Old Orchard CC - Mount Prospect

The minute I stepped onto the grounds at Old Orchard Country Club in Mt. Prospect, I felt like I was transported back to a time when wooden shaft clubs were still popular and 300 yard drives were unthinkable.  This classic parkland course, founded in 1932, is old school all the way with tight, tree lined fairways and a retro clubhouse that the north suburban version of Rob & Laura Petrie might have had Friday night dinner (and tickets to the now closed theatre housed in the basement) back in 1962.

Old Orchard plays to a par 70 and at just under 6,200 yards from the back tees may be short by modern standards, but anyone who thinks this course is a pushover will be seriously wrong, as fast and subtly tricky greens, numerous well placed water hazards and the mature trees provide plenty of challenge, as indicated by the 70.5 rating / 134 slope.  (I played the 5,800 yard middle tees and struggled with the 130 slope,)  Water carries are demanded to varying degrees on 8 holes, so if you have trouble getting your shots airborn, you will be in for a long day.
The 1st two holes are fairly benign par 4's (although #2 has a blind tee shot with a magnificient willow blocking the right side towards the green), but the par 3 3rd hole begins a string where 7 of the next 8 holes features water in play.  My round took a tumble on the dogleg left 413 yard 4th (only 1 of 3 par fours over 400 yards), with a significant water carry off the tee and a second pond hidden by a mound to the left on the 2nd shot (3 lost balls later and my chance at a good score disappeared).  The 8th hole, the shortest par 4 on the front at 350 yards, requires an approach over a pond that curls around to the right of the green, and the two par 5's (#'s 6 and 9),

although  moderate in length at 506 and 519 yards, are both perilous, especially the dogleg right 9th, as 2 water hazards (one large one left and two smaller to the right) on the way to the elevated green has the potential to throw another high score on the card.                                                    The back 9 is about 350 yards and 2 strokes less than the front, but is just as, if not more, challenging.  The only par 5, #15, has a 50 yard long water hazard right in the middle of the fairway 175 yards from ther green, so a weak drive will have you laying up and trying to reach the green in regulation with a long iron / fairway wood.  But I thought  the hardest hole coming in was #13, the longest par 4 at 444 yards, with the water hazard pinching the fairway from both sides at 100 yards from

the green.  The hole I'll most remember, however, is #16, not overly long (387 yards), but one of the tightest driving holes on a course full of tight tee shots, with a narrow green perched above a gnarled waste area with a pond below, so totally different from any other hole on the course that you can't help but remember it.  This hole, combined with the par three 17th (200+ yards over wetlands), elevated Old Orchard past average status for me.

Old Orchard inhabits a very tight footprint, and the holes in the center of the golf course feel a bit cramped in spots (the 8th/13th and 9th/12th tee boxes are in close proximity to one another) and will remind you that you're at a municipal course surrounded by bustling suburbia between Route 83, Euclid and Rand Road.  The holes at the north and west end (1,2,5,6,15-18) are more spread out and feature several elevated tees and greens and a few patches of prairie grass for variety.
I was told by a reliable source (head pro Doug Brazeau) that they had not aerated
the greens the last 5 years, and it appears to work here as the putting surfaces were consistently fast and smooth (especially for a late April Chicago afternoon), and the well maintained traps and fairways and features like the classic stone bridge near the 4th hole will bring me back again.  The top rate w/cart hovers in the upper $70's, but Old Orchard uses "dynamic pricing", meaning they'll offer discounts on open tee times as the date approaches.  So even though I had one of my worst scores in awhile, I still enjoyed my round and regard Old Orchard as a viable option in the crowded north side golfing scene.

Mr Z Rating

Layout (20%) - 7.5
Playability (20%) - 7.5
Conditioning (15%) - 8.5
Aesthetics (15%) - 8
Amenities (10%) - 7
Value (20%) - 7.5

Total Score - 76.75

Old Orchard Country Club

700 West Rand Road, Mt. Prospect
847-255-2025
6,187/5,346 yds par 70, 70.5/134 - 68.8/130
Green Fees - M-Th $68 w/cart, F-Su $78 w/c
Srs (65) $59 w/c M-Th, $48 Sa-Su after 4 pm
Resident and Online Discounts Available
Driving Range on site, GPS (modified)
9 minute tee time interval