Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[MountainKing]

The first official (handicap counting) round at the Preserve yesterday.  What looked like it was going to be an okay day on paper turned out to be brutal.  The winds were insane when we teed off, and just picked up more and more as things went on.  On a few occasions in more exposed areas the balls would be rocking a bit in the fairway making contact a bit difficult at times.  Hard to really judge conditions considering the weather we had leading up to yesterday didn't really leave much time to get things ready.  What I will say, is if we can get a week of nice weather, the Preserve should be in pristine conditions based on how things looked yesterday.  Course was not really wet at all outside of a few areas, took the water well.  They fixed the burnt out fringes, grass was nicely grown in on the fairways, greens were shaggy but a few mows and a roll they'll be perfect.  Bunkers had a good amount of sand in them, things were caked yesterday but a little grooming and they'll be as good as they have been.  I'm going back Friday so hopefully we'll see some improvements between now and then.  Bonus of all this, course was packed solid but we still made it through at 4 hours even with the cart path only.

 

So the positives of yesterday, I drove the ball incredibly well.  Only missed two fairways.  Hole 6 I was off by inches, hole 9 I only missed the fairway by about 10 feet, but unfortunately that 10 feet was left so I was in the water.  Outside of that the game was disgusting.  I had the opposite number with greens, only hit 2 of those in regulation.  Tons of mishits (some due to the ball not sitting still, but mostly just bad swings), a lot of poor short game shots and some really bad putting.  End result was a 91.  A lot of doubles, triples and penalties.   I'm not sure how it's possible to put up a number like that with being in prime spot on almost every hole, but I did it.   Guess we'll start the season off with bumping that handicap up.

[Shriner]

32 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

The first official (handicap counting) round at the Preserve yesterday.  What looked like it was going to be an okay day on paper turned out to be brutal.  The winds were insane when we teed off, and just picked up more and more as things went on.  On a few occasions in more exposed areas the balls would be rocking a bit in the fairway making contact a bit difficult at times.  Hard to really judge conditions considering the weather we had leading up to yesterday didn't really leave much time to get things ready.  What I will say, is if we can get a week of nice weather, the Preserve should be in pristine conditions based on how things looked yesterday.  Course was not really wet at all outside of a few areas, took the water well.  They fixed the burnt out fringes, grass was nicely grown in on the fairways, greens were shaggy but a few mows and a roll they'll be perfect.  Bunkers had a good amount of sand in them, things were caked yesterday but a little grooming and they'll be as good as they have been.  I'm going back Friday so hopefully we'll see some improvements between now and then.  Bonus of all this, course was packed solid but we still made it through at 4 hours even with the cart path only.

 

So the positives of yesterday, I drove the ball incredibly well.  Only missed two fairways.  Hole 6 I was off by inches, hole 9 I only missed the fairway by about 10 feet, but unfortunately that 10 feet was left so I was in the water.  Outside of that the game was disgusting.  I had the opposite number with greens, only hit 2 of those in regulation.  Tons of mishits (some due to the ball not sitting still, but mostly just bad swings), a lot of poor short game shots and some really bad putting.  End result was a 91.  A lot of doubles, triples and penalties.   I'm not sure how it's possible to put up a number like that with being in prime spot on almost every hole, but I did it.   Guess we'll start the season off with bumping that handicap up.

 

Ahh, we tried to book Preserve but it was jam packed as you stated.  We ended up at Boone Creek and had the same issue with winds although they did die down at times.  Thanks for the report on the conditions at the Preserve!

[MountainKing]

5 minutes ago, Shriner said:

 

Ahh, we tried to book Preserve but it was jam packed as you stated.  We ended up at Boone Creek and had the same issue with winds although they did die down at times.  Thanks for the report on the conditions at the Preserve!

 

There were a few spots where it felt like it started to die down, then when we'd come back out of the trees the wind was stronger than it was 15 minutes prior. 

 

Given what the Preserve charges full rate, I'm shocked it was packed.  I have the DuPage membership making it a much better deal, but hopefully they can get that place pristine (and it looks like it has that potential right now) and make it worth what they charge.

[VNutz]

8 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

 

There were a few spots where it felt like it started to die down, then when we'd come back out of the trees the wind was stronger than it was 15 minutes prior. 

 

Given what the Preserve charges full rate, I'm shocked it was packed.  I have the DuPage membership making it a much better deal, but hopefully they can get that place pristine (and it looks like it has that potential right now) and make it worth what they charge.

I almost chose that for a round for this coming weekend, but did a double take at the posted rate of $110 (for the guys with carts) on a Saturday in April. Now looking at their booking engine it looks like $58 would be the rate. Wish I'd known that at the time, but I was over a week out so it wouldn't let me.

[DavePelz4]

On 4/1/2023 at 7:59 PM, ldchristopher said:

Headed to Indy for four rounds with Bear on Monday and Tuesday. Rock Hollow in Peru and Bear Slide on Monday and Purgatory and Sandy Pines on Tuesday. We’ll be dodging raindrops but I’m looking forward to the trip. 

 

Who ends up as the Little Spoon?

[DavePelz4]

Opened our competitive season on course #2 at St. Andrews. It didn't seem as though we experienced the strength of winds that others are referencing.  Over all, I'd label it as a plus day.  Conditions were pretty rough overall as my fear, mud balls came through on most holes. The greens were beyond shaggy, maybe rolling 5-6.  Even on downhill putts it was difficult getting it to the hole.  Will give them credit on fresh sand in the bunkers.  A pleasant surprise.

 

With a frost delay, our tee time was pushed back and the course was jammed.  Expected a 5 hour round but to my utter surprise and delight, we did not wait on a single shot the entire day.  It might have helped that we all walked but we finished in just over 4 hours which isn't terrible for SA. 

 

Schaumburg this weekend...

 

 

[ldchristopher]

7 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

 

Who ends up as the Little Spoon?

Two queen sized beds, DP4. Just for clarity’s sake. 

[ldchristopher]

I liked most of Rock Hollow. Good layout, challenging but with some short 4’s. Lots of uneven lies in the fairway with very heavy slopes. Not uncommon to have a great drive result in a second shot where the ball was way above or below my feet. Green complexes were built up with really large putting surfaces. Also, first round of the year with greens that had been rolled and had some pace. Stimping at 9 or 10 felt like 12 after all the late Winter and Spring junk we’ve been dealing with. I’d like to come back with more than 90 minutes of sleep the night before. My daughter didn’t want to sleep in her bed so she came into my bed and proceeded to kick me from 1:30 to 4:30. Didn’t boot my wife at all. Almost like she was mad at me for going on a golf trip. I had no legs for the back nine and that meant the shanks came. So that sucked. Am I blaming a bad round on a 3 year old? Yes, yes I am. 
Shanks stuck around for Bear Slide for a bit. I still finished with a decent score but it was all scrambling. Hit the fairway, then thinned it or pushed it or hosel-rocketed it, then hit really good wedges and one-putted to save a bunch of pars. Bizarre. Both courses were absolutely soaked. So that made things tougher. I ought to have some energy for tomorrow. I’d say Bear Slide was in poorer shape than Rock Hollow. Neither course drains all that well but Bear Slide had standing water all over. Feet were sinking on some shots. 

[DavePelz4]

19 hours ago, ldchristopher said:

Two queen sized beds, DP4. Just for clarity’s sake. 

 

Expected more outta Bear.

[ldchristopher]

Purgatory lived up to the hype. It was outstanding. The course is extremely well-maintained, the greens are ultra smooth and run in the 10-11 range (we were right behind the guy rolling the greens on the front so they felt like concrete for half the round) and since it’s built on sand, it drains much better than Bear Slide. Bunkers everywhere but they all had plenty of sand and the fairways were firm. Not a lot of roll but some, and certainly no plugging. The rain in the forecast missed to the South so we got around in 2:50. It’s a 9 mile walk, but it’s very flat. Didn’t feel like miles 15-24 of the trip. Out of fear of the s word returning, I teed it from the blacks. Tough to shank a 4 or 5 iron. I haven’t played a course from 7260 since last Summer but my driver, fairway woods, and long irons were all sharp. I played a nice, controlled game with my wedges and with greens that smooth, putts were dropping. Only one birdie on 18 but a good 75. Even better after yesterday’s mess. I’m not one to rave about rating/slope numbers but, good Lord. 76.4/144 and it wasn’t even the tips. 

Sandy Pines is stellar. Holes 2-7 are outstanding and there’s some quality on the back as well. We took a cart (72 holes in 28 hours justifies it) but it’s good to know they have a walking rate. I’ll be back this Summer. The greens were good. Not Purgatory good but probably on par with a place like Shepherds. It’s under 6900 yards but had a nice combination of 3’s and 4’s. I never felt like I was playing the same hole twice or anything. I liked the second hole and the 12th is a nice short 4. The course record scorecard in the clubhouse is something. Duffy Waldorf shot a 65 about 10 years ago. The score is low but it’s how he got it. He shot even on the front. Then shot a 29 on the back. Me? 76. 

[B-Man]

Season Opener for the Village Links Saturday Classic coming up. It's a work day.

[Springsteennut]

I got out to Redtail today for the first round of the year. Conditions were pretty good just soft. Greens rolled well but slow. Better round than I usually have the first time out.

[MountainKing]

Back to the Preserve today.  Conditions were much improved from Sunday, greens were mowed and rolled and were rolling pretty nice, bunkers had some work done and they were perfect.  With the way the weather looks, by this time next week this place should be pretty pristine.  Pace was solid again at 4 hours with another packed tee sheet.

 

Night and day from last week with a 75 today.  Driver was still solid, only hit half the fairways but other than 18, misses were only foot or two off the fairway.  Finally hit some iron shots as well, and put up my first two birdies of the season.  Hopefully I can keep this going. Highlands of Elgin tomorrow.

[jcook10]

On 4/4/2023 at 6:26 PM, ldchristopher said:

Purgatory lived up to the hype. It was outstanding. The course is extremely well-maintained, the greens are ultra smooth and run in the 10-11 range (we were right behind the guy rolling the greens on the front so they felt like concrete for half the round) and since it’s built on sand, it drains much better than Bear Slide. Bunkers everywhere but they all had plenty of sand and the fairways were firm. Not a lot of roll but some, and certainly no plugging. The rain in the forecast missed to the South so we got around in 2:50. It’s a 9 mile walk, but it’s very flat. Didn’t feel like miles 15-24 of the trip. Out of fear of the s word returning, I teed it from the blacks. Tough to shank a 4 or 5 iron. I haven’t played a course from 7260 since last Summer but my driver, fairway woods, and long irons were all sharp. I played a nice, controlled game with my wedges and with greens that smooth, putts were dropping. Only one birdie on 18 but a good 75. Even better after yesterday’s mess. I’m not one to rave about rating/slope numbers but, good Lord. 76.4/144 and it wasn’t even the tips. 

Sandy Pines is stellar. Holes 2-7 are outstanding and there’s some quality on the back as well. We took a cart (72 holes in 28 hours justifies it) but it’s good to know they have a walking rate. I’ll be back this Summer. The greens were good. Not Purgatory good but probably on par with a place like Shepherds. It’s under 6900 yards but had a nice combination of 3’s and 4’s. I never felt like I was playing the same hole twice or anything. I liked the second hole and the 12th is a nice short 4. The course record scorecard in the clubhouse is something. Duffy Waldorf shot a 65 about 10 years ago. The score is low but it’s how he got it. He shot even on the front. Then shot a 29 on the back. Me? 76. 

Shhhhhhhh. Let’s keep Purgatory to ourselves 😉

[MountainKing]

Highlands of Elgin yesterday, always one of my favorite layouts in the area.  No roll in the fairways still, but the course wasn't as wet as I thought it was going to be.  Greens were a huge let down, not expecting perfection in April, but they're absolutely cratered from ball marks and bumpy.  The ball marks are not a good sign of things to come with that many this early.  No real complaints on anything else and pace was solid at 4 hours.

 

Overall I played well tee to green, I need to start hitting more greens but I was at least getting pin high and leaving my chips in solid spots (other than 15) for a chance at an up and down.  I hate to blame the course conditions but the greens made everything from chipping to long putts very difficult.  A solid chip/putt would all of a sudden take a hop somewhere and start rolling in another direction.  With what is out there already, it's hard to take the time to get everything in a line fixed up without starting to hold the course up a bit.  Hopefully they turn that around a bit, hate to put the course on my avoid list.  Anyway, ended up with an 81, conditions of the greens probably cost each of us 3-4 strokes. 

[DavePelz4]

Second round of our comp season at Schaumburg on Saturday.  What is it about Schaumburg, it's always something. Another weather delay, this one was for frost although there wasn't any to be found and they have no issues with anyone on the practice greens.

 

Played the Player/Baer combo.  Generally, the conditions were good, although it was common to pick up a mud ball and the roll out was never more than a few yards.  There were an overwhelming number of ball marks.  As VNutz says, it's all the COVID golfers with their lack of etiquette.  For the first 5 holes pace was amazing and I started to think we were the slow group.  But that all changed on the 6th tee and then pace slowed quite a bit and we finished in 4 and a half. 

 

Paired with 2 guys and it appeared that one thought he was the caddie for the other. Told him what clubs to hit, read putts, critiqued a lot of his shots.  He also had quite the tendency to not pay attention when others were hitting and he talked during a lot of swings. The other guy was very tall, thinking at least 6'5" and he had a huge swing.  On 13, which was playing at 320, the "caddie" told the taller guy to wait while the green cleared because of how far he hits it.  VNutz hits a huge golf ball but with the cooler temps, he couldn't have reached the green that day.  I offered a wager to the caddie if the guy hit the green and suggested that he wouldn't get within 50 yards.  Lo and behold, he hits his best drive of the day...and came up 60 yard short.  I might be old, well, I am old, but there was no way anyone was carrying the ball that far on that day.

 

Next comp round is in 2 weeks at ECC.

[VNutz]

As DP4 said, Schaumburg this past Saturday. Not sure why, but at Schaumburg there's always something that interferes with the day, it just never goes smoothly. As such, 45 minute frost delay, which cost me 2 holes as I had to leave after 16 to run a baseball practice. Even on my off days baseball still gets me.

 

It was a different Schaumburg than I'm used to playing, which is usually firm and fast. The greens still rolled very well but were receptive, and that changed everything. As mentioned before, lots of ball marks, but that's everywhere.

 

Of course I started the round topping my first ball of the year like a pure hack. Hadn't touched a club since January and am currently battling tennis elbow, so was happy to be +5 when I walked off. Had a stretch of 2 birdies in a row, which would have been 3 if not for a leaning pin on a putt with perfect speed.

 

One thing I noted to DP4 while we were playing, in the course of the past 3 years I've gone from feeling like one of the younger guys out there, to suddenly older. At 41 it felt like most courses were full of 50 and 60 year olds, Saturday was full of 20 and 30 somethings. Nothing wrong with that, and certainly good for the game, but it feels like it happened so quickly. Now maybe if all of them didn't play from the tips hitting a fairway over each hole, that might help as well...

[TheBear95]

1 hour ago, VNutz said:

As DP4 said, Schaumburg this past Saturday. Not sure why, but at Schaumburg there's always something that interferes with the day, it just never goes smoothly. As such, 45 minute frost delay, which cost me 2 holes as I had to leave after 16 to run a baseball practice. Even on my off days baseball still gets me.

 

It was a different Schaumburg than I'm used to playing, which is usually firm and fast. The greens still rolled very well but were receptive, and that changed everything. As mentioned before, lots of ball marks, but that's everywhere.

 

Of course I started the round topping my first ball of the year like a pure hack. Hadn't touched a club since January and am currently battling tennis elbow, so was happy to be +5 when I walked off. Had a stretch of 2 birdies in a row, which would have been 3 if not for a leaning pin on a putt with perfect speed.

 

One thing I noted to DP4 while we were playing, in the course of the past 3 years I've gone from feeling like one of the younger guys out there, to suddenly older. At 41 it felt like most courses were full of 50 and 60 year olds, Saturday was full of 20 and 30 somethings. Nothing wrong with that, and certainly good for the game, but it feels like it happened so quickly. Now maybe if all of them didn't play from the tips hitting a fairway over each hole, that might help as well...

 

Your pics on Instagram are no good unless you're off the tips

[DavePelz4]

21 hours ago, TheBear95 said:

 

Your pics on Instagram are no good unless you're off the tips

 

Mine are posted on MySpace.  Not a lot of traction there.

[MountainKing]

6 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

 

Mine are posted on MySpace.  Not a lot of traction there.

 

Give it a few years, MySpace will be cool again

[jcook10]

On 4/10/2023 at 9:59 AM, VNutz said:

As DP4 said, Schaumburg this past Saturday. Not sure why, but at Schaumburg there's always something that interferes with the day, it just never goes smoothly. As such, 45 minute frost delay, which cost me 2 holes as I had to leave after 16 to run a baseball practice. Even on my off days baseball still gets me.

 

It was a different Schaumburg than I'm used to playing, which is usually firm and fast. The greens still rolled very well but were receptive, and that changed everything. As mentioned before, lots of ball marks, but that's everywhere.

 

Of course I started the round topping my first ball of the year like a pure hack. Hadn't touched a club since January and am currently battling tennis elbow, so was happy to be +5 when I walked off. Had a stretch of 2 birdies in a row, which would have been 3 if not for a leaning pin on a putt with perfect speed.

 

One thing I noted to DP4 while we were playing, in the course of the past 3 years I've gone from feeling like one of the younger guys out there, to suddenly older. At 41 it felt like most courses were full of 50 and 60 year olds, Saturday was full of 20 and 30 somethings. Nothing wrong with that, and certainly good for the game, but it feels like it happened so quickly. Now maybe if all of them didn't play from the tips hitting a fairway over each hole, that might help as well...

This is disappointing. Playing 8:10 Thursday morning. Hopefully its dried out a little bit and firmed up.

[VNutz]

18 minutes ago, jcook10 said:

This is disappointing. Playing 8:10 Thursday morning. Hopefully its dried out a little bit and firmed up.

I think you'll be ok. We got a lot of rain mid last week that softened things up a bunch. The greens still ran well, but they held more than I'm used to there. Not much run on tee shots. With the sunshine we've had the past 4 days I'd imagine it will dry up pretty well, but won't be as quick as normal.

[Shriner]

Interesting experience today.  Last minute, a buddy asks me to play Stonehenge in Lake Barrington.  I had heard of it and could have sworn someone posted about it in the past on here.  I didn't really know what to expect but nothing could have prepared me for that. 

 

Where the fairways start and end, who knows?  The grass all looks the same, that is, if there is grass in the fairways.  Mixture of bare dirt and hardpan grass.  Greens with smooth surfaces but as slow as can be.  A par 3 with a tree right smack dab in between you and the hole...lol.  I can't ever remember trying to hit a punch 4i with a cut into a right to left wind...on a par 3.   Layout was real fun with pretty nice scenery.  Pace was awesome at 3:20 but this is a private course in name only.  

[ldchristopher]

High School had SAT testing today so Middle School was off. Is it stupid that kids just came back from Spring Break on Monday and are already off? Rhetorical question, but I was free to play a round. I decided on Aberdeen. Good choice. I played in 3:15, enjoyed the low 80’s temps, and had 4 birdies (2, 5, 8, and 13) en route to a 71. After some sloppy golf in Indy, especially on day 1, today was more like it. The greens had been punched but were rolling smooth. The bunkers need sand but were groomed. About a 1-2 club breeze but it mostly felt like crosswinds. Didn’t really impact my game though. 

[MountainKing]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:57 PM, Shriner said:

Interesting experience today.  Last minute, a buddy asks me to play Stonehenge in Lake Barrington.  I had heard of it and could have sworn someone posted about it in the past on here.  I didn't really know what to expect but nothing could have prepared me for that. 

 

Where the fairways start and end, who knows?  The grass all looks the same, that is, if there is grass in the fairways.  Mixture of bare dirt and hardpan grass.  Greens with smooth surfaces but as slow as can be.  A par 3 with a tree right smack dab in between you and the hole...lol.  I can't ever remember trying to hit a punch 4i with a cut into a right to left wind...on a par 3.   Layout was real fun with pretty nice scenery.  Pace was awesome at 3:20 but this is a private course in name only.  

 

I've been a member there for a while, didn't renew this year because I get up that way less and less and they keep raising the rates to play.   It's a terrible spring course, generally pretty rough shape the first few weeks every year when they open up.  It's prime season for conditions, as long as it doesn't rain too much (part of why it's terrible spring course), is generally June into the fall.  Course does not hold rain very well.  When the rates were cheaper it was always a good deal since you just paid once and you could play all day.  As you saw pace is always prime, even on weekends 3:30 is about what's expected from everybody.  People there generally take care of the place (no ball marks), no alcohol is allowed so the primary purpose of the course is golf, not a weekend frat party.  For guests it's not really that great of deal to play, for what they charge guests you can easily play a lot better public courses.

 

I'm guessing that hole you're talking about is hole 8?  That tree should probably come down but I'm not sure I'd call it right between the tee box and hole. Even as somebody who hits a draw it's never been much of an issue unless the pins in the far right side of the green, then you gotta go over the tree a bit.   The trees I always had an issue with were on 18, but those got destroyed in a storm last summer, now it's opened up so you can go for that green in two.  Prior to that you could only get there in two if you sent it down the OB line perfectly.

[MountainKing]

12 hours ago, ldchristopher said:

High School had SAT testing today so Middle School was off. Is it stupid that kids just came back from Spring Break on Monday and are already off? Rhetorical question, but I was free to play a round. I decided on Aberdeen. Good choice. I played in 3:15, enjoyed the low 80’s temps, and had 4 birdies (2, 5, 8, and 13) en route to a 71. After some sloppy golf in Indy, especially on day 1, today was more like it. The greens had been punched but were rolling smooth. The bunkers need sand but were groomed. About a 1-2 club breeze but it mostly felt like crosswinds. Didn’t really impact my game though. 

 

Days off at any age are never stupid 🙂  Nice round!

[IndyArcher]

On 4/4/2023 at 7:26 PM, ldchristopher said:

Purgatory lived up to the hype. It was outstanding. The course is extremely well-maintained, the greens are ultra smooth and run in the 10-11 range (we were right behind the guy rolling the greens on the front so they felt like concrete for half the round) and since it’s built on sand, it drains much better than Bear Slide. Bunkers everywhere but they all had plenty of sand and the fairways were firm. Not a lot of roll but some, and certainly no plugging. The rain in the forecast missed to the South so we got around in 2:50. It’s a 9 mile walk, but it’s very flat. Didn’t feel like miles 15-24 of the trip. Out of fear of the s word returning, I teed it from the blacks. Tough to shank a 4 or 5 iron. I haven’t played a course from 7260 since last Summer but my driver, fairway woods, and long irons were all sharp. I played a nice, controlled game with my wedges and with greens that smooth, putts were dropping. Only one birdie on 18 but a good 75. Even better after yesterday’s mess. I’m not one to rave about rating/slope numbers but, good Lord. 76.4/144 and it wasn’t even the tips. 

Sandy Pines is stellar. Holes 2-7 are outstanding and there’s some quality on the back as well. We took a cart (72 holes in 28 hours justifies it) but it’s good to know they have a walking rate. I’ll be back this Summer. The greens were good. Not Purgatory good but probably on par with a place like Shepherds. It’s under 6900 yards but had a nice combination of 3’s and 4’s. I never felt like I was playing the same hole twice or anything. I liked the second hole and the 12th is a nice short 4. The course record scorecard in the clubhouse is something. Duffy Waldorf shot a 65 about 10 years ago. The score is low but it’s how he got it. He shot even on the front. Then shot a 29 on the back. Me? 76. 

 

Wow! Great job at Purgatory! I would have LOVED to have put a round of 75 together there. I'd have to look back, but I think I was high 80's. One of my favorite courses I've played, though! 

 

Thanks for the update!

[IndyArcher]

On 4/3/2023 at 7:20 PM, ldchristopher said:

I liked most of Rock Hollow. Good layout, challenging but with some short 4’s. Lots of uneven lies in the fairway with very heavy slopes. Not uncommon to have a great drive result in a second shot where the ball was way above or below my feet. Green complexes were built up with really large putting surfaces. Also, first round of the year with greens that had been rolled and had some pace. Stimping at 9 or 10 felt like 12 after all the late Winter and Spring junk we’ve been dealing with. I’d like to come back with more than 90 minutes of sleep the night before. My daughter didn’t want to sleep in her bed so she came into my bed and proceeded to kick me from 1:30 to 4:30. Didn’t boot my wife at all. Almost like she was mad at me for going on a golf trip. I had no legs for the back nine and that meant the shanks came. So that sucked. Am I blaming a bad round on a 3 year old? Yes, yes I am. 
Shanks stuck around for Bear Slide for a bit. I still finished with a decent score but it was all scrambling. Hit the fairway, then thinned it or pushed it or hosel-rocketed it, then hit really good wedges and one-putted to save a bunch of pars. Bizarre. Both courses were absolutely soaked. So that made things tougher. I ought to have some energy for tomorrow. I’d say Bear Slide was in poorer shape than Rock Hollow. Neither course drains all that well but Bear Slide had standing water all over. Feet were sinking on some shots. 

 

Being built on an old gravel pit in the wabash river basin, Rock Hollow has some wavy aspects for sure. Quite a few bends and doglegs, too, if I recall correctly. I need to get back out that way some day. Glad you had a good time and appreciate the updates on this and Purgatory!

[Shriner]

2 hours ago, MountainKing said:

 

I've been a member there for a while, didn't renew this year because I get up that way less and less and they keep raising the rates to play.   It's a terrible spring course, generally pretty rough shape the first few weeks every year when they open up.  It's prime season for conditions, as long as it doesn't rain too much (part of why it's terrible spring course), is generally June into the fall.  Course does not hold rain very well.  When the rates were cheaper it was always a good deal since you just paid once and you could play all day.  As you saw pace is always prime, even on weekends 3:30 is about what's expected from everybody.  People there generally take care of the place (no ball marks), no alcohol is allowed so the primary purpose of the course is golf, not a weekend frat party.  For guests it's not really that great of deal to play, for what they charge guests you can easily play a lot better public courses.

 

I'm guessing that hole you're talking about is hole 8?  That tree should probably come down but I'm not sure I'd call it right between the tee box and hole. Even as somebody who hits a draw it's never been much of an issue unless the pins in the far right side of the green, then you gotta go over the tree a bit.   The trees I always had an issue with were on 18, but those got destroyed in a storm last summer, now it's opened up so you can go for that green in two.  Prior to that you could only get there in two if you sent it down the OB line perfectly.

 

Yep, sure it was 8!  Funny you mention that, first thing I said when I stepped on the tee box was the tree needs to come down...lol.  Pin was all the way to the right with a right to left wind.  Tree was dead straight in line to the hole and as high as I hit it, I would still not be confident to clear that tree.  Interesting to know about 18.  

[AUTIGER07]

On 4/4/2023 at 6:26 PM, ldchristopher said:

Purgatory lived up to the hype. It was outstanding. The course is extremely well-maintained, the greens are ultra smooth and run in the 10-11 range (we were right behind the guy rolling the greens on the front so they felt like concrete for half the round) and since it’s built on sand, it drains much better than Bear Slide. Bunkers everywhere but they all had plenty of sand and the fairways were firm. Not a lot of roll but some, and certainly no plugging. The rain in the forecast missed to the South so we got around in 2:50. It’s a 9 mile walk, but it’s very flat. Didn’t feel like miles 15-24 of the trip. Out of fear of the s word returning, I teed it from the blacks. Tough to shank a 4 or 5 iron. I haven’t played a course from 7260 since last Summer but my driver, fairway woods, and long irons were all sharp. I played a nice, controlled game with my wedges and with greens that smooth, putts were dropping. Only one birdie on 18 but a good 75. Even better after yesterday’s mess. I’m not one to rave about rating/slope numbers but, good Lord. 76.4/144 and it wasn’t even the tips. 

Sandy Pines is stellar. Holes 2-7 are outstanding and there’s some quality on the back as well. We took a cart (72 holes in 28 hours justifies it) but it’s good to know they have a walking rate. I’ll be back this Summer. The greens were good. Not Purgatory good but probably on par with a place like Shepherds. It’s under 6900 yards but had a nice combination of 3’s and 4’s. I never felt like I was playing the same hole twice or anything. I liked the second hole and the 12th is a nice short 4. The course record scorecard in the clubhouse is something. Duffy Waldorf shot a 65 about 10 years ago. The score is low but it’s how he got it. He shot even on the front. Then shot a 29 on the back. Me? 76. 

Really glad to hear that the maintenance had improved. We played it back in October and I loved the layout but the conditioning was mixed at best. You would play one hole and the greens, bunkering, etc. would be perfect. Next hole would be the polar opposite. We played it from the blacks as well and at 7,260 I didn't find it too terrible either due to the rollout and some holes being downwind. The only exception to that is the turnaround nature of #13 / 14. We played #13 downwind so I went driver-4i into a 590y par 5. Turned around into the wind on #14 and it was a driver-3hy into a 450y par 4 and was still 20y short of the green.