Category Archives: GOLF COURSE REVIEW
The Highlands of Elgin
875 Sports Way
Elgin, IL 60123
(847) 931-5950
Website
Every year my summer softball team has a golf outing when the season is over, and clearly I am the one that coordinates it. I chose The Highlands of Elgin, and needless to say all 12 of my teammates will be coming back to play this course whenever they can. Designed by Keith R. Foster this course is one fantastic golf course. The course went through a major renovation and just re-opened a couple years ago. According to their website they have recently received the following accolades.
#12 “Best New Courses in America” – GolfWeek Magazine 2012
#2 in Illinois “Best Courses You Can Play”- GolfWeek Magazine 2012
#1 “Municipal Course in Illinois & #7 in America” -GolfWeek Magazine 2012
I couldn’t agree more with these acknowledgments. The Highlands was esthetically one of the most beautiful public courses I have ever played in Illinois. Rolling fairways, elevation changes, excellent conditioning, and amazing views around the course…. you really can’t ask for more. One of my favorite features were the holes that hugged the quarry on the front 9. The bluffs are not the kind you’d see at Pebble Beach, but it’s a feature you don’t see too often in Illinois. Particularly the par 3 4th and 7th holes, with the 7th being an absolute beast of a hole at 254 yards.
The course plays from 7,000 yards and has a rating/slope of 73.8/136 from 7he men’s tees, and 5,625 yards and a rating/slope of 72.1/125 from the women’s tees. The course is basically wide open links style with hazards everywhere. Waters comes into play on almost half of the holes, fescue everywhere, and plenty of well positioned bunkers. The course offers a grass driving range, practice chipping area, and putting green, and great GPS golf carts.
So, if there is one course that I recommend playing this year it is the Highlands. For $65 for non-residents or $58 for Elgin residents this is the best bang for your buck you will find when you look at public courses of this caliber. There is just no better top-tier course you can play for this price point. When you choose to play your next round here I hope you enjoy the Highlands of Elgin as much as I did…..I will be back soon.
Tee it Up!!
Ruffled Feathers Golf Club
1 Pete Dye Drive
Lemont, IL 60439
(630) 257-1000
Website
Designed by legendary architects Pete and P.B. Dye, Ruffled Feathers is a must play. I was unaware of this, but according to their website this is the only course in the Chicagoland area that is designed by both Dye’s. Most people assume when you are headed to Lemont to play golf, you are going to Cog Hill, but that needs to change. Nothing against Cog, but golfers must add Ruffled to their Lemont portfolio. The day I played the course was in impeccable condition. Ruffled sits on a beautiful lush piece of land, with rolling fairways, plenty of trees, and water that sculpts this course into the perfect golf experience. One of my favorite holes was #11, which reminded me of the par 3, 17th island green at TPC Sawgrass. It is always fun to play holes that remind you of ones you see on TV watching the pros. This par 72 course plays from over 6,898 yards and a rating/slope of 73.7/140 from the men’s tees, and 5,273 yards with a rating/slope of 75.6/140 from the women’s tees. The course rates may be a little steep for many, but you will get a country club feel when you play here. The pace of play was fantastic, the greens were fast and true, and the staff was great. Ruffled also has a grass driving range and putting area. Ruffled Feathers is a true test to all levels of golfers, with a fantastic variety of holes. So next time you decide the play in Lemont, consider playing Ruffled Feathers, you will not regret the decision.
Ryder Cup Practice Round
I had every intension of going to the 2012 Ryder Cup tournament over the weekend, but unfortunately was unable to make it. I wasn’t going to miss the action so I decided to attend one of the practice rounds, and I’m glad i did. It was an opportunity for me to get a great view of the course and an up close view of the golfers in a more laid back relaxed atmosphere. Even though it was a practice round the fans were still electric and plentiful. It looked amazing through the TV over the weekend, but I can only imagine what the atmosphere was like in person.
I decided to get there early because I wanted to walk around before the golfers took to the course. I know several people who have played the No. 3 course at Medinah, and have heard great things. This course really lived up to the accolades. It is apparent why Medinah No. 3 is ranked #2 in Illinois, and #23 in America according to Golf Digest. With all the heat we had this summer the grounds crew really had their work cut out for them, and they did a unbelievable job making the course look the way it did. The course was in absolute pristine condition. I took some great photos of the course and shared a few of my favorites below. Enjoy!
Golf Ethics
Here is a golf ethics question for you.
What if you were playing in the club championship tournament finals and the match was halved at the end of 17 holes. You had the honor and hit your ball a modest two hundred fifty yards to the middle of the fairway, leaving a simple six iron to the pin. Your opponent then hits his ball, lofting it deep into the woods to the right of the fairway.
Being the golfing gentleman that you are, you help your opponent look for his ball. Just before the permitted five-minute search period ends, your opponent says: “Go ahead and hit your second shot and if I don’t find it in time, I’ll concede the match.”
You hit your ball, landing it on the green, stopping about ten feet from the pin. About the time your ball comes to rest, you hear your opponent exclaim from deep in the woods: “I found it!”. The second sound you hear is a click, the sound of a club striking a ball and the ball comes sailing out of the woods and lands on the green, stopping no more than six inches from the hole.
Now here is the ethical dilemma:
Do you pull the cheating bastard’s ball out of your pocket and confront him with it or do you keep your mouth shut?
Wild Rock Golf Club
856 Canyon Road
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
(608) 253-4653
Website
Wow…..that is all I have to say………….ok I guess I will say more.
Wild Rock, located in Wisconsin Dells, WI is hands down one of the most beautiful, challenging, fun and memorable courses I have ever played. If I considered this a Chicagoland course, it may be my #1 ranked course. Since it doesn’t fit that bucket, consider this just a special golf course review….I just couldn’t resist taking pictures of this picturesque golf course.
My roommate (my wife) and I decided to get away for the weekend, and head up north to the Dells to a fantastic spa, so while she did the spa thing, I decided to golf. I’ve known about Wild Rock for a while now, and was very excited to tee it up. It was voted America’s best new course in 2010, and it definitely lives up to the accolade. I had the pleasure to play as a single, as the course was rather empty that day. This is more of a summer tourist town, so don’t be discouraged by my ‘rather empty’ comment. I played on a 50 degree April morning, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.
Wild Rock can best be described as a breathtaking golf experience. Designed by Dr. Mike Hurdzan, Wild Rock plays from 7,414yds from the men’s tips and a rating/slope of 76.5/141, and 5,132yds, 69.6/124 from the women’s tee’s. Clearly it is a challenging golf course. The course is carved perfectly into a landscape of sandstone ridges, woodlands, and rocks from a former quarry. This area of Wisconsin is also known for its higher elevation, and that enhances the terrain throughout this course especially with several elevated tee boxes. The dramatic elevation changes truly are the mark of this course in my eyes, and provide just unbelievable views from each tee box. Hole after hole my mouth would just drop from the beauty of this course. The course was also in great condition for early season golf, and I bet is just perfect in the summer time. The greens were fast, and undulated, making lag putts much more difficult. This course really covered every aspect golfers look for in a round of golf. I can go on and on about the different characteristics I liked most, but I think the pictures speak more than words do. Basically if you are a golf enthusiast, this is a 100% must play, you will not regret it.
The course offers a grass driving range, practice putting green and there is also a 9-hole course ‘The Woods Family Course’.
CHICAGO GOLF CENTRAL 