd place for a car jacking. It's basically a dead end with a narrow street exiting into a residential neighborhood. Not that thieves are that smart, but one would think that access to a busy street and/or highway would be a better target.

 

[Argonne69]

First visit to Green Garden's Blue course today, my 180th Chicagoland course played. It's an OK layout, but nowhere near as good as the Gold course. The Blue course does have a number of long par 4's, so it's no pushover. The greens are fairly benign, except for the severely sloped 18th, so three putts are rare if one gets the speed right. As with most courses I play, it could use more fairway bunkering. Conditions were very good. Greens were rolling the typical 9, but a few seemed a little faster. Pace was typical for a holiday weekend, 4:30. Our group waited on every single shot.

A bit of a struggle with the driver today, with only 6 fairways. I think I ran out of gas after a hot, tiring week, and the waiting didn't help. Only 10 greens, but four scrambles helped the cause. 'Just one birdie on the day.

Taking the weekend off, and I'll probably hit River Pointe early next week.

[Eagleman]

Played Ravines at Cog Hill today. It was my first time playing that course and it is a fun layout. Greens were a lot slower then the practice green so it took a couple holes to adjust. I’ve been struggling this year with my driver and playing a tree lined course does not help. Pace was the worst I’ve dealt with all year. The gps on the cart said we were 40 minutes behind. Group in front of us did not have anyone in front of them and never waited on us so we could play through. Rangers were nowhere to be found. But, I got to play golf today so it really wasn’t that bad

 

ANYONE NEEDING A 4TH for tomorrow or Sunday let me know!!! Hoping to get another round in this weekend!

[chrisf60526]

Driver on 3 at MM is a mistake. Even if you are a long hitter, its tight. The threesome I played with the other day, 2 guys hit driver and sliced it into the junk on the right. I (lefty) crushed a 3 wood but pushed it right. It rolled down the hill into the junk. When we got out to the fairway, we all agreed a iron or light hybrid into the center of the fairway and easy shot in to the green (which two of us hit) was the right play.

[ldchristopher]

Nice morning round today at Brighton Dale Links: Blue Spruce. The course is in much better shape than what we saw at Midlane the other day, though on holes where the trees create a canopy over the tee box (such as #3), there's no reason to water those areas as much as they do. It just creates standing water and spongy turf. Why courses end up with self-inflicted extra maintenance costs I'll never understand. Anyway, the greens were smooth and running at their usual 8.5 or 9. The sand in the bunkers was packed really tight and was pretty damp. However, it was really easy to get up and down from those lies and I had plenty of practice today since my iron game was a tad off. We had the third tee time of the day but got stuck behind a twosome in a cart. They hit some shots, especially off the tee, that really tested the laws of physics. Laser beams off the heel that went straight left. Toe shots that were cued straight right. Banana slices that were on the far side of the other fairway. And lots of standing over the ball and checking the distance with their range finder, because...reasons? Never once did they even consider letting us play through. Still managed a birdie-free 77.

[Argonne69]

I forgot to mention this yesterday. It's not an issue that is exclusive to Green Garden, because I've already experienced it at a number of area courses. What part of contactless payment don't these courses understand? Walk into the pro shop, and I have to hand my credit card to the staff person. No chip reader outside the glass. Then pick up the communal pen and sign the paper copy. FFS, it's 2020. We've had chips in the credit cards for years now. Why are we still signing paper receipts? I then get handed another paper copy for the starter. Of course the starter is not happy with me showing him the copy. Nope, I have to hand it to him so he can inspect it, and then he hands it back to me. As far as I can see he has no hand sanitizer in his cart, so god only knows how many people I've not been put in contact with that morning.

GG was also the first course that didn't have pool noodles in the cups. Did that change with phase 4?

 

[TheBear95]

We played Green Garden (the Gold course) on 6/20 and they still had the pool noodle in the cups. So, I guess it is a Phase 4 thing. Although, I haven't seen that anywhere else (in IL) though.

Honestly, I love the pool noodle. I started putting last year with the flag-stick in anyway, so I was used to that. And, the pool noodle definitely makes it easier to fish out the ball. I'm lazy, lol.

The fact that you still have to go into the pro-shop to pay is aggravating. I felt that way prior to COVID. The pandemic only adds to the frustration.

[TheBear95]

Has anyone played ThunderHawk recently? Thinking about playing it next week, but the last couple of times I've played there the greens have been disappointing.

I honestly don't get it. I go play Countryside and the greens while a touch slower, are much smoother and roll extremely well. ThunderHawk, it's bump city. That definitely shouldn't be the case.

Thanks in advance.

[Apindara]

Agree about Countryside greens! They are amazingly clean And true with all the traffic they get. Congrats to the greens keeper for making that happen. We have played Thunderhawk from the beginning and their greens were always less than average. Disappointing since they charge a premium for a forest preserve course.

[Apindara]

Played Highlands of Elgin yesterday. Anyone know when the 2nd fairway is going to get fixed. It is really a big hot mess right now.

[TheBear95]

I think the Lake Co. Forest Preserve needs to think hard about making a superintendent trade between Countryside and ThunderHawk. Given the difference in rates, its somewhat embarrassing that the greens are nicer at Countryside.

[geochitown]

4 weeks ago I played Thunderhawk and the greens were in good shape then.

However, I'm guessing with the humiidty lately and the extended high temps and humidity this week, the greens will be suffering.

I played Pine Meadow on Thursday and the greens were a bit bumpy, and they were rolling a bit slow, but improving on the back nine.

Course itself was in fine shape.

[Holy Moses]

Cantigny yesterday, Blackstone today. Good service at Cantigny and I like the layout, but the conditioning is not as good as Blackstone’s. For as large of a practice facility as it is, Cantigny should have target greens on their range too. Lots of weeds in the rough and some areas not taken care of. Blackstone is in as perfect condition as I’ve seen. Greens smooth, firm, and fast. Hole three got to me again. I try to hit a high bomb right at or over the trees in the fairway, but I pushed my drive and it hit the crap straight away. Then I compounded the hole by hitting my approach above the hole which is a big no-no.

[jimwgt26]

I just got caught up on the thread.

I’m sorry to disagree Arg, but no way Maple Meadows is harder than the PreserveI. I do like Maple and play once in a while. Imo: 6, 8, 12, 15 and 16 are tough and the rest is fairly easy

Preserve 9 is a challenging hole. I’m undecided if it’s the the stupid category like Stonewall 18. I layup short of the trap and try to leave 180 to 200 in.

[@_the_crook]

the paper slip/signature combo is against the rules of credit card processors and violates the merchant agreement.

current security measures prevent the merchant from capturing the customers credit card number. you should make a call and report them for using 'flimsies'

[Holy Moses]

The slope and ratings aren’t close either. The Preserve is at least a few strokes harder.

[Shriner]

Naperbrook yesterday. I probably came in with unrealistic expectations given how much of a treat Prairie Bluff was. Just completely different levels of conditioning, not really comparable. That being said, course was nice, some variety of holes. Some weird outcroppings of penalty areas like on 3rd tee shot. Pet peeve of mine is when tee boxes are not level, it is hard to convince yourself that you have a bad lie on the tee...lol. I would play it again, as it was fun, good value and pace of play was great.