Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[VNutz]

7 minutes ago, geochitown said:

 

Thought I remembered Argonne saying that the Preserve punched their greens a while back.

Looks like 9/14 or so.

I'm out of town, but looks like the weather is tough right now.

 

 

If they did it a while back that might make sense, as I saw no sign of it yesterday. In selecting my tee time online yesterday I was choosing between Maple Meadows and the Preserve, and Maple had a warning that they aerated recently, so I chose Preserve.

[Shriner]

1 hour ago, VNutz said:

If they did it a while back that might make sense, as I saw no sign of it yesterday. In selecting my tee time online yesterday I was choosing between Maple Meadows and the Preserve, and Maple had a warning that they aerated recently, so I chose Preserve.

 

VNutz - Were leaves an issue with finding balls or did they do a good job cleaning them up?  I'm looking to play there this week.

[VNutz]

16 minutes ago, Shriner said:

 

VNutz - Were leaves an issue with finding balls or did they do a good job cleaning them up?  I'm looking to play there this week.

I didn't see a lot of leaves on the ground at all, not a single problem. The trees were still fairly colorful so it might just be that they haven't fallen yet. From what I can recall only on the 5th, the par 5 did I need to take a second look as the layup area had a bit of leaves clustered from the trees on both sides of the fairway. But for the most part the fairways were very clean.

[mci711]

2 hours ago, VNutz said:

If they did it a while back that might make sense, as I saw no sign of it yesterday. In selecting my tee time online yesterday I was choosing between Maple Meadows and the Preserve, and Maple had a warning that they aerated recently, so I chose Preserve.

 

I played the preserve a few weeks ago and they were healing up, but basically back to rolling 100%. So they did it quite early.

[Gdane]

Played Chalet Hills for the first time on Saturday.  Driving to the course I was wondering if the cold weather and chance of light rain would scare people away.  Not a chance.  Rolled up to the first tee to see 5 carts waiting to go, with the first 3 holes backed up.   A sign of the times, and a perfect example of why at many of the courses that I looked at to play, fall rates seem to be a thing of the past.  

Greens had been punched and sanded, and the bunkers were a bit questionable, but given the current climate I was happy to just be out on the course.  The wind was howling, making some of the closing holes on each side very interesting around the water.    All things considered I'll be back, and would love to see what the course looks like in the middle of the summer.

[mci711]

Anyone hear anything about the Mistwood Dome recently? I'll probably give them a call, but last I drove by they hadn't replaced the last dome yet. One of the pros in the spring said they would be replacing it when they closed but I haven't seen anything done yet. I guess with Covid and to be compliant they would have to figure out how that would work anyway. Close every other stall and require mask? Going to be a long winter after this golf season were golf was basically my only activity.  

[Argonne69]

What a gorgeous, crisp fall day. I celebrated my 150th round of the year today by treating myself to The Glen Club. It was chilly at the start of the round, but the sun was out, and there was practically no wind, so it felt much warmer. The clouds rolled in mid-round, but once again cleared by the final few holes. 'Probably one of the most enjoyable rounds of the year. I basically had the course to myself. I was the second player to tee off, and after playing through another single practicing on the fourth hole, it was wide open. I was busy taking photos, so it turned out to be one of the slowest rounds I've walked solo, but I was in no rush today. 'Just enjoying the empty course.

 

Conditions were fine. Fairways were a bit soft after yesterday's rain, and with the cold temps there wasn't much rollout. Leaves were not an issue whatsoever. They've done a great job clearing them out. The bunkers were wet from the rain, and needed grooming. The greens were healed from the aeration two weeks ago, but still a little bumpy. The rain softened them up, so they were rolling only 10 at best. 

 

Decent day ballstriking with seven fairways and 11 greens. I didn't give myself a good look at birdie until the final hole, though. 'Playing just a little too defensive me thinks. One birdie and four bogies. Highlight of the day, other than having one of the best courses in the area to myself, was probably my drive on the par 4 12th. With a bit of hurting wind I hit a low draw that scampered down the slope, leaving myself a sand wedge into the green. 'Best drive of the day. I was also happy with a par on the long par 4 7th. After hitting a solid drive I still had 220 yds to the back pin. I hit a solid fairway wood, but it still came up a few yards short of the green. A nice running chip and a good putt saved par.

 

 

Full photo set: The Glen Club

[DavePelz4]

14 minutes ago, mci711 said:

Anyone hear anything about the Mistwood Dome recently? I'll probably give them a call, but last I drove by they hadn't replaced the last dome yet. One of the pros in the spring said they would be replacing it when they closed but I haven't seen anything done yet. I guess with Covid and to be compliant they would have to figure out how that would work anyway. Close every other stall and require mask? Going to be a long winter after this golf season were golf was basically my only activity.  

 

They are putting a new dome up and also are replacing the artificial turf as well. That dome wasn't originally designed for golf but instead softball and soccer plus it's probably 15+ years old. All the the Toptracer technology will be reinstalled as well and I think they're still looking for an early November go live date.  They just reopened the bar/restaurant and have all the social distancing programs in place. Nikki, one of the managers from Mistwood who also works at McWethy's, said Jim's son and daughter have become very involved in all of the operations and they're carrying on their Dad's goals.

[mci711]

53 minutes ago, DavePelz4 said:

 

They are putting a new dome up and also are replacing the artificial turf as well. That dome wasn't originally designed for golf but instead softball and soccer plus it's probably 15+ years old. All the the Toptracer technology will be reinstalled as well and I think they're still looking for an early November go live date.  They just reopened the bar/restaurant and have all the social distancing programs in place. Nikki, one of the managers from Mistwood who also works at McWethy's, said Jim's son and daughter have become very involved in all of the operations and they're carrying on their Dad's goals.

 

That is awesome to hear. Thanks for the update! 

[ME27]

Played Old Oak on Saturday at 7:50 am and a real feel of 34 degrees at tee time brrrr. Course was in good shape but playing really tough. The greens were some of the fastest greens ive played all year and you couldnt stop a ball near the hole on the sloped greens especially 2,3,8,9,16, and 17 and balls hit hole high were rolling back down off the green. I dont know if they rolled the greens recently or they were half frozen from the overnight chill or what but good shots were not rewarded. Another day battling the winds out there combined with the tough greens made scoring well an afterthought. 79 with one birdie on 5. 

[ldchristopher]

3 hours ago, Gdane said:

Played Chalet Hills for the first time on Saturday.  Driving to the course I was wondering if the cold weather and chance of light rain would scare people away.  Not a chance.  Rolled up to the first tee to see 5 carts waiting to go, with the first 3 holes backed up.   A sign of the times, and a perfect example of why at many of the courses that I looked at to play, fall rates seem to be a thing of the past.  

Greens had been punched and sanded, and the bunkers were a bit questionable, but given the current climate I was happy to just be out on the course.  The wind was howling, making some of the closing holes on each side very interesting around the water.    All things considered I'll be back, and would love to see what the course looks like in the middle of the summer.

I really like the layout at Chalet. It’s very penal on the first 7 holes and has several (especially 3, 5, 7) where if you miss right the ball is gone. I’m sure on weekends pace of play can be an issue but it was always a favorite of mine when I played weekday rounds in the summer at 6:00 AM. Tough to beat the $31 walking rate given the quality of the course. 

[Argonne69]

What a difference a day makes. It was overcast, breezy, and had a few sprinkles thrown in at Sunset Valley. Conditions were decent. Leaf management was excellent. It looks like they're in the process of punching the fairways. A few holes had them, but many did not. I saw a tractor with a device on the back that looked like it was punching them, so it's very likely they just got started. Bunkers were playable. The greens were decent, but only rolling 10 at best. Where have all the speedy greens gone? Oh, and too many unrepaired ballmarks. Folks getting lazy late in the season? Pace was not an issue. I teed off early as a single, played through a threesome of early birds on the ninth, and had clear sailing. There couldn't have been more than a dozen players out there when I finished the round.

 

Started decent with a birdie and two bogies on the front, but the wheels came off starting on the long par four 13th. Bogied five of the last six holes. No idea why, but the fade stopped fading, and turned into a pull. 'Hard to make pars when you're short and left. Oh well. Highlight of the day was sticking a 7 iron within 6 feet on the par 3 6th, setting up the sole birdie. I was also happy with my teeshot on the long par 3 14th, a solid 9 wood to 15 feet, which set up a stress free par.

 

Wilmette on Thursday. Morning temps should be back in the low 60's. 'Starting to count down the days until I head to Phoenix. 

 

[Chanceman]

4 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

What a difference a day makes. It was overcast, breezy, and had a few sprinkles thrown in at Sunset Valley. Conditions were decent. Leaf management was excellent. It looks like they're in the process of punching the fairways. A few holes had them, but many did not. I saw a tractor with a device on the back that looked like it was punching them, so it's very likely they just got started. Bunkers were playable. The greens were decent, but only rolling 10 at best. Where have all the speedy greens gone? Oh, and too many unrepaired ballmarks. Folks getting lazy late in the season? Pace was not an issue. I teed off early as a single, played through a threesome of early birds on the ninth, and had clear sailing. There couldn't have been more than a dozen players out there when I finished the round.

 

Started decent with a birdie and two bogies on the front, but the wheels came off starting on the long par four 13th. Bogied five of the last six holes. No idea why, but the fade stopped fading, and turned into a pull. 'Hard to make pars when you're short and left. Oh well. Highlight of the day was sticking a 7 iron within 6 feet on the par 3 6th, setting up the sole birdie. I was also happy with my teeshot on the long par 3 14th, a solid 9 wood to 15 feet, which set up a stress free par.

 

Wilmette on Thursday. Morning temps should be back in the low 60's. 'Starting to count down the days until I head to Phoenix. 

 

Argonne, your golfing schedule is a tour de force. Can you tell us a week in advance what your proposed schedule is? I am interested in what courses you are playing but I get a bit lost from day to day. Also do you give the courses some kind of rating post round? In general how do you organise all this golf?

[Argonne69]

20 minutes ago, Chanceman said:

Argonne, your golfing schedule is a tour de force. Can you tell us a week in advance what your proposed schedule is? I am interested in what courses you are playing but I get a bit lost from day to day. Also do you give the courses some kind of rating post round? In general how do you organise all this golf?

 

I'm tentatively planning to leave on November 1st. I haven't booked any golf yet, but I'm looking to play Gateway National (St Louis), Cherokee Hiils (Tulsa) , something near Amarillo, and Black Mesa (Albuquerque). 

 

I'll create a thread in the general travel forum given that I'll be crossing multiple regions. I'll post course reviews and a handful of photos along the way. I'll post full photo sets once I arrive in Phoenix. 

 

Organize? Trip planning is a pain. I usually start by finding threads on this site for courses along my expected route. I also use the various golf magazines' Best in State (Public) lists to try to hit the best if possible. I check the course websites to see if they allow singles to book in advance, and give them a call if they don't to see if they'll accept a single walk-on. Also like to call to make sure there's no special event on the day of play that would limit tee times. 

[SpeedKills7]

Played Whitetail Ridge last Saturday for the first time and really loved it.  Would love to get back there when it’s not cold and 30 mph winds.  Course was in great shape and the greens were running smooth.  Had a few birdie looks but couldn’t make a putt.  17 was straight into the wind and I played probably 3 extra clubs and was still short of the green.   

[Chanceman]

3 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I'm tentatively planning to leave on November 1st. I haven't booked any golf yet, but I'm looking to play Gateway National (St Louis), Cherokee Hiils (Tulsa) , something near Amarillo, and Black Mesa (Albuquerque). 

 

I'll create a thread in the general travel forum given that I'll be crossing multiple regions. I'll post course reviews and a handful of photos along the way. I'll post full photo sets once I arrive in Phoenix. 

 

Organize? Trip planning is a pain. I usually start by finding threads on this site for courses along my expected route. I also use the various golf magazines' Best in State (Public) lists to try to hit the best if possible. I check the course websites to see if they allow singles to book in advance, and give them a call if they don't to see if they'll accept a single walk-on. Also like to call to make sure there's no special event on the day of play that would limit tee times. 

Looks like Route 66!! Have you thought of Old Kinderhook in MO?

[Argonne69]

20 minutes ago, Chanceman said:

Looks like Route 66!! Have you thought of Old Kinderhook in MO?

 

Looks interesting. Maybe I'll check it out in the spring on the return trip.

[Argonne69]

I forgot to mention that the greens at Sunset Valley are (finally) softening up quite nicely. When the course reopened after the renovation they were as hard as a rock, and almost unplayable. I recall hitting a pitching wedge on the par 3 6th, and the ball bounding over the green. My 7 iron yesterday was downwind, and the ball almost stopped dead in its tracks. 

[Shriner]

My goodness, there are no tee times available anywhere tomorrow.  Last 70 degree day of the year likely.  What a unique year of golf with packed courses and great weather for the most part.  I am headed to Oak Meadows Sunday morning for what will probably be my last round of the year (#31).  Weather will be a 10 stroke difference...playing with frozen hands never works well for me for some reason...lol.

[Argonne69]

4 hours ago, Shriner said:

My goodness, there are no tee times available anywhere tomorrow.  Last 70 degree day of the year likely.  What a unique year of golf with packed courses and great weather for the most part.  I am headed to Oak Meadows Sunday morning for what will probably be my last round of the year (#31).  Weather will be a 10 stroke difference...playing with frozen hands never works well for me for some reason...lol.

 

With thunderstorms in the area tomorrow morning, I expect a few no-shows. Hopefully it's not too wet.

[@_the_crook]

15 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

I forgot to mention that the greens at Sunset Valley are (finally) softening up quite nicely. When the course reopened after the renovation they were as hard as a rock, and almost unplayable. I recall hitting a pitching wedge on the par 3 6th, and the ball bounding over the green. My 7 iron yesterday was downwind, and the ball almost stopped dead in its tracks. 

 

since you mention the greens at SV, Arg,

this year they have been pretty firm and fast. on many summer days they hardly showed marks unless you really dropped a shot hard. we gave much credit to the course staff for their superb conditioning.

 

Edited October 22, 2020 by @_the_crook
sp

[taylorx300]

Turned down the invite to play Butler National.....why?

it was for 8:30 this morning.

[Argonne69]

Ugh. Well, that was a waste of time. I left before sunrise for my early tee time at Wilmette, pulled into the parking lot after a white knuckle drive in the rain, and checked my email to discover that the course was closed. The email went out just about the time I was leaving, so not a lot I could do about it. For my effort I got to sit in rush hour traffic coming back into the city. I called a handful of North Shore courses, but all except Glencoe were closed, or not answering the phone. Glencoe was open for walking only, but they said there was standing water everywhere, and not particularly playable. Pass. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but it doesn't look promising.

 

[DavePelz4]

Played a half day of hooky yesterday and joined a couple of other old guys from our group at Blackstone. Apparently that part of the Chicago area hasn't had the rain amount that we've seen in the Naperhell area over the last week.  The course was in very good shape and other than a few low spots, was playing the usual Blackstone fast and firm. Greens were all recovered from being aerated and holding nicely. Most of the bunkers had newly placed sand and on #4, my second shot ended up in the bunker short of the green and all you could see was a tiny spot on top of the ball. 

 

A decent amount of wildlife on the course as well as the sandhill cranes have turned gray which I think is from rubbing dirt on their feathers as they preen themselves. 

 

Missed an ace on #2 by about 2 inches as instead of going straight, the tee shot took a hop right. 

 

Trekking back to the NW burbs on Saturday to play GCI. Looks like a bit of a nippy day temp wise.

[Marlo989]

Got out to Mistwood for the first time yesterday. You guys have only been telling us it's a top course for a few years hah. It was as advertised, in great shape and greens had healed from punch. My guess is it was a few weeks back from the looks.

 

Hat tip to the ranger. Was there early for our 7:40 twosome and range was closed for maintenance work until 8am. Starters squeezed is in behind other twosomes before the first foursome. Just over a 3 hour round although that foursome was keeping up pace as well. What a pleasure.

 

Played pretty well until a full disaster on 8- pulled a PW into the water (I'm lefty) on my 3rd. Dumped another in. Good position for a birdie turned into a 10. Oh my.

[ME27]

Ruffled Feathers today for a 930 tee time. Course was definitely wet and was cart path only all day. Very foggy at tee time and hard to track your ball first couple holes but by the time we made the turn the sun was out and turned into a nice afternoon. Started off the day striping a drive and leaving 70 yards in, hit approach to 3.5 feet and proceeded to miss the birdie. This was a sign of things to come for this round of golf. Course was very wet and had standing water in a lot of places but by hole 8-9 the greens were drying up and rolling pretty nice. 3 over after nine then went bogey, double, double to start the back on some easy holes and the rest is history. My worst round in a while 83 with one birdie.

[Argonne69]

I don't normally play on the weekends these days, but after 4/5 rounds a week since May 1st I couldn't sit at home for a 3rd straight day. It turned out to be a very pleasant day at Sydney Marovitz. After a short frost delay the sun popped out, and the winds remained fairly calm. Pace was better than I expected at 2:20. Conditions were playable. The bunkers were washed out, but had a lot more sand than one would expect. The greens looked nice, but were bumpy, and only rolling 8 to 9. Probably haven't been cut all week. That said, it was a nice bonus this week. 

 

Solid round. I managed to hit every fairway, along with seven greens. One birdie and one bogie. Highlight of the day was one of my playing partner's putting. He probably shot 55, but he was sinking putts from everywhere. Felt like I was watching Ty from Caddyshack. He drained 3 from over 30 feet, and had one lip out from 60 feet. Lol. 

 

Edited October 24, 2020 by Argonne69

[DavePelz4]

Change in plans today and ended up playing Elgin CC. Third time playing it in the last few months and it's becoming a top 5 for me in Chicago. The elevation changes and contours of the fairways and greens make almost every hole totally unique. Challenging short holes, long par 4s, a variety in par 3's, the course pretty much has it all. Would have to put the greens in the top 3 as well and the green complexes are varied and part of the defense of the course. A unique yet functional practice area and an enjoyable day all in all.

[Shriner]

Played Oak Meadows yesterday and what an enjoyable day.  I think the cold temps scared people off because we teed off at 830am with no one booked for the tee time before or after us.  Still saw plenty of golfers but felt like we had the course to ourselves.   Nice that they still opened the bar on the course between holes 4 and 5.

 

There was zero wind so it felt alot warmer than 40 degrees.  The fairways were spotty but the greens were in great shape.   Some holes were unplayable due to leaves.  We lost three balls as a group that were in the fairway or just off.  Kind of a lesson to try to stick to courses like Highlands, Prairie Landing, etc. this time of the year.  This course is going to rake in the money once the clubhouse is completed, just nothing comparable golf course wise in the area.

[geochitown]

4 hours ago, Shriner said:

Played Oak Meadows yesterday and what an enjoyable day.  I think the cold temps scared people off because we teed off at 830am with no one booked for the tee time before or after us.  Still saw plenty of golfers but felt like we had the course to ourselves.   Nice that they still opened the bar on the course between holes 4 and 5.

 

There was zero wind so it felt alot warmer than 40 degrees.  The fairways were spotty but the greens were in great shape.   Some holes were unplayable due to leaves.  We lost three balls as a group that were in the fairway or just off.  Kind of a lesson to try to stick to courses like Highlands, Prairie Landing, etc. this time of the year.  This course is going to rake in the money once the clubhouse is completed, just nothing comparable golf course wise in the area.

How far have they gotten on the new clubhouse?