Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round2)

[Argonne69]

[quote name='zer0' timestamp='1435262663' post='11834654']
[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1435262138' post='11834594']
I'm playing Crane's Landing on Sunday morning for the first time. Does anyone know if the course is walking friendly, or am I going to be required to take a cart?
[/quote]

Grew up nearby, but never played. Pretty sure you won't have a problem walking, its a small course. I'm sure I've seen people out there walking before.

Now what you might have a problem with is flooding. Course is next to Des Plaines river and it tends to flood when it rains a lot. But, i drove by it the other day and I didn't notice any flooding. Just be weary in case is rains a lot over the weekend.
[/quote]

'Looks like very little chance of rain between now and Sunday, thank goodness. I'm sure we're all getting quite tired of the soggy conditions.

[Waterboy]

[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1435262907' post='11834686']
[quote name='zer0' timestamp='1435262663' post='11834654']
[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1435262138' post='11834594']
I'm playing Crane's Landing on Sunday morning for the first time. Does anyone know if the course is walking friendly, or am I going to be required to take a cart?
[/quote]

Grew up nearby, but never played. Pretty sure you won't have a problem walking, its a small course. I'm sure I've seen people out there walking before.

Now what you might have a problem with is flooding. Course is next to Des Plaines river and it tends to flood when it rains a lot. But, i drove by it the other day and I didn't notice any flooding. Just be weary in case is rains a lot over the weekend.
[/quote]

'Looks like very little chance of rain between now and Sunday, thank goodness. I'm sure we're all getting quite tired of the soggy conditions.
[/quote]

As long as the rain avoids anywhere north of the golf course and Route 22, you should be good. If it does start to flood, the water will rise slowly so you'll have time to get your round in or run for higher ground.

Not sure on the walking policy though since I think it is considered a resort course. I've played it once and it was in the afternoon. I can't even remember if I walked it or took a cart.

Good luck.


As for me, Navy Course again this weekend. Got to get reps in and work on my Traj for Erin Hills after the 4th.

WB

[Argonne69]

I know I'm getting old and senile, but I can't recall a time when the weather forecasts were so piss poor. Only yesterday were they calling for no rain over the next few days, and yet it's raining downtown as I type this. They can't predict the weather 24 hours out, but yet I'm supposed to believe that sea levels will rise 13 feet by the year 2060. Yeah, right.

[VNutz]

Call me crazy, but the older and fatter I get the more I love weather like this in the summer. If I had the time I'd gladly get out today, I've seen nothing more than a mist of rain, and the cool weather would keep me from sweating like a pig. Sure it's great to get out on a warm and sunny day and play, but if you're carrying that quickly becomes a sweat fest. A day like today is refreshing.

I've given up on getting angry at weather forecasters, it's just an educated guess and anything can happen.

[Argonne69]

Call me crazy, but the older and fatter I get the more I love weather like this in the summer. If I had the time I'd gladly get out today, I've seen nothing more than a mist of rain, and the cool weather would keep me from sweating like a pig. Sure it's great to get out on a warm and sunny day and play, but if you're carrying that quickly becomes a sweat fest. A day like today is refreshing.

 

I've given up on getting angry at weather forecasters, it's just an educated guess and anything can happen.

 

Carrying? Maybe 12 years ago. A pushcart, umbrella, and loose clothing helps make the high temps bearable.

 

Now, all I need is this, and I'll be golden.

 

 

 

Hmmm, this may be my next Clicgear accessory:

 

[VNutz]

Carrying, pushing, whatever. In a cart would be a different story but probably quite nice today. I can't bring myself to use an umbrella in the heat, at least not yet.

[Chicago Lefty]

Good thing I can drink beer inside.

[Scratch2Plus]

ThunderHawk was in fine shape. Me and a buddy played it in just under 3 hrs. It was a fun, non rushed round where we took our time reading putts from multiple angles and finally making some putts. I was almost tempted to do a replay for $35.
The fairways were running out more than I expected with all the rain we've had in the past 2 weeks.
Greens were true but a tad on the slow side but they looked quite a bit faster than they rolled.

[Argonne69]

[quote name='VNutz' timestamp='1435348500' post='11840826']
Carrying, pushing, whatever. In a cart would be a different story but probably quite nice today. I can't bring myself to use an umbrella in the heat, at least not yet.
[/quote]

I've been using an umbrella on hot days for years. I do not know the word vanity. I hate wearing hats, and popping the umbrella allows me to take of my hat, which combined with the shade, makes one feel at least 10 to 15 degrees cooler.

[apprenti23]

Spent the afternoon at top golf in wood dale- did not get wet.

[mflores]

[quote name='Scratch2Plus' timestamp='1435349470' post='11840898']
ThunderHawk was in fine shape. Me and a buddy played it in just under 3 hrs. It was a fun, non rushed round where we took our time reading putts from multiple angles and finally making some putts. I was almost tempted to do a replay for $35.
The fairways were running out more than I expected with all the rain we've had in the past 2 weeks.
Greens were true but a tad on the slow side but they looked quite a bit faster than they rolled.
[/quote]

It was a fun round Scratch - beautiful course. Love the layout and the fact there are virtually no homes on the course is a huge plus. Also being the 2nd group out and finishing in 3 hours aint bad either - if I could I would play that course every day.

Way to go low as well - you tore up the back nine.

[Argonne69]

Walked 18 at Winnetka today. The forecast for strong winds kept me local, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. The north wind along the lake was refreshing. The course was damp, but not overly wet. Pace of play was slow on the front, but picked up on the back, and we finished in 4:10.

'Couldn't hit an iron to save my life today. I picked up a new Ping G30 3 wood, and it was simply golden off the tee. Unfortunately, my poor iron play took away any advantage I had. 'Missed two greens with a PW in my hand. Yow. A number of good scrambles for par kept the round from being a complete disaster, but I've got to straighten out the irons.

[Scratch2Plus]

[quote name='mflores' timestamp='1435434274' post='11845616']
[quote name='Scratch2Plus' timestamp='1435349470' post='11840898']
ThunderHawk was in fine shape. Me and a buddy played it in just under 3 hrs. It was a fun, non rushed round where we took our time reading putts from multiple angles and finally making some putts. I was almost tempted to do a replay for $35.
The fairways were running out more than I expected with all the rain we've had in the past 2 weeks.
Greens were true but a tad on the slow side but they looked quite a bit faster than they rolled.
[/quote]

It was a fun round Scratch - beautiful course. Love the layout and the fact there are virtually no homes on the course is a huge plus. Also being the 2nd group out and finishing in 3 hours aint bad either - if I could I would play that course every day.

Way to go low as well - you tore up the back nine.
[/quote]

Yep, I really like that course. Wish it was closer to home but not a bad drive at all early in the AM.
It wasn't the best ball striking round but my misses were in play and I took advantage. The tasty bourbon you had didn't hurt either.

[Nightgolfer]

Where will I be playing on the morning of the 8th? No idea, so I need help!

I will be visiting Chicago and flying back from O'Hare in the afternoon of July 8th so I was hoping to fit in a morning round at some nice golf course. Preferably one that is conveniently located somewhere between downtown and O'Hare and allows a single to book a tee time (and rent equipment). Any suggestions?

[Argonne69]

[quote name='Nightgolfer' timestamp='1435504924' post='11849472']
Where will I be playing on the morning of the 8th? No idea, so I need help!

I will be visiting Chicago and flying back from O'Hare in the afternoon of July 8th so I was hoping to fit in a morning round at some nice golf course. Preferably one that is conveniently located somewhere between downtown and O'Hare and allows a single to book a tee time (and rent equipment). Any suggestions?
[/quote]

Unfortunately, there are no decent courses between downtown and O'Hare. Will you have a rental car, or will you be taking a taxi or train? There are a few decent courses within 10 to 15 miles of the airport, but they would require a car.

[Argonne69]

I played Crane's Landing for the first time today. As noted earlier, it's along the Des Plaines River, so I can see why it gets very wet after a rain. The course was wet in spots, but overall very playable. The greens were in nice shape, albeit on the slow side. Given that this is a resort course, it wasn't a surprise. What was surprising was the pace of play. I joined a twosome, and we made it around in 4:10, which is more than acceptable for resort golf. I walked the course, and as far as I could tell, I was the only walker. They didn't give me any beef about walking, but then again they didn't offer a discount either. Luckily I booked an online special for $55, so I wasn't too bothered by the built-in cart fee.

The course itself was rather odd. The front nine has a number of very short par 4's. The back, however, has some seriously long par 4's from the blue tees (452, 420, 448, and 447). Really plays as 2 different nines. The fairways are very narrow, and the course has a large number of trees. I managed only 2 fairways on the front, even though I hit 3 wood on all but two holes. I think one of the holes had a landing area 15 yards wide. The rough was thick, and we struggled all day to find balls in it. 'Doesn't appear that they've mowed in a while.

I had a forgettable round form a scoring perspective. No big blowups, but coming out of the rough so often limited my scoring chances. However, the twosome I was with will be very memorable. I believe I've posted previously about a round I played years ago with a young Korean man and his mom. His mom completely schooled him, beating him by a good 18 shots or more. Today I played with another nice young Korean man in his mid-20's, and his mom. The young man admitted that he didn't play much, and was spraying the ball left and right. I believe he hit 3 fairways all day. His mom on the other hand was something to watch. She probably hit 12 out of 14 fairways, and her misses were just off the short stuff. She was killer with a fairway wood, and was on the green in 2 on most of the short 4's, and pitching on in 3 on the longer ones. She easily beat him by 25 strokes. 'Great tempo and a great swing. The weather was near perfect, and we had a great time out there.

Overall I though the course was decent, and I'd probably play it once in a while if I lived in the area. However, similar to Lake Bluff last week, it's not a destination course. The lack of a range is a real killer. I'm a short hitter, and I thought the front nine was too short, and the back way too long. If I played it again, I'd do a blue/white combo, with all white on the back.

[preiter20]

Played Dubsdread for the first time Saturday. Cart path only was tough to take. I carried my bag on a few holes. Missed two short birdie putts and needed a par on 18 to tie the clubhouse leaders. Hit a great drive and went for the back left flag and dunked my second shot. Missed it by a yard. As soon as I hit the shot, it was a little off the toe, I knew I was in trouble. Should have aimed to the right but gave it a go. Course was wet but not too bad. Greens were slower than I thought there were going to be. Didn't matter as I couldn't sink a putt. On the tee boxes I kept looking behind me and kept thinking about the pro's playing from 50 to 100 yds longer. Crazy.

[Nightgolfer]

[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1435524046' post='11850886']
[quote name='Nightgolfer' timestamp='1435504924' post='11849472']
Where will I be playing on the morning of the 8th? No idea, so I need help!

I will be visiting Chicago and flying back from O'Hare in the afternoon of July 8th so I was hoping to fit in a morning round at some nice golf course. Preferably one that is conveniently located somewhere between downtown and O'Hare and allows a single to book a tee time (and rent equipment). Any suggestions?
[/quote]

Unfortunately, there are no decent courses between downtown and O'Hare. Will you have a rental car, or will you be taking a taxi or train? There are a few decent courses within 10 to 15 miles of the airport, but they would require a car.
[/quote]

If it is a really nice course I might rent a car just for the day, or go with train+taxi. What courses were you thinking of?

[Argonne69]

[quote name='Nightgolfer' timestamp='1435557723' post='11853486']
[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1435524046' post='11850886']
[quote name='Nightgolfer' timestamp='1435504924' post='11849472']
Where will I be playing on the morning of the 8th? No idea, so I need help!

I will be visiting Chicago and flying back from O'Hare in the afternoon of July 8th so I was hoping to fit in a morning round at some nice golf course. Preferably one that is conveniently located somewhere between downtown and O'Hare and allows a single to book a tee time (and rent equipment). Any suggestions?
[/quote]

Unfortunately, there are no decent courses between downtown and O'Hare. Will you have a rental car, or will you be taking a taxi or train? There are a few decent courses within 10 to 15 miles of the airport, but they would require a car.
[/quote]

If it is a really nice course I might rent a car just for the day, or go with train+taxi. What courses were you thinking of?
[/quote]

It really depends on the amount of time you have to get back to the airport after the round, as traffic can be problematic near the evening rush. I think the forum consensus would be Highlands of Elgin, which is ~30 miles west of the airport. On a good day, it would take you 40 minutes to get back to the airport. Bowes Creek is also located in Elgin, and would be a good 2nd choice.

Cantigny is located in the western suburbs, 25 miles from the airport. Cog Hill (Dubs) is in the southwest suburbs, ~27 miles from the airport.

Schaunburg GC would be the closest option (15 miles), a quality municipal course, but it's nothing special.

[jimwgt26]

+1 for HoE or Bowes, but I would budget extra driving time. Village Links in Glen Ellen is 30 minutes from O'Hare. It's a quality muni. White Pines is probably the closest. They have two 18's, but I can't recommend it in good conscience. It's kind of like you asking for a nice restaurant, and I suggest a place with plastic menus that have pictures of the food.

[Argonne69]

[quote name='jimwgt26' timestamp='1435583494' post='11854216']
+1 for HoE or Bowes, but I would budget extra driving time. Village Links in Glen Ellen is 30 minutes from O'Hare. It's a quality muni. White Pines is probably the closest. They have two 18's, but I can't recommend it in good conscience. It's kind of like you asking for a nice restaurant, and I suggest a place with plastic menus that have pictures of the food.
[/quote]

That's the basic rub. There are several courses near the airport, but nothing worth recommending unless someone simply wanted to get on a course regardless of the quality of play. If one extends the search out to 20 to 30 miles, then there are several worthy courses. However, I would budget at least an hour travel getting back to the airport.

[geochitown]

maple meadows is not a bad quality option that's closer to the airport.
haven't played there this year, so I can't comment on current conditions

edit: 10 miles from the airport

[Nightgolfer]

Thanks guys!

Since I need to be at the airport around 2 pm this will probably have to be a dawn round, which would anyway be good for the pace of play. Not sure I can get all the logistics in place though. But perhaps I could change my last hotel night from downtown to somewhere closer to a good golf course.

Hm, looks like neither Highlands of Elgin nor Bowes Creek allows singles to book. Dubsdread only 48 hours in advance (there are some morning times open). Cantigny does though.

[p4174w]

testing....is this thing on?


i've only been out twice this year

[Argonne69]

[quote name='Nightgolfer' timestamp='1435591837' post='11855066']
Thanks guys!

Since I need to be at the airport around 2 pm this will probably have to be a dawn round, which would anyway be good for the pace of play. Not sure I can get all the logistics in place though. But perhaps I could change my last hotel night from downtown to somewhere closer to a good golf course.

Hm, looks like neither Highlands of Elgin nor Bowes Creek allows singles to book. Dubsdread only 48 hours in advance (there are some morning times open). Cantigny does though.
[/quote]

It's roughly 35 to 45 minutes travel time to the courses mentioned in the pre-dawn hours from downtown. Traffic should be light before 6 am, but it gets bad fairly quickly. Staying at a hotel near the airport would shave 20 to 25 minutes off the trip.

I believe Highlands of Elgin will allow a single to book online if there is an existing twosome or threesome, but will not allow a single to book in a empty 4-slot.

[geochitown]

village links of glen ellyn is another option slightly closer than Cantigny.
Not sure of their singles policy.
I played there last Friday, and it's in great shape.

has anyone been to Oak Meadows lately?
I'm afraid to ask with all of the rain in the past couple of weeks.
regardless, I've booked a wednesday pm round to get a last look before renovation starts.

[VNutz]

[quote name='geochitown' timestamp='1435597240' post='11855620']
village links of glen ellyn is another option slightly closer than Cantigny.
Not sure of their singles policy.
I played there last Friday, and it's in great shape.

has anyone been to Oak Meadows lately?
I'm afraid to ask with all of the rain in the past couple of weeks.
regardless, I've booked a wednesday pm round to get a last look before renovation starts.
[/quote]

Played Oak Meadows a few weeks back, before the rainy stretch hit. It was in fine condition, greens were really firm and actually hard to hold, didn't fix a ball mark all day. But with all the rains lately I can't imagine it's doing well.

That said, it's slated to close on July 6 for the beginning of the construction process, so that's a no go.

[Nightgolfer]

Oooh, Cantigny has a military museum as well! Golf+tanks sounds like an unbeatable combination.
The course looks a bit pricier than some of the others you have listed, but not Dubsdread-like expensive. An indication of the golfing experience? The only US courses I have played so far are Torrey Pines, Pasatiempo, and Half Moon Bay in CA so I don't really know what to expect.

[Thunder Dan]

[quote name='Nightgolfer' timestamp='1435599906' post='11855936']
Oooh, Cantigny has a military museum as well! Golf+tanks sounds like an unbeatable combination.
The course looks a bit pricier than some of the others you have listed, but not Dubsdread-like expensive. An indication of the golfing experience? The only US courses I have played so far are Torrey Pines, Pasatiempo, and Half Moon Bay in CA so I don't really know what to expect.
[/quote]

Cantigny is really nice. Play is fast most of the time, it's an easy walk and the staff is great.

Dubsdread is ok, but not worth the money. Played there a few days ago and many of the bunkers were washed out, greens were slow and bumpy, and the pace was really really really slow. I didn't time it but it felt like a 6 hour round. The first time I played there 3 years ago it was fantastic and every year since it's been a little worse both with pace and conditions.


I live here and have played both, but I'd rather play Cantigny any day of the week. Take away the cache of the PGA at Cog Hill and it's just an average course. A thing I hate about it is that all of the par 3s are pretty much the same length. I think I hit a 7 iron on all 4 par 3s

[VNutz]

Unfortunately nothing in the area stacks up to those, those are some of the nicest public courses around.

Cantigny is great, probably the most upscale public course around, has a nice private style feel. Beautiful setting, beautiful piece of property, great parkland style golf. Conditioning is usually fantastic. It hosted the US Public Links Championship back in 2007. It's one of the more costly around but is a better value IMO than Dubsdread, but it doesn't have the fame of being a PGA tourney course like Dubs.