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Tim_Cronin

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A public Macdonald-Raynor redo in suburban Chicago
« on: August 12, 2015, 09:58:16 AM »
Architect David Esler took the 1920s-era Mount Prospect Golf Club, long a municipal course, and gave it an old new look, complete with many features common to Macdonald and Raynor courses, along with a Principal's Nose bunker complex in the first fairway, a Road Hole on the 17th – sorry, no sheds – and more.


Esler, an admirer of the classics, wanted to do this for some time, and found Mount Prospect the right place. One bunker from the original routing remains, and it fits in with the Mac-Raynor look.



It's tremendous, and might draw players from more than the neighborhood to an already-busy course. Don't know who else here has played it yet. If you'd care to look, there's a story about it in the August digital Illinois Golfer at my www.illinoisgolfer.net
The website: www.illinoisgolfer.net
On Twitter: @illinoisgolfer

Terry Lavin

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Re: A public Macdonald-Raynor redo in suburban Chicago
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2015, 10:05:14 AM »
Sounds like a fun project. Maybe Dave will give us a brief report at the Darius Oliver event. Might be a great spot for a fall gca event.
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

Ryan Hillenbrand

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Re: A public Macdonald-Raynor redo in suburban Chicago
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2015, 10:18:35 AM »
My first round of golf in Chicago was played at Mt Prospect with a college friend who grew up there. Even then I was impressed at how nice their muni was, and loved that lush green stuff called "bent grass" for a kid who grew up on zoysia.

Neil Johnston

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Re: A public Macdonald-Raynor redo in suburban Chicago
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2015, 11:45:11 AM »
I played Prospect this past Friday, and I can attest to Tim's very positive review.  Paying $41 on a Friday afternoon as a non-resident, I feel it now belongs among the best values in Chicagoland, especially given its relatively central location in the near northwest burbs. They are also currently doing 10 minute intervals on tee times, which is really rare for a muni around here.

Tim highlights a couple of the par 3s in his article, and those are certainly worthy of highlighting as I found them very diverse in nature. Number 4 is an exhilarating long par 3 with ample space to run it up (and ample space to wildly miss the green). It's now one of the better long par 3's in the area (public) in my opinion, on par with Ravisloe #11. Number 10, which is a brand new hole, is a really nice contrast to that, a chip shot to a relatively small target. The undulating green on #7 was tremendous fun and very fair for the length of the hole. My partner and I were both on the green in one, had totally different looks at birdie, and both of us managed to three-putt. A four-putt was not off the table if the course weren't a little damp. I really appreciate a course where I use a different club on all the par 3s, and this course gets bonus points for having me pull out 5 different clubs on five one-shotters.

The course is no longer claustrophobic at all with the massive tree removal that happened, and there are really only a couple places where you could legitimately lose a ball. I noticed the tree temoval most on the very first hole, which is now a very stout par 5 with some risk-reward elements.  I also really appreciated the two par 4 and a half holes on the back, a nice contrast to the two 450+ yard par 4s on the front. A lot of places to bomb it off the tee, offset by a lot of spots to use strategery.

A lot of pictures and other stuff is at this link. If anyone wants to see the place, I would highly recommend it.

http://www.mppd.org/golf/golf-course-renovation
« Last Edit: August 12, 2015, 12:15:58 PM by Neil Johnston »

Matthew Sander

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Re: A public Macdonald-Raynor redo in suburban Chicago
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2015, 12:07:11 PM »
I'm certainly looking forward to a visit, and I echo the sentiments that this screams for a little GCA Fall get-together.

JJShanley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: A public Macdonald-Raynor redo in suburban Chicago
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2015, 12:14:18 PM »
I'd drive through for that as well!

Jeff_Brauer

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Re: A public Macdonald-Raynor redo in suburban Chicago
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2015, 12:16:25 PM »
I lived a few miles from MP (even though I was in Arlington Heights) and played there most often as a kid, along with Old Orchard (before butchering) and Rob Roy, both also in Mt. Prospect. Old Orchard was probably a little better, but I liked MP.  It is tight.

I always heard the original course had some mob connections although not as many as Chevy Chase.  Added a bit to the fun of playing there.  Look forward to seeing the changes someday.

Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Tim_Cronin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: A public Macdonald-Raynor redo in suburban Chicago
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2015, 09:01:36 PM »
I lived a few miles from MP (even though I was in Arlington Heights) and played there most often as a kid, along with Old Orchard (before butchering) and Rob Roy, both also in Mt. Prospect. Old Orchard was probably a little better, but I liked MP.  It is tight.

I always heard the original course had some mob connections although not as many as Chevy Chase.  Added a bit to the fun of playing there.  Look forward to seeing the changes someday.


The mob owned it for years until the MP Park District took over. For a short time in the late summer of 1960, it was completely unkempt because a federal judge threw everyone out, except for a squad car that protected the original clubhouse from more vandalism.
The website: www.illinoisgolfer.net
On Twitter: @illinoisgolfer

PThomas

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Re: A public Macdonald-Raynor redo in suburban Chicago
« Reply #8 on: August 12, 2015, 10:27:02 PM »
I played it last Thursday...a fine and unique addition to the dreary Chicago public golf scene
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

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