Considering a move... Best places to live and golf in Chicago area?

[Tru]

I recently returned from a friend's wedding in Naperville. Having an entire weekend to check out the city and its surroundings, I fell in love with the place. I was already loosely considering a move from AZ to try something new, and the Chicago area is firmly at the top of my list. Can some of you please throw out some ideas of where the best places to live are that are close enough for a good night out but also have some great affordable golf nearby? I don't want to be payng 2k each month for a 1br apartment. Also, being close to public transit to/from O'Hare would be nice as well because of my job. My friend lives downtown, he says look toward Evanston or N Chicago. I plan on taking a couple more trips in the fall to look around but any help would be appreciated. Before you guys tell me I'm crazy for leaving AZ, a little about me... I work in the oilfields in northern Alaska, being outside in -70* isn't anything new. Having a 2 weeks on/2 weeks off schedule is nice in that it allows me the freedom to play whenever I want, and I'd like to be close enough that I can go downtown and check out the multitude of museums and things the city has to offer. I love that stuff and Scottsdale, Arizona is sorely lacking. Thanks guys, hope to get some great ideas from you all!

[John Kreese]

Overall I think Chicago is overrated in terms of public golf. It's a great city (one of the best in the US) overall, just not that great for public golf. If you have lots of extra money you can join one of the many beautiful private clubs on the north side. Otherwise, if you want to live downtown or close to it, golf is really going to be a struggle. You're going to have to fight traffic to get to and from a course that will likely be ~$70.00 at a pretty average/older/parkland style layout. The best/closest option is Harborside, which is $100.00 for the round. Most courses are also very crowed and slow on the weekends. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but if you move to Chicago it shouldn't be for the golf (in my opinion). Also keep in mind winter is long and we have no spring.

That all being said, all of the neighborhoods on the north side (Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Roscoe Village, North Center, Uptown) are great places to live in general. Evanston is awesome. Good luck with your adventure!

[Tru]

I wouldn't be moving there only for golf, I live in a winter golf mecca already. I'm looking more for the other things the city has to offer with some good golf mixed in. How long are the winters normally? Keep in mind I grew up in Alaska before moving to Arizona in my twenties, so our ideas of long may not be the same. Keep it coming guys.

[knockdstiff]

You'll start seeing regular golf time in late May and play comfortably until mid September-ish, with a few playable days (by that I mean around 50* and not very windy) sprinkled in randomly throughout the winter and fall.

For neighborhoods, I recommend logan square, avondale, west town....generally northwest of the city along the blue line - lots of night life and restaurants, and the blue line connects to O'Hare and downtown. You can get a nice apartment - 2 bed, 2 bad, for around 1500 a month.

If you aren't rich, the north side won't do you too much good as far as golf (lots of private clubs) unless you go like an hour+ away from the city (Thunderhawk, Stonemeadow Orchard, Highlands of Elgin). IMHO the best on the south side are George Dunne and Harborside, but they are each a good 20-30 miles from the city as well. There really aren't any exciting options that are in the city, so you have to be prepared for some driving.

[John Kreese]

[quote name='Tru' timestamp='1373315100' post='7411226']
I wouldn't be moving there only for golf, I live in a winter golf mecca already. I'm looking more for the other things the city has to offer with some good golf mixed in. How long are the winters normally? Keep in mind I grew up in Alaska before moving to Arizona in my twenties, so our ideas of long may not be the same. Keep it coming guys.
[/quote]

The last few years I've been able to play through a lot of November, which is when it starts to get pretty miserable. "Spring" is a crapshoot. Two years ago we had a really dry winter and got started in March. This year was terrible - no reliable weather until May.

[Sean2]

My sister lives in Burr Ridge. Seems quite nice.

[tpariff]

I have family in Park Ridge and Des Plaines. Don't know what homes and apartments cost in those areas but they are a ~30 minute train ride on the NW line into downtown Chicago. They're also 10 minutes from O'Hare airport.

As for public golf I think the Chicago metro area has a wealth of courses if you don't mind driving 30 minutes or so. Here's a list of the ones I've played and would play again:

Cantigny (probably my favorite in the area)
Ruffled Feathers
Pine Meadow
Cog Hill (Dubsdread is relatively expensive but good. #2 is a good course also)
Bowes Creek
Schaumburg Golf Club (not a "bad" regular play course with decent rates)

My cousin has a home at Lake Geneva so we drive up there and play golf all weekend. It's not too far (65 miles) and there are several courses at Grand Geneva and Geneva National.

Bottom line is that there are many options both public and private.

As for the weather....well....it IS Chicago. Ha Ha.

All this said, if the wife, kids and I ever move from Tampa it will be to Chicago so we can be closer to family (mine in Chicago and hers in St. Louis).

Good luck!
Kevin

[smilin assassin]

Look in Lake County. Lots of nice suburbs to live in, good public golf and a ton of courses (private and public) to choose from. You can also jump on the Metra (train) and get into the city rather easily at anytime.

[Tru]

Seems like there are a lot of great areas I need to look into next time I head that way. Sounds like northwest seems the way to go? Thank you everyone for chiming in on this and helping to point me in the right direction. I can't wait for my next trip out there so I can start setting things in motion. Please keep throwing out ideas as I check back here as much as I can. Currently up north at work and internet connectivity is spotty at best. I appreciate all the help!

[T Shaf]

Chicagoland is overall a wonderful place to live. It has anything you could ask from a big city and you should never have to worry about something to do. Of course it's a wonderful sports city and you will want to be here when the Cubs finally win the World Series! Yes, it will happen. So for entertainment aspects, it's right up there with the best. It's also a beautiful city with the skyline and the lake. I could list many more reasons it is great - including the people (in general).

Now there are negatives - one is it's in Illinois, which is probably the worst run state in the Union. Taxes are high across the board (sales, income, property) and our politicians are as a whole idiots that cannot get a damn thing accomplished. The streets suck...don't get me started on potholes! Other than the city and lake, it's pretty much a concrete jungle with nothing special geographically. Traffic is terrible most of the time and we have the highest gas prices in the country. Basically nothing is cheap here.

The weather is, well, Chicago weather. Winter sucks - it's a given. Spring can be anywhere from terrible and nonexistent to the best weather ever. Summer will have periods of high heat and humidity and fall is typically the best time of the year here, especially late September through October...mild temps with low humidity.

As for places to live, based on your criteria Schaumburg might be the best place, relatively inexpensive and easily accessible to O'Hare as well as pretty much the whole of Chicagoland. Evanston is great but it will cost...there are many options that primarily depend on how much you are willing to spend.

Lastly I'm going to have to go ahead a disagree with John Kreese there. Chicagoland has a wealth of public access golf. It's largely considered a golf crazy city. Although not now, I could list off numerous courses that are a pleasure to play and are within 40 minute drive. Having lived in Austin, TX and Tampa I can say the availability of quality public golf is not lacking in the Chicago area...you will find many threads about them here on Golfwrx. Yes, golf isn't cheap but it can be had for less via Golfnow, course specials and Groupon deals.

[knockdstiff]

[quote name='T Shaf' timestamp='1374134581' post='7479742']
Lastly I'm going to have to go ahead a disagree with John Kreese there. Chicagoland has a wealth of public access golf. It's largely considered a golf crazy city. Although not now, I could list off numerous courses that are a pleasure to play and are within 40 minute drive. Having lived in Austin, TX and Tampa I can say the availability of quality public golf is not lacking in the Chicago area...you will find many threads about them here on Golfwrx. Yes, golf isn't cheap but it can be had for less via Golfnow, course specials and Groupon deals.
[/quote]

He said Chicago - not "Chicagoland". Starting at the city center and NO TRAFFIC, you can reasonably expect to reach the following golf courses in 40 minutes:

George Dunne (park district)
Indian Boundary (park district)
Sydney Marovitz (9 holes - park district)
Chick Evans (park district)
Robert A Black (park district)
Harborside

Of the park district courses shown, George Dunne is the only one with a rating higher than 72 (this is my proxy for enjoyable) and decently maintained turf. Chicagoland is not Chicago.

[putts4bogey]

Chicagoland and Chicago may be very different areas for locals yet synonymous to those who are not from the area or familiar with the broad boundaries of Chicagoland. The OP started by referencing Naperville, which isn't the city but the 'burbs to those who live in the City. If he intended to include the suburbs, there is great golf, both public and private, in the greater Chicago area.

As an example, the Western 'burbs includes Prarie Landing, Bowes Creek, Cantigny and many more. I probably had roughly 30 courses within 30 minutes of my home, although some were private. The train runs from Geneva to the city and the drive is manageable to O'Hare and alternative areas for golf.

Before buying a 2nd home in CA, I played there April thru October each year, getting in 70-80 rounds in a season. A few seasons lasted a few weeks longer, but once the temperatures drop and the leaves and snow fall, it is pretty much over until the next spring. When spring arrives, the foliage comes out and gets thick, adding an aesthetic quality as well as an additional challenge to some of the more tree-lined courses. While the layout can be quite different than desert or Western US golf, Midwest golf has a great quality of its own.

Chicago is an active city, with great restaurants and nightlife. Many of the suburbs are self-sustaining, and have their own active scene as well, without the need of having to go downtown to have fun. The city has a great deal more to offer. People are friendly and the golf is good, and while I loved it there, it was the binary nature (short season April-October/off season) that caused me to seek an alternative, 2nd home in a more year long golf friendly climate.

Good luck to the OP. I hope you find an area and course that suits you. Enjoy!

[T Shaf]

[quote name='knockdstiff' timestamp='1374189825' post='7486364']
[quote name='T Shaf' timestamp='1374134581' post='7479742']
Lastly I'm going to have to go ahead a disagree with John Kreese there. Chicagoland has a wealth of public access golf. It's largely considered a golf crazy city. Although not now, I could list off numerous courses that are a pleasure to play and are within 40 minute drive. Having lived in Austin, TX and Tampa I can say the availability of quality public golf is not lacking in the Chicago area...you will find many threads about them here on Golfwrx. Yes, golf isn't cheap but it can be had for less via Golfnow, course specials and Groupon deals.
[/quote]

He said Chicago - not "Chicagoland". Starting at the city center and NO TRAFFIC, you can reasonably expect to reach the following golf courses in 40 minutes:

George Dunne (park district)
Indian Boundary (park district)
Sydney Marovitz (9 holes - park district)
Chick Evans (park district)
Robert A Black (park district)
Harborside

Of the park district courses shown, George Dunne is the only one with a rating higher than 72 (this is my proxy for enjoyable) and decently maintained turf. Chicagoland is not Chicago.
[/quote]

Totally understand that but a serious golfer living in Chicago proper will not limit themselves to those courses. I've played regularly with city golfers at courses like Thunderhawk and even Blackstone. The OP never said he was limiting his residence choice to the city.

[knockdstiff]

[quote name='T Shaf' timestamp='1374196841' post='7487096']
[quote name='knockdstiff' timestamp='1374189825' post='7486364']
[quote name='T Shaf' timestamp='1374134581' post='7479742']
Lastly I'm going to have to go ahead a disagree with John Kreese there. Chicagoland has a wealth of public access golf. It's largely considered a golf crazy city. Although not now, I could list off numerous courses that are a pleasure to play and are within 40 minute drive. Having lived in Austin, TX and Tampa I can say the availability of quality public golf is not lacking in the Chicago area...you will find many threads about them here on Golfwrx. Yes, golf isn't cheap but it can be had for less via Golfnow, course specials and Groupon deals.
[/quote]

He said Chicago - not "Chicagoland". Starting at the city center and NO TRAFFIC, you can reasonably expect to reach the following golf courses in 40 minutes:

George Dunne (park district)
Indian Boundary (park district)
Sydney Marovitz (9 holes - park district)
Chick Evans (park district)
Robert A Black (park district)
Harborside

Of the park district courses shown, George Dunne is the only one with a rating higher than 72 (this is my proxy for enjoyable) and decently maintained turf. Chicagoland is not Chicago.
[/quote]

Totally understand that but a serious golfer living in Chicago proper will not limit themselves to those course. I've played regularly with city golfers at courses like Thunderhawk and even Blackstone. The OP never said he was limiting his residence choice to the city.
[/quote]

No, he would not. I was referencing Kreese's post who seemed to be talking specifically about options around the city and saying yeah, if you live in the city (as I do) and you want good options....prepare to drive.

Also, the OP mentioned places to have 'a good night out', which in my extremely not humble opinion does sort of limit you to the city proper, unless your idea of a good night out is Applebee's or Hooters, or a drunken Metra ride home (and a walk from there - if your line is still running) or a $60 cab ride. I frequently pass through various suburbs and get disoriented as I encounter clusters of similar franchises everywhere I go, but I digress....not trying to turn this into a thread about Michelin-starred restaurants and rooftop nightclubs.

[T Shaf]

[size=4][quote name='knockdstiff' timestamp='1374199467' post='7487382'][/size]
[size=4]No, he would not. I was referencing Kreese's post who seemed to be talking specifically about options around the city and saying yeah, if you live in the city (as I do) and you want good options....prepare to drive.[/size]

Also, the OP mentioned places to have 'a good night out', which in my extremely not humble opinion does sort of limit you to the city proper, unless your idea of a good night out is Applebee's or Hooters, or a drunken Metra ride home (and a walk from there - if your line is still running) or a $60 cab ride. I frequently pass through various suburbs and get disoriented as I encounter clusters of similar franchises everywhere I go, but I digress....not trying to turn this into a thread about Michelin-starred restaurants and rooftop nightclubs.
[/quote]

We are in agreement there, the Burbs suck...although maybe not quite as bleak as Applebee's and Hooters....

[John Kreese]

The OP stated that he wanted to take advantage of all the city stuff, and I can't blame him. Chicago is an amazing place to live - great neighborhoods, restaurants, people etc. Nevertheless, if you want to live in or close to downtown, it's a terrible golf situation.

If you want to live in Naperville or another one of the suburbs there's likely going to be a wealth of solid public (and private) golf options, but that lifestyle cannot be compare to living in the city. FWIW I lived downtown and golfed almost every weekend for 12+ years.

[KaBoom21]

I live near O'Hare (Cumberland Blue Line stop) and traffic on the Kennedy, particularly outbound, is just getting worse. The Eisenhower always seems to be slow. So yeah,I think the OP needs to determine city vs. suburbs. Maybe do a year in the city and see how you like it - and how much golf you are able to play.

[DJAbide]

You can find apartments in Nville for around 1k, there pretty divey, but not nearly as divey as anything in Cook County. The surrounding 50 miles is chalk full of top rate golf for 6 months out of the year. Some rounds as low as $20 w/ a cart. The southwest burbs is a great area overall. If your a retiree look at Carillon off Weber and 55. 27 holes with flawlessly huge and immaculate tee boxes.

Ruffled Feathers
Mistwood
Whitetail Ridge
Sanctuary
Bolingbrook

All within 30 minutes. All GREAT tracks.

[DJAbide]

The Metra could bring you into the city for Food/Drink/Entertainment.

[DJAbide]

The first 18 hole course in the country is in tape area. The original site is still operational as the Downers Grove public course. Same train line as Nville. St. Charles area is really nice and has a golf course what seems like every mile or two.

[DJAbide]

I'd wager that there's over 30 public tracks in this image. Which from center shouldn't be more than a 30 minute ride each way.[attachment=1906333:image.jpg]

[jpalermo]

Libertyville. Lot of nice courses in the area and only a train ride from city center.

[fore_life]

Chicago golf > Arizona golf.

My wife is from Algonquin and we visit once a year or so, I love it out in the burbs. Anything is better than the desert, I really enjoyed the green scenery. I did not like the traffic nor the summer humidity(and Mosquitos), and have never been during a bad winter. Everything else is awesome though and if it didnt have such a profound winter(arizona native) then we'd probably consider moving out there.

[Tru]

Wow I've been gone from this for a while. Apologies for not getting back into my own thread sooner. I appreciate everyone's input and I've been shown many different and equally great outlooks on the area. I'm still considering a move out that way but bigger things than golf have recently made me think about being a little closer to famiy and work (my parents aren't getting any younger). So right now it's a toss up betwen Chicago and the Seattle area, and WA seems to be winning. Still planning a trip back to see a little more in Chicago though, my mind hasn't been made up quite yet. Thanks everyone.

[ramseyjs]

Chicago is terrible. It has snowed more than half the winter, been below zero more times than I can count and travel times on the metra to the city have been off the charts. Yes, the golf here is fantastic but it is inconvenient and expensive. Joining a private club that is worth it is astronomical. Golf season is extremely short unless you don't mind playing in terrible weather. In short, stay away from this god forsaken place as long as you can. If you have a choice only visit this pit in June and September

[Stumpy]

Snowing again, another 4-8inches today with some freezing rain, why dont i live in Cali

[hogans71]

[quote name='ramseyjs' timestamp='1391693719' post='8608677']
Chicago is terrible. It has snowed more than half the winter, been below zero more times than I can count and travel times on the metra to the city have been off the charts. Yes, the golf here is fantastic but it is inconvenient and expensive. Joining a private club that is worth it is astronomical. Golf season is extremely short unless you don't mind playing in terrible weather. In short, stay away from this god forsaken place as long as you can. If you have a choice only visit this pit in June and September
[/quote]

Wow...


While I'm not a fan of some things in and around this city, I'm gonna stop short of calling it a pit...

Golf season can lays upwards of 8 1/2 to nine months. If you live anywhere in the Midwest, that's pretty damn good. With all things being relative, I disagree that joining private clubs is astronomical. You obviously have to travel outside of Chicago proper, but that's the trade off of living in the third largest city in the country.

I don't disagree with the weather. But this isn't anything new. And it is well worth it as the summer/fall months in the city are downright spectacular. Scenery abounds, bars, restaurants, outdoor concerts, the lakefront. You cannot beat it.

[apprenti23]

Chicago is one of the best places for golf! Within an hours drive there are hundreds of great options for you to play. I live in schaumburg and can go as far south as I-80 in 45 minutes and can get to Ohare in 20 minutes. There are so many awesome options for challenging golf, great practice, and winter practice as well. I'd recommend it to anyone!

[daveltb]

[quote name='ramseyjs' timestamp='1391693719' post='8608677']
Chicago is terrible. It has snowed more than half the winter, been below zero more times than I can count and travel times on the metra to the city have been off the charts. Yes, the golf here is fantastic but it is inconvenient and expensive. Joining a private club that is worth it is astronomical. Golf season is extremely short unless you don't mind playing in terrible weather. In short, stay away from this god forsaken place as long as you can. If you have a choice only visit this pit in June and September
[/quote]

+100%

As they say "it's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there".
signed - the rest of Illinois

[smilin assassin]

[quote name='daveltb' timestamp='1392683386' post='8689789']
[quote name='ramseyjs' timestamp='1391693719' post='8608677']
Chicago is terrible. It has snowed more than half the winter, been below zero more times than I can count and travel times on the metra to the city have been off the charts. Yes, the golf here is fantastic but it is inconvenient and expensive. Joining a private club that is worth it is astronomical. Golf season is extremely short unless you don't mind playing in terrible weather. In short, stay away from this god forsaken place as long as you can. If you have a choice only visit this pit in June and September
[/quote]

+100%

As they say "it's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there".
signed - the rest of Illinois
[/quote]


This comment comes from a town where the Comptroller stole 53MM big ones!