Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round2)

[B-Man]

Well didn't exactly expect that. GDN yesterday. Teed off 11am and it was slow. 5hr round. Lush fairways from Sunday's rain but not wet other than a few patches. Green were lightly punched early last week and well sanded but rolled a good pace and were generally firm. A byatch to chip on with a lot of skidding and no spin. Not many leaves to contend with as most were blown away. Birdies on 1, 5 and 6 on the front and bogeyed 9. More birdies on 12 and 14 with a bogey on 15 for a 69. Didn't hit it super great but it was playing fairly short and all birdies were from hitting it close to the pin with gap wedge or less. Probably last day in shorts for a while.

 

I thought 5 hours at GD was considered a lightning quick round? :taunt:

 

Seriously, I love the layout, but I don't know how you guys deal with the pace there. Other than my Christmas Day round there last year, I've given up on the place.

 

Lots of mother's milk helps. I usually play much earlier but everyone and their dog was on the course that day.

[Argonne69]

A beautiful day at Lost Marsh. A bit chilly on the 1st tee, but it warmed up nicely after that. Light breezes (should have) made things a bit easier. The course was in very nice shape. The green had a bit of speed to them. Nothing crazy, which is no shocker, but a good speed. There was only one foursome in front of us, so once we played through them on #4, it was clear sailing the rest of the round. 'Always a bonus.

 

Ugh. Not quite the start I had envisioned. In fact, I think it was the worst start I've ever had at LM. A nice par on the 1st to get the round going, and then the wheels came off quickly. Put two balls in the water on the par 3 2nd for my first quad in ages. #3 was OK with a solid bogie, with a legit putt for par. #4 bit me in the a**. Two more balls in the water for my 2nd quad. 'Don't recall having two quads in the same round ever. I got my act together on #5, but at that point the damage was done. I had a solid round after that, but at that point it was simply practice.

 

PGA National has the Bear Trap. We really need a name for the opening stretch of holes at Lost Marsh. The Trash Chute? Lol.

[ldchristopher]

As I made my way into beautiful Northwest Indiana, I saw it shining like a beacon of hope in the otherwise bleak urban jungle that is Hammond: Jack Binion’s Horseshoe Casino. Old Jack got kicked out of Illinois and decided to move all the way to…Hammond, thus creating Hammvegas. I opened the windows to take in the densely polluted air of Hammvegas and immediately smelled the glorious odor of Americana circa the 1950s. Don’t tell NWI it’s 2016. When I saw that the Hammvegas environmental center was closed, all I could do was laugh. Hybrid cars, recycling, and generally giving a s--- about the environment are not welcome there. Around the corner we went and there stood the Lost Marsh clubhouse; an island of excellence in a sea of mediocrity. The parking lot had exactly what I hoped it would have: a political sign for Thomas McDermott, Jr. That man runs Hammvegas the way Brad Wesley ran Jasper, MO in the cinematic masterpiece Roadhouse. The patronage employees that drive around Lost Marsh aimlessly doing nothing are merely a less funny version of Wesley's lackies, and it thrilled me to find out that his wife is also running for office.

 

The tricks were out in full force at Lost Marsh, though I expect nothing less. The island fairway peninsula on the first hole was exactly as I remembered: daunting to a first-timer but short and not particularly challenging to anyone with experience. However, the greens truly shocked me. I expected the usual Lost Marsh sponges but instead they were decent. Not fast by any means, as Argonne noted above, but certainly not running at their customary 4 on the Stimp meter. Given the pace, did I bother playing a premium ball? Of course not. This is Lost Marsh, so a Callaway Superhot served me for 18 holes.

 

Despite the decent greens, I made zero birdies in my round and instead settled for 15 pars and 3 bogies (a screw-up on the easy par 5 7^th hole, a chip that left me shorter from the hole that I wanted to be on 11, and basically the exact same scenario on 18). However, one does not play Lost Marsh for the golf course. One plays Lost Marsh for the hilarious gimmicks (how could I forget about the miniature golf green on 6 in my preview?), refinery tanks, visible plastic liner in the water hazard on 15, and weird bubbles in the water. Is it actual water or toxic waste that merely looks like water to the layman? To my surprise, I saw deer prints in a couple of the sand traps. That implies wildlife on that course, but something tells me the deer had red eyes and glowed in the dark.

 

Thank you for everything Lost Marsh. I’ll see you again next October.

[Argonne69]

Another gorgeous fall day of golf. I walked a round at The Glen Club today, and you couldn't ask for a better day. 'Not as chilly as yesterday, and the expected winds didn't arrive until the final two (downwind) holes. The course is in great shape. The fairways are a bit spongy, but play nice, other than the unfilled divots. Seriously, what's with the lack of course care at the high end courses? I must have fixed 50+ ball marks today. The greens were the fastest I've played all year. Not scary fast, but ones that you learn to respect. Pace of play was decent at 4 hours. I don't play the course enough to really appreciate it, but I feel it's becoming one of my favorites in the area. The native areas have really matured, and the course looks like it's been there for a lot longer than it has. The green complexes have some real teeth, and are quite challenging. Heck, they even have sand in the bunkers. Imagine that.

 

This was probably one of my most enjoyable rounds of the year. In addition to the nice weather, I had a fantastic day ball striking, hitting 11 fairways and 12 greens. I felt confident on every shot. Three birdies and 4 scrambles made for an overall solid round. The highlight of the day was simply playing the four tough par 3's in even par.

[ldchristopher]

The Jewish holiday season continues with Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret tomorrow and Tuesday. While my Jewish employers will be ceremoniously wrapping the Torah around a synagogue I'll be playing Whisper Creek and Foxford Hills on Monday and HoE and Prairie Landing on Tuesday. Fall rates are incredible. 72 holes for $128.50.

[atn86]

The Jewish holiday season continues with Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret tomorrow and Tuesday. While my Jewish employers will be ceremoniously wrapping the Torah around a synagogue I'll be playing Whisper Creek and Foxford Hills on Monday and HoE and Prairie Landing on Tuesday. Fall rates are incredible. 72 holes for $128.50.

 

L'chaim!

[DavePelz4]

The Jewish holiday season continues with Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret tomorrow and Tuesday. While my Jewish employers will be ceremoniously wrapping the Torah around a synagogue I'll be playing Whisper Creek and Foxford Hills on Monday and HoE and Prairie Landing on Tuesday. Fall rates are incredible. 72 holes for $128.50.

 

Played Foxford on Saturday with Vnutz. Very spotty conditions in some places. Greens have been aerated and sanded but fortunately they used the small tines.

[trilerian]

Again I would like to thank Argonne69 for meeting up and playing Lost Marsh. It was the first time I played the course and it did not disappoint. I played solid golf for the first 5 holes, then I took my jacket off and lost my swing. By the end of the round I was really struggling, but it didn't stop me from admiring the out of place sea of green. I remember thinking to myself on the way there, seeing my gps say you are 2 minutes from your destination, where would they put a golf course here. But nonetheless it was an enjoyable round and the first that I have played with a fellow WRXer.

 

I played the goat track known as Burnham Woods later that afternoon. Still couldn't find my swing...

[VNutz]

As DP4 mentioned, we played Foxford Hills Saturday, and somehow at a price below the posted and advertised rate. Chilly start but ended up being a beautiful day, perfect chance to try out new fall weather layers. I thought the course was in great shape considering it's late October, but a lot of the tee boxes were pretty ratty, I can't remember if they were just bad or had been aerated. Greens were aerated but the small tynes so it was very playable with some light sand. Greens actually ran surprisingly quickly, especially if you were above the hole, anything downhill was a controlled lag putt. Decent round, driver left me for all of one shot on the day but the other holes were fine. Lipped out for birdie the first 2 holes and for par on the 3rd, added another birdie lipout on 8 just for good measure, leaked oil on the back 9 with 2 doubles to spoil what had been a solid round.

[VNutz]

The Jewish holiday season continues with Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret tomorrow and Tuesday. While my Jewish employers will be ceremoniously wrapping the Torah around a synagogue I'll be playing Whisper Creek and Foxford Hills on Monday and HoE and Prairie Landing on Tuesday. Fall rates are incredible. 72 holes for $128.50.

 

Oh, and just a heads up it felt like the fairways were running really hard and fast at Foxford, saw a couple really big hops off tee shots and a couple shots run through fairways they wouldn't have normally done during the summer months.

[Argonne69]

Again I would like to thank Argonne69 for meeting up and playing Lost Marsh. It was the first time I played the course and it did not disappoint. I played solid golf for the first 5 holes, then I took my jacket off and lost my swing. By the end of the round I was really struggling, but it didn't stop me from admiring the out of place sea of green. I remember thinking to myself on the way there, seeing my gps say you are 2 minutes from your destination, where would they put a golf course here. But nonetheless it was an enjoyable round and the first that I have played with a fellow WRXer.

 

I played the goat track known as Burnham Woods later that afternoon. Still couldn't find my swing...

 

It may be worth experimenting with an extra layer. I swear I play better with a bit of a restricted swing. Of course, the four layers I had on at the start of our round were a few too many. Lol.

 

[disk]

Broken Arrow Saturday morning, stiff and cold in the morning but turned out to be a very enjoyable day. We played East/North and I think East/South is the way to go as I did not enjoy the dual holes on the North course. This is another course that is surprisingly lush right now, must be all the rain we got as the fairways and greens were a little soft but he greens were running very fast. I could not keep my driver in the correct fairway to save my life but I got really lucky and missing right on almost every hole (2 fairways hit :black eye: ) was no problem and sometimes actually gave me a better look at the green and I ended with my first round in the 70's in a while so that was nice haha.

 

Has anyone played Orchard Valley lately, just got an email from them and they have $19 w/ a cart all week.

[DavePelz4]

The Jewish holiday season continues with Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret tomorrow and Tuesday. While my Jewish employers will be ceremoniously wrapping the Torah around a synagogue I'll be playing Whisper Creek and Foxford Hills on Monday and HoE and Prairie Landing on Tuesday. Fall rates are incredible. 72 holes for $128.50.

 

Oh, and just a heads up it felt like the fairways were running really hard and fast at Foxford, saw a couple really big hops off tee shots and a couple shots run through fairways they wouldn't have normally done during the summer months.

 

That happened on a couple of greens as well. I received my formal initiation into GolfWRX on Saturday with a 7 iron that flew 172 yards and hopped about 25 yards or so and ended up with a huge arse chunk of mud on the ball. Very hard to chip or putt when the ball had a weighted propensity to the right.

 

Regarding V's round, he easily could have shot at least 3-5 shots lower if he had any cooperation from the cup.

[Holy Moses]

Played at Highlands of Elgin Saturday afternoon. Tee time just in time to finish the round under normal conditions. Starter says the threesome I was paired with didn't want to play with me, so he said I had to play as a single behind them. What? It shouldn't be their choice to back everyone up. Of course they were playing from the tips in windy conditions and weren't good enough to be playing there. I passed them once their slow play opened up a hole and a half between them and the group before. Decided to try Prairie Landing on Sunday. 30+ MPH winds all day. Golf Now said there would be cartpath maintenance, but failed to mention the aeration that had recently occurred. Played with a former NIU golfer who was an assistant pro at Rich Harvest Farms. Very good player and some of the best ball striking I have seen in very tough conditions. His dad was a good business contact too. When you think you have game, play with someone 5 strokes better than you who played in college. Very humbling!

[Argonne69]

Played with a former NIU golfer who was an assistant pro at Rich Harvest Farms. Very good player and some of the best ball striking I have seen in very tough conditions. His dad was a good business contact too. When you think you have game, play with someone 5 strokes better than you who played in college. Very humbling!

 

There's a long running thread in the Instruction forum about whether a 4 handicap can beat an LPGA pro. What a joke. A 4 handicap is likely averaging 79. A mid-pack PGA pro averages 72 in tournament conditions. Yeah, it's mathematically possible that on any given day the 4 index might catch lightning in a bottle, but it's very unlikely. If you've ever seen a scratch+ golfer work their ballstriking magic, it's amazing.

[ldchristopher]

We missed the frost delay at Whisper Creek by no more than two degrees today but were able to tee off at sunrise this morning. I don’t think too many people walk that course since the majority of their clientele have been members of AARP for quite a while, so the guy in the pro shop looked at my friend and I like we were nuts when we said we’d be walking. My ball striking was excellent but my putting was iffy. Hence, I shot a 73 with 17 pars and one bogey. It was pretty chilly for the first three or four holes but when the sun came up the weather got nice and reached about 60 degrees today. I appreciate Billy Casper allowing people to book a 7:04 tee time on a Monday since most courses do maintenance and don’t allow people out until later in the morning. However, the downside was that there was dew on the greens for about 15 of 18 holes.

 

Round two at Foxford was solid but not as low scoring as Whisper. The fairways were rock hard, just as you guys warned me about, and that helped me as much as it hurt me. I was able to hit some absolutely massive tee shots, including a 280-yard 5 wood on the fifth hole and a 310-yard three wood on 15 (I’m aware that isn’t very impressive since both holes go straight downhill, but I wasn’t expecting any long drives on October 24^th). However, my drive went through the fairway on 6, which left me with a terrible uphill lie and on 12 I hit a hybrid that took a huge hop up and ended up in one of the many fairway bunkers on that hole. I was still able to make par on 12 but had to settle for bogey on 6. The greens had some bumps but for the most part were pretty quick despite being recently punched and sanded. In general, I drove the ball well on all but one hole (a nasty hook on 11) but was inconsistent striking my irons and ended up shooting a 77.

 

I can’t accent enough how much I enjoy the stupid name that every hole is given on the brochure-style scorecard. Dick Nugent never struck me as a course designer who would do things like give each hole an absurd-sounding name. Greg Martin, sure. But Dick really outdid himself at Foxford Hills.

[Argonne69]

I can’t accent enough how much I enjoy the stupid name that every hole is given on the brochure-style scorecard. Dick Nugent never struck me as a course designer who would do things like give each hole an absurd-sounding name. Greg Martin, sure. But Dick really outdid himself at Foxford Hills.

 

Dick Nugent designed the two courses at Harborside, each with its own cutesy name. 'Can't stand 'Treachery'. 'Love 'Sand', and 'More Sand'.

 

It's quite amazing the number of courses Dick has designed in the Chicago area, including George Dunne, Klein Creek, Harborside, Abbey Springs, Aldeen, Big Run, Bridges of Poplar Creek, Fox Lake CC, GC of Illinois, Heritage Bluffs, Kemper Lakes, and Willow Crest.

[VNutz]

 

Round two at Foxford was solid but not as low scoring as Whisper. The fairways were rock hard, just as you guys warned me about, and that helped me as much as it hurt me. I was able to hit some absolutely massive tee shots, including a 280-yard 5 wood on the fifth hole and a 310-yard three wood on 15 (I’m aware that isn’t very impressive since both holes go straight downhill, but I wasn’t expecting any long drives on October 24^th). However, my drive went through the fairway on 6, which left me with a terrible uphill lie and on 12 I hit a hybrid that took a huge hop up and ended up in one of the many fairway bunkers on that hole. I was still able to make par on 12 but had to settle for bogey on 6. The greens had some bumps but for the most part were pretty quick despite being recently punched and sanded. In general, I drove the ball well on all but one hole (a nasty hook on 11) but was inconsistent striking my irons and ended up shooting a 77.

 

 

Same thing we had. I nearly hit a hybrid through the fairway and into the water on 4 after a massive hop, DP4 was on the edge after piping a 3w down the middle and taking a trampoline hop to the right and over a bunker. On 15 I knocked a 3w down the middle and set my GPS just for a giggle. Kept on walking, didn't see my ball, eventually found it just off the fairway left, 345 yards from the tee according to my GPS, easy 9 iron in. It was just silly out there in spots.

[DavePelz4]

Anyone ever play Prairie View out by Byron? Making the trek on Saturday...

[Buddha]

Anyone ever play Prairie View out by Byron? Making the trek on Saturday...

I have been quite a few times. I enjoy the course, and hit it a few times each summer as they have affordable specials, cheap hot deals and a coworker friend lives by rockford. What do you want to know?

[mauiman]

Anyone ever play Prairie View out by Byron? Making the trek on Saturday...

Great course! Worth the drive out there. Would play there over Aldeen every time.

[ldchristopher]

A beautiful day at Lost Marsh. A bit chilly on the 1st tee, but it warmed up nicely after that. Light breezes (should have) made things a bit easier. The course was in very nice shape. The green had a bit of speed to them. Nothing crazy, which is no shocker, but a good speed. There was only one foursome in front of us, so once we played through them on #4, it was clear sailing the rest of the round. 'Always a bonus.

 

Ugh. Not quite the start I had envisioned. In fact, I think it was the worst start I've ever had at LM. A nice par on the 1st to get the round going, and then the wheels came off quickly. Put two balls in the water on the par 3 2nd for my first quad in ages. #3 was OK with a solid bogie, with a legit putt for par. #4 bit me in the a**. Two more balls in the water for my 2nd quad. 'Don't recall having two quads in the same round ever. I got my act together on #5, but at that point the damage was done. I had a solid round after that, but at that point it was simply practice.

 

PGA National has the Bear Trap. We really need a name for the opening stretch of holes at Lost Marsh. The Trash Chute? Lol.

I'm really liking "The Trash Chute" and will definitely be using that.

[ldchristopher]

Anyone ever play Prairie View out by Byron? Making the trek on Saturday...

I have been quite a few times. I enjoy the course, and hit it a few times each summer as they have affordable specials, cheap hot deals and a coworker friend lives by rockford. What do you want to know?

Prairie View has a good layout and plenty of variety. The greens were good and from tee to green it was well-maintained. However, I last played it in May so I'm not sure how it is now. It's a great value round, though the drive to Byron cancels that out. Word to the wise: I think Prairie View was measured by a blind man. The scorecard says it plays over 7100 yards but pretty much every hole was much shorter than what was listed. I'd say it's closer to 6900. Also, the trade off for the low price is that they let groups off the front and back. For $18 I couldn't complain.

[ldchristopher]

I'm on a roll here. Are comments on three consecutive topics on the same thread a good thing or a sign that it's time to get back to work? HoE was in great shape. The whole place was as well-conditioned as the middle of summer and the greens were smooth. I finally snapped what was getting to be a painful streak of no birdies with a long one off the fringe on 7. The fairways weren't as hard as Foxford but they were still much firmer than usual and I got a lot more roll than I generally get there. Including today, 4 of my last 5 rounds at HoE have been a 76 from the combo tees. At least I'm consistent.

 

We decided against waiting around until 2:30 for Prairie Landing (always book online with an expired card to keep options open) and instead went to Village Links of Glen Ellyn. This was my first time there but overall the layout is nice. It's a much easier walk than HoE but personally, I think the course is a little harder. The greens were so-so and there were some chewed up spots of rough but from tee to green the fairways, bunkers, and tee boxes were all in good shape. 77. I'll be back.

 

 

[Argonne69]

I picked up a copy of the local golf magazine, Golf Chicago, and there was small blurb about Ruffled Feathers completing a $2 million renovation, which included a redo of the bunkers, the improvement of the sight lines on some holes, and a renovated club house. Anyone get a chance to check it out? I've been avoiding the course because of the reports of spotty conditions, and a general downward trend in service. Curious if things have improved.

[stasek]

I picked up a copy of the local golf magazine, Golf Chicago, and there was small blurb about Ruffled Feathers completing a $2 million renovation, which included a redo of the bunkers, the improvement of the sight lines on some holes, and a renovated club house. Anyone get a chance to check it out? I've been avoiding the course because of the reports of spotty conditions, and a general downward trend in service. Curious if things have improved.

They did all these things that were mentioned in the article. There's actually sand in the bunkers now! The problem is - there's still too many "players" who don't replace/fill their divots and don't fix their ball marks ( too many outings?). I haven't played there in over a month (heck, I haven't touched my clubs in over 3 weeks), but the last time I played it I wasn't overly impressed. Far cry from its' glory days.

[Argonne69]

I picked up a copy of the local golf magazine, Golf Chicago, and there was small blurb about Ruffled Feathers completing a $2 million renovation, which included a redo of the bunkers, the improvement of the sight lines on some holes, and a renovated club house. Anyone get a chance to check it out? I've been avoiding the course because of the reports of spotty conditions, and a general downward trend in service. Curious if things have improved.

They did all these things that were mentioned in the article. There's actually sand in the bunkers now! The problem is - there's still too many "players" who don't replace/fill their divots and don't fix their ball marks ( too many outings?). I haven't played there in over a month (heck, I haven't touched my clubs in over 3 weeks), but the last time I played it I wasn't overly impressed. Far cry from its' glory days.

 

That's a shame. I always thought it was an excellent layout, minus a few holes. However, the place has been on a downward trend for years.

[DavePelz4]

Anyone ever play Prairie View out by Byron? Making the trek on Saturday...

Great course! Worth the drive out there. Would play there over Aldeen every time.

 

Thanks to Maui and others for the comments on PV. Intrigued that it's better than Aldeen. While others aren't a fan of Aldeen, I put it in the top 5 "value" courses in IL. Have never played it in less than great conditions.

 

Will report back on PV after the round.

[daveltb]

Anyone ever play Prairie View out by Byron? Making the trek on Saturday...

Great course! Worth the drive out there. Would play there over Aldeen every time.

 

I agree with Prairie View over Aldeen. Buds played PV last Thursday (10-20) said green speed was very fast. I've played Aldeen twice and Prairie View 3 times this year. Aldeen was rough shape 1 of the 2 with washed out bunkers on half of the holes and very inconsistent green speeds. 2nd time was better. Prairie View was great shape all around but slow greens for 1 round due to high heat, 1 round very fast greens earlier in the year, and last time greens were fast but not scary. Enjoy!

[Argonne69]

Anybody interested in playing Glencoe on Sunday? There's an opening for 2 at 8:24 am and 8:32 am.