FOLLOWED HIS DREAM...GEORGE KAPPOS AND CINDER RIDGE CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF GREAT WINDY CITY PUBLIC GOLF

Cinder Ridge Golf Course owner George Kappos dreams big. Always has, always will. But making big dreams come true takes hard work.  So when he needed a place to live, he picked up a hammer and built a house. To make a living, he got in the kitchen and opened successful restaurants.  He bought some land and ran a campground for people looking for a weekend getaway.  And when he decided to add recreational options for the campgoers, he sat behind a bulldozer and built a golf course.  Sounds like the stuff of fairy tales? Nope, all true.

This story starts when an 18 year old Kappos immigrated to the United States with his family from his native Greece.  He soon got involved in the restaurant business, and it was at the workplace that he was first introduced to golf.  "The owner of the restaurant was an avid golfer, a member at Edgewood Valley, and we were always talking about golf, and that's how I started playing.  The first time I swung and missed, I was hooked. I'm very competitive and I was going to become good.  I'd work late, get up at 5 o'clock for an early tee time, have lunch and go back to work," shared Kappos, who spent much of his time playing popular public courses like Big Run and Cog Hill; along with occasional trips to Arizona and California.

He soon found business success as the owner of the Beef and Brandy restaurants in downtown Chicago and Countryside.  He further expanded his portfolio by purchasing land in Wilmington that once was

home to a coal mining operation that was abandoned in the 1950's. What was left of the property was an untamed tangle of lakes, woods and varied topography, part of which was developed into the Lakepoint Campground in the 1970's. And Kappos had a vision of what he could do with the additional land.

"I wanted to build a golf course as recreation for the campers. I had originally planned a 9 hole executive course, but I realized the kind of routing I could have on this land for a full scale 18 holes, and it just grew from there," he reminisced.  "I would take pictures and use them to envision the play, but did not have formal plans that I could share with an architect.  I did talk to a few construction companies but it was hard to explain what I saw.so I decided to do most of the work myself."  

So how does someone with no formal training in golf course construction build a golf course?  "I read a few books on the subject," Kappos said matter-of-factly, "and I tried to incorporate features that I liked from the many courses I played over the years. I always felt we had the chance for something special here."  Along with 2 assistants, Kappos spent 3-1/2 years building the 18 holes over the varied terrain. "I was talking to one of the campers and I showed him the equipment I was using, and he said "You're working with a teaspoon,"" Kappos laughed, "but we tried to move as little land as possible and use the topography as it was." The final product is a course that most any established golf designer would gladly add their name.

Cinder Ridge, named with a nod to the prior coal mining operation, was ready for play in 1995, but the opening was less than smooth.  "It was a vey hot and humid summer and we had difficulty with the turf, which contracted a disease called PTM.  In August we had 20 sportswriters out for a tournament and the conditions were terrible and (Chicago Tribune Golf Writer) Ed Sherman had the problem on the back page of the Tribune sports section," recalled Kappos. "But we made some personnel changes and our current Superintendent, Luca Duren, has been with us since 2003 and does a great job." 

A long overdue visit to Cinder Ridge revealed a course that has matured amazingly well since it opened 25 years ago. The nearly 7,000 yard par 72 layout is the same, an inspiring and challenging mix of  holes that flow through thick hardwoods and around the several

water hazards left from the mining days. "I focused on variety, and the only holes that have back to back of the same par on a nine are the 14th and 15th (par 4's), and they are totally different holes,": Kappos pointed out proudly.  "and I don't think you'll find a better stretch of holes in the region than #'s 12 thru 16."  

Hard to argue with that sentiment as these 5 holes feature the best that Cinder Ridge has to offer: The tight drive up the rolling 12th fairway, the majestic view of the lakes and wetlands from the par 3 13th  tee, the steep incline of the fairway up to the 14th green, and the strategic tee shot on the short dogleg right 15th utilizes the dramatic topography to maximum effect.

The 16th is the signature hole and the inspiration for the Cinder Ridge logo, a 165 yard par 3 that is all carry over the water hazard that lies 30 feet below the small green. Several sand traps embedded into the side of the hill gives this hole a truly unique look. "I had the perfect distance back to the clubhouse for the 17th and 18th holes, and I routed backwards from the 16th hole. I knew early on that I wanted this hole, so I worked the routing around it."  

The front 9 is 250 yards longer and although it doesn't have the dramatic elevation changes as the back, it has some excellent holes throughout, highlighted by the monstrous 8th, a 628 yard par 5 that will challenge any scratch golfer to card a par as the hole turns left the last 100 yards to a green perched atop a bluff, The other par 5, #2, is also a fine hole, as the view features wetlands and prairie all

around and an early strategic decision on the proper angle for the drive as the fairway veers left off the tee, a  visually interesting and subtle design feature.

Cinder Ridge resides at the far southwest edge of the Windy City golf scene, and although just a few minutes off the Lorenzo Road exit, it is a distance to get to, but the experience is well worth the drive and reflects the remote location. Besides the last 2 holes that bump up against I-55, it's real quiet here, and the chances of seeing other golfers on the course are minimal as each hole is one onto itself. "Besides a small section of the 1st and 9th fairways, there aren't any holes that parallel one another, something I paid close attention when I planned the course." noted Kappos, who still makes the drive to the course 5-6 days a week from his home in the western subutbs.  

But what struck me the most about my recent round at Cinder Ridge were the conditions, which were far above what one would expect for a $50 (with cart) weekend morning fee.  The greens and tees were in great shape, the 60+ sand traps were well groomed, but it was the fairways that stood out, thick, plush carpets of green that were among the best I've played this year.  "We always knew we had a great design, but now we feel we have the conditions to compete with the best courses," Kappos believes. When asked what the future holds for Cinder Ridge, he responded without hesitation: "I want to make Cinder Ridge one of the best courses in Illinois, to be a destination course that golfers will travel to."

I recently sent birthday wishes via text message to my 28 year old godson who lives in Lisle and loves to golf, and I mentioned that I had recently played Cinder Ridge and asked if he had been down there. He responded, "I played a few months back. I've played there about 5 times. Love it! Honestly, it may be my favorite in Illinois."  That's sweet music to George Kappos' ears! Looks like another of his big dreams may soon come true.