Here's another go at a list, inspired by Tom Doak's comments about a renovation in California. Here is my list of the best renovations in the past ten years in my hometown.
1. Flossmoor Country Club: Ray Hearn did an unbelievable job of retooling this old gem of a golf course. They didn't go to Oakmont lengths with tree removal, but they sure came close on the back nine! His George Thomas-like bunker work and prairie grass planting are just sensational.
2. Olympia Fields South: Some are mildly critical of the mounding around a few greens and there's some guttersniping about a bunker or two, but Steve Smyers did a terrific job of reawakening this sleeping giant of a golf course, which has long labored in the shadow of the more storied North Course. The front nine just might be the best "nine" in Chicago.
3. Skokie: Ron Prichard did a marvelous job of buffing up this Ross gem, which hosted a US Open decades ago. It is a man-sized delight of a golf course, with excellent fairway bunkering and great natural wetlands on a few holes. The ninth hole is one of the best par three's in town and the 18th green is simply diabolical.
4. Exmoor: Prichard's handiwork is again observed at this very alluring track on the North Shore. Great tree removal, more great fairway bunkering in a similar style to Skokie and Beverly (below) and a great job of basically leaving the greens alone.
5. Beverly: Beverly has long had the reputation of being one of the most difficult golf courses in town. Much of the difficulty, however, was achieved by overplanting of maples and ashes along the fairways. This gradually and insidiously led to a horrific form of tunnel vision. The bunkering had been redone on several occasions, to very mixed reviews. Prichard came in and cut down trees, reinstated lost playing angles, expanded lost putting surfaces and substantially lengthened and toughened the 16th hole. There are still twenty or so trees that need to be whacked, but the Bev is again one of the very best tracks in town.
6. Butler National: Tom Fazio came back and lengthened the already long golf course and recut all of the bunkers, to great effect. The fairway bunkers in particular are simply sensational and quite playable.
7. North Shore: Rick Jacobson did a great job of reclaiming the great Colt & Alison bunkers that had gradually lost their shape and depth. He did some nominal tree removal, but a couple hundred more would make this place very special.
8. Knollwood: Keith Foster's work is not yet complete, but should be sometime later this spring. This might be the best set of bunker re-do's in Chicagoland. This season's changes will focus on the tee boxes, putting back some angles into a golf course that had gotten sort of monochromatic in a way. The 12th hole is still a bit of an abomination, but that ain't Foster's fault; the members balked at changing it.
9. Shoreacres: Okay, this isn't a renovation by any sense of the word, but Tom Doak's gentle ministrations (a new tee here or there, green recaptures) have kept this golf course at the very top of the list for architecture afficionados. They did a lot of tree removal as well and Tim Davis' understated but spectacular work as the course superintendent assures that Shoreacres will always be viewed as the first or second best course in town.
10. I could put Butterfield here, but I haven't played it yet. Most reports are quite exciting. I could put Sunset Ridge here, but they have to cut down 2000 trees to get a mention. I haven't seen Onwentsia, which I believe was renovated by Doak ten years or so ago. Finally, I wish I could put Bob O'Link here, but the membership is apparently set on maintaining their tree problems, going so far as to plant new willows on the course. Aaargh! There's a great course under all that "hair", you just can't see it. Bob O'Link is actually at the top of the "Desperately in need of Renovation" list that I've yet to formulate. Another day...