Hey guys. Ran was kind enough to allow me to join and I appreciate it. I have been shade tree golf course afficianado for years. Like most PGA professionals I think I know alittle more about golf than most, when in fact most of the members on this site have forgotten more than I'll ever know about golf course archtecture.
I was for fortunate enough to receive a tour of Lookout Mountain from Doug Stein back in 1994 while I was a guest of his at The Honors Course. At the time I had no clue who Seath Raynor was. Since then I've been fortunate enough to play Shoreacres here in Chicago. If you've never been on the property, do yourself a favor and try to get out there. If nothing else just the drive into the property is worth the price of admission.
Lastly, I have been lucky enough to have a few clients that are charter members of a new club here in town called Chicago Highlands. It's an Art Hill design that in my opinion is one of his best. I realize Art is not very popular among the architecture elite but he did a fine job at CH. It's not a traditional American "links style" course. I hate that designation anyway because I'm not sure what that is. If there were a gun to my head I would describe it as midwestern prarie inks meets Pete Dye's French Lick. It's not difficult if you play the appropriate tees for your skill level. But from 7,400 it's pretty stout.
I saw a thread a while back with some pics and thought I'd post some recent one's that I've taken the past month or so. A couple of the videos are of my students. The perspective from the DTL view is pretty cool with a big dark storm in the distance.
http://s258.photobucket.com/albums/hh262/RAM40UT/Chicago%20Highlands%20August%202010/