Chicago Aerial: Ravisloe CC (with more course photos)

[Dan Moore]

Aerials are back so here's one from Chicago.  This should be pretty easy. 

1930's


Today

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Let me take a wild guess....Ravisloe.

[Dan Moore]

Like I said, rather easy.

Darwin, viewing the course from the train tacks on the right side of the aerial, had this say in 1913  "a course having, it must be admitted, rather a depressing apprearence from the train window." 

Darwin's opinion was not shared by Vardon and Ray who had nothing but praise for Ravisloe after their match against locals Warren K. Wood and Chick Evans less than a month later.  Vardon and Ray won 3 & 2 over 36 holes. 

[Dan Moore]

I just added a google image and will post the original 9 hole Foulis routing with some current photos tommorow. 

[Dan Moore]

A correction.  The original routing which opened for play in 1902 was 18 holes.  Six holes opened on a preliminary basis in 1901.  I seem to recall the original was a Foulis or Bendelow layout but can't put my hands on that info at the moment.  I will need to check my files on that and will post the original routing tonight, but suffice to note that the front nine and some of the back nine today corresponds to that original routing.   

Additional land was purchased to the northwest of the original property and the course (mostly the back nine) was expanded in 1910-1911 by Willie Watson with the assistance of former Myopia greenskeeper Robert White and Green Chairman Alec Bauer.  White and Bauer continued to make improvements in subsequent years.

Donald Ross visited and revised the 18th green and built a new 15th hole in 1918 and may have done other work as well.  Tillie visited in the 1930's as part of his PGA consulting tour and made recommendations for changes.  Cornish and Whitten also list revisions by Langford and Moreau and Killian and Nugent. 

Dave Esler recently redid all of the bunkers and did a spectacular job as can be seen in the following photos.  This is a truly historic course with an interesting architectural genealogy.  The Clubhouse is quite historic too.  IMHO it would be by far the best public course in the Southern suburban area if someone has the insight and ability to see it through the tough economic times we face at the moment.   

Some photos from 2007.

1st


2nd


5th


6th


12th (Great Centerline Bunker)


13th



15th


18th


18th

[PThomas]

thanks for posting Dan ..too bad that guy in the orange shirt spoiled a few shots (but i do like those shoes he wore....Bob Huntley loved them too when he saw then, I understand)

so sad about Ravisloe...was a lot of charm in David E's restoration...and now it might be lost forever

my favorite spot on the course was in the top left of your overhead picture...it was where the 13th green and 14th tee were, a nice quiet spot in the shade...

Chicago public golf could REALLY use a course like Ravisleo..the more i think about it the more i dont think there are many great/reallygood publics around...Dubsdread maybe, maybe Cantigny, and few if any others

I hope Ravisloe survives somehow

[BCrosby]

Bauer talked about Ravisloe at length and with great pride in his book Hazards.

For that reason alone I hope it survives.

Bob

[PCCraig]

What town is it in and who would take it public?

Why didn't the members, in their last months of still having a course, take it semi-private in the hopes of new cash flow coming in? That doesn't make much sense.

Anyone know if the course is just growing over now?

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Anyone know if the course is just growing over now?

I doubt much of anything is growing right now.

[Tyler Kearns]

What town is it in and who would take it public?

Chicago.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

What town is it in and who would take it public?

Chicago.

Homewood I think.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

It's in Homewood, not Chicago.

A zoning change would be required to develop the property for residential or commercial. The Town does not have the money to buy the course and operate it as  public or even to keep it green space for recreation. The club does not want to continue operations as a semi-public. The location is no longer viable as a private. Interesting case study.

Here's an article about Esler's recent work:

www.golfchicago.com/chicago/story.asp?id=1080

[PCCraig]

I don't think the club or the Bank has any choice but to keep it open as Semi-Private / Public until someone decides to buy it. Would it not make sense for the Bank to hire a company like KemperSports to manage it and keep it open as so?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

From what I've read the club has been kept afloat by the remaining 45 equity members. If sold, they can get about 100K each. I don't think the Bank is involved yet. If they are, and if the property is not sold by next spring, perhaps Kemper or Casper Golf could operate the course as public until a buyer is found.

[PCCraig]

Is that not what we are hoping for vs. someone else buying it to keep it private?

Assuming it does go public...how much would you set the greensfee for? $50-$100?

[Dan Moore]

Steve thanks for posting the article on Esler's work at Ravisloe.  Here is a quote I think is important.

“We wanted to make it appear as if it were built with a horse and wagon, Esler said. "We were trying to build in some of the oddities and eccentricities you don't see very often in modern golf course construction."

Please let me know if anyone thinks there is a better public course south of the loop and east of 294 in the Chicago area.

History, a great clubhouse, a fun members length course with superb bunkering and great greens.  This course has great historic significance. 

Losing  this course  to a real estate development would be like losing a Louis Sullivan or Frank Lloyd Wright building.  Let's hope it doesn't happen. 

Paul,  who made their short birdie putt on 13? 

[PThomas]

Steve thanks for posting the article on Esler's work at Ravisloe.  Here is a quote I think is important.

“We wanted to make it appear as if it were built with a horse and wagon, Esler said. "We were trying to build in some of the oddities and eccentricities you don't see very often in modern golf course construction."

Please let me know if anyone thinks there is a better public course south of the loop and east of 294 in the Chicago area.

History, a great clubhouse, a fun members length course with superb bunkering and great greens.  This course has great historic significance. 

Losing  this course  to a real estate development would be like losing a Louis Sullivan or Frank Lloyd Wright building.  Let's hope it doesn't happen. 

Paul,  who made their short birdie putt on 13? 

Dan, I hope tou dont mind me saying that i hope it was me who made that putt but i honestly dont recall!

your above post has a lot of great points.  Chicago public golf is frankly lacking, esp in terms of "non-traditional parkland courses"...Ravilsoe definitely had some quirks thanks to Ross and Esler, and the greens were VERY challenging

i just wonder, sadly, if Ravisloe has had its last round played on it

[Mike_Cirba]

boy...it sure looks terrific to me.

I love the "horse and wagon" look of the man made features.

[Dan Moore]

Mike,  it is in fact a very flat site, like too many in these parts, and that's probably what Drwin noticed from the train on his way to Flossmoor that day in 1913.  Regardless the man made hazards do greatly enhance the golf and Bauer would approve. 

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike,  it is in fact a very flat site, like too many in these parts, and that's probably what Drwin noticed from the train on his way to Flossmoor that day in 1913.  Regardless the man made hazards do greatly enhance the golf and Bauer would approve. 

Dan,

There was absolutely not a grain of sarcasm in my post...it was totally sincere.  Sorry if it came across any differently.

I think the course looks terrific, I do think Esler's bunker and feature work is just the right touch, and I sincerely hope that someone is able to pull this very worthy iron from the fire.

[Dan Moore]

I have finally found time to compile some more photos and info on ravisloe.  The original routing from the 1902 Green Book is posted below.  Brad Klein in discovering Donald Ross states James and Robert Foulis laid-out the original 18 hole course.  Others were involved in future changes as set foreth earlier.  I have also posted a google earth image with hole numbers showing the original area of the course highlighted by the black line.  Finally I have added a few more photos of the course showing more of Esler's bunker work and an old photo of the clubhouse. Unfortunately I do not have a good shot of the 7th a neat 200+yd redan over water.  As a set the par 3's at ravisloe are superb.   

1902 routing


Google


Early Photo of the Clubhouse


4th


9th


14th


Devil's A'Hole on 15


16th

[Philippe Binette]

Really nice bunkering for this specific style... not too clean, the slope have enough irregular element to make it look good

[J_ Crisham]

Dan,     Very nice pictures. It might be a nice place for a Chicago GCA get together next summer. They could certainly use the cash flow. I hope it will be maintained reasonably next season-budget may be a shoestring one though.              Jack

[Mark Smolens]

Met a lawyer yesterday who was one of the remaining 40 members at Rav.  He said there is a contract for a purchase by some rich dentist.  Apparently the course will be maintained as a golf course, at least for several years, due to some kind of tax considerations.  I didn't ask how much, but the reported asking price did not seem that high.

Looks as if Jack's suggestion for an outing there next summer could prove to have some possibilities, perhaps even as part of the competition with the boys from Philadelphia?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

That dentist must have done a lot of root canals or implants.