Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round2)

[cane700]

George Dunne or Big Run. Which one? Early morning weekday round. Need opinions

[chisag]

George Dunne or Big Run. Which one? Early morning weekday round. Need opinions

 

... No brainer. Goerge Dunne is a real golf course. : )

[Argonne69]

George Dunne or Big Run. Which one? Early morning weekday round. Need opinions

 

How early? 'Better be one of the first groups out on either one, as pace usually sux.

[cane700]

I've played GD many times. I always try to get out no later than 8am and preferably on weekdays. 630am is my preferred start time. Pace aside, is Big Run worth skipping a round at GD or am I better off sticking with an old favorite.

[DavePelz4]

Closing out our group's season tomorrow at Blackstone followed by a great dinner at one of the guy's house afterwards. Always a great day.

[Argonne69]

I've played GD many times. I always try to get out no later than 8am and preferably on weekdays. 630am is my preferred start time. Pace aside, is Big Run worth skipping a round at GD or am I better off sticking with an old favorite.

 

I'm not a huge fan of Big Run, but it is certainly no goat track. It has its highlights, and a few not so highlights. You're not going to be blown away by the conditioning, but it's a solid test. Like a number of courses around here, e.g. Mt Prospect, Harborside, it has its proponents and detractors. If you haven't played it, I'd say it's worth checking out.

[chisag]

I've played GD many times. I always try to get out no later than 8am and preferably on weekdays. 630am is my preferred start time. Pace aside, is Big Run worth skipping a round at GD or am I better off sticking with an old favorite.

 

... I am biased as I hate Big Run and would not play there for free. On the other hand, I love Dunne so hence my vote. BR is a love/hate course and few fall somewhere in-between, some here that love it and others hate it. It is very close to where I live and I have no interest in playing there. Much rather play Broken Arrow, Prairie Bluff, Cog Hill #2 or even #1. I also walk and find BR an unfriendly walking course so that enters into it too.

[jimwgt26]

I brought a friend to The Preserve today. The course is in decent shape. The fairways and tees are better than the last time. They've let the greens grow out a touch, they're still nice. The pace was an awful five hours, two on the front, three on the back. Three groups on every hole, only saw a ranger one time. It was a beautiful day, and I haven't played with this friend in a while, we had fun and made the best of it.

[stasek]

George Dunne or Big Run. Which one? Early morning weekday round. Need opinions

I like both courses (and live only a mile from BR), but I would probably pick GD. Currently, BR is in the dog house after I 6-putted 18th last time I played it.

[chisag]

George Dunne or Big Run. Which one? Early morning weekday round. Need opinions

I like both courses (and live only a mile from BR), but I would probably pick GD. Currently, BR is in the dog house after I 6-putted 18th last time I played it.

 

... Bummer. This is one of the reasons I dislike BR so much. I know some love a real challenge on the greens and I prefer something difficult but fair. Circus greens are just not something I enjoy putting.

[stasek]

George Dunne or Big Run. Which one? Early morning weekday round. Need opinions

I like both courses (and live only a mile from BR), but I would probably pick GD. Currently, BR is in the dog house after I 6-putted 18th last time I played it.

 

... Bummer. This is one of the reasons I dislike BR so much. I know some love a real challenge on the greens and I prefer something difficult but fair. Circus greens are just not something I enjoy putting.

Greens are what they are, but it’s inexcusable to cut the hole in a spot where you simply cannot stop the ball around it - whether you’re above or below.

[cane700]

Thanks for the feedback. I may let my playing partners decide this one.

[ldchristopher]

George Dunne or Big Run. Which one? Early morning weekday round. Need opinions

GDN is what it is: a solid but not spectacular course that at times struggles to keep up with the amount of traffic it gets but makes up for it by being relatively inexpensive. Big Run is one of the only courses in the area that doesn't feel like a Chicago-area course, which is something I endorse. Repetition gets old after a while, so if you're in a change of pace mood, I'd go Big Run rather than yet another Dick Nugent Chicago burbs course. Like Argonne said, both have their detractors, but I feel like the GDN criticisms are more traditional (e.g., pace, chewed up portions, guys in zubazz pants on the course). Big Run gets justified criticism for when the holes get cut in weird spots and unjustified criticisms for not having many birdie holes and for funky lies because of the elevation change. I'd go Big Run.

[chisag]

Big Run gets justified criticism for when the holes get cut in weird spots and unjustified criticisms for not having many birdie holes and for funky lies because of the elevation change.

 

... I will say 13 at BR is one of my favorite par 3's in Chicago. On a different subject, I asked you a question you never answered in another thread. Figured I could ask again here and skip the drama. I am genuinely interested in why you would not play an iron that looks great at address, and performs well for you if the cavity isn't to your liking. Of course I understand if you are deciding between two clubs that perform equally and one looks better than the other but I just cant wrap my head around not playing an iron because the cavity is ugly. Maybe since I go to the show every year I just don't notice the rear of an iron anymore (and have never cared about the sole of a wood) and only care about what it looks like at address and how it performs. For me the best irons I have played are the Amp Forged that just looked about perfect to my eye at address but had that silly bright orange badging, orange grips and equally silly very obvious and different colored tungsten weights on the sole. But they give me everything I want from a performance perspective. I have upgraded to the Forged Tours because I like the satin finish better than the shiny chrome but that is an address issue. Anyway I would love to hear a snide-less answer which would certainly happen on the equipment forum. :dntknw: Thanks!

[Argonne69]

A very pleasant round at Glencoe GC this morning. It was nice to finally have some cool fall temperatures. The course was in great shape. It looks like the greens were aerated two to three weeks ago. You could still see a bit of the dimple pattern in the surface, but they rolled very smoothly. I thought the speed was perfect, with a good pace but not scary. I played the course back in the early part of the season, so it's nice to play it at its best. They appear to have added some sand to the bunkers. They were soft without being overly fluffy. Pace was good at 4:10.

 

A solid day ballstriking with 10 fairways and 12 greens. Three birdies were matched by 3 bogies. The highlight of the day was a nice 30+ foot birdie putt on #14 that had a good 4 to 5 feet of break. Blind squirrel alert. The lowlight was pulling a muscle in my side trying to murder the ball on the 10th tee. Lol. Best drive of the day, but every full shot after that felt like someone was stabbing me with an ice pick. 'Hope it gets better by the morning.

[ldchristopher]

Big Run gets justified criticism for when the holes get cut in weird spots and unjustified criticisms for not having many birdie holes and for funky lies because of the elevation change.

 

... I will say 13 at BR is one of my favorite par 3's in Chicago. On a different subject, I asked you a question you never answered in another thread. Figured I could ask again here and skip the drama. I am genuinely interested in why you would not play an iron that looks great at address, and performs well for you if the cavity isn't to your liking. Of course I understand if you are deciding between two clubs that perform equally and one looks better than the other but I just cant wrap my head around not playing an iron because the cavity is ugly. Maybe since I go to the show every year I just don't notice the rear of an iron anymore (and have never cared about the sole of a wood) and only care about what it looks like at address and how it performs. For me the best irons I have played are the Amp Forged that just looked about perfect to my eye at address but had that silly bright orange badging, orange grips and equally silly very obvious and different colored tungsten weights on the sole. But they give me everything I want from a performance perspective. I have upgraded to the Forged Tours because I like the satin finish better than the shiny chrome but that is an address issue. Anyway I would love to hear a snide-less answer which would certainly happen on the equipment forum. :dntknw: Thanks!

I realize performance is ultimately all that should matter but I've never liked having irons that have a lot going on in the cavity in terms of badging and graphics. For example, I had the 2011 Taylormade MC Forged with the big ugly screw in the cavity and, while the irons performed really well, the general ugliness was kind of bothersome for me and I didn't hesitate at all to move on to the MP-64s. It's strictly a vanity thing but, if I've got two irons that perform equally well and one has no badging and/or minimal graphics in the cavity and the other one does, I'm picking the former every time. That said, I was always a fan of the Cobra Amp Forged. I can deal with funky colors (I actually liked the Nike Vapor Pro irons with the green swoosh as well) but badging and, oh, I don't know, something like a giant screw are turnoffs. It's just a personal preference though. To each his own.

 

Yeah, the equipment forum reads like a bunch of guys all trying to out-****** each other with condescending iron comments. It's funny for a while but it gets old fast. I'm careful what I click on now.

[ldchristopher]

Great round at Bonnie Brook today. I didn't have particularly high expectations since I hadn't played in a couple of weeks and that course gets in my head sometimes, but I was able strike the ball really well from about 75 yards and out. My pitching and chipping was way off, but that'll come back with more rounds tomorrow. I put a 917 D2 in the bag and got the confidence back that I had started to completely lose with the D3. It's extra money down the drain but my wife doesn't take the head cover off my clubs and what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

 

The greens on the first three holes hadn't been cut or rolled and I was a little worried, but the greens on 4-18 were all excellent. I always forget how much sneaky undulation there is at BBrook. It's not obvious to the naked eye but the ball really moves, especially when the hole gets cut on a ridge or slope. I think the club championship is tomorrow. Conditioning overall was great. They haven't been overwatering and there was some nice roll out in the fairways. Also, Bonnie Brook is okay with burnt out rough and drives that just missed the fairway were really running out. Hear that HoE and Thunderhawk? Probably not. Worth a shot. Anyway, I shot a 77.

 

Bear was really sharp with his wedges, driver, hybrids, and fairway wood. His iron envy after playing with a guy who had the MP-18 MB's at Sportsman's last weekend was really funny and he almost pulled the trigger on a set of 18 SC's. It's only a matter of time before he dumps the i200s that perform just fine for him and have been in his bag for six months. Should I badger him constantly tomorrow? Is the Pope Catholic?

[chisag]

A very pleasant round at Glencoe GC this morning. It was nice to finally have some cool fall temperatures. The course was in great shape. It looks like the greens were aerated two to three weeks ago. You could still see a bit of the dimple pattern in the surface, but they rolled very smoothly. I thought the speed was perfect, with a good pace but not scary. I played the course back in the early part of the season, so it's nice to play it at its best. They appear to have added some sand to the bunkers. They were soft without being overly fluffy. Pace was good at 4:10.

 

 

... LOL, different strokes. I really missed that 90* heat both for my back and watching the ball just fly. Got cold by the end of the round today and I get stiff and have a hard time swinging freely, especially after this heat wave we have had the pleasure of playing in lately.

[chisag]

Big Run gets justified criticism for when the holes get cut in weird spots and unjustified criticisms for not having many birdie holes and for funky lies because of the elevation change.

 

... I will say 13 at BR is one of my favorite par 3's in Chicago. On a different subject, I asked you a question you never answered in another thread. Figured I could ask again here and skip the drama. I am genuinely interested in why you would not play an iron that looks great at address, and performs well for you if the cavity isn't to your liking. Of course I understand if you are deciding between two clubs that perform equally and one looks better than the other but I just cant wrap my head around not playing an iron because the cavity is ugly. Maybe since I go to the show every year I just don't notice the rear of an iron anymore (and have never cared about the sole of a wood) and only care about what it looks like at address and how it performs. For me the best irons I have played are the Amp Forged that just looked about perfect to my eye at address but had that silly bright orange badging, orange grips and equally silly very obvious and different colored tungsten weights on the sole. But they give me everything I want from a performance perspective. I have upgraded to the Forged Tours because I like the satin finish better than the shiny chrome but that is an address issue. Anyway I would love to hear a snide-less answer which would certainly happen on the equipment forum. :dntknw: Thanks!

I realize performance is ultimately all that should matter but I've never liked having irons that have a lot going on in the cavity in terms of badging and graphics. For example, I had the 2011 Taylormade MC Forged with the big ugly screw in the cavity and, while the irons performed really well, the general ugliness was kind of bothersome for me and I didn't hesitate at all to move on to the MP-64s. It's strictly a vanity thing but, if I've got two irons that perform equally well and one has no badging and/or minimal graphics in the cavity and the other one does, I'm picking the former every time. That said, I was always a fan of the Cobra Amp Forged. I can deal with funky colors (I actually liked the Nike Vapor Pro irons with the green swoosh as well) but badging and, oh, I don't know, something like a giant screw are turnoffs. It's just a personal preference though. To each his own.

 

Yeah, the equipment forum reads like a bunch of guys all trying to out-****** each other with condescending iron comments. It's funny for a while but it gets old fast. I'm careful what I click on now.

 

... I figured it was just a fashion thing. I played those 2011 MC's and thought they were the best irons Taylor Made has produced. Sold em to a friend when I found the Amp Forged. Thanks for the answer.

[cane700]

Played an early morning round at Odyssey today. Looks like they are making some improvements to the conditioning. Greens were in good shape but a little slow. Fresh new sand in the bunkers! (What should be common and expected is a rare treat in this area). ? Fairways were soggy but in ok condition the the only big issue was too many tire marks in the fairways. IDK how you keep clowns from chewing up fairways with the carts. 7Tee boxes were recently punched. Did I mention the bunkers have fresh sand in them?

[Argonne69]

Another beautiful morning out on the links. I could get used to this weather. I teed it up with Shradersr and Jim at Flossmoor CC. The course was in great shape. This weekend was "Greenskeeper's Revenge" at the club, and it didn't disappoint. The greens were firm and rolling very quick, and he pin positions were on the crazy side. It was a three putt extravaganza out there. Lol. Heck, I may have had a couple of four putts, except it doesn't count when you putt two off the green. The craziest was #14. Putting above the hole I rolled it off the green. I had a nice 12 foot comeback that came up 6 inches short.....and rolled back off the green. I some how managed to get the next putt to stop near the hole.

 

Well, at least my putting didn't completely suck, and I did manage two pars on the day. With a bruised rib, I couldn't get more than 200 yards off the tee on the front nine, and I think that's being generous. Best drive of the day was maybe 220 with a tailwind. I hope nobody videoed my swing, because Charles Barkley would get a good laugh out of it. I hit 3 fairways, and 1 GIR for the day. I was pretty much trying to play bogie golf, but the firm greens were having none of that. I carded a sweet 101, which is my highest round since, um, 2006. Lol.

 

Best part of the day was the nice weather, and the fine company. Thanks for putting up with me, guys. Hopefully the rib heals by next weekend, although the weather forecast looks rather gloomy at this point.

[B-Man]

Rough at GDN today was dry, firm and fast. Had one of those off days with more than a few pulled drives into water/crap. 77 with 6 penalty shots. Makes it tough to score but saving grace was nearly dunking it on 17 to a foot.

[ldchristopher]

Brighton Dale White Birch has seen better days. I think they had grubs get in some of the fairways and those things leave plenty of marks. Either that or carts have completely wrecked the grass on some of the holes. The greens were healed from when they were punched and were running pretty smooth but by this late in the season, the bunkers were just hard pan. Ball striking was alright but I couldn't seem to get in a groove. I was burning edges pretty much all day and finished with a 78. Pace was great and we played in 2:50.

 

Steeple Chase was playing fast and firm and Bear and I were getting tons of roll. I got in a nice groove with my driver and, with the crazy roll, had a couple go around 300 yards. I rolled in a 12 foot birdie on 9 to finish the front at 35 and bogied 12 and 16 on the back for a 73. I had pretty much everything working but, with the exception of my one birdie, was still either burning edges or leaving putts one or two rotations short. It was still really nice to get back in the low 70s though. Pace was slow on the front nine but a couple of groups in front of us bowed out at the turn and we ended up finishing in under 4 hours.

[DavePelz4]

Closing out our group's season tomorrow at Blackstone followed by a great dinner at one of the guy's house afterwards. Always a great day.

 

An amazing end to the season. VNutz shot a sweet 73 and tied with Lefty for the most points on the day and walked with cash.

 

Standing on the 18th tee, the top 3 were separated by two points, with one player, let's just call him Jimmy, getting THREE strokes. If he makes 6 or better, he wins.

 

He made 7.

 

The player in second place pulled his drive left of the cart path on 18 and left his approach just short of the green.

 

The guy leading put his tee shot in the left bunker, his approach shot was short of the green, the pitch went long but he got up and down for bogey. He held a 1 point lead.

 

In a Masters moment that was reminiscent of Tiger, the player in second has his chip roll to the cup...stop on the edge...create the perfect dramatic moment and then dropped in for a birdie to win the season by 1 point.

 

Awesome post round celebrations with a great bonfire that was started from about 20 feet away and probably was 30-40 feet in the air. If dropbox or photo bucket would cooperate, I'd post some pics...

[VNutz]

Closing out our group's season tomorrow at Blackstone followed by a great dinner at one of the guy's house afterwards. Always a great day.

 

An amazing end to the season. VNutz shot a sweet 73 and tied with Lefty for the most points on the day and walked with cash.

 

Standing on the 18th tee, the top 3 were separated by two points, with one player, let's just call him Jimmy, getting THREE strokes. If he makes 6 or better, he wins.

 

He made 7.

 

The player in second place pulled his drive left of the cart path on 18 and left his approach just short of the green.

 

The guy leading put his tee shot in the left bunker, his approach shot was short of the green, the pitch went long but he got up and down for bogey. He held a 1 point lead.

 

In a Masters moment that was reminiscent of Tiger, the player in second has his chip roll to the cup...stop on the edge...create the perfect dramatic moment and then dropped in for a birdie to win the season by 1 point.

 

Awesome post round celebrations with a great bonfire that was started from about 20 feet away and probably was 30-40 feet in the air. If dropbox or photo bucket would cooperate, I'd post some pics...

 

So glad my group stayed to watch the drama unfold, even though we didn't know where it stood. Honesty the chip in was an afterthought as we watched. Great to see a season of golf come down to 1 hole.

[B-Man]

Woah! Scary on may levels...

 

 

[geochitown]

sounds like a great time.

Old Forester was a staple of a ski camp that I used to go to at Snowbird/Alta

[chisag]

... With all the heat and necessary over watering with greens bumpier an much slower than normal, who would have thought Links of Carillon would have the best greens at the moment? Played today and had 4 birdies because I could actually roll the ball on the greens without wandering or outright being bumped of line. And they were pretty normal speed, something I was not expecting. Shot a 70 with a chance for an eagle on 18. Might play there a few more times if the greens stay in this condition.

[dhartmann34]

Played my normal Sunday Renwood round with our usual 20+ guys. Head a pretty good day. Hit a lot of greens and was either in or just off of the fairways quite often. Putter was on fire. Only 25 putts for the day with 1 chip in. 7 birdies overall. A season low 69 (32-37) for me.

 

I started the back 9 four over after 4 holes, but birdied 3 straight....and lipped out a 3 ft sliding birdie on 18.

 

Excited to get back out and play next weekend to see if I can continue the good streak.

[geochitown]

Lights out shooting guys, nice job

 

Looking forward to playing keeper lakes this week

 

Haven't played there since it went private (2004,2095)

 

It will be interesting to see the new bunkering there and gee-acquaint myself with the course prior to next years women's PGA tourney