I've had a long relationship with the Glenwoodie Golf Course. My Uncle Charlie, an avid golfer back in the day, took me there several times when I was in high school some forty years ago, and I've always made it a point to head to Glenwood every so often for a round at this old south suburban classic.
Glenwoodie dates back to 1926 and was at one time part of the Jemsek family portfolio of Chicagoland courses. It's currently owned and operated by the Village of Glenwood, and on my visit this summer, it was readily apparent that the Village is committed to the long-term viability of the facility. A sparkling new clubhouse greeted me as I entered off State Street, and the recently purchased fleet of electric carts with basic GPS were a welcome addition.
The par 72 layout has plenty of length, stretching to 6,900 yards from the back set of 4 tees. My foursome decided to play the 6,500 yard Blue tees, but after a difficult double-triple-triple-triple start, I was thinking the 6,000 yard White tees would have been a better choice. The first hole is a straight forward (though long at 422 yards) par four, but a small pond guarding the greens on the 398 yard 2nd and 184 yard 3rd will test your shot-making skills. The par five 4th hole is one of the tighter drives at Glenwoodie, as dense woods left are just a few paces off the fairway, and the trees pinch the approach 100 yards from the green. I struggled early with the oversized, sloping putting surfaces with a trio of three putts, but back to back one putt pars on #'s 5 (164 yard par 3) and 6 (353 yard par 4) settled me down and restored my confidence.
The last third of the front nine (a 542 yard par 5 and two medium length par 4's) are all good opportunities for par or better, a great way to gather some momentum for the 200 yards longer and much more difficult back side. The defining feature at Glenwoodie is a creek that lies at the bottom of a ravine that winds through the 11th, 12th, 16th and 17th holes at the far north end of the property. At a robust 475 yards from the tips, the par four 16th is often cited as one of the hardest holes in the Windy City area. A long drive to the end of the fairway would be ideal to have a chance to carry the creek and reach the green on the second shot, but the tiny, back to front sloping putting surface perched at the top of the hill is an elusive target to reach in regulation with a fairway wood or long iron.
The 11th is 60 yards shorter and the fairway extends into the ravine should your ball roll down the hill, and the mid to short iron approach will be aimed at a similarly sized and elevated green as the 16th. The par three 12th is the shortest hole at only 139 yards, but the tee shot through a narrow opening in the trees to the sloping, raised green presents more challenge than expected. The other par three, #14, is the exact opposite, a lengthy 221 yards with a pond bordering the entire right side. The 10th hole is a pro worthy 480 yard par 4 (and still a hefty 455 yards from the Blue tees). I don't have the game to reach this hole in two, but a nice chip shot and a 10 footer in the middle of the cup was the first of four pars on the back nine, as I surprisingly scored seven less than the front. A pulled drive to the left and a couple of shots bounced around in the trees on the last hole, a 542 yard par five, led to an 8, the main blemish on one of my better nines of the year.
Glenwoodie lies on a narrow strip of land in a largely undeveloped area south of downtown Glenwood, and with the exception of the 3rd and the short par four 8th and 17th, every hole runs due north/south. The more dramatic back nine has the memorable holes, but the close proximity of the 11th and 16th greens, with the 12th tee sandwiched in between, is a hair too close for comfort. The 5th green and the 6th tee are also in an uncomfortable location next to the 4th fairway, as most golfers will tend to bail right to avoid the OB on the parallel par five, but the balance of the course is spaced appropriately.
Glenwoodie recently initiated 10 minute tee time intervals to improve the pace of play, and we completed our Saturday afternoon round in an acceptable 4 hours 15 minutes. The green fees top out at just over $50, and we paid a discounted $40 with cart. The overall conditions were good, though some of the greens still showed signs of damage from the harsh winter. Combine little amenities like laminated scorecards and pencils with erasers to the new clubhouse and carts, and the course has an upscale feel that was largely missing before. Throw all the pluses and minuses into the golfing blender, and the result is an updated classic that is worth a visit for south side golfers.
Mr Z Rating
Layout (20%) - 7
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 7.5
Aesthetics (15%) - 7
Amenities (10%) - 8
Value (20%) - 9
Total Score - 77.75
Glenwoodie Golf Course
19301 State Street, Glenwood
708-758-1212 www.glenwoodiegolf.com
4 tees, 6,902 / 5,378 yds, par 72
71.6/125 - 68.3/117 rating/slope (men)
73.9/128 - 69.4/118 (women)
M-F $26 walk / $40 ride to 1 pm, $21/33 to 5 pm, $23 w/c after 5
SA-SU $42/55 to 11 am, $35/45 to 3 pm, $27/36 to 5 pm, $25 w/c after 5
SENIORS (55) $22/33 to 1 pm, $19/29 after 1 pm M-F
Driving Range Onsite
10 minute tee time intervals
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