Chicagoland Golf

[Jim Dawson]

A customer of mine has access to all Chicago private courses. He wants me to pick out two to play this summer.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
JD

[Brett Wiesley]

How about Doaks renovation at Medinah #1

[Rob Curtiss]

If you can get on Chicago golf club- do that- supposed to be one of the hardest golf courses to get on and an awesome design.

[Greg Gilson]

IMHO...based on my limited experience ( I have only played 5 courses in the area)

Chicago Golf + Shoreacres

Then a huuuuuge gap to Medinah #3

The top 2 are in my personal favourite 30 anywhere.

[SL_Solow]

what does he like?  there are a number of us who have played just about all of them in town.  But everyone has preferences in style, difficulty etc.  so give us some help.

[Rees Milikin]

Never played in the Chicago area, but after looking at the Shoreacres profile, I would put that on my list.

[PCCraig]

A customer of mine has access to all Chicago private courses.

I could only imagine how much his monthly dues are!!  

[Howard Riefs]

Opinions on the "best" are in this helpful thread...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57217.0.html

[JR Potts]

A customer of mine has access to all Chicago private courses. He wants me to pick out two to play this summer.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
JD

Chicago Golf, Shoreacres or Old Elm in my opinion.  To me, they're the hardest to get on, the most architecturally unique and the most playable.

Medinah, Olympia Fields and Butler are great due to their Championship History.  But they're big burly golf courses.  That said, if you're back in town talking to your friends about where you played, these courses would likely have the most recognition due to recent events.

What a nice problem to have.

[David Whitmer]

I've only played four private courses in Chicago. I'd rank them, in order, Chicago Golf Club, Shoreacres, Skokie, Butler National.

[Terry Poley]

JR has your list!  If you can only pick two, CGC and Old Elm.  Both are extremely hard to get access to.  Over the past few years, the renovation work Drew Rogers has completed at OE is spectacular!!  Probably the best in town, but, with that said… It will not impress your friends when you tell them where you played… If you want that, play Olympia, Medinah, Butler, etc...

[J_ Crisham]

My list would be more handicap specific:
           10 Handcp or less:  Butler, Medinah , OFCC North
           10 or above: Shoreacres, Chicago Golf, Old Elm, Skokie, Beverly , Flossmoor
   If either of you guys are headed to Butler and play to a 20 hndcp you will have a very very long day. Medinah and OFCC are difficult but at least they are fun venues. Nobody has fun at Butler- at least on the course. My 2 choices would be SA and CGC. 

[Jud_T]

My list would be more handicap specific:
           10 Handcp or less:  Butler, Medinah , OFCC North
           10 or above: Shoreacres, Chicago Golf, Old Elm, Skokie, Beverly , Flossmoor
  

This is a pretty solid list.  Might want to add Black Sheep, Briarwood, Bob'O'Link and Exmoor to the 10+ list.

[Tom_Doak]

My list would be more handicap specific:
           10 Handcp or less:  Butler, Medinah , OFCC North
           10 or above: Shoreacres, Chicago Golf, Old Elm, Skokie, Beverly , Flossmoor
   If either of you guys are headed to Butler and play to a 20 hndcp you will have a very very long day. Medinah and OFCC are difficult but at least they are fun venues. Nobody has fun at Butler- at least on the course. My 2 choices would be SA and CGC. 

I suppose I see the rationale here, but if it were really true, why would Chicago Golf Club have so many good players who are members?  And why would Ben Crenshaw have joined?  It is more than just a good, old-fashioned, "playable" course.  Young bombers might not be impressed, but that's not everybody below a 10.

[J_ Crisham]

My list would be more handicap specific:
           10 Handcp or less:  Butler, Medinah , OFCC North
           10 or above: Shoreacres, Chicago Golf, Old Elm, Skokie, Beverly , Flossmoor
   If either of you guys are headed to Butler and play to a 20 hndcp you will have a very very long day. Medinah and OFCC are difficult but at least they are fun venues. Nobody has fun at Butler- at least on the course. My 2 choices would be SA and CGC. 

I suppose I see the rationale here, but if it were really true, why would Chicago Golf Club have so many good players who are members?  And why would Ben Crenshaw have joined?  It is more than just a good, old-fashioned, "playable" course.  Young bombers might not be impressed, but that's not everybody below a 10.

Tom,   Ben Crenshaw probably didn't join CGC because it is a challenging course- the fact that it is a historical architectural gem is the attraction. As far as the number of good players at CGC - they have many. The difference I see at CGC is that the good players/ie most members, are older players. CGC is a course that doesn't have to be overpowered to put a nice number on the card. For example, Bill Shean, who is arguably as good an amateur as Chicago has produced. Does he play at CGC because it is very fun golf that has some challenge to it- primarily the world class green complexes/bunkering or does he head back to Butler at this point in life where he won club championships and shoot 85?  My point is that CGC is an enjoyable day for just about any level of golfer- Butler not so much. Butler is not a course where you want to grow old at if you count every shot.

[Mark Chaplin]

Chicago and Old Elm both proper traditional clubs with superb courses.

[John Kavanaugh]

I do not get the perceived difficulty of Butler. You won't lose a ball, rarely three putt and never have to worry about missing a birdie putt on 10.

[Paul OConnor]

A customer of mine has access to all Chicago private courses. He wants me to pick out two to play this summer.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
JD

Who has access to every private club in Chicago?  Besides Crisham.

[Paul OConnor]

How about Doaks renovation at Medinah #1

Worst suggestion of the day. 

[BCowan]

Brian

   I haven't played golf in Chitown, but there is a metro Detroit course that doesn't allow raters on its course, maybe they have that policy.

[J_ Crisham]

A customer of mine has access to all Chicago private courses. He wants me to pick out two to play this summer.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
JD

Who has access to every private club in Chicago?  Besides Crisham.

When are you going to host me at Indian Hill Club?  I am setting up a game at Oakmont and I need a 4th-what does May look like for you ?

[Paul OConnor]

A customer of mine has access to all Chicago private courses. He wants me to pick out two to play this summer.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
JD

Who has access to every private club in Chicago?  Besides Crisham.

When are you going to host me at Indian Hill Club?  I am setting up a game at Oakmont and I need a 4th-what does May look like for you ?

My Membership at Indian Hill only runs from October through April.  You can count me in at Oakmont any time.

[J_ Crisham]

A customer of mine has access to all Chicago private courses. He wants me to pick out two to play this summer.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
JD

Who has access to every private club in Chicago?  Besides Crisham.

When are you going to host me at Indian Hill Club?  I am setting up a game at Oakmont and I need a 4th-what does May look like for you ?

My Membership at Indian Hill only runs from October through April.  You can count me in at Oakmont any time.

I'll get some dates for you to pick from- won't be for a couple months though.

[Ian Mackenzie]

One of my closest friends has been a "rater" for years.
There are many courses, like perhaps Old Elm, who politely decline to have the "rater" trundle over to their course so that he or she may grade the facility, the course, the pace, the caddies, the conditions, etc.

These courses do not need new members, are not seeking exposure and generally do not want uninvited press. Having some golf magazine know-it-all come to their club would be considered petty and bourgeois...;-)

My input on the actual topic:

1. Chicago Golf
2. Shore Acres
3. Onwentsia
4. Exmoor
5. Knollwood
6. Beverly (but watch your wallet...;-)
7. Glen View (re-opens in May after Jim Urbina restoration)
8. Black Sheep (just plain fun)
9. Skokie
10. Flossmor

But, your friend will NOT have access to all of these courses so he will need some public access back-up:

1. Harborside
2. Cog Hill #4
3. Cantigny
4. Pine Meadow
5. Prairie Landing

These courses have already been listed and are worth playing but deliver a very different experince:

1. Medinah #3 (very curious about the RGD work on #1)
2. Butler - great greens, big course, fit for the pros, all it needs is a resort/conference center!
3. Olympia Fields - better experince than Medinah
4. Kemper Lakes - hey, if you like playing courses that hosted majors (PGA '89)

also of note:

A. North Shore - flat Colt/Allison with great greens
B. Evanston - Pritchard restored Ross
C. Park Ridge - Esler restored Ross, so much fun!
D. Ruth Lake - Art Hills did "restoration" of Langford/Moreau
E. Indian Hill
F. Westmoreland
G. Sunset Ridge
H. Chicago Highlands - new Art Hills linksy course very close to city. Best greens.

[Paul OConnor]

A. North Shore - flat Colt/Allison with great greens
B. Evanston - Pritchard restored Ross
C. Park Ridge - Esler restored Ross, so much fun!
D. Ruth Lake - Art Hills did "restoration" of Langford/Moreau
E. Indian Hill
F. Westmoreland
G. Sunset Ridge
H. Chicago Highlands - new Art Hills linksy course very close to city. Best greens.

If anyone gets to pick two private clubs in Chicago, and they pick ANY on the above list, they should be beaten to a bloody pulp.  Park Ridge? are you fucking kidding?