I checked off 9 of the 13 tracks on my "Courses to Play" list, missing out on Mistwood, Willow Crest, Deerfield and Shepherd's Crook, but I did get to ThunderHawk and Schaumburg, two superb facilities left over from the 2012 list. Here are the 10 that delivered the best total golf experiences from 2013:
Village Links of Glen Ellyn - One of the courses that I look forward to playing each year, the Village Links is a beautiful parkland layout with the just the right spacing to make it great for walkers. I grabbed 3 friends and we took advantage of the $100 Happy Hour special, and $25 each to walk the Village links on a pleasant Sunday afternoon in early May was the best bargain of 2013. The new clubhouse and driving range only adds to the overall excellent experience.
Orchard Valley (Aurora) - An old favorite that I hadn't visited for several years, this Ken Kavanaugh design uses imaginative and extensive bunkering and the lake that runs through the property to wondrous effect. Rumors of substandard conditions were not apparent on my visit Memorial Day weekend.
Golf Club of Illinois (Algonquin) - An early prairie links style track in northwest suburbia was considerably softened by the removal of acres of fescue, but there is still plenty of challenge at this par 71 layout. Possibly the best greens I played in 2013, the under $60 green fees and 10 minute tee time intervals are major pluses.Schaumburg GC - It took me 2 summers to play all 27 holes at SGC, but the wait was worth it, as the three nines (Players, Tournament, Baer) are equally appealing, and the course is hillier than one would guess from the entrance on Roselle Road. 10 minute playing intervals plus a 55 and over senior rate are added bonuses.
Seven Bridges (Woodridge) - Few courses in the Windy City rival the scenery at this high end parkland course, and the 74.6 / 144 rating / slope from the tips makes this a supreme challenge. The reduced spring and fall rates are the ideal time to play and avoid the $100+ green fees (we paid $47 in October on a Saturday afternoon with the age 55 senior discount).
Harborside Port (Chicago) - Wind swept links on the shore of Lake Calumet in south Chicago costs a pretty penny ($100+ with the city amusement tax) but the final 3 holes along the water are truly amazing. The starter told us we're as close to Scotland as you'll find in metro Chicago, and he might just be correct. Spring and fall savings have been instituted since Billy Casper golf took over management, softening the blow on the pocketbook.
Hilldale (Hoffman Estates) - The only 18 hole Windy City track with RTJ Sr's name attached, this par 71 layout is on the short side (6,400 yds) by modern standards, but has plenty of chops with mature trees, rolling hills and quick, sloping greens. Extremely reasonable green fees added to 10 minute tee times help negate a few rough edges and the subdivision routing.
Prairie Isle (Prairie Grove) - Over shadowed by its more acclaimed neighbors in Cary (Chalet Hills and Foxford Hills), Prairie Isle was a major surprise as the elevated tees and tight, tree lined fairways provides an aesthetically pleasing and very playable course. The 12th and 13th holes at the far end of the property that run up and over a ridge are beauties. Take advantage of the $27 walk / $44 ride weekday rate.
Special mention goes to Stonebridge CC in Aurora, which I was invited to play back in July. One time home to the LPGA and Senior tours, Stonebridge is a modern prairie / parkland hybrid designed by Tom Fazio, and I had a thoroughly enjoyable time (except for the 5 putts I took on the crazily sloped 8th green), and it would definitely be in my top 10 list if open to the public.
********************
Although I've never professed to be an expert on golf course design, I know when a hole is aesthetically appealing and strikes the right balance between fairness and challenge. I'm sure that other golfers, if given the same group to pick from, may choose a completely different list, but here are my favorite 18 out of the 486 holes I played locally last year, the ones that made the biggest impression on me in 2013:Par 5's
ThunderHawk 16th Hole 578 yards - The tee shot is slightly uphill through mature trees, but it's what you see at the top of the ridge that's amazing, as the prairie laden mounds to the left and the lake to the right, with the wide green tucked behind the water and the woods in the background, provides a spectacular view.
Wedgewood 2nd Hole 563 yards - The tee shot is innocent enough with only water far off to the left, but a turn to the right exposes stands of mature trees bordering both sides of the slightly downhill fairway, with the back to front sloping green blocked by several particularly large hardwoods on the left.
Hilldale 2nd Hole 550 yards - From the tee tucked back in the woods, the fairway moves to the right and away from the first pond, then shifts slightly left as the second pond comes into play the last 125 yards. The view from the elevated 3rd tee overlooking this hole is special.
Par 4's
Village Links of Glen Ellyn 14th Hole 429 yards - Inspiring view off the tee with a huge beach style bunker bordering the pond on the right and 2 more traps at the base of the mounds on the left, with the fairway climbing to an elusive, narrow green.
Golf Club of Illinois 12th Hole 393 yards - This hole follows the signature 678 yard monster at GCI, but I enjoyed it so much more. A pond lurks off to the left, but it's the bunkers built into a side hill on the far edge of the water that adds to the visual interest and challenge. Thick woods border the OB to the right, and the green is severely tiered with prairie in all directions.
Prairie Isle 13th Hole 408 yards - The drive needs to travel 250 yards to reach the top of a steep hill, then it's up and over down to the green. Dramatic hole at the far edge of a very nice layout was a stunning surprise.Pottawatomie 9th hole 420 yards - Plantings enhance the tee area with OB left, with a turn left the last 100 yards to an elevated green with traps studded liberally into the hill below. A fitting end to an excellent 9 hole track.
Naperbrook 13th Hole 406 yards - A stand of old growth trees guard the right side, and the green teeters on the edge of a pond that stretches back 100 yards on the left. Two humps on the right half makes for several treacherous pin placements on the huge putting surface.
Bonnie Brook 11th hole 306 yards - An excellent short par 4 that might be reachable from the elevated tee, but the water that crosses halfway out and widens up the left side, the large fairway trap 75 yards short of the green on the right, and the 3 additional traps greenside adequately protects par.
Seven Bridges 14th Hole 427 yards - The DuPage River plays havoc on the back nine at Seven Bridges, and it's the main feature on 14, as it flows straight through the dogleg. The option to play over the river off the tee is available, but a forecaddie would be advisable to help find your ball. The green sports an unusual front to back slope.
Inwood 15th Hole 396 yards - This dogleg left par 4 stood out on my first tour of this Joliet Park District course. Water crosses the fairway twice, the 2nd time about 75 yards short of the elevated green. Woods on the left will block the approach if you're not positioned properly off the tee. Two big traps flank each side of the putting surface on this very good hole.
Par 3's
ThunderHawk 17th Hole 182 yards - The tee box is hidden back in the woods, with the large green to the left of the lake shared with the par five 16th. Prairie and wildflower covered hills provide a gorgeous and hazardous backdrop. These were the 2 best consecutive holes I played in 2013.
Ruffled Feathers 3rd Hole 193 yards - Pete Dye became famous by pushing the limits of golf course architecture, and the 3rd hole at Ruffled Feathers (his only design in the Windy City area) fits this model as the green seems to disappear into the water hazard. If your ball somehow manages to find the strip of land between the two, be careful not to fall in the pond.
Gleneagles (Red) 16th Hole 166 yards - The 16th hole was updated a number of years ago at this 90 year old facility in Lemont. The wide, shallow green is perched atop a plateau above the water hazard, with thick rough and the woods tight behind, a difficult target to find, especially when into the westerly breeze.
Total "Course" - 7,043 yards Par 72
********************
A main part of the experience of a day on the course for me is the recap after the round, a chance to share a drink, some food and a few laughs with your playing partners. I always try to find a local establishment to top off the day and experience some of the flavor of the area. Here are my favorite after golf stops from last year:The Shanty - Wadsworth (after ThunderHawk) - Rustic roadside diner is known for its seafood, but the burgers were stellar, too. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and a number of other local shows, this was the perfect finish to a great round (aesthetically, not score wise) at ThunderHawk. www.theshantyrestaurant.com
Alfie's Inn - Glen Ellyn (after Village Links) - Famous for their burgers and ribs, though I'm partial to the lean corned beef on the regal Reuben sandwich at this legendary west suburban eatery. www.alfiesinn.com
Quonset Pizza - Waukegan (after Bonnie Brook) - Being housed in an old quonset hut is totally unique, and the food was pretty good, too. Didn't have time for a pizza, but the Meatball sandwich was quite tasty. The 50's diners motif definitely harkens back to a bygone era. www.quonsetpizza.com
Ed & Joe's - Tinley Park (after Odyssey) - Located on Oak Park Avenue in old Tinley Park, this old school pizza parlor features excellent pies, sandwiches and salads in a comfortable setting just a few miles north of the Odyssey. www.ednjoes.com
Kief's Reef - McHenry (after Prairie Isle) - Eclectic restaurant & bar on the Fox River has good food and a cool vibe, and is a haven for motorcyclists in the summer. Just down the street from Prairie Isle on Route 176... https://www.facebook.com/kiefs.reef
Cousin Tony's backyard in Elgin (after Wing Park) - Hand crafted burgers on the grill can't be beat! Unfortunately, not open to the public...
********************
I'm all about the "deal", and as I previously mentioned, the $25 I paid to walk the Village Links of Glen Ellyn was my best of 2013. Here are some of the other bargains I uncovered last year:$30.50 w/cart at the Golf Club of Illinois on a Sunday afternoon in September using a 2 for 1 special with the Chicago Golf Pass
$35 w/cart at Schaumburg GC, booked on their website as an early bird special on the Friday morning of the 4th of July weekend
$30 w/cart at Hilldale on a Monday in August at noon (regular rate)
$19 w/cart at Lincoln Oaks on a weekday afternoon as part of a special offered at the Tinley Golf Expo (but the rates are always reasonable here)
$27 w/cart at the Sanctuary, weekend afternoon fall rate
$33 w/cart at Bonnie Brook, weekend afternoon online fall special
********************
On the very next hole, the chip shot of one of my playing partners from the edge of the green was a bit off line and struck my ball, which was about 7 feet from the pin...and ricocheted it right into the cup! Can't recall ever seeing that happen before, but it was a totally unusual and appropriate ending to an amazing golf year on the public links of the Windy City!
No comments:
Post a Comment