Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[TheBear95]

I had a very poor experience today at Chalet Hills. And, it had zero to due with the golf.

I booked our tee time at Chalet Hills back on Monday and entered in all my CC information to pay for the round. Booked it and my card was immediately charged with the GolfNow fee that is associated with their online tee-time system. I figured that my card would then by charged soon after for the greens fee. You know, to avoid going into the clubhouse to have to pay and thus following the Governor's guidelines. Well, Chalet Hills isn't doing that. So, I had to go in.

I put on my mask and entered the clubhouse. I find three employees stuffed behind the check-in desk, literally inches from other another. None are wearing masks. No barrier has been put up to separate the staff from the customers. Normal times at Chalet Hills. I'm thinking to myself how clueless is this place.

Since golf was allowed to reopen in IL, I know that courses have been ignoring the rules. Carts to anyone that breathes, allowing guys to play in foursomes, tee times that are not 15 minutes apart.... But, if you were going to follow one rule, this was the one. There's absolutely no reason to go into the clubhouse to pay for your round (especially a round booked online). And, if you're going to force the customer to do so, have your staff social distancing and wearing masks (or at least have some type of barrier up between staff and customer). I'm sorry, you can't act like it is 2019. In these times, I find it extremely disrespectful to do so.

 

[Holy Moses]

Law of supply and demand in a pademic

[ldchristopher]

Prairie View was excellent as always. We played in 2:50 and didn't wait on a single shot. They didn't get nearly as much rain in Byron and the course was as dry as a regular summer round there. The greens had been punched sometime earlier this Spring but were fully healed. Greens that had shade still had a few small visible punch holes but they were smooth and had good pace to them. While we were the third group, we saw the carts going and they're letting foursomes out already. We saw the solution to not having enough carts. Just do things as usual and have two carts for every foursome. With only 50 cases and one death in Byron, it's not exactly the COVID-19 hotspot that Chicago is and, as the nearby lawnsigns indicated, man do they hate JB. Courses seem to be treating the governor's orders regarding COVID based on the politics of the area which, um, ya know what, let's just move on. One birdie (18) for a 75.

Chalet Hills was a mess. The first 7 holes are all flood plain so they were very swampy. Bear already addressed the lack of customer service (having such a cavalier attitude towards Coronavirus just screams ignorance, regardless of whatever a person's personal beliefs are) and having signs all over the course that clearly state "walking only/twosomes only) and then seeing twosomes, threesomes, and foursomes with no rangers just made things an unregulated mess. We walked the front in 1:15 and still finished in 3:30 but I don't think I'll be back for quite a while. Too bad because I always play well there and today was no different. 76. Good to get my first 36 hole walk under my belt before any summer trips to Michigan. Walking Pilgrim’s Run is going to be interesting.

[@_the_crook]

we played in the thickest fog this morning, lasted until we hit number seventeen.

couldn't see where the drives landed. laser was worthless at 100 yards.

green had been cut and rolled , though running slow.

we joked that it was like a day trip to the Irish Isles.

got home to find a broken water main flooding our street.

later day rains really hammered the area.

hope everyone is OK , didn't suffer damage and has power.

 

[Holy Moses]

I was listening to the “Plugged-In Golf” podcast and Canal Shores’ GM said they are making as much profit now as they normally due even with 75% less tee times due to needing less labor. Is Canal Shores an outlier?

[psygolf]

what labor...? Lol

They still need to upkeep the course, and one person to man the shop. Did they splurge with 2 attendants last year?

[cpeck12]

Late report here... played Seven Bridges Friday morning. 8am tee time so there was still a little dew on the ground. You could see how high the DuPage river was a few days ago, which was insanely high, but the course was in really good condition. I was worried about walking 18 holes on a sponge, but everything seemed to drain really well (except a few spots). Greens started off slow but sped up as it warmed up. No plugged balls (couldn't believe it) and no "soaked" shots from the fairway. I was only in one (fairway) bunker, but they all seemed to be in really good shape given the circumstances just a few days prior. 4 missed birdies opportunities, but still ended up with an 81 so I'll take it.

 

The Dock was open to grab drinks and snacks, but that's it. Grabbed a few snacks at the turn to fuel up for the back 9. Pace of play was great. We did catch up to the group in front of us by 13, but only enough for us to see they were on the next hole. We never had to wait for them and we never saw a single group behind us. We saw some carts out and the guys using them seemed to have no issue walking across the fairway (path only). That's not to say they don't have an issue where they aren't able to walk a full 9 or 18, so I'm only speculating here.

 

Great time all around and was pleasantly surprised with the conditions. Bathrooms after 14 were open (didn't look at the ones on the front 9) and the round was prepaid so we just told the starter the name and were on our way.

[DavePelz4]

Played Blackstone yesterday and absent the 15 minutes of torrential rains, it was a beautiful day. Paired with VNutz who drove 11, made the eagle putt and then followed that up with a birdie on 12. Nice little 3 under stretch by him. Course conditions were wonderful and the green rolled at typical Blackstone speed.

So nice to be able to hit balls on the range and hit some putts. After playing there literally 50 times if not more, found out there is an outdoor bathroom to the left of the bar/outdoor seating area. Only bathroom open by the club house.

Trekking to Harvard tomorrow...

[mci711]

I'v never played there, with this review I'll probably never play there. Good to know!

[dhartmann34]

Played Erin Hills today. Good conditions. Great forecaddie. Elevation changes are absolutely unreal and pushing a cart up a lot of those hills was brutal... But no where near as brutal as the 5:46 pace of play. The group in front of us was unbelievably slow, yet marshals didn't want to upset any paying customers I guess. Waited on almost every shot all day long. It's a beautiful facility with nice people, but that's far too long of a round.... Especially with 83* and nowhere to hide from the sun.

[SpeedKills7]

I understand not wanting to upset the paying customers but they are upsetting everyone behind them. They definitely should have done something.

[@_the_crook]

If Arg was following that group, there would have been fireworks......

[Shriner]

Played Blackstone today, what else can you say? 85 and sunny, gorgeous course, foursomes, course conditions were nearly perfect. There are some quirky holes and nobody likes a tree in the middle of a fairway, but overall, this is a great test of golf. We waited on almost every shot and finished in 5:10 minutes which is kind of typical at Blackstone, but it was worth it. Definitely a round that reminds you of the things you love about golf...

[Argonne69]

Anyone care to join me at Springbrook this morning at 9:45 am? There's still an opening. Yeah, I know, it's SB. Slim pickings at this point.

 

[AUTIGER07]

I love Blackstone but I won't play it on a weekend again. Pace of play can be brutal out there and there doesn't seem to be a real "desire" to push slower players along. Felt that way pre-Corona as well.

Great track though and, as you said, usually in terrific shape.

[mci711]

How does it take 5 hours for twosomes 15 min apart to get around. That is unreal, and with spread out tee times it should be pretty easy for them to find the problem group on the course.

[chisag]

 

... We had a 4:15 tee time and played behind a 20 something 2some yesterday on the back 9 at Prairie Bluff and they took 2:20 to play 9. They talked on the tee box forever before hitting, then they both went to each others ball like a teenager couple Ian love. One way right and one way left they go to the way left first, talk and finally hit then go to the other ball talk and then finally hit. We played the front in 1:40 m minutes and had 3 groups either only playing 9 or quit instead of following these two clueless guys on the back 9. But this is how you take 5 hours to play when you are 15 minutes apart and only 2somes.

[@_the_crook]

Played up at Shepherd's this morning at 6:30. got rained on from holes six thru thirteen. otherwise the weather was fine.

pair behind us was riding. two young guys that could probably bench 300 each. I'm sure that had doctor's notes.

they noticeably hit up on us at number five . . we let them through at the turn.

course played well and the greens were rolling fast. faster than SV.

we had a good time up there and wrapped in 3:30, seems to be our standard pace.

wanted a sandwich but wasn't going to wander into Wisconsin for one.

noticed an addition to the of Cliffs of Zion to the the left of number fourteen green.

 

 

[Argonne69]

Wow, it's been 16 years since I last played Springbrook. 'Doesn't look like much has changed. On the plus side, it was a gorgeous day. A little too humid for my liking, but the breeze made it bearable. The course was oh so green. Now for the down side. Isn't everyone getting sick of playing in the slop? Is the area ever going to dry out? Course conditions were pretty much what I expected. Fairways were shaggy, nearly as bad as Fresh Meadows last week. No roll out whatsoever. Nearly every step brought water to the top. A lot of the turf was supersaturated. You'd take a step and the turf would slide laterally. The rough looks like it was cut a few days ago, but was still plenty penal. Bunkers were washed out. The greens looked nice, but were only rolling 7 to 8. Maybe they reached nine by the end of the round as the breeze dried them out. The pace was reasonable at 3:15. Since the course doesn't have continuous cartpaths, it was walking only. 'Probably explains why I was able to find a last minute opening on a holiday. I noticed a number of other singles on the course.

'Probably the worst round since May 1st. By the back nine I was sucking wind. Pushing a cart through the slop is more of a workout than I care for. I dug out my stand bag when I got home, and I'm going to try to carry for a few rounds. I can't see it being any worst than pushing a cart through the muck.

'Hope everybody had a nice Memorial Day.

[DavePelz4]

We had 3 foursomes at Blackstone on Saturday and even with the torrential downpour, we finished in just over 4:10 and that included a 15 minute wait at the turn to try and get a bottle of water. I honestly don't remember the last weekend round that was over 4;15-4:30 at the longest.

[DavePelz4]

Made the trek to Oak Grove today. I hope that Tim Miles or Tim Miles, Jr. actually spends time reading this site or the emails sent to them. There is so much potential at Oak Grove and so little effort put into the course. Sand in the bunkers, uh no. Any effort put into green maintenance, uh no. Maybe run a mower over the rough, uh no. And it's not very wet except for a few low spots. You were also missing tee markers, port a potties etc. The greens were running about the speed of the orange and brown shag carpeting in the master which is from the 60's. Don't see myself making another trip there this year.

For those of you who will be playing there in the future, two words. BUG SPRAY. We watched a sand hill crane carried off by a swarm of skeeters like in a Stephen King movie.

[SpeedKills7]

Played White Eagle today and in really good shape. Was still a little wet but managed to get some roll out on a few tee shots. Bunkers were in great shape and greens were running quick.

[Shriner]

I hear you, I'm just not sure how much more they can do with the limited play they get due to being in Harvard. If they had private course level conditions, would they get that much more play? I love the course as well, think the scenery is about as good as it gets, but you do notice the bare bones operation.

[VNutz]

Blackstone was doing 4somes at 10 minute intervals this weekend.

[mci711]

Guess there are no rules in the boonie part of Illinois.

[TheBear95]

For the past few years, when I have walked off the 18th at Oak Grove I have thought to myself each time is this my last round here? The course has a permanent feeling that it could close at any moment. Like literally the next day. I play a ton of different courses in the area (across the quality and price spectrum) but Oak Grove is the only course that consistently gives me this feeling.

[VNutz]

They picked and chose what rules to follow. Obviously the biggest source of revenue in terms of players on the course they chose not to adhere to. But the carts were limited and I actually heard the cashier tell somebody they needed a note, despite seeing several guys out there that I would not deem "cart-worthy" in terms of their health. But the clubhouse was already closed post round at 3:00 or so. Unfortunately it just encouraged a group of a dozen or so guys to hang out on the patio in proximity that wouldn't pass the guidelines. Halfway house was open and quite busy, but they were also giving out free water bottles which helped down the stretch.

 

Beautiful day for golf, almost too hot as I wasn't ready for the heat yet as my newly acquired Corona layer proved too warming. Course was in great shape, only wet spot during the round that we saw was on 14 as we approached the lake, as that fairway must have flooded out at some point and was quite fuzzy as a result. Greens were pretty smooth and decent pace, two or three greens had been aerated some time in the past and weren't fully healed yet. As we turned from 14 to 15 we suddenly noticed the dark clouds looming and heard some rumbles. We thought maybe we could sneak in before the storms, but by the time we finished 15 the deluge began. The walk to 16 wasn't so bad due to the tree cover, but once we hit 16 and teed off it was coming down full force. Full on sideways wind and rain, river through the green. But as quickly as it came on it was gone, and we finished 18 in full sun and blue skies, so bizarre. As noted, highlight for me was driving 11 and making the eagle, helping somewhat to recover from some brain farts and blowups on holes 5-7.

 

Side note: for anybody that plays Blackstone regularly, what's your play on #7? We were talking about that Saturday, I just don't know a good way to play the hole. I've done everything from Driver, 5w, 3h, to iron, and still can't figure out the best way to do it. I took 3h Saturday trying to play for the valley in front and knocked it through to pin high right, leaving myself short sided with that elevated green. Tried to drive a chip into the hill to kill it and came up just short. I'm starting to lean toward laying back for a more full or controlled swing coming in, but it feels terrible hitting a mid to short iron off a tee to do so, but anything green side isn't an easy up and down given the green elevation.

[jcook10]

@VNutz I was in the same predicament regarding 7 because it feels like such a chance to keep momentum going from 6-9. I have started to strictly go Driver to right of the green and try my best to go up and down. The blind nature of the wedge shot always made me try and get too cute. Made more birdies going up and down than wedge close from behind that bunker on the left and/or laying up to the fat part of the fairway on the right.

[VNutz]

Thanks for your thoughts. That's generally what I do, take some sort of longer club somewhere right of the green. However, I think I've yet to convert that to a birdie and feel like I turn a birdie opp into an ugly bogey more often than not, as I did Saturday. I feel I'm pretty good getting up and down, but success on that hole eludes me.

[Shriner]

On 7, I hit 3 wood, ended up in the right trees blocked. Had to hit a low punch to the left side of the green with the huge mound to cross. First time I tried to go for the green and probably my last, I will stick to my old plan of 7i off the tee leaving some sort of wedge in...

They definitely had the 19th hole open. Patio was pretty packed but tables spread out.

And yes, I also get that same feeling at Oak Grove that they are going to be closed!