#1 Course at St. Andrews Worth a Trip to the Western 'Burbs

The Jemsek family has long been champions for first class public golf in the Windy City area.  Best known for the 72 hole Cog Hill complex and the famed Dubsdread course in southwest suburban Lemont, the Jemsek's also have a significant presence in the western suburbs with the 36 hole St. Andrews facility in West Chicago.

The two courses at St. Andrews date back to the late 1920's, and thousands of mature hardwoods line the fairways on these

prototypical parkland layouts along Route 59.  It wasn't crowded on the sun soaked midweek afternoon near the end of summer, so I had my choice of either the St. Andrews (#1) or Joe Jemsek (#2) courses.  I preferred to walk and the cordial clubhouse attendant suggested the less hilly #1 course as the better option.  I was paired with a St. Andrews regular and the local knowledge was invaluable as this was my first round on #1 (I played the #2 course over 20 years ago).

The par 71 course stretches to a hearty 6,900 yards with a 71.8 rating / 124 slope, way too much course for my 20 handicap skills, so I choose the 6,400 yard White tees and found the course a bit more difficult than the 70.2 / 120 suggests.  Water hazards are not a major obstacle to par as only the 1st, 4th, 13th and 18th holes feature ponds, but the tree lined fairways, 50 well placed bunkers and the oversized, sloping greens offer plenty of obstacles for the average golfer, and enough challenge to keep the single digit handicaps interested.  Ten of the eleven par 4's are over 400 yards, and the 2nd (448), 6th (447), 11th (454) and 16th (445) are tournament worthy length, and St. Andrews plays host to a fair share of high school and college competitions.

The shortest par four at only 351 yards, the opening hole is a scenic dogleg left from an elevated tee, with water hidden left behind the trees and also at the bottom of the fairway to the right, with large willows along the bank that impeded my swing as my sliced tee shot barely avoided the hazard.  I hit my best drive of the day on the long 2nd hole and my 3 wood rolled onto the green from 200 yards away, but I walked away with a sloppy 3 putt bogey from 15 feet, and the huge greens presented a headache most of the day.  (The 2nd and 14th greens stretch a full 50 yards from front to back.) 

The 4th hole is a slight dogleg right and my well struck tee shot went through the fairway and disappeared into the stand of large pine trees at the left edge, though I did avoid the well positioned pond to the right of the green (and a second penalty).  The next hole is a more pronounced bend in the opposite direction, with large traps flanking both sides of the fairway, and a 15 foot one putt provided my only par on the front side.

The short (485 yards) par five 8th hole is just slightly longer than some of the par fours here and the best chance for birdie, but the

two tiered green is severe and the pin is elusive when located on the upper shelf behind the bunker.  I reached the front of the green in regulation, but my birdie putt up the slope drifted left and I walked off the green with a second three putt bogey.  I duplicated that unenviable feat on the 9th, an uphill par four.  A large tree guards the left side of the green, and make sure to enjoy the view from behind the flag as it's one of the best on the course.

The final nine starts with another short par five at just over 500 yards, and the fescue covered mounds near the green are one of the

few areas where native grasses are present on the course.  I reached my third straight green in regulation and finally two putted for a standard par, but the other par five on the back derailed my round.  The 14th hole is the longest at the #1 course at 531 yards (501 from the White tees), with a drive through a narrow opening in the trees near the tee, and my erratic driver picked a bad time to appear as my drive sailed left into the woods.  The misadventure finally ended with a 2 putt on the huge, sloping green for a triple bogey, my only major hiccup on the nearly 3,600 yard back nine.

The 173 yard 15th hole is the shortest of the four par 3's, but I thought it was the best as two "Dubsdread" deep traps surround the green.  The round ends with 400+ yard par fours, with the 16th and 18th holes both doglegs right.  The 16th fairway narrows at the turn and keeping the drive in the fairway is a challenge, and the 18th curls around a lake and up to a smallish green, a solid end to this classic parkland layout.

St. Andrews has a large, full service clubhouse with an old world feel and one of the most extensive practice facilities in the

Windy City area.  The green fees top out in the mid-$50's weekdays and mid-$60's weekends, an appropriate price for a course that lives up to the Jemsek standard of quality conditions and service, and reduced rates begin early in the afternoon (I paid $31 at 1 pm for my weekday walking round). 

The tee times are nicely spaced at 9 minute intervals, but my playing partner shared that the pace can approach 5 hours on busy weekends.  We zipped through the round in 3-1/2 hours and I was dog tired after

briskly walking the 18 holes, and my next visit I may opt for one of the GPS equipped carts.  But it's the little amenities like plenty of rakes in the bunkers and the complementary full color yardage books that completed a fun day at this history rich west suburban facility.  With nary a home in sight, this is a pure golf experience, and I'm looking forward to returning to play the #2 course in the near future.

Mr Z Rating

Layout (20%) - 8
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 8.5
Aesthetics (15%) - 7.5
Amenities (10%) - 9
Value (20%) - 8.5

Total Score - 82

St. Andrews Golf Club
2241 Route 59, West Chicago
630-231-3100   www.standrewsgc.com
4 tees, 6,920 / 5,116 yds, par 71
71.8/124 - 67.0/112 rating/slope (men)
76.0/129 - 68.7/114 (women)
M-F $25.50/39 to 8 am, $41/54.50 to 1 pm, $30.75/44.25 to 3 pm, $23/34.50 to 6 pm, $15.50/27 after 6
Sa-Su $49/65.50 to Noon, $39/51.50 to 3 pm, $28/40.50 to 5 pm, $17/29.50 after 5
Srs (62) $21.50/35 to 3 pm, $21.50/33 after 3 M-F; 
Jrs (18 & Under) "Pay your age" M-F, $24.50 Noon-3 pm, $20.50 after 3 Sa-Su
Driving Range Onsite
10 minute tee time intervals