What is your favorite shot at The Dunes Club?

[John Kavanaugh]

As odd as this may seem my favorite shot is the second on the par 5 eighth.  As I often do, I wish I was a bit younger and a lot better so I could reach the green.  Even without it is a fun shot greatly dependent on the position of your drive.

[jonathan_becker]

Is the Mutombo tree still there in front of the green?

[John Kavanaugh]

The evil low hanging limb is gone.  I do like the tree as it remains as it keeps the long hitters honest. 

[jonathan_becker]

On two plays of that hole, the tree has "denied" both of my attempts in going for the green.  It definitely doesn't let you swing freely that's for sure.

[John Kavanaugh]

Jonathan,

So what is your favorite shot?  I do think the course does a great job at taking away the long hitters advantage.

[PCCraig]

The tee shot on the par-3 6th.

[jonathan_becker]

Jonathan,

So what is your favorite shot?  I do think the course does a great job at taking away the long hitters advantage.

It does.  The second on #8 is definitely a great one.  But other than that, I'll say the approach on #1.  If I remember correctly, there's a lot of movement on that green (especially the front) and I three jacked it to start my round.  Proper placement is key.

[John Kavanaugh]

Jonathan,

So what is your favorite shot?  I do think the course does a great job at taking away the long hitters advantage.

It does.  The second on #8 is definitely a great one.  But other than that, I'll say the approach on #1.  If I remember correctly, there's a lot of movement on that green (especially the front) and I three jacked it to start my round.  Proper placement is key.

If there is a hole that gives a long hitter an advantage it is number one.  My approach on the first go around was from 350 after taking a drop on the dew path.  Nice top job fat boy.  I am amazed at the difficulty of the first hole where there is not a range for a warm up.  Just goes to show that Chicago is a mans town.  No excuses or apologies.

[Jim Franklin]

That front left pin on #1 is BRUTAL. My least favorite shot was my last because I had to leave. My favorite shot was the tee shot on #6 like Pat. I hear great minds think alike.

[Bill Seitz]

As odd as this may seem my favorite shot is the second on the par 5 eighth.  As I often do, I wish I was a bit younger and a lot better so I could reach the green.  Even without it is a fun shot greatly dependent on the position of your drive.

I think the severity of the dog-leg and the trees on the left make that shot kind of boring, actually.  If we had gone around a third time, I'm sure I would not have hit driver, as the only advantage to hitting driver there for me means that I'm laying up with a five iron instead of a four iron.  I actually like the third shot there a little better, uphill to green that you can't see.  And if you're center/left in the fairway there, that tree can take a short iron out of your hands.  I had to hit a five iron from 140 to keep it under that tree, despite being in what would generally seem to be a good position.  I thought that was a fun shot to play, even though I hit it a bit too hard.

I could really like the second shot on the third hole if I had the stones to hit driver and play up the left side of that fairway, which could leave a manageable carry to the green.  As it was, hitting three wood off that tee basically limits your options and for me, means I'm coming in with a wedge every time.  

Like Pat, I like the tee shot on six, but I also like the approach on seven.  It plays longer than it seems.  It's definitely uphill, but I thought it was a bit deceiving just how uphill it was.  And even though it's a relatively short hole, because of the dogleg, you're rarely coming into that green from under 150 yards.  There's trouble on both sides, but it's manageable.  

All in all, I can't say there was a shot I didn't like (except for maybe my chunk off the second tee).  I thought it was a lot of fun to play, and really look forward to getting back there again.  

[Tyler Kearns]

John,

Often, the lay-up second shot on par-fives are rather dull affairs generally speaking, I'm curious by your selection, could you explain further?

TK 

[John Kavanaugh]

John,

Often, the lay-up second shot on par-fives are rather dull affairs generally speaking, I'm curious by your selection, could you explain further?

TK 

I'm sorry but I just don't have the time.  If you have played Sand Hills it is like the second shot on #1, with trees. 

[Howard Riefs]

Another fan of the tee shot on #6 -- particularly from the left, middle tee box.

[Mark Smolens]

I love reaching the 7th tee after duck hooking a tee shot on 6 and making triple. Hybrid out to the right you say? Not so fast. Gimme the big stick and I'll try to hit a big snipe over/around the corner.  Clearly, course management is not a strength.

I agree with Bill that all of the shots at the Dunes Club are great fun.

[John Mayhugh]

I really enjoyed all of the approach shots, but the one to the fourth green was probably my favorite.

[Michael George]

My favorite shot was the approach (3rd shot) on #8.  It is rare when a wedge shot is that difficult to execute, but that is a really cool shot.  Plus, the sandy waste area behind the green was better manicured than most courses and with the downhill lie back to the green, very difficult.

My favorite hole was #3.  That hole required a really good lay-up to the slanted fairway to have a good shot to the green.  Plus the downhill approach to the green was a cool shot. 

#6 to the back pin was a great hole and shot also, but I wanted to give different answers.

My most memorable shot - in the tall, whispy grass on #5.  My caddie hands me my 56 and tells me to chip out.  I tell her that I can hit it to the green as the lie was good (only a 170 yard shot).  She says that the grass will grab the club and I had no chance.  I tell her to watch me.  I try my shot - goes 20 yards, stays in the wispy stuff.  Then chipped out and followed every word she said after that.

[John Kirk]

I nominate the tee shot on #4, which favors a fade.  I couldn't execute the drive either time, and made bogey.  The second shot flies over a handsome lake to a well contoured green complex.  Very nice.

[Sven Nilsen]

I nominate the tee shot on #4, which favors a fade.  I couldn't execute the drive either time, and made bogey.  The second shot flies over a handsome lake to a well contoured green complex.  Very nice.

John:

You must have started on the 2nd hole, because the 5th hole is the shot with the lake (thus the 4th hole in your round).

My top nine shots at the Dunes Club:

9.  Drive on 1 - just for the excitement of getting the round under way
8.  2nd shot on 3 - green may be in reach if you've bombed one, if not the judgement factor is in play
7.  3rd shot on 3 - back pin, need to get to the back shelf, front pin, the backstop can help
6.  Approach on 9 - that bunker is one hell of a find-mucker
5.  Drive on 5 - the reveal after walking through the waste area on this hole is fantastic
4.  2nd shot on 8 - see the discussions in this thread
3.  Tee shot on 2 from the long tees - love the angle of the green from this tee
2.  Drive on 7 - so many options, and two ways to try to be heroic (over the trees or slinging a draw)
1.  Tee shot on 6 - this one gets me every time

[Brian Hilko]

Playing from the bunker left of the 6th green is just nasty. Way to much fun!

[RSLivingston_III]

The tee shot on the par-3 6th.

I second this.

[Paul OConnor]

Many years ago I caddied for a group of Chicago club pros who used to play a little tournament at The Dunes Club.  As I recall a couple of the longer hitters played way left off the 8th tee, into the middle of the 5th fairway, and then had a direct shot to the 8th in two.   A couple of guys made it.  I guess their third shot was a putt.

[John Kirk]

I nominate the tee shot on #4, which favors a fade.  I couldn't execute the drive either time, and made bogey.  The second shot flies over a handsome lake to a well contoured green complex.  Very nice.

John:

You must have started on the 2nd hole, because the 5th hole is the shot with the lake (thus the 4th hole in your round).

You are correct of course.  The fifth tee shot is the one I enjoyed while failing to execute.

[Ken Fry]

No one has mentioned it but I always had a love for the tee shot on 9.  After so few chances to swing a driver, 9 let's you rip the power fade.  Last time I played, the last driver I hit before the ninth hole was hole #4.....

Ken

[Will E]

I really like the tee shots on 11 and 15

[Terry Lavin]

For people who haven't played the course, the tee shot on #1 is visually stunning yet simple.  For me, I really like the tee shot on #7, which I find to be an underrated hole.  It's a medium length par 4 with a sharp dogleg left.  The tee shot requires precision in both distance and direction.  Go too long or too far right and you're in the high dune grass.  Try to cut off too much of the dogleg and you risk going into the trees left of the fairway.  The other par 4 holes are more majestic from the teebox but I like the demanding nature of this shot.