Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[DavePelz4]

Reading comprehension is clearly not my strength. Missed Bowes/THoE on your list. You've got to share your ratings system! Intrigued that Pine Meadow would be so high. Would consider it a really good course but would have several others you've played higher. And Tanna Farms not top 5? Madness.

[Shriner]

Lol, Tanna rating was not top ten either ;)

Rating is as follows, but basically the bulk of the rating is Course Conditions, Aesthetics and Layout:

Accessibility - 5%

Clubhouse - 5%

Practice area - 5%

Staff - 2.5%

Conditions - Non greens - 15%

Conditions - Greens - 10%

Aesthetics - 20%

Layout - 20%

19th hole - 7.5%

Value for the money - 10%

[chisag]

".I had all those courses on our top 100 except Cog #1, #2. We were trying to avoid having 3 or 4 different courses from the same golf facility but that is probably a mistake, so I will add some of these."

... To be fair, Cog #1 is going to be on very few people's lists. It is 6318 from the tips and all three Par 5's are reachable in two for a 66 yr old so it is a ton of fun to play, an easy walk and the elevation changes make you pretty tired after the round and it is inexpensive at twilite. But younger stronger players will over power this course and the last several years it has been in suspect condition for most of the summer. As high index players my wife and son love it though so I play it quite a bit every summer. But few would include it on any list.

[Argonne69]

I don't think Wilmette, Village Greens (Woodridge or Mundelein), Arboretum, Lost Nation, Pheasant Run, U of I, or Carillon are top 100 courses.

Glencoe probably gets a nod.

[VNutz]

I wouldn't call Hughes Creek no good, it's just nothing special, or at least not on par with the other courses listed. Once you're on the 3rd tee and get rained down on by tee shots from number 2 you might agree.

[Dashfast]

@Argonne69 I actually really enjoy Glencoe, but I don't think it's in a different league than Wilmette. Maybe I'm alone on this...

[geochitown]

Haven’t played, but wondering if people think Fox Bend could make the list?

[DavePelz4]

Great call on FB. It's a fun layout, almost always in good conditions and now that they addressed the 3rd green, a way more enjoyable course!

[geochitown]

I think Wilmette has really struggled with conditions (fairways and greens) in the past few years, so that might be coloring Arg's opinion, but that's just a guess on my part.

I like the routing at WIlmette (tight property) and I like the work that Greg Martin did on the golf holes there, green complexes and bunkering.

The environmental benefit might have been over-stated (I seem to recall the term "eco-swales" being a point of derision), but playing surface-wise and the above work I like.

Again, I haven't played Glencoe, but haven't heard any complaints about its conditioning.

[B-Man]

Tanna Farms definitely in my top 100. I've only played 30 or so courses in the area but it's a solid #90 ranking at least.

My fave new course played is The Glen Club. Very fair and the greens are relatively flat and excellent with no stupid amount of contouring (my pet peeve with Village Links).

[Argonne69]

Glencoe is not in a different league vs. Wilmette, but the conditioning is generally better. As noted, Wilmette continues to struggle with fairway conditions. The greens were raised, and are usually in very good shape.

Picking a top 100 course in Illinois is a tough proposition. We're used to debating top 10 or top 20, but what differentiates #90 vs. #101? There are plenty of goat tracks that can be easily crossed off, but there are lots of playable courses that are ho hum that might creep in. I've played close to 200 courses in Illinois, and the bottom 20 in the top 100 are a toss up.

 

[Shriner]

You are absolutely 100% correct. Our goal is just to make sure we don't miss any surefire top 10-20 courses. If we end up missing hypothetical course #71 but playing course #108, no big deal. We do not want to finish our top 100 and have someone say, "How do you not have XYZ course on there?"

 

Also, if anyone is questioning why terrible courses are on the list...ie: White Pines, Bloomingdale, Fox Run; we included just about every regulation 18 hole course within a 15 mile radius (Schaumburg area). We want to make sure all the local courses are ranked. I'm sure there is a local muni course in nowhere, Southern IL that is better, but we only want to drive that far for really nice courses.

[TheBear95]

I can rank out to roughly 25. After that, its splitting hairs.

Shriner, a tiered system might easier to assemble, while still providing a clear delineation between course options.

[Shriner]

Anyone hitting the links tomorrow with the nice weather coming in? Trying to find something open up North.

[Holy Moses]

Green Valley Driving Range was totally packed today. At least the balls were kept inside so they didn’t freeze.

[Eagleman]

I was thinking of getting out, can’t beat 50° weather in February!!

[St Jimmy]

Still some snow up here near the Wi line.

[St Jimmy]

 

I've had a lot of luck previous winters with: Marengo Ridge, Village Green, and Spring Valley.

[ldchristopher]

We played Deer Creek this morning because desperation is a stinky cologne. There was snow and ice all over the course, especially the greens. I did get my first birdie of 2020 on 13, which is a short par 3. We teed off at about 8:00 AM and got around in under 3 hours. However, there were over 40 cars in the parking lot as we were finishing up. They were letting carts out, which is insane considering the fact that the course was still melting. Good to get out before the snow hits again next week.

[DavePelz4]

Opened the Chicago season at St. Andrews, of course. Shocked at the amount of snow on the course and several greens were literally 100% snow covered. Some crazy wacky bounces on the greens as well as they're pretty much still frozen and ice covered in places. Putted most of the round with a 7 iron as there was snow, ice, water, running water on most of the greens.

But hey, it's February golf so no complaints!

[Shriner]

Agreed. I played St. Andrews yesterday as well, tee'd off at 11:40ish. They were all out of pull carts since the course was packed so we carried. So many surreal moments in a round of golf. Hitting a wedge to the 1st green to watch it bounce once like it hit concrete, then never bounce again as it landed in the water on the green. The frozen lake sandwiched between the 1st and 18th hole had numerous golf balls just sitting on top of the ice. Overall, the course was simply not playable as you could not put on the majority of the greens but the weather was perfect and it was nice to get out at this time of the year. I felt a little bad for the course as I am sure it takes a lot of damage on a day like yesterday. I should have putted with a 7-iron, that's a good idea!

[Bubs23]

Glencoe is always in great shape, but I wouldn't say it's head and shoulders above Wilmette in any other category, really. I play Wilmette all the time so going up to Glencoe helps break up the monotony, but objectively they're around the same level.

I'd give the nod to Glencoe for that 15-18 stretch, and those 1 or 2 holes at Wilmette that always seem to have standing water on them.

 

[B-Man]

Not much different at Bog Hill #1 this past Sunday playing with @jimwgt26. Lots of snow/ice on the still heavily-aerated greens but the practice green was almost perfect. Go figure.

[Dashfast]

Am I crazy to think about playing this Sunday? If not, where should I go?

[mci711]

It will be warm, but not sure greens will even be playable. Any part of the course that is shaded will most likely be ice and snow. I am sure a lot of people will try, I'd bet St Andrews is open. Having to play through snow and ice, especially on greens, kind of takes away from it being golf to me. I thought about heading as far south as I had to that didn't get snow, but that seems to be a pretty good way down - like Kentucky.

[DavePelz4]

You might think about driving south to Bloomington or Springfield. The further south should be better.

[geochitown]

I'd say go to a place with a simulator and play indoors. Any place that l0ets people play this weekend and has greens "open" is risking damage to the greens from the frozen turf.

[B-Man]

Exciting weekend coming up with the annual Chicago Golf Show! Who's in?

[@_the_crook]

our usual gang of suspects is meeting for breakfast at the iHoP , then heading over to check out the wares.

it's an annual rite of spring.

 

 

 

[Bubs23]

Willow Hill should be in decent shape, no idea if anyone will be there to take your money though.

Canal Shores is definitely open