Chicago Golf Club

[Jeff Schley]

Joel surely a great day.  This time of year you didn't need the newly installed A/C in the locker room.

[Tom_Doak]

Fun to see this old thread.


I played Chicago Golf Club last week and by the looks of Facebook and Instagram a few others did as well.


The main thing that has changed is that Scott Bordner the superintendent who is widely praised here has left and taken the head job at Merion.  From what I am told, this happened around or after the 2018 US Senior Womens Open.


The assistant superintendent Craig Smith was promoted is all of 28 years old.  I don't know if Craig is superman or a wonderkid but the condition was incredibly good. The member who I played with is in the golf industry and widely travels said that Craig has taken the course to a new level.  The course and greens are fast.  I'm told they are verticutting the surrounds and runup areas which are tremendous.

Scott Bordner was the first assistant for Matt Shaffer at Merion before going to Chicago Golf a decade ago, and he deserves much credit for transforming the place, and for training a great young superintendent to take over for him.  He also trained Brian Moore who helped us build The Loop before going back to the city to Glen View.  And the assistant behind him at Merion was Brian Palmer, who transformed Shoreacres before going to Tara Iti.


All of those guys were stars at a very young age, and together that is a lot of talent falling off the same tree.


Even so, Craig Smith took a course in great shape and had to rebuild and regress it all in his first year at the helm, and somehow returned it in even better shape than what he inherited.  That’s pretty amazing, really.

[Joel_Stewart]

Joel surely a great day.  This time of year you didn't need the newly installed A/C in the locker room.

Hardly, it was overcast and a bit windy but 68 degrees. 


I didn't mention that CGC has transformed the interior part of the clubhouse to a museum.  Its stunning to walk through it without being overly stuffy.  The collection of trophies from championships is quite beautiful especially the recreation  of the Havemeyer trophy that was lost in a fire in 1925.  Also a wonderful painting of Seth Raynor hangs above the fireplace.

[Tom Bacsanyi]

Fun to see this old thread.


I played Chicago Golf Club last week and by the looks of Facebook and Instagram a few others did as well.


The main thing that has changed is that Scott Bordner the superintendent who is widely praised here has left and taken the head job at Merion.  From what I am told, this happened around or after the 2018 US Senior Womens Open.


The assistant superintendent Craig Smith was promoted is all of 28 years old.  I don't know if Craig is superman or a wonderkid but the condition was incredibly good. The member who I played with is in the golf industry and widely travels said that Craig has taken the course to a new level.  The course and greens are fast.  I'm told they are verticutting the surrounds and runup areas which are tremendous.

Scott Bordner was the first assistant for Matt Shaffer at Merion before going to Chicago Golf a decade ago, and he deserves much credit for transforming the place, and for training a great young superintendent to take over for him.  He also trained Brian Moore who helped us build The Loop before going back to the city to Glen View.  And the assistant behind him at Merion was Brian Palmer, who transformed Shoreacres before going to Tara Iti.


All of those guys were stars at a very young age, and together that is a lot of talent falling off the same tree.


Even so, Craig Smith took a course in great shape and had to rebuild and regress it all in his first year at the helm, and somehow returned it in even better shape than what he inherited.  That’s pretty amazing, really.

I've heard the same things. The "Chicago School" of greenkeeping is all about firm and fast, not just as lip service. Specifically the programs at CGC and Shoreacres and the guys that have come through there.

[Joel_Stewart]

I've heard the same things. The "Chicago School" of greenkeeping is all about firm and fast, not just as lip service. Specifically the programs at CGC and Shoreacres and the guys that have come through there.

The "Chicago School of Greenskeeping"  probably deserves its own thread.  The local meeting of Chicago GCSAA must be great,

[Kyle Harris]

I've heard the same things. The "Chicago School" of greenkeeping is all about firm and fast, not just as lip service. Specifically the programs at CGC and Shoreacres and the guys that have come through there.

The "Chicago School of Greenskeeping"  probably deserves its own thread.  The local meeting of Chicago GCSAA must be great,

Odd. When did Merion relocate to Chicago?

[Brad Engel]

I had the privilege of playing Shoreacres for the first time this past July on an overcast, damp, almost Scottish weather day and I was shocked (pleasantly) how firm and fast it played. Without a doubt the firmest non-oceanside course I've played in recent memory.

I've heard the same things. The "Chicago School" of greenkeeping is all about firm and fast, not just as lip service. Specifically the programs at CGC and Shoreacres and the guys that have come through there.

[Tom Bacsanyi]

I've heard the same things. The "Chicago School" of greenkeeping is all about firm and fast, not just as lip service. Specifically the programs at CGC and Shoreacres and the guys that have come through there.

The "Chicago School of Greenskeeping"  probably deserves its own thread.  The local meeting of Chicago GCSAA must be great,

Odd. When did Merion relocate to Chicago?

Ok ok ok, "The Chicago by way of Merion School". Bordner and Palmer were Merion guys under Shaffer (his Twitter handle is @IlikemyturfDRY), it's true. However I think you can push things further in Chicago's climate vs. PA, no?

[Jon Claydon]

I've heard the same things. The "Chicago School" of greenkeeping is all about firm and fast, not just as lip service. Specifically the programs at CGC and Shoreacres and the guys that have come through there.

The "Chicago School of Greenskeeping"  probably deserves its own thread.  The local meeting of Chicago GCSAA must be great,

Curtis James at Old Elm follows the same views.


another former Philly area super, Tim Kelly, is doing an awesome job making firm and fast conditions at Exmoor. 

[Ian Mackenzie]

"Curtis James at Old Elm follows the same views."





100%.
I played there recently.


Opening hole is a downhill "Par 5" at around 507 yards from "Member tees". Turf was fast, firm and tight.
It was a "driver wedge" for me... ...wind-assisted, admittedly...


Had 156 left to hole and dropped a wedge to about 130 and it released to about 30' from the hole.
3-putted for par as greens were about 13.5-14.


Tee to green, I find CGC, Shoreacres and Old Elm rather straightforward. But, on the putting surfaces is where the fun and challenges truly begin.

[J_ Crisham]

"Curtis James at Old Elm follows the same views."





100%.
I played there recently.


Opening hole is a downhill "Par 5" at around 507 yards from "Member tees". Turf was fast, firm and tight.
It was a "driver wedge" for me... ...wind-assisted, admittedly...


Had 156 left to hole and dropped a wedge to about 130 and it released to about 30' from the hole.
3-putted for par as greens were about 13.5-14.


Tee to green, I find CGC, Shoreacres and Old Elm rather straightforward. But, on the putting surfaces is where the fun and challenges truly begin.

Ian,   
  I played Old Elm yesterday and also 5 or 6 weeks ago . Saturday's rain really didn't affect the firmness of the greens or the fairways. The work that Curtis has done is extraordinary. Admittedly OE is a course that sees a very limited amount of play. That surely helps from a conditioning standpoint.  The evolution of OE from a tree chocked course to what we see today is so much better.  The green complexes really expose your short game weaknesses

[Ian Mackenzie]

"Curtis James at Old Elm follows the same views."





100%.
I played there recently.


Opening hole is a downhill "Par 5" at around 507 yards from "Member tees". Turf was fast, firm and tight.
It was a "driver wedge" for me... ...wind-assisted, admittedly...


Had 156 left to hole and dropped a wedge to about 130 and it released to about 30' from the hole.
3-putted for par as greens were about 13.5-14.


Tee to green, I find CGC, Shoreacres and Old Elm rather straightforward. But, on the putting surfaces is where the fun and challenges truly begin.

Ian,   
  I played Old Elm yesterday and also 5 or 6 weeks ago . Saturday's rain really didn't affect the firmness of the greens or the fairways. The work that Curtis has done is extraordinary. Admittedly OE is a course that sees a very limited amount of play. That surely helps from a conditioning standpoint.  The evolution of OE from a tree chocked course to what we see today is so much better.  The green complexes really expose your short game weaknesses

DELETED