[JohnV]

The USGA has announced the sites of the 2011 and 2012 Mid-Amateur Championships: Shadow Hawk in Houston and Conway Farms in Chicago.

http://www.usga.org/news/2008/october/MidAmSites.html

I don't know anything about these courses or the second courses (Houstonian and Knollwood) other than Knollwood hosted a previous US Mid-Amateur, which was before my time on the Committee.

[J_ Crisham]

John,  I am familiar with Conway Farms. It is a newer private club in Lake Forest that is a fairly wide open course. Trees come into play on very few holes. Well bunkered with very nice greens. Can be stretched out if needed. Some nice shorter par 4's that can be great match play holes. This is in the Western Am rota now. I forget which year it is holding it. Knollwood is 5 minutes away. Very nice old club. Bunkers are being redone this year. Nice addition to the Chicago golf schedule.      Jack

[Deucie Bies]

I believe Conway Farms has the Western Open next year.  I found it to be pretty difficult although I did not hit the ball very well there.  I would have to play it again, but I have a feeling there are some better courses in that area.

[Jeff Goldman]

Conway has the Western Am next year.  They have connections with the honchos in the Western Golf Association, so it was a natural.

[Matt_Cohn]

ZOMG, Knollwood and Conway Farms? I want...

[K. Krahenbuhl]

I think the Chicago option is certainly the better of the two - at least architecturally speaking.

[Jason McNamara]

Shadow Hawk had the Women's Mid-Am in '05, so if any of your USGA contacts were there...

[PCCraig]

Conway??? EEK.

I can't think of one hole that I like there. Granted it is an "upscale" newer club, but is essentially a housing project.

Knollwood is good...but could they not do better in the Chicago area?

[J_ Crisham]

Pat, Conway certainly isn't the best in Chicago but it's not that bad.  The stretch of 4, 5,6,7 is pretty good. I thought the housing was only visible on a handful of holes and it isn't as though they come into play. I would agree that I would have chosen 6 or 8 other courses like North Shore, Skokie, Beverly, Olympia N or S, Medinah, etc. But not every club wants an event.
                                       Jack

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I find it hard to believe Shadow Hawk is a top choice much less a choice from an architectural point of view. I think Houston and Texas is a great golf state and should host USGA events. the same can be said of Chicago but I am not familiar with Conway Farms

[Mark Arata]

I have played the Houstonian a bunch of times, it is nice but nothing that special. From what I saw of the the bordering holes of Shadow Hawk, they looked about the same, the difference being that the left entrance to the Shadow Hawk side was significanly more expensive than the right entrance to the Houstonian property.....

Going by what I saw at the Houstonian, I would guess that there is enough water in play and enough wind that blows through there to make it interesting for the mid am, but it isnt going to make anybody want to take something bigger there in the future, IMHO. Very nice practice facilities and clubhouse though.

 

[Jason McNamara]

Mark, based on double-digit rounds (and more) at each I think it's fair to say that Shadow Hawk is not much like the Houstonian.  The latter has far more water, and as you correctly note is very exposed to wind.  While SH has an exposed area (three holes off to the L of Houstonian #1), the holes away from the Houstonian are more protected.  SH has smaller greens, and they tend to be slightly elevated.

As for Houston in general,  maybe Carlton Woods is stronger as a 36-hole combo.  They're just a couple years younger than Shadow Hawk/Houstonian, and had the USGA State Team event only last year, so like Shadow Hawk they may well be up for a promotion in a couple more years.  We'll see.

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