DYE-ABOLICAL DESIGN DETAILS DEFINES RUFFLED FEATHERS

Pete Dye was famously quoted as saying "Golf is not a fair game, so why build a course fair", and you can expect rare and unusual challenges from Dye designs that will amaze and frustrate in equal measure.  The TPC courses at PGA West and Sawgrass and the Ocean course at Kiawah Island are three acclaimed Dye creations that come to mind that have bedeviled the greatest golfers in the world.

The Indiana born Dye has his name and edgy imprint on hundreds of courses globally, including enough top shelf tracks in his birth state to populate the Pete Dye Golf Trail, but his presence in neighboring Illinois and Chicagoland is minimal.  The only Dye signature course in the Windy City area is Ruffled Feathers, a family collaboration with his son P.B., which opened in 1991.

The course winds through a sub-division of the same name, an upscale neighborhood down the street from Cog Hill in golf rich Lemont.  The center section of the layout features the nicely appointed clubhouse, driving range and 9 holes.  #'s 5 thru 8 are north across a neighborhood street, while 12 thru 16 are south of Derby Road, with access underneath the street and a good distance from the 11th green and 17th tee.  Water and wetlands are in play on over half the holes and I counted 90+ bunkers of every shape and size imaginable scattered throughout the 6,900 yard, par 72 layout.

In true Dye style, Ruffled Feathers is both an exhilarating and exasperating challenge.  The Copper tees have a steep 74.1 rating / 142 slope, and the 6,400 yard Green and 6,000 yard Gold tees feature a 137 and 133 slope, respectively.  Holes like the long par five 4th and par four 5th holes highlight some of the features that the Dye's use to amp up the degree of difficulty.  The 578 yard 4th has a pond bordering the length of the landing area off the tee to the left, with 3 large sidehill fairway traps in play on the 2nd shot.  The

green is one of the longest I can recall playing, a narrow sliver of a putting surface that is an elusive target with a high level of three putt potential once you get there.

The fairway on the 467 yard 5th tumbles through a phalanx of million dollar homes, and the green rises slightly with a steep drop on the right.  A ribbon of sand at the base wraps around the back and right sides, with a pond lurking just beyond the bunker, a fitting #1 handicap hole.

Highlights on the back nine include the par four 14th and par five 15th holes.  The 14th tee is the highest point on the property as the fairway unravels below, with water in play on the approach to the green.  The tee box on the short (510 yards) 15th is set back and surrounded by wetlands with less room on the left than it appears as the hazard angles away.  The 2nd shot is best played to the left as the fairway takes a sharp right turn and the green is tucked behind a stand of mature trees and a creek, a typically treacherous Dye hole.

Each nine ends with similar 460 yard long par 4's. The holes run parallel back to the clubhouse, with woods bordering the outside of each.  A small pond left of the 18th green is the major difference, but both are difficult and fitting finishes.

Dye courses always push the design envelope, and there is a mixed bag of success at Ruffled Feathers. The signature near-island green on the par three 11th hole and the split fairway on the par five 6th work well, but others like the impossibly tiny landing area over the wetlands on the short par four 16th and the back tees on the par five 13th requiring a drive over a neighborhood street just didn't feel right.  Sub-division layouts have built-in challenges, and the residences on the dogleg left 7th and 12th holes felt a little tight to the bends for this 20 handicapper.

That said, there is enough variety and scenic eye candy here to provide an interesting round.  The prime green fees are hefty at just under $100, which is less than previous years (I remember as high as $125 in the past), and this may reflect the original private club aura and Dye signature than the actual current quality of the course.  I usually play Ruffled Feathers in the reduced rate spring or fall, and an occasional summer online deal may unveil itself in the $50 range, which fits nicely into my golf budget.  Plus, the chance to play the rare Pete Dye creation in the Windy City is always a draw and worth the visit.

Mr Z Rating

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

Total Score - 77.5

RUFFLED FEATHERS GOLF CLUB

1 Pete Dye Drive, Lemont 630-257-1000
www.ruffledfeathersgc.com
4 tees - 6,898 - 5,273 yds par 72
74.1/142 - 70.1/133 slope/rating (men)
75.7/138 - 71.6/129 (women)
M-TH $79 w/cart to 3 pm, $59 w/cart after 3
F-SU $95 w/c to Noon, $79 w/c to 3 pm, $59 w/c after 3
8-1/2 Minute TeeTime Intervals SA-SU, 7-1/2 Minute M-F
Driving Range on site