AUDUBON LABEL CAPTURES APTLY NAMED CRANE'S LANDING

The northern suburbs of Chicagoland is a treasure trove of public golfing, as it is near impossible to drive more than a few miles without coming across a good layout worth playing.  Ideally located at the busy southeast corner of Half Day Road and Milwaukee Avenue resides the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, well known for the highly acclaimed musical theater, but also home to a very nice golf course. 

Crane's Landing has a pedigree as a design delivered by famed architect George

Fazio.  The course opened in 1975 and sits on a modest 110 acre site, but the 6,300 yard distance fits comfortably on the available space and is a respectable length for a par 70 layout.  Water comes into play on every hole except #'s 1 & 17, with two ponds prominently featured on each nine and the Des Plaines River bordering the east edge. 

Scoring early is key to carding a good round at Crane's Landing.  The first nine occupies the north end of the property and is a full 400 yards shorter than the back half to the south, and the rating / slope difference

between the nines (34.3 / 127 vs 36.8 / 133) confirms the difficulty gap.  Only the 403 yard 8th hole crosses the 400 yard par four threshold on the front side (4 others are under 340 yards), while holes 10, 11, 13 and 18 are all between a stiff 420 to 452 yards from the tips.  Higher handicappers like myself are much better served by teeing off from the 5,949 yard White tees, which still carries a challenging 69.6 rating /127 slope. 

This is a mature layout with hundreds

of assorted hardwoods and evergreens, and though there are certainly some tight driving holes (1, 5 and 14 stood out), there is enough room on most of the others that are receptive to a driver.  However, accuracy trumps length here, as wayward shots will likely find a watery grave.  Sand traps average a modest two per hole, with the cluster of fairway bunkers on the right side of the #1 handicap 10th (452 yard par four) an exception, but several elevated greens with steep sides more than compensates for the modest greenside bunkering. 

The highlight stretch for me was the 14th thru 16th holes.  This trio is tucked away at the far end of the course and forms a triangle around a pond, surrounded by thick woods and offering a serene escape from the rest of the course.  The 379 yard 14th is a perilous tee shot between the pond right and the river left, with native grasses close to the green.  The 15th is the shortest par 4 at only 302 with the pond again to the right and the forest left, while the 16th is the longest par 3 at 215 yards with a trap tight to the green right and a majestic tree blocking any left to right shaped shots.

Crane's Landing is an Audubon Certified Sanctuary, a designation for golf courses that provide enhanced natural areas and wildlife habitats, and it is not uncommon to see a namesake crane or other water fowl near one of the ponds or wetlands.  The course offers some of the little bells and whistles that are appreciated by patrons, including bent grass fairways and electric carts equipped with full GPS, and the conditions of the fairways, greens and bunkers were in uniformly good condition. Other unique touches like the old freight car transformed into a covered bridge to access the 14th tee adds to the cool factor.  

The posted weekend (Friday - Sunday) morning rate is $75, including cart, which is about the going rate for courses in the pricier northern 'burbs, and twilight kicks in at 2:30 with rates dropping to $45 ($10 less to walk), and the 4:30 super twilight falls to $25 walk / $30 ride.  Weekday rates are $65 with similar twilight as weekends, and resort guests and Lincolnshire residents receive an additional discount.  As with many other Chicagoland golf facilities, check online for the best rates,

as I uncovered a bargain $50 greens fee early on a Saturday on the Crane's landing website, and the ideally spaced 10 minute tee time intervals had us completing the round in under 4 hours, a major accomplishment on a weekend morning. 

Though the flat topography may not lend itself to any "wow" holes that you'll remember long after the round is over, there are many good ones that as a whole makes for a very good play.  If you need a nice weekend getaway without travelling too far, a nice dinner and a night at the theater followed by a round of golf at Crane's Landing is not a bad choice.

Mr Z Rating

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

Total Score - 78.5

Crane's Landing
10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
847-634-5935   www.craneslandinggolf.com
18 holes, 4 tees - 6,290 / 3,641 yards par 70
71.1/130 - 59.1/101 rating/slope (men)
76.8/135 - 61.4/103 (women) 
M-TH $65 w/cart to 2:30 pm, $30 walk/$40 ride to 4:30, $25/$30 after 4:30
F-SU $75 w/cart to 2:30 pm, $35/$45 to 4:30, $25/$30 after 4:30
Discounts available for resort guests and Lincolnshire residents

10 minute tee time intervals