Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[Shriner]

Great to hear about Bowes.  I think I'll try to head there next.

 

I played Bartlett Hills on Friday, second time ever for me.  I cannot fathom playing a Saturday or Sunday morning here.  It took us 4:45 minutes after waiting on two groups every tee box through 10.  We barely made it before darkness.  

 

What a combination of gorgeous holes and awful holes.  Hole 13 is so majestic from the tee.  Conditions were as expected for municipal course.  Bumpy greens made short putts tough, but overall for $39, I can't complain.   I wouldn't mind playing again but I imagine the rounds always take this long due to people searching for balls.  Nice place...

[DavePelz4]

Until my short game straightens out, please refer to me as DavePelz7. More appropriate to the current environment.

 

Trekked to Huntley yesterday to have a go at Pinecrest.  Maybe it's just McHenry County but this is the fastest and firmest I've ever seen their greens. But the fairways were very plush and not playing fast at all making for a very interesting combination. Usually, reading greens and being able to judge speed is a strength but apparently I need need new glasses. As was the case at Blackstone, there were several holes where the ball hit the front of the green and went off the back edge.  

[ldchristopher]

Bear and I played Cinder Ridge yesterday morning. It was in better shape than I’ve ever seen Cinder in. Lots of sand in the traps and the greens were rolling smooth and even kinda sorta firm (about 9). The area in front of the 18th green that’s always soaked has been resodded and was very wet but the rest of the course was fairly firm. My game was really inconsistent. I had some stellar ball striking on the back but played like donkey on the last two holes. 78. 

[@_the_crook]

our game yesterday was joined by a fellow who began to play only last year as a result of the pandemic.

very friendly and well versed in the courtesies.

family member got him into the game and helped him with gear, etc.

first time at SV and he was reading the greens really well.

welcome with our group anytime.

otherwise, hoping for a morning soon when winter clothes won't be required.

 

[St Jimmy]

Palmer course at Geneva National.  It's in great shape.  Greens were recently top dressed, but still ran fast.  Had no trouble holding them on full swings, but the 3/4 shots were rolling out pretty far.  I'm going back again next week before the rate hike.  

[Scratch2Plus]

17 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

Until my short game straightens out, please refer to me as DavePelz7. More appropriate to the current environment.

 

Trekked to Huntley yesterday to have a go at Pinecrest.  Maybe it's just McHenry County but this is the fastest and firmest I've ever seen their greens. But the fairways were very plush and not playing fast at all making for a very interesting combination. Usually, reading greens and being able to judge speed is a strength but apparently I need need new glasses. As was the case at Blackstone, there were several holes where the ball hit the front of the green and went off the back edge.  

Kinda tough holding a green if the ball doesn’t get higher than 2’ off the ground sir...I Kidd I Kidd  😬

[Scratch2Plus]

Played Schaumburg the past 2 weeks, Player/Baer both times. It’s just a nice, well conditioned course thats easy to walk.

Love the new sand in the bunkers.

[Argonne69]

A mostly pleasant morning today, minus a few sprinkles on the closing holes. The winds were moderate for the most part, but there were a few strong gusts. I generally avoid George Dunne due to pace of play, but the tee sheet looked very open this morning, so I gave it a shot. 'Very glad I did. OK, I am officially spoiled at this point. Not sure if there was a group out ahead of me, but I teed off as a single and never saw anyone in front. A handful of groups 4+ holes behind me, but otherwise  it was me, the coyote, the deer, and the otter that scared the cr#p out of me near the right penalty area on the par 5 6th. Lol. I don't know how I'm going to deal with 4 hour rounds later in the season when I'm whizzing around now. My round did take 20 minutes longer than normal because I was busy repairing ballmarks on practically every green. Again. Sigh.

 

Conditions were generally good. Fairways had a few thin/bare spots, but nothing that significantly affected play. The rough had been cut to a good height. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of sand in the bunkers. The last few times I played here the bunkers were trash, even after the renovation a few years back. There was plenty of sand in the greenside bunkers, although it did need to be groomed after heavy weekend play. No biggie. They also appear to have edged the bunkers. The fairway bunkers weren't quite as nice, but still playable. The right fairway bunker on #10 was marked as GUR. I wouldn't be shocked if they let it grow in as they did on #16. The greens looked decent, but were rather slow. Maybe 8. 

 

Decent day driving the ball, but the iron play was iffy. Had a number of good scrambles though. Highlight of the day was driving the lake on the 18th. With a steady tailwind I pretty much took aim at the flag and barely carried the water. Didn't really help much as I still wasn't able to snag a birdie. They really need to expand the fairway bunker on the 18th. If you aim between the 150 stake and the bunker you can easily roll through the fairway and into the forest on the other side. The forest is not marked as a PA, so there's a very high risk of a lost ball or completely unplayable lie. The 17th was a beast today with the pin set 3 yards from the fringe in the back left. It felt like the Anchor Hole at Harborside, as there was practically no room to land the ball and get it to stick. 

 

[TheBear95]

Playing Dunne when it is not busy is one of the treats of Chicagoland public golf. Rare, but always fun when it does happen.

 

When LD and I played Dunne back in December, they had a World War 1 style trench cutting across the 12th fairway in front of the green. Sounds like they finished that project. Good, since you never know at Dunne. The old bunkers on #16 were GUR for at least four seasons and the same thing is happening on #10. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by TheBear95

[Gdane]

Played Bowes Creek yesterday.  A little tough to drop almost $90 for a mid-April round, but the course was in fantastic shape.  It played very firm and fast, much like conditions I'd love to see at Highlands.  I'm going to try to make it back later in the summer when my game is a bit more sharp, as I found myself playing for bogey on a number of holes, making sure I miss on the correct side of the hole and eliminating the big number.

 

It's been 6-7 years since I've played the course and the houses have really blown up since I've played.....it made me wonder if playing out there is getting a glimpse into Blackstone's future.

[TheBear95]

50 minutes ago, Gdane said:

Played Bowes Creek yesterday.  A little tough to drop almost $90 for a mid-April round, but the course was in fantastic shape.  It played very firm and fast, much like conditions I'd love to see at Highlands.  I'm going to try to make it back later in the summer when my game is a bit more sharp, as I found myself playing for bogey on a number of holes, making sure I miss on the correct side of the hole and eliminating the big number.

 

It's been 6-7 years since I've played the course and the houses have really blown up since I've played.....it made me wonder if playing out there is getting a glimpse into Blackstone's future.

 

Pretty much. But, I think the Blackstone development does a slightly better job at blending them in. Look at #4 now at Bowes. Blah. 

[St Jimmy]

Walked the front nine at Oak Grove today after work.  Chilly, breezy, and I had the place to myself.  A very strong breeze from the north allowed me to practically drive the tree on 6 and let me get home in two on nine.  I ended up with birdies on both and a third on 8.  Unfortunately the doubles on 2 and 3 kept me above par.  

 

I played all 18 on Saturday.  FYI, there's about 6 truckloads of fresh sand in the parking lot and they took down a few trees on 11 opening up the second shot quite a bit.  I guess there's a new super and he's been busy.  Worth the drive up for you city folk.  It's in good shape right now and I'll let you know when the sand actually gets in the bunkers.  

[TheBear95]

37 minutes ago, St Jimmy said:

Walked the front nine at Oak Grove today after work.  Chilly, breezy, and I had the place to myself.  A very strong breeze from the north allowed me to practically drive the tree on 6 and let me get home in two on nine.  I ended up with birdies on both and a third on 8.  Unfortunately the doubles on 2 and 3 kept me above par.  

 

I played all 18 on Saturday.  FYI, there's about 6 truckloads of fresh sand in the parking lot and they took down a few trees on 11 opening up the second shot quite a bit.  I guess there's a new super and he's been busy.  Worth the drive up for you city folk.  It's in good shape right now and I'll let you know when the sand actually gets in the bunkers.  

Holy Crap! Fresh sand and tree removal. Must be dreaming! Definitely keep us posted when that sand finally gets in the bunkers.

[ME27]

22 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

A mostly pleasant morning today, minus a few sprinkles on the closing holes. The winds were moderate for the most part, but there were a few strong gusts. I generally avoid George Dunne due to pace of play, but the tee sheet looked very open this morning, so I gave it a shot. 'Very glad I did. OK, I am officially spoiled at this point. Not sure if there was a group out ahead of me, but I teed off as a single and never saw anyone in front. A handful of groups 4+ holes behind me, but otherwise  it was me, the coyote, the deer, and the otter that scared the cr#p out of me near the right penalty area on the par 5 6th. Lol. I don't know how I'm going to deal with 4 hour rounds later in the season when I'm whizzing around now. My round did take 20 minutes longer than normal because I was busy repairing ballmarks on practically every green. Again. Sigh.

 

Conditions were generally good. Fairways had a few thin/bare spots, but nothing that significantly affected play. The rough had been cut to a good height. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of sand in the bunkers. The last few times I played here the bunkers were trash, even after the renovation a few years back. There was plenty of sand in the greenside bunkers, although it did need to be groomed after heavy weekend play. No biggie. They also appear to have edged the bunkers. The fairway bunkers weren't quite as nice, but still playable. The right fairway bunker on #10 was marked as GUR. I wouldn't be shocked if they let it grow in as they did on #16. The greens looked decent, but were rather slow. Maybe 8. 

 

Decent day driving the ball, but the iron play was iffy. Had a number of good scrambles though. Highlight of the day was driving the lake on the 18th. With a steady tailwind I pretty much took aim at the flag and barely carried the water. Didn't really help much as I still wasn't able to snag a birdie. They really need to expand the fairway bunker on the 18th. If you aim between the 150 stake and the bunker you can easily roll through the fairway and into the forest on the other side. The forest is not marked as a PA, so there's a very high risk of a lost ball or completely unplayable lie. The 17th was a beast today with the pin set 3 yards from the fringe in the back left. It felt like the Anchor Hole at Harborside, as there was practically no room to land the ball and get it to stick. 

 

Nice to hear Dunne is improving. The last two years the greens and fringe were burnt out and covered in weeds in the summer. Hopefully they maintain it this year. Always a nice round minus the five hours it takes to play it most days. 

[DavePelz4]

16 hours ago, St Jimmy said:

Walked the front nine at Oak Grove today after work.  Chilly, breezy, and I had the place to myself.  A very strong breeze from the north allowed me to practically drive the tree on 6 and let me get home in two on nine.  I ended up with birdies on both and a third on 8.  Unfortunately the doubles on 2 and 3 kept me above par.  

 

I played all 18 on Saturday.  FYI, there's about 6 truckloads of fresh sand in the parking lot and they took down a few trees on 11 opening up the second shot quite a bit.  I guess there's a new super and he's been busy.  Worth the drive up for you city folk.  It's in good shape right now and I'll let you know when the sand actually gets in the bunkers.  

 

Glad to hear that they're finally taking advantage of the amazing land resources that is Oak Grove. One of the best pieces of land for a golf course.  Is Golf Visions/Tim Miles still running the show there?

[ME27]

Played Mt Prospect Golf Club this weekend. Course was in beautiful condition, green everywhere, bunkers full and manicured, greens rolling nicely. Course was in such nice shape but the undulation of these green are just crazy and makes for some comical putts. Pace was slow and holes 1-4 were a logjam like usual and opened up a little after that. We probably could have finished quicker than 4:45 if the two women two groups in front of us stopped taking selfies on every green. 

[Argonne69]

2 minutes ago, ME27 said:

Played Mt Prospect Golf Club this weekend. Course was in beautiful condition, green everywhere, bunkers full and manicured, greens rolling nicely. Course was in such nice shape but the undulation of these green are just crazy and makes for some comical putts. Pace was slow and holes 1-4 were a logjam like usual and opened up a little after that. We probably could have finished quicker than 4:45 if the two women two groups in front of us stopped taking selfies on every green. 

 

Most players wouldn't like to start on a par 3, but Mt Prospect should consider flipping the nines. The 2nd holes really bottles up.

 

[ME27]

2 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Most players wouldn't like to start on a par 3, but Mt Prospect should consider flipping the nines. The 2nd holes really bottles up.

 

Yes 2-4 is always a long wait. 2 is number one handicap with water in play, then 3 is a short par 4 that is drivable so long hitters wait for the green to clear, and 4 is a long par 3 that takes more time to play than an average par 3. Starting on 10 would be a good idea but like you said a short par 3 to start the round probably isnt ideal for them.

[St Jimmy]

6 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

 

Glad to hear that they're finally taking advantage of the amazing land resources that is Oak Grove. One of the best pieces of land for a golf course.  Is Golf Visions/Tim Miles still running the show there?

Yes, Tim is still there, but he told me there's a new "Super" 

I didn't ask anything further.

 

I walked the front nine again today.  Colder and a pretty lousy +9 score made it a little less enjoyable.  

I snapped a shot of the sand: 

 

 

 

edit- never mind.  It's not letting me post a picture.

Edited April 21, 2021 by St Jimmy

[ldchristopher]

Hang on. Are they spending actual money on Oak Grove? That’s something. Hopefully no giant boulders mixed into that sand they’re trucking in. Looking forward to seeing that this Spring and Summer. 

[St Jimmy]

[B-Man]

St. Andrews? The Road Hole?

[B-Man]

Preserve at 4pm today. Might be some roll out. Dalai Lama....

[Argonne69]

An unexpectedly pleasant morning today. With morning temps near freezing, I wasn't sure if it would warm up quick enough to get in a morning round. There was a 1+ hour frost delay at Wilmette, but I figured it was worth a shot. Apparently a few of the early groups canceled, so I was the first one out on the course with another single. We breezed around in 2:30. The winds were light, and the sun was warm, and my jacket came off after two holes. 'Nice.

 

Conditions were good. They must have run the sprinklers this morning to help with the frost, because it was wet in most areas. Fairways needs to be cut. Bunkers need grooming. Greens were only rolling 7 to 8. I imagine the crews haven't gotten out over the past few days.

 

No birdies today. Irons were a bit off. I was hitting greens, but never really gave myself a good look at birdie.

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Argonne69

[DavePelz4]

21 hours ago, St Jimmy said:

 

You know this is Oak Grove because there are no cars in the parking lot.

[Woodridge]

I'm heading to Washington, IL tomorrow for the first of 2 days of Hickory golf. Tomorrow, we're at Hillcrest in the afternoon for 12 holes of feathery golf and 9 holes of with a gutty ball (limited flight). Then Saturday, we're at Metamora Fields in the morning for 18 holes of gutty. We play from shorter tee-boxes to accommodate how far the balls travel and use sand instead of wooden tees.  It's a great time. You just have to adjust your golf expectations a bit. Many people dress for the period, but that's not a must. There are always extra sets of clubs around for newcomers. Below are pictures of the feathery balls we use which are made by one of the group members, my irons and a group shot. Sorry for the late notice, anyone down in the area who is interested, please message me. We also have a fall outing.

[stasek]

Ruffled this afternoon. Teed off (as a foursome) at 5:20pm and managed to get 14 holes in, while waiting to hit almost every shot (albeit nothing head scratching).    Game was way off and stumbled to 7 over on front, only to shoot 2 under through 5 on the back🤦‍♂️.  Course was playing firm and fast, and greens were on the speedy side, as well. Saturday is the opening of our “league” - Cog #1 in the early afternoon.  

[St Jimmy]

Has anyone ever ‘lost’ their swing?

I had a nice nine holes last week, but besides that I’m playing like garbage.  
 

2 way miss with the driver, thin irons, fat wedges, occasional hosel rocket just for laughs.  I feel like Chuck Knoblauch. 

[DavePelz4]

56 minutes ago, St Jimmy said:

Has anyone ever ‘lost’ their swing?

I had a nice nine holes last week, but besides that I’m playing like garbage.  
 

2 way miss with the driver, thin irons, fat wedges, occasional hosel rocket just for laughs.  I feel like Chuck Knoblauch. 

 

Lost it in 1973.  Still searching.

[VNutz]

2 hours ago, St Jimmy said:

Has anyone ever ‘lost’ their swing?

I had a nice nine holes last week, but besides that I’m playing like garbage.  
 

2 way miss with the driver, thin irons, fat wedges, occasional hosel rocket just for laughs.  I feel like Chuck Knoblauch. 

 

Went through a stretch of that last summer/fall. Just made the game entirely unenjoyable to the point I picked up a club only twice between September and April. Game hasn't returned entirely but I have forgotten some of the issues I was dealing with. Best of luck.