And, tweaks at Conway Farms

[Howard Riefs]

Prime time to tweak top-tier Chicago courses. First, the Dubsdread thread. Now....

According to the Sun-Times, Fazio is overseeing tweaks and updates at Conway Farms as it prepares for the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the 2013 BMW Championship.

Workers "recently altered bunkers, lengthened fairways and added bench areas for spectators near the greens." One of the bigger alterations is the facelift of a bunker on the 8th hole that has been made a “rivet” bunker. “It’s an old Scottish-style bunker that is lined like bricks with sod,” said Chad Ball, Conway Farms Golf Course superintendent. The renovated bunker was finished earlier this month.

http://lakeforest.suntimes.com/12024348-417/conway-farms-in-lake-forest-getting-ready-for-big-stage.html

Some feedback on the course that the Judge shared in the Cog Hill - Dubsdread thread:

To me, Cog is as good a course as Conway Farms, the course that replaced it. Conway has planted hundreds of perfectly useless trees in an avowed effort to frame greens and for fairway separation. Much of the original somewhat naturalist feel of the place has been relentlessly dumbed down by the membership which seems bent on making it a parkland course. As for difficulty, I can't imagine that the pros will do anything but kill the course, which is probably what the whiners wanted all along.

[Alex Lagowitz]

interesting bunker on hole 8.
it is a stacked sod bunker face, but has a gradual grass slope to lead into the bunker.
i don't think I've ever seen that before

[Terry Lavin]

It is an unusual bunker.  Conway had at least three different bunker styles when I last played it.  It was sort of jarring, to tell you the truth.  I seem to recall a big, Pac Dunes style bunker on the 17th hole as well.  It looked great but didn't seem to fit with anything else on the course.  Same with the sod faced bunker on 8.  I'm sure Fazio could help the course, if they get his personal attention.

[Paul OConnor]

 It seems that bunker has always had some maintenance issues, and has been rebuilt many times.  I believe it's called, "Mick Jagger's Lips."  

Interesting that the course is being lengthened, as it was pretty stretched out as it was.  At ~7150 yards from the current tips, I wouldn't expect more than 100 yards in new length.  Not sure where it would come from as most of the tees are already pressed up against the boundaries.  That will make for a "short" course for the pros.  The firm conditions of Conway's greens will help, but I can't think of a single hole so tough that a PGA pro would have to back off in any way.  Winning score, 269.  

[PThomas]

  It was sort of jarring, to tell you the truth. ....It looked great but didn't seem to fit with anything else on the course.  Same with the sod faced bunker on 8.  I'm sure Fazio could help the course, if they get his personal attention.

I agree most of the above except what I dont think it looks great....why they want sod faced bunkers out there , I dont get

and not sure if Terry is kidding, but I think Fazio has been back out there to make "tweaks"

[Terry Lavin]

Viewed in isolation, I thought the revetted bunker looked great.  It is an impressive looking bunker, but it doesn't fit on the golf course.  If Tom Fazio devotes his personal attention to the golf course, I'm sure they will wind up with a much-improved product.  There's a level of incoherence that a good eye like his would catch quickly, IMHO, and the remedies don't seem at all difficult.  Speaking of incoherence, perhaps he could convince them to remove most of the cart paths, given the fact that the club is walking only.

[PCCraig]

Conway Farms is a very nice club, with a really good engaged golfing membership. But strictly speaking from a golf course standpoint I find it pretty disappointing. Mostly due to what Terry alluded to in his post where he mentions a huge cart path system which goes unused at a walking only golf club, schizophrenic bunkering, a lack of a consistent "style," a terrible 18th hole, and poor scenery around the course (294 and ugly ~1992 real estate development housing).

The old saying of "be careful what you wish for" is especially true for the spoiled PGA Tour members who demanded to leave Cog Hill.   

[Tim_Cronin]

I think it's fair to say the petulance of some pros regarding Dubsdread was only one factor in the move. Many WGA directors wanted to try the north suburbs – where a Western/BMW hasn't been played since 1972 – partly because the area has gone without the tournament for so long, partly because they live nearer to Conway than Dubsdread, and partly because BMW naturally sees it as a hotbed for car sales.

Conway was willing to give it a go. Will it succeed? Hope for warm weather, the Cubs (guaranteed) and White Sox to be out of the pennant races, and for the Bears to play on a Thursday or Monday night.