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Jason Walker

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Evanston Golf Club
« on: January 19, 2011, 06:12:09 PM »
Since Chicago golf has been the hot topic the last week or so I figured now was my chance to gather some information on this Donald Ross course that was redone several years back.  I've tried the search feature and didn't find much.  Is there information out there regarding the state of course post-renovation, i.e. has it held up since, faithfulness to the original, etc.?  Thanks
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PCCraig

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2011, 06:19:02 PM »
Jason,

I don't know how faithfull it is to what was there pre-Nicklaus, but the present course is very nice and a big improvement. Up until a few years ago it was overgrown with trees and was a prime candidate for a renovation. It's a nice course now and a fun place to play.
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H.P.S.

Jason Walker

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2011, 10:22:23 PM »
Thanks Pat.

I've heard similar.  I'm really not familiar with the course at all but I'll be playing it several times in the springtime.  After doing some research I was curious to how things were today.  There's a nice picture tour in the archives here during renovation but really nothing since.

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Terry Lavin

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2011, 11:28:41 AM »
I've played it many times.  It was renovated about four years ago by Prichard, if I'm not mistaken, and it is a much improved community country club track now.  One of the principal problems with Evanston over the years has been that the first four holes really provide most of the challenge to a skilled player.  The course, like many others in Chicagoland, is on a dead-flat piece of land.  In Evanston's case, the land had a layer of clay down at least five or six feet that led to enormous drainage problems that were historically solved with omnipresent french drains and sewers.  The new layout is much more interesting, with great diagonal bunker placement and re-cut fairway lines that provide angles that had been lost over the years.  It's not a top ten kind of course, but it's a great social (awesome membership) community golf club with a golf course that is plenty tough, if somewhat visually bland from time to time.
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Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

Paul OConnor

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2011, 11:35:53 AM »
The most interesting recent development at Evanston Golf Club is the on course death of one of the members.  He was found under his own golf cart with head injuries.  He was playing alone, late one evening last fall. 

He was a lawyer.   The cause of his death has not been determined.   ??
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Terry Lavin

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2011, 12:54:24 PM »
His name was Larry Schad and he was a great guy.  He was a compulsive golfer and one of the nicest guys one could meet.  He had a great family and was a real adventurous sort of guy.  His death is a complete mystery and makes absolutely no sense whatever.  The police seem to have ruled out foul play, but that only seems to have deepened the mystery.
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Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

Mark Smolens

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2011, 01:06:20 PM »
Great club, fun group of members and a great pro (Eric Barnes is a throwback to the days when the head golf professional knew and interacted with the members and their guests -- they let Barney get away a few years back to Glen Flora when ltheir ong-time pro Hal Miller retired, but he's back where he belongs).

Prichard clearly has had places with better sites for renovation. The flat piece of property clearly limited him, but Evanston's a fun place to play and very easy to get to from downtown. If you can get past the first three holes one over, you have a chance for a decent round, but the closing holes (including the well over 200 yard par-3 17th) can bite you as well.

I'd only met Larry Schad a few times when there as a guest of others, but the whole circumstances of his death just seem so odd. He's playing by himself in a cart, but his bag's on the passenger side. And he somehow ends up under the cart on a piece of land that is dead flat.
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Mark Smolens

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2011, 01:16:04 PM »
Perhaps true, but you're/we're pretty much everywhere aren't we???
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Terry Lavin

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2011, 01:21:40 PM »
Quote from: Shivas on January 21, 2011, 01:11:50 PM
Just for the record, I know a douchebag or two there too.  I'm feeling the need to balance this Evanston Member-Love-In, for the same reason I felt compelled to balance my thoughts on the course with some Evanston Member-Love in the first place...

Don't get me started on the relaxed standards at certain other North Shore clubs!

In truth, like all good clubs, there's probably a 10-15% jackass factor, dontcha think?
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Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

Jud_T

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2011, 01:25:03 PM »
I'd say it's higher at certain clubs.....
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Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Paul Richards

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2011, 03:31:07 PM »
Ron Prichard did a masterful job bringing back Donald Ross here.  Keep in mind the land at the 'EGG' is as flat as a Wal-Mart parking lot, which goes a long way to displaying the genius of both Ross and Prichard to make this an interesting golf course.
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"Something has to change, otherwise the never-ending arms race that benefits only a few manufacturers will continue to lead to longer courses, narrower fairways, smaller greens, more rough, more expensive rounds, and other mechanisms that will leave golf's future in doubt." -  TFOG

Tim Nugent

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2011, 03:59:06 PM »
Was EGC the club that recently redid their Clubhouse?
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Coasting is a downhill process

Jud_T

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2011, 04:06:06 PM »
Has anybody seen a Prichard restoration where the bunkers weren't really well done?
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Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Paul Richards

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2011, 04:08:22 PM »
Shivas,

>What hole do you guys think was improved the most by the restoration?


I have to agree with you that #8 is the most improved.  It went from a read dud to a very good hole through this restoration.
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"Something has to change, otherwise the never-ending arms race that benefits only a few manufacturers will continue to lead to longer courses, narrower fairways, smaller greens, more rough, more expensive rounds, and other mechanisms that will leave golf's future in doubt." -  TFOG

Terry Lavin

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2011, 06:29:37 PM »
I thought Prichard got carried away on a couple holes, mainly the #11 hole and a short par-4 on the back where it's pretty hard to find a spot in between the fairway bunkers to land a tee shot.  Other than that, I thought the bunkering work was just great.
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Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

Jason Walker

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2011, 07:00:04 PM »
great info, thanks guys.  I'm just a dumb ignorant Philly guy  with an interest in club/course history around the country but have a good friend who is a new member there.  Glad to hear it's full of good guys as my buddy is one of the best.  Don't shy from the man-love.   Sounds like he'll fit in great, he's a good golfer, better drinker, and a great guy.  And Pritchard is quite good is Aronimink outside of Philly is any indication.
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J_ Crisham

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Re: Evanston Golf Club
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2011, 08:54:02 PM »
Jason,  I have played Evanston regularly over the past 15 yrs with a family member who is a long time member. My view is that it is a vastly superior course post renovation. The longtime pro was Johnny Revolta.  In 2006 Evanston underwent a massive renovation that included both course and clubhouse. The membership is extremely gregarious - the North Shore version of Beverly. As you are familiar with Aronimink I would desribe my trips to AGC as similar with regards to their engaging memberships. The courses could not be more different as a result of the topography. At Evanston you have the most difficult opening 3 holes in Chicago. The par 5s are fairly easy and reachable in 2 with a big tee ball. The 7th hole may be the most difficult short par 3 in Chicago. At 130 yds max you are hitting to an elevated green with severe slope and bunkering. In a wind it is a very scary hole. The primary defense on most holes is the bunkering. As mentioned by Terry the 11th is very tough- big par 4. The finishing holes of 17 and 18 are quite a test as well. Fun place to spend a day!                                                      Jack 
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