A common perception about 9 hole golf courses is that they are often a place for beginners to learn the game. Anyone thinking this about Pottawatomie Golf Course in St. Charles will be in for a rude awakening, as this 3,000 yard, par 35 course is far from a pushover. Pottawatomie was originally designed by famed architect Robert Trent Jones Sr on a beautiful piece of land on the east bank of the Fox River, which comes into play in some form on four of the holes. The fairways are tree lined and rolling and the bunkers are deep, high lipped hazards that would fit nicely at any of the upscale courses in the Windy City area.
The first hole, the only par 5, is a perfect example of what is to follow, a sweeping dogleg right with 2 traps at the far side of the fairway that will swallow any drives hit through, then slightly downhill to a large, well protected, left to right sloping green. Both the par 3's, #'s 4 and 7, have water prominently in play, with the 4th hole parallel to the Fox, and the 7th nearly 200 yards with a carry off the tee over an inlet of the river. But it is the hole next to #7 that grabs the attention at Pottawatomie. The 3rd hole is a short par 4, with a sharp turn left about 225 yards out, and an intimidating approach over the inlet to a (near) island green, a feature that I would never expect to find at a 9 hole park district layout.
The five other par 4's are all worthy holes, with the 5th hole a tough drive from the tips with big trees tight left near the tee (Pottawatomie has 3 sets of tees nicely spaced about 250 yards apart). The 6th offers an impressive scene from the elevated tee with the river in the background, and the water from the inlet creeps near the green, with a bird's eye view of the classic bridge across the water. The 9th hole is a difficult finish, 420 yards with OB left and an elevated green with deep bunkers carved into the side of the hill. (I counted 28 sand traps at Pottawatomie, quite a number for a 9 hole course.)
The footprint for Pottawatomie is on the small side (only 42 acres), and there are a few tight spots, especially where the 3rd green, 6th green and 7th tee intersect (make sure you check for golfers on the 3rd tee before heading to the 7th hole), but overall the layout is a masterful use of the available space. A major renovation was completed in 2006 to improve conditions and return to the original Jones Sr. design, and although I may be old, I'm not THAT old, so I'll take their word that it was a success.
The top rate at Pottawatomie is $19 to walk (add $9 for a gas cart), which is inexpensive for a layout that was rated as the 15th best 9 hole course in the country by Golf World magazine. Because there may be some golfers who are not aware of the difficulty factor here (69.8 rating / 122 slope from the back tees), play can be a little slow (our recent round on a Sunday afternoon took 2 and a half hours), but that's OK, just relax and enjoy the surroundings, this Audubon certified course is gorgeous. So make the drive to the far west 'burbs and check out a historic slice of Windy City golf at Pottawatomie.
Mr Z Rating
Layout (20%) - 8
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 8.5
Aesthetics (15%) - 9
Amenities (10%) - 7
Value (20%) - 9
Total Score - 83.25
Pottawatomie Golf Course
845 N. Second Ave, St. Charles
630-584-8356
3 tees, 3,007 / 2,517 yds, par 35
69.8/122 - 67.4/116 rating / slope
M-F $14/23 before 6 am, $17/26 to twilight, $14 walking twilight
Sa-Su $15/24 before 6 am, $19/28 to twilight, $15 walking twilight
Juniors (17 & Under) / Seniors (60) $14/23 M-F
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