WINDY CITY PUBLIC GOLF 2022 YEAR IN REVIEW

The Chicagoland public golf scene showed signs that the pandemic bump may have long-term staying power as many younger golfers are playing more and weekend tee times were a precious commodity.  I was able to play 42 different courses in the area last year and I'm confident that my knowledge of where and when to tee it up in the Windy City will rival most anyone.  Click Here for the complete list of courses I played in 2022.

OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

The big news in local public golf was the reopening of Settler's Hill.  The Kane County Forest Preserve course is as much known for being originally built on a landfill as it is for the quality of the course, but the layout always provided great views with a mix of prairie and parkland elements.  Architect Greg Martin was assigned with the redesign, and after being closed in 2021, the course reopened in August.  

The routing remains unchanged with the exception of a new par 3 on each nine, but drainage issues were addressed and greens and bunkers were updated to enhance the playability and total experience.  A driving range was also added and a new clubhouse is planned in the near future.  If you haven't made the trip to Batavia to play Settler's Hill, then 2023 will be a great time to visit this very good golf course.  Click Here to read the full review of the new and improved Settler's Hill.

Mill Creek had been closed for a few years but finally reopened in 2022.  The course winds through the vast Mill Creek subdivision in west suburban Geneva and has many severely sloping greens, which along with some tight driving corridors and acres of wetlands can make for a tough day.  But it's not a long course so keep the driver in the bag on a few holes and you can score OK. I plan on getting out there this coming year to see what's changed.

Gleneagles played a prominent role in the early history of Chicago golf.  The courses opened in the late 1920's and was the host for several noted professional tournaments over the years.  The sporty Red course and the longer, more challenging White were both par 70's that offered classic parkland plays over rolling southwest suburban terrain.  

I played in a golf league at Gleneagles for 20 years so I knew the courses intimately, and I can attest to the steady decline in course conditions over the last few years as rumors swirled about an imminent sale. The McNulty family finally pulled the trigger and the property was sold to Pulte homes and the courses closed in July.  I always think of what could have been at Gleneagles with a clear vision and an infusion of cash, and I for one am saddened by the closing of the 36 holes.

NEW WINDY CITY EXPERIENCES

Towards my goal to play every course in the area, I made 8 first time visits in 2022, starting and finishing the year with trips to the northwest suburbs.  

My Windy City golf season started in April in Woodstock at Crystal Woods, a 27 hole complex owned by the Craig family since 1967.  The facilities straddle Route 47 with the 18-hole layout to the west and the (yet to be played) 9-hole Craig Woods to the east.  The Crystal Woods course dates back to the 1950's and was expanded to the current18 hole layout in 1969, and features 6,400 yards over rolling, wooded terrain.  The standout 12th hole, a 405 yd par 4, is considered as one of the most difficult in McHenry County.

The year ended on an unseasonably warm November day at Bonnie Dundee in Carpentersville.  The course tips out at just over 6,000 yards and was a really enjoyable play with enough challenge and unique features to keep your interest, and the 300 yard 17th hole was one of the best short par 4's I played in 2022.  Bonnie Dundee pairs with Randall Oaks as a pleasing duo of the Dundee Township Park District.

In between I made first time trips to Joe Louis "The Champ" in June and Indian Boundary in July, 2 of the 10 Cook County Forest Preserve courses. Joe Louis is named after the world champion boxer and avid golfer who made many visits to the course (then called Pipe O' Peace) back in the day.  Stretching to over 6,700, The Champ is a solid layout with 52 sand traps and water in play on 4 holes, and the boxing glove tee markers are a nice touch. Indian Boundary is located on the northwest edge of Chicago, a 6,000 yd par 72 gem.  Don't let the short distance fool you, the course offered plenty of challenge for most golfers and was in great shape, too. 

Two executive style 18's were also on my first time visit list.  Salt Creek has the White and Blue 9's that total just under 4,000 yds at a par 63, split between 9 par 3's and 4's, with the 381 yd 4th hole on the Blue Course the longest and arguably the hardest.  A fun course and a great place to learn the game.  Canal Shores winds through an old Evanston neighborhood, a classic, 3,600 yard par 61 layout that truly felt like a step back in time.  The 13th hole was under construction and the course needed a bit more work, but that didn't detract from the enjoyment of a nice walk in the park.

Village Green in Mundelein is another shorter 18 hole layout, a par 70 at just over 6,000 yds.  The course is a place where young golfers and seniors frequent to both learn and enjoy the game.  Wilmette Golf Club is a busy north shore favorite, a pure parkland style 6,400 yd par 70 course with 6 par 4's over 400 yds and a stout 70.8 / 128 rating / slope. There are over 50 sand traps split near evenly between fairway and greenside, and the longest hole, the 531 yd 6th hole, is a memorable dogleg right at the edge of the woods.

Funny story of my day at Wilmette.  I was paired up with a teacher from Curie High School who had the day off (it was November 8th, Election Day) and another young man named Keith who was wearing a Chicago State pullover.  I went to Marist High on the south side with the golf coach at CSU, Mark Haines, and I asked him if he played there and if Mark was his coach.  He replied that he did play there for one year but Mark was not his coach...but he was his father!  I had a great time playing that day with Keith Haines, who is also the coach of the Lane Tech Girls Golf Team.

I made overdue visits to a few other courses worth noting.  Green Garden in southwest suburban Frankfort is a mega facility with 45 holes and an indoor practice dome on site.  I started play on the 9 hole Emerald course, which offers a more linksy option to the 18 hole layouts, but rain ended the round after 4 holes.  I used the rain check a few weeks later to play the Blue course, the original 18 at Green Garden.  I always gravitated to the Gold course, but the Blue had a lot more going on than what I recalled and was worth the play.

Highland Woods is the championship 18 on the north end of the Cook County Forest Preserve district, and I was surprised when I realized it had been 10 years since I was there.  This is a really good course on a great piece of property that is both playable and challenging for all skill levels and is a reasonably priced option in the northwest suburbs.

October trips to two 9 hole municipal courses in the western suburbs were fun experiences.  The last time I played Lombard it was called Western Acres.  The village operated layout is a par 35 with a convenient location on Butterfield Road and just west of I-355.  Lots of trees, a few water hazards and an opportunity for a quick 2 hour spin on an easy walking course.

The 9 hole course at the Village Links of Glen Ellyn is simply one of the best in the Chicagoland area.  A full length par 36 that is a great combo with the acclaimed 18 hole layout, this is a popular play that is always in good condition.  I will certainly be making more frequent visits to the VLGE9 in the future.

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

Included in my 42 local rounds were some of the very best Windy City courses the public can play.

White Deer Run is spread across the former Cuneo Estate in Vernon Hills and is a challenging option in the north suburbs.  This is a typically difficult Dick Nugent design with an abundance of sand traps, water hazards and doglegs, as the daunting 74.5 rating / 148 slope from the 7,100 yard back tees confirms.  Just pick the right set for your skill level of the 5 tee options and you'll be OK.

 I ventured down Route 394 to far south suburban Crete to play twice at Balmoral Woods.  The first was an outing in a steady rain, a miserable day and a lousy score, but that's OK, this is one of the more scenic courses in the area.  Wooded corridors and ravines are highlighted by the 7th hole, a dogleg left that dives straight down at the turn to a wide, shallow green guarded by a creek, one of the more memorable par 5's I played in 2022.  I rarely score well at Balmoral Woods, but I always enjoy trying.

Greg Martin is a noted local architect who has his fingerprints on several popular Windy City courses, but his best and most acclaimed work is at The Preserve of Oak Meadows.  The reinvention of the old Oak Meadows 18 and the Maple Meadows 9, Martin fixed the chronic Salt Creek flooding issues by incorporating acres of wetlands into the redesign, and my late August round was without a doubt one of my highlights.

In addition to 2 trips to the Village Links 9, I also made an additional drive to Glen Ellyn to play the championship 18.  This course never disappoints, a parkland beauty that has a great variety of holes, and the patio on the Reserve 22 is one of the best on course places to grab a drink and a bite to eat after a round in Chicagoland.

Shepherd's Crook is a long way from my home in Lemont and I hadn't played there since 2014, but I made the trip up to Zion in October to the links style layout, a perfect option once the leaves start falling.  I have a better appreciation for "the Crook" on every visit, this is a really good course that has a high playability factor, and the par 5's that complete each 9 are fantastic finishes.  Sitting on the deck in an Adirondack chair overlooking the 18th green and sipping on a cold beer is an ideal way to celebrate the round.  A 36 hole day at Shepherd's Crook and nearby ThunderHawk would be a great "let's play 2" golf double header.

An early November round at the Highlands of Elgin was another late season highlight.  Along with Bowes Creek, the two courses have made Elgin a local golf destination.  My preference has always leaned towards the Highlands, a true prairie links course that routes several holes along the ridge of a quarry lake to great success.  And make sure to stop at the Grumpy Goat Tavern and check out the view of the course from the balcony, one of the very best in the Windy City.

TRAVEL - EPIC WESTERN ROAD TRIP

Outside of Illinois, I golfed in 7 different states in 2022, highlighted by my epic western road trip in September.  Along with a good friend, I drove home from Las Vegas and played 5 courses in 5 states, with all of them ranked in the top 20 of Golf.com's list of the Top 100 Courses You Can Play for Under $150.  #3 Sand Hollow (Utah), #16 Black Mesa (New Mexico), #19 The Rawls Course (Texas), #20 Buffalo Dunes (Kansas) and #5 Wild Horse (Nebraska) all lived up to the hype and made for an amazing golf odyssey.  It was a lot of driving, but worth every mile.  Click Here for the all the details of the trip.

My annual trip to Galena and Eagle Ridge before the Memorial Day weekend is always a roll of the dice when it comes to weather, and the 1st day on the North course was a rainy, soggy mess, but the weather fortunately cleared for the South and The General.  These 3 courses are unlike few to be found in Illinois, with the steep hills and forever vistas of the Galena Territory in the forefront.  If you haven't made it out to the northwest corner of the state to Eagle Ridge, consider taking the drive to play these highly regarded resort courses.  

 A vacation down to Orlando in September was shortened by the ominous approach of Hurricane Ian, but I did squeeze in a round at the Celebration Golf Club.  This was a very well designed, prototypical Florida course, lots of water hazards and sand traps, but was notable as one of the few (and last) collaborations between Robert Trent Jones Senior and Junior.  I was paired with a delightful father and son from Iceland, of all places, who were on a golf vacation, and I learned that their homeland has one of the highest golf courses per capita ratios in the world.  Who would have figured that Iceland was a hotbed for golf?

Wicker Memorial Park was dedicated to the memory of World War 1 veterans in1927, and I ventured east across the state line to play the course there, my one and only trip for Hoosierland golf in 2022.  The Highland, IN layout features plenty of distance (6,900 yds) and water hazards (ponds / ditches on 14 holes) over the heavily wooded property, all at a very reasonable price ($40 with cart on the weekend).  This was a first time visit and there was enough course at the right price to warrant a return some day.

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR 2023

Springbrook closed near the end of the summer and will be undergoing extensive upgrades.  The near 50 year old Naperville course will have all the tees and bunkers rebuilt, the greenside ponds on holes 11 and 15 will be reconstructed, and new bridges will be added on #'s 9 and 10.  The $3.5 million renovation will be under the direction of Greg Martin.  I'm a big fan of Greg's work and will be looking forward to Springbrook reopening sometime in 2023.

By my count, I have seven 18 hole courses left to play in the area.  The big one on my list is Heritage Oaks in Northbrook.  Rick Jacobson oversaw a major renovation in 2020 over the Championship 18 and the Legacy 9, and the courses formerly known as Sportsman's will be a new play for me under either name.  

Arlington Lakes is a shorter 18 hole layout at a par 68 and 5,400 yds, but there is water in play on 13 holes and it just sounds like a really fun course.  I plan on playing both Heritage Oaks and Arlington Lakes in the upcoming year.  The other 5 are Jackson Park and Chick Evans in Chicago, Valley Ridge in Antioch, Brae Loch in Grayslake and Chapel Hill in Johnsburg.  The last 3 may take some advanced planning, but I'll get there one of these years. 

There are another 15 to 20 par 3 and executive courses, but there are 3 that I really want to play this coming season.  Sydney Marovitz and South Shore are at opposite ends of Lake Shore Drive and border Lake Michigan, and I can envision a summer day playing both, and

maybe throwing in a round at Jackson Park, across the street from South Shore, if time allows.  Fountain Hills in Alsip is a full-length par 36 that has somehow eluded me over the years, it'll be high on my list in 2023.

It's been a while since I've played Blackstone, Steeple Chase, Stonewall Orchard, Glencoe, Bonnie Brook, Midlane, Whitetail Ridge or either course at Harborside, look for many of them to be on my '23 Courses Played List. If I'm feeling a little cocky, I may even throw Cog Hill #4 in the mix, I haven't played Dubsdread since 2014.  Wherever I end up, I can't wait to tee it up in 2023!