Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round2)

[Argonne69]

The first round needs to be before 8:00. We have the 7:39 and hopefully the soggy conditions keep people away. Blackstone always gets play but it tends to move alright. The key is to avoid prime time tee times (9:00-11:00) because, with all due respect to seniors, they're never in a hurry at Marengo Ridge.

 

I resemble that remark LD...

That's why I tread softly. I'm aware that a fair share of people on WRX aren't in their mid-30s.

 

No, more like my late 20's....for the 2nd time around.

[Argonne69]

Another wonderful early Spring morning. I walked 18 at Sportsman's today, and it was a great time. The course was much greener than I expected. If it wasn't for the bare trees, you'd swear it was much later in the year. Of course it was squishy again, but playable. A bit of standing water in the low areas, but otherwise dry-ish. With practically no wind, and plenty of sunshine, it felt much warmer than the thermometer reading.

 

I was once again the first one out, and had clear sailing. I was stripping my irons, but was fighting a hook all day with my driver. I think I had four 200 yard duck hooks off the tee, which led to three of my five bogies. Two birdies on 16 and 17 minimized the damage. I parred four of the five par 3's with very nice tee shots.

 

Hopefully it'll be even nicer tomorrow.

[Scratch2Plus]

Bowes tomorrow @ 11:20 $53 on GN

HoE at 11:20 $70 on GN...huh?

Playing Bowes...

[Holy Moses]

First time out this spring. Played Hilldale. Course in pretty nice shape. First time I've played spring golf in Chicago in a while. I sure don't miss Atlanta's dormant bermuda. Game was rusty, but not horrible.

[Scratch2Plus]

Hilldale is fun little track, however keep an eye on your clubs!!!

[ldchristopher]

I woke up to the sight of frost on vehicles and figured a delay was waiting for me. I called Marengo Ridge and of course they were expecting a delay but weren't sure when it would be over. As I entered the clubhouse, I heard the unmistakable sound of video poker. Is it still considered gambling if the person playing has zero chance of winning? I digress. The practice green was covered in icicles and there was a ton of visible frost so I was worried we'd be waiting a while. However, after about 20 minutes the pro shop said everyone was good to go. Um, thanks for that but why have a frost delay at all if you're going to let golfers on the course when there's still tons of frost? The round was painfully slow on the front and we had to move our tee time at Blackstone way back at the turn, and the crappy pace (and muddy, sloppy conditions) got to me as I limped to a front nine 40.

The back nine was a different story, thankfully. On 11, I hit a crisp iron off the tee that hit the green, rolled out a bit, and disappeared into the cup. It was 162 to the hole so I guess I have to turn in my WRX card because I hit a soft 5 iron. The pace never really picked up but my game stayed pretty decent and I was able to finish with a 77.

While MR was a swamp with tons of standing water and a cart path only rule that everyone just chose to completely ignore, Blackstone was in great shape. It was wet in some spots but the course drained well, the bunkers were all playable, and there was no one in front or behind us. Why a poorly-conditioned place was backing up on every hole while a perfectly-conditioned one was wide open I'll never fully understand. If the $11 difference in rates was the reason, then I'm at a total loss for words. I missed three birdie putts that were all inside 8 feet (one was like a 4 footer) and ended up with another 77.

[St Jimmy]

Oak Grove today. Was only three cars in the lot when I pulled in (I love this place!). The guy charged me $25 to ride (how do they stay in business?). Cart path only and it was pretty wet in a few of the fairways, but very playable. I did plug a few times. The greens were beautiful, but very soft. Took me quite awhile to get in a groove, but ended up +1 over the last seven holes (88 total). I'll be going back again Sunday.

[Argonne69]

I'm telling you, walking on the soft turf is brutal on the ankles. A lot of people make fun of Michelle Wie's hightops, but I think she's on to something. Why do basketball players get to wear hightops on a flat, hard surface, and I'm rolling my ankles in soggy ground?

[dhartmann34]

Got my new bag on Friday. Was supposed to come in Mid May according to PING when I ordered it. Was a nice surprise.

 

 

And now I just got to Golf in Motion for a lesson this morning. Only an hour and 5 minute drive. Not bad! Car drives smooth at 85 and almost 39 mpg on the way down. Success!!

 

Hoping I've been correctly working on all the things I was supposed to be from the last lesson a month ago. I feel like I've made good progress... although sometimes progress in our heads is completely different than reality.

 

I like having 3-4 weeks between lessons.

[dhartmann34]

I'm telling you, walking on the soft turf is brutal on the ankles. A lot of people make fun of Michelle Wie's hightops, but I think she's on to something. Why do basketball players get to wear hightops on a flat, hard surface, and I'm rolling my ankles in soggy ground?

I sprained my ankle Tuesday (basketball fun). Been regular wearing high tops since then. They're incredible. Even hit balls with them on yesterday and the support is fantastic. Might have to pick up a pair of golf high tops and give them a try.

[DavePelz4]

I woke up to the sight of frost on vehicles and figured a delay was waiting for me. I called Marengo Ridge and of course they were expecting a delay but weren't sure when it would be over. As I entered the clubhouse, I heard the unmistakable sound of video poker. Is it still considered gambling if the person playing has zero chance of winning? I digress. The practice green was covered in icicles and there was a ton of visible frost so I was worried we'd be waiting a while. However, after about 20 minutes the pro shop said everyone was good to go. Um, thanks for that but why have a frost delay at all if you're going to let golfers on the course when there's still tons of frost? The round was painfully slow on the front and we had to move our tee time at Blackstone way back at the turn, and the crappy pace (and muddy, sloppy conditions) got to me as I limped to a front nine 40.

The back nine was a different story, thankfully. On 11, I hit a crisp iron off the tee that hit the green, rolled out a bit, and disappeared into the cup. It was 162 to the hole so I guess I have to turn in my WRX card because I hit a soft 5 iron. The pace never really picked up but my game stayed pretty decent and I was able to finish with a 77.

While MR was a swamp with tons of standing water and a cart path only rule that everyone just chose to completely ignore, Blackstone was in great shape. It was wet in some spots but the course drained well, the bunkers were all playable, and there was no one in front or behind us. Why a poorly-conditioned place was backing up on every hole while a perfectly-conditioned one was wide open I'll never fully understand. If the $11 difference in rates was the reason, then I'm at a total loss for words. I missed three birdie putts that were all inside 8 feet (one was like a 4 footer) and ended up with another 77.

 

Congrats on the ACE!

[Argonne69]

Walked 18 at soggy Glencoe. Even though the temperature was higher than yesterday, it felt colder with the dampness in the air. The course was in OK shape for early April, but it has a ways to go.

 

Excellent all around round today. 11 fairways and 11 greens. I struggled again with the driver, so I said what the heck, and started hitting a baby fade that took the hook out of play. I started with a birdie on the 1st, and I also added a chip in birdie on the par 3 7th. Finished the front even par. The back nine was crazy. After a bogie on 10, I made a 20 foot birdie putt on the 12th, holed out a 9 iron for eagle on the 16th, and sunk another 20 foot birdie on the 17th to finish 2 under. After leaving putts short for weeks, I committed to banging the d*mn things today, and it payed off. The putt on 17 was funny, as it hopped a good 6 to 8 inches in the air when it slammed the back of the cup.

[ldchristopher]

I woke up to the sight of frost on vehicles and figured a delay was waiting for me. I called Marengo Ridge and of course they were expecting a delay but weren't sure when it would be over. As I entered the clubhouse, I heard the unmistakable sound of video poker. Is it still considered gambling if the person playing has zero chance of winning? I digress. The practice green was covered in icicles and there was a ton of visible frost so I was worried we'd be waiting a while. However, after about 20 minutes the pro shop said everyone was good to go. Um, thanks for that but why have a frost delay at all if you're going to let golfers on the course when there's still tons of frost? The round was painfully slow on the front and we had to move our tee time at Blackstone way back at the turn, and the crappy pace (and muddy, sloppy conditions) got to me as I limped to a front nine 40.

The back nine was a different story, thankfully. On 11, I hit a crisp iron off the tee that hit the green, rolled out a bit, and disappeared into the cup. It was 162 to the hole so I guess I have to turn in my WRX card because I hit a soft 5 iron. The pace never really picked up but my game stayed pretty decent and I was able to finish with a 77.

While MR was a swamp with tons of standing water and a cart path only rule that everyone just chose to completely ignore, Blackstone was in great shape. It was wet in some spots but the course drained well, the bunkers were all playable, and there was no one in front or behind us. Why a poorly-conditioned place was backing up on every hole while a perfectly-conditioned one was wide open I'll never fully understand. If the $11 difference in rates was the reason, then I'm at a total loss for words. I missed three birdie putts that were all inside 8 feet (one was like a 4 footer) and ended up with another 77.

 

Congrats on the ACE!

Thanks. It's the luckiest shot in golf but I'd rather be lucky than good.

[DrWalterWhite]

Got my new bag on Friday. Was supposed to come in Mid May according to PING when I ordered it. Was a nice surprise.

 

 

And now I just got to Golf in Motion for a lesson this morning. Only an hour and 5 minute drive. Not bad! Car drives smooth at 85 and almost 39 mpg on the way down. Success!!

 

Hoping I've been correctly working on all the things I was supposed to be from the last lesson a month ago. I feel like I've made good progress... although sometimes progress in our heads is completely different than reality.

 

I like having 3-4 weeks between lessons.

 

Are you working with Tim or Chris? I've not worked with Chris, but Tim is the man! Learned more from that guy in the past year than I did in the previous 10. Love Golf in Motion.

[dhartmann34]

Got my new bag on Friday. Was supposed to come in Mid May according to PING when I ordered it. Was a nice surprise.

 

 

And now I just got to Golf in Motion for a lesson this morning. Only an hour and 5 minute drive. Not bad! Car drives smooth at 85 and almost 39 mpg on the way down. Success!!

 

Hoping I've been correctly working on all the things I was supposed to be from the last lesson a month ago. I feel like I've made good progress... although sometimes progress in our heads is completely different than reality.

 

I like having 3-4 weeks between lessons.

 

Are you working with Tim or Chris? I've not worked with Chris, but Tim is the man! Learned more from that guy in the past year than I did in the previous 10. Love Golf in Motion.

Working with Tim. It's been two lessons and it's been fantastic!

[Scratch2Plus]

Bowes is in nice shape and carts were 90*...

Great ball striking round, I just forgot to take the cover off the putter. Didn't make squat.

 

[stasek]

Got my new bag on Friday. Was supposed to come in Mid May according to PING when I ordered it. Was a nice surprise.

 

 

And now I just got to Golf in Motion for a lesson this morning. Only an hour and 5 minute drive. Not bad! Car drives smooth at 85 and almost 39 mpg on the way down. Success!!

 

Hoping I've been correctly working on all the things I was supposed to be from the last lesson a month ago. I feel like I've made good progress... although sometimes progress in our heads is completely different than reality.

 

I like having 3-4 weeks between lessons.

 

Are you working with Tim or Chris? I've not worked with Chris, but Tim is the man! Learned more from that guy in the past year than I did in the previous 10. Love Golf in Motion.

Working with Tim. It's been two lessons and it's been fantastic!

 

So what's the story with Golf in Motion? The lack of playing and practice is starting to catch up with me, and I'm thinking about getting a lesson or two. Are you getting the lessons through Groupon?

[dhartmann34]

Got my new bag on Friday. Was supposed to come in Mid May according to PING when I ordered it. Was a nice surprise.

 

 

And now I just got to Golf in Motion for a lesson this morning. Only an hour and 5 minute drive. Not bad! Car drives smooth at 85 and almost 39 mpg on the way down. Success!!

 

Hoping I've been correctly working on all the things I was supposed to be from the last lesson a month ago. I feel like I've made good progress... although sometimes progress in our heads is completely different than reality.

 

I like having 3-4 weeks between lessons.

 

Are you working with Tim or Chris? I've not worked with Chris, but Tim is the man! Learned more from that guy in the past year than I did in the previous 10. Love Golf in Motion.

Working with Tim. It's been two lessons and it's been fantastic!

 

So what's the story with Golf in Motion? The lack of playing and practice is starting to catch up with me, and I'm thinking about getting a lesson or two. Are you getting the lessons through Groupon?

I did pick up a Groupon for them, but I'm getting more lessons now as I have not only enjoyed them, but have seen a great change after just my first lesson...And I expect the same after I work on my second lesson stuff we went over today. They're just fantastic in my opinion.

 

It's 65 miles from my house, but I think worth the trip.

[stasek]

Got my new bag on Friday. Was supposed to come in Mid May according to PING when I ordered it. Was a nice surprise.

 

 

And now I just got to Golf in Motion for a lesson this morning. Only an hour and 5 minute drive. Not bad! Car drives smooth at 85 and almost 39 mpg on the way down. Success!!

 

Hoping I've been correctly working on all the things I was supposed to be from the last lesson a month ago. I feel like I've made good progress... although sometimes progress in our heads is completely different than reality.

 

I like having 3-4 weeks between lessons.

 

Are you working with Tim or Chris? I've not worked with Chris, but Tim is the man! Learned more from that guy in the past year than I did in the previous 10. Love Golf in Motion.

Working with Tim. It's been two lessons and it's been fantastic!

 

So what's the story with Golf in Motion? The lack of playing and practice is starting to catch up with me, and I'm thinking about getting a lesson or two. Are you getting the lessons through Groupon?

I did pick up a Groupon for them, but I'm getting more lessons now as I have not only enjoyed them, but have seen a great change after just my first lesson...And I expect the same after I work on my second lesson stuff we went over today. They're just fantastic in my opinion.

 

It's 65 miles from my house, but I think worth the trip.

 

Hmmm.... intriguing... tough to beat 2 60 min lessons for $65. And it's "only" 30 minutes from home.

[WindyCitySPN]

^^^^

 

 

Not to jump in here again but I have a lot of experience with golf in motion. My brother, three of this best friends, and myself have all taken lessons from Tim. He has a great set up with dual camera and V1 recording so he can send you aspects of your lesson you need to work on. I mentioned it above but my brother went from about a 22 to a 6-8 handicap and one of this buddies went from a 16 to a 8.

 

Two things that jump out to me about Tim is that is is NOT one lesson fits all there he customizes the lesson to the individual. The other thing is Tim really seems to care about his players improving not just cashing the check.

 

If anyone has any specific questions feel free to DM me. I am in no way affiliated with golf in motion just a greatfull student.

[Argonne69]

I just received an email from Harborside. 'Looks like the planned improvements are getting closer to reality.

 

"

Harborside International Announces Bunker Improvement Project

 

Harborside International is pleased to announce an ambitious Bunker Improvement Project that will improve playability, drainage, and overall bunker conditions! The project, which will NOT interfere with play during the 2017 season, will further highlight the natural beauty of Harborside’s native areas and wildlife, and expand the cityscape and Lake Calumet vistas throughout the iconic urban Chicago golf destination.

 

The bunkers will see a significant upgrade with more consistent conditioning for players with the utilization of Better Billy Bunker technology, yielding improved drainage, more cost-effective maintenance and fewer washouts. The renovation project will also strategically remove a number of out-of-play bunkers, making the course more playable for higher-handicap players while still presenting a challenge for highly skilled players.

 

The guest experience will remain uninterrupted throughout the renovation project. This spring, guests will be able to enjoy a staff-favorite “StarPort” routing, which combines the scenic and dramatic back nines of the Starboard and Port courses.

 

We look forward to this exciting project as we continue to improve “Chicago’s Home for Golf” for years to come!

"

[adschus]

Got an email from Harborside re bunker renovations. Glad they are listening and recognize the issue. Timing is poor though; they could have been working on this weeks ago.

[Argonne69]

Got an email from Harborside re bunker renovations. Glad they are listening and recognize the issue. Timing is poor though; they could have been working on this weeks years ago.

 

Fixed that for you.

 

I assume this is going to be a major doing, so I'd expect closures throughout the season. Hopefully they have something in the budget to address the soggy low lying areas.

[St Jimmy]

^^^^

 

 

Not to jump in here again but I have a lot of experience with golf in motion. My brother, three of this best friends, and myself have all taken lessons from Tim. He has a great set up with dual camera and V1 recording so he can send you aspects of your lesson you need to work on. I mentioned it above but my brother went from about a 22 to a 6-8 handicap and one of this buddies went from a 16 to a 8.

 

Two things that jump out to me about Tim is that is is NOT one lesson fits all there he customizes the lesson to the individual. The other thing is Tim really seems to care about his players improving not just cashing the check.

 

If anyone has any specific questions feel free to DM me. I am in no way affiliated with golf in motion just a greatfull student.

 

I've been playing for about 20 years and have yet to take a lesson.

It's probably a combination of not wanting to start from scratch with my swing and being embarrassed to let anyone actually analyze my mess.

 

 

I'd LOVE to be a single digit cap.

[Argonne69]

A good instructor is not going to start from scratch. If you're a low double digit player, there are probably a small number of minor tweaks that could get you over the hump.

 

I had played for years as a self taught player. I got down to an 11, but could not break through. I went to a 3 day school at Pinehurst with a single goal, get below a ten. The first day they made a small adjustment to my grip, as I was palming the grip too much. After that I was hitting a baby draw for the first time. They also narrowed my stance with my irons, allowing me to turn easier. I learned to chip properly for the first time. I learned a few new things about bunker play, including how to hood a club if you need to get a buried lie out of the sand. Overall it was a fantastic experience, including getting to play the Pinehurst courses. I left wishing I had done it much earlier. It took a few months for the changes to finally settle in, but after that my index quickly dropped below 9.

[Waterboy]

I just received an email from Harborside. 'Looks like the planned improvements are getting closer to reality.

 

"

Harborside International Announces Bunker Improvement Project

 

Harborside International is pleased to announce an ambitious Bunker Improvement Project that will improve playability, drainage, and overall bunker conditions! The project, which will NOT interfere with play during the 2017 season, will further highlight the natural beauty of Harborside’s native areas and wildlife, and expand the cityscape and Lake Calumet vistas throughout the iconic urban Chicago golf destination.

 

The bunkers will see a significant upgrade with more consistent conditioning for players with the utilization of Better Billy Bunker technology, yielding improved drainage, more cost-effective maintenance and fewer washouts. The renovation project will also strategically remove a number of out-of-play bunkers, making the course more playable for higher-handicap players while still presenting a challenge for highly skilled players.

 

The guest experience will remain uninterrupted throughout the renovation project. This spring, guests will be able to enjoy a staff-favorite “StarPort” routing, which combines the scenic and dramatic back nines of the Starboard and Port courses.

 

We look forward to this exciting project as we continue to improve “Chicago’s Home for Golf” for years to come!

"

 

The use of the billy bunker liner is great. Helps drainage and does a great job cutting maintenance time down getting the course back to playing conditions.

 

Did they have to pump a lot of their bunkers when it rained?

[saggysag]

I just received an email from Harborside. 'Looks like the planned improvements are getting closer to reality.

 

"

Harborside International Announces Bunker Improvement Project

 

Harborside International is pleased to announce an ambitious Bunker Improvement Project that will improve playability, drainage, and overall bunker conditions! The project, which will NOT interfere with play during the 2017 season, will further highlight the natural beauty of Harborside’s native areas and wildlife, and expand the cityscape and Lake Calumet vistas throughout the iconic urban Chicago golf destination.

 

The bunkers will see a significant upgrade with more consistent conditioning for players with the utilization of Better Billy Bunker technology, yielding improved drainage, more cost-effective maintenance and fewer washouts. The renovation project will also strategically remove a number of out-of-play bunkers, making the course more playable for higher-handicap players while still presenting a challenge for highly skilled players.

 

The guest experience will remain uninterrupted throughout the renovation project. This spring, guests will be able to enjoy a staff-favorite “StarPort” routing, which combines the scenic and dramatic back nines of the Starboard and Port courses.

 

We look forward to this exciting project as we continue to improve “Chicago’s Home for Golf” for years to come!"

 

 

About time!!!!!

[Argonne69]

I just received an email from Harborside. 'Looks like the planned improvements are getting closer to reality.

 

"

Harborside International Announces Bunker Improvement Project

 

Harborside International is pleased to announce an ambitious Bunker Improvement Project that will improve playability, drainage, and overall bunker conditions! The project, which will NOT interfere with play during the 2017 season, will further highlight the natural beauty of Harborside's native areas and wildlife, and expand the cityscape and Lake Calumet vistas throughout the iconic urban Chicago golf destination.

 

The bunkers will see a significant upgrade with more consistent conditioning for players with the utilization of Better Billy Bunker technology, yielding improved drainage, more cost-effective maintenance and fewer washouts. The renovation project will also strategically remove a number of out-of-play bunkers, making the course more playable for higher-handicap players while still presenting a challenge for highly skilled players.

 

The guest experience will remain uninterrupted throughout the renovation project. This spring, guests will be able to enjoy a staff-favorite "StarPort" routing, which combines the scenic and dramatic back nines of the Starboard and Port courses.

 

We look forward to this exciting project as we continue to improve "Chicago's Home for Golf" for years to come!

"

 

The use of the billy bunker liner is great. Helps drainage and does a great job cutting maintenance time down getting the course back to playing conditions.

 

Did they have to pump a lot of their bunkers when it rained?

 

 

Yes, constantly. The bunkers are lined with some type of felt, which has deteriorated over time. It's sticking up in many places. The hardpan in most greenside bunkers borders on concrete.

[stg099]

I played the "starport" mix of 9's at Harborside Saturday morning and while it was more than a bit soggy out there, the place was in great shape. That said, the bunker improvement project is going to be a big help. Most of the bunkers had lakes in them and the ones that didn't had the craters and valleys of running water through the sand. That said, for the ~55 spring rate I felt it was a very good value considering that the rest of the course was green as could be.

 

I can also add that Harborside is MUCH friendlier with the fescue cut down this early in the season than it is with it full grown. :)

[Argonne69]

I played the "starport" mix of 9's at Harborside Saturday morning and while it was more than a bit soggy out there, the place was in great shape. That said, the bunker improvement project is going to be a big help. Most of the bunkers had lakes in them and the ones that didn't had the craters and valleys of running water through the sand. That said, for the ~55 spring rate I felt it was a very good value considering that the rest of the course was green as could be.

 

I can also add that Harborside is MUCH friendlier with the fescue cut down this early in the season than it is with it full grown. :)

 

Was it cart path only?