Compact Routing Works Well at West Suburban Willow Crest

I noticed the unmistakable profile of Scottie Pippen on the putting green at Willow Crest Golf Club about 10 years ago, and I suppressed my urge to be the geeky fan asking for an autograph and kept my distance.  It turned out that his foursome (which included former Bulls player Pete Myers) was right behind mine, and I received a finger point of acknowledgement as our paths crisscrossed on the parallel 4th and 5th fairways.  I did not have any encounters with Chicago sports royalty on my most recent visit to Willow Crest last fall, but this course has enough charisma that I don't need a sighting of an NBA Hall of Famer to remember it.

One of the many Dick Nugent designs in the Chicagoland area, the compact par 70 track is pieced into a tight footprint off Cass Avenue on the grounds of the Hilton Oak Brook Hills resort.  At just over 6,400 yards, the course still features a 595 yard par 5 (#11) and four par 4's over 400 yards, plenty of distance to challenge better golfers.  Nugent courses are rarely easy, and the 71.1 rating and 132 slope from the back end of the four tee boxes is appropriate for a layout featuring water on two-thirds of the holes, 50 well placed traps and large, multi-tiered greens.

Despite the compact space, there is generally more room off the tee than expected, and the visual flow of the holes reinforces the confidence to hit driver.  A notable exception is #5, a 525 yard par five and one of the harder tee shots I encountered in 2014.  A pond fronts the tee but is not really in play, and the fairway climbs and veers slightly right with OB left and a stand of mature trees opposite near the top of the hill framing the landing area.  Any drives too far left will run into the woods beyond, and pushing right leaves a tricky side hill recovery from the trees.  Two of the other par fives, #'s 2 and 14, are

also uphill near the green, with the last 125 yards on the 523 yard 14th the steepest rise on the course.  The green sits at the top of the hill, slightly offset to the right, with the prairie tight behind and a steep drop off to the left.  The monstrous 11th is a straight line along the southern edge of the layout, with OB left and water near the well bunkered green.

Willow Crest is best defined by the 6 par three's that are equally spread between the nines.  None of them are overly long (#13 is the lengthiest at 196 yards), but they are all good, solid, fun holes.  The 3rd and 6th holes

are side by side in opposite directions, with large waste areas studded with native grasses on each, with a marshy pond fronting the wide, shallow putting surface on the latter.  The green on the 170 yard 8th hole hovers above a pond that borders the entire right side of the hole, and the 13th has water both right and left in addition to the distance to make this a tricky par.  The 18th completes the round with a rare par 3 finish, a downhill carry over water that wraps around the left and back of the green.

Nugent kept the routing varied by never having more than 2 holes of the same par together, with only the par four 9th-10th and 16th-17th holes the same back to back pars.  The 16th-17th combo are dual doglegs (left, than right) with water in play off the tee on the right on both holes.  The 425 yard 17th is 60 yards longer with a smaller pond to the left about 100 yards from the green.  The 409 yard 4th hole slopes gradually downward from the tee before plunging toward a huge, multi-tiered green.  The 9th may be the hardest par on the course, the longest par 4 at 443 yards.  The drive should favor the right side to avoid the mature trees bordering the left edge of the fairway and to provide a better angle to

reach the oversized, right to left angled green which is protected by water just off to the left. 

The netting above the fence on the 8th and 14th holes is a reminder that Willow Crest is tightly compressed around the multi-story hotel, and there is no room for a driving range so a couple of nets will have to suffice for pre-round warm up.  Although the holes are well-defined by an assortment of deciduous hardwoods and evergreens, if you're erratic off the tee like myself, you will most assuredly be playing from an adjacent fairway  sometime during the

round.  But that is not to diminish the purposeful use of the available space, as this layout flows well and successfully combines parkland and prairie links elements into an appealing mixture.

Green fees are at the higher end of the Windy City spectrum, as a weekend (Friday thru Sunday) morning tee time will run $79 (Cart included).  Weekday rates in the mid-$70's offer a little relief, though a $59 special before 9 am is enticing.  Midday discounts after 2 pm will reduce the rate by about $15, and the 4 pm twilight can be grabbed for $45 every day, fees that are in line with the nearby Oak Brook Golf Club and the other Hilton resort course at Indian Lakes in Bloomingdale.  I paid $45 near the end of last October, as reduced spring and fall rates are always available.

The near west suburban location close to Route 83 and I-88 is convenient and tends to draw a visit from me every few years, as I enjoy the fair challenge, good conditions and high fun factor the course offers.  Though you may not have the drama and big views that a hillier piece of property might provide, this is a scenic layout.  Accounting for all the pros and cons that Willow Crest presents, I recommend a trip to this sporty resort course for a round and you might just have your own chance encounter with a Chicago sports icon.

Mr Z Rating

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

Total Score - 79.75

Willow Crest Golf Club
3500 Midwest Road, Oak Brook
630-242-5700  www.oakbrookhillsresortchicago.com
4 tees 6,433 - 5,004 yds, par 70
71.1/132 - 64.5/116 rating/slope (men)
72.6/127 - 70.2/122 (women)
M-TH $59 w/cart before 9 am, $75 to 2 pm, $59 to 4 pm, $45 after 4
F-SU $79 w/c to 2 pm, $64 to 4 pm, $45 after 4
SENIORS (60) - $10 off M-F before 1 pm
JUNIORS (Under 18) - $35 walking
MILITARY - $10 off Daily before 3 pm
9 minute tee time interval