What's The Most Interesting Hole in Chicago?

[Bill Satterfield]

Cog Hill Dubsdread 16th
Olympia Fields North 3rd
Black Sheep 5th
Medinah No.3 16th (maybe 12th)

[Howard Riefs]

Some mentioned by others...


OFCC South - #6
OFCC North - #3 and #15
Knollwood - #2
Shoreacres - #11 and #15

[Steve Green]

Already mentioned but worthy of repeating, #11 at Shoreacres and #15 at Shoreacres.


Either would lend themselves to a diagram of the strategy.  Wonderful golf course.

[PCCraig]

The 3rd at Shoreacres. I think it's the best short par-4 in the city, and one of the coolest little green complexes anywhere and a perfect example how to make a very interesting hole out of essentially a dead flat piece of land.

[Andrew Buck]

I really, really like the 9th at Black Sheep.  Illustrations of hugging the bunker left gives you a much shorter, flatter approach to a more open green, while using the considerable width to the center and right of the fairway will be safe, but cost you distance hitting into the upslope and leave a more dramatically uphill shot over bunkers. 

Actually, the 2nd a Black Sheep would also make a good "diagram" hole.  Lay up to bunker or challenge the shoot off the tee to make it reachable?  Play safe right of the bunker to leave uphill third shot, or over the bunker to leave flat pitch.

Four at Flossmoor would be good as well.  So is 8 at Highlands of Elgin.  Olympia Fields (both courses) and Medinah ask you to execute shots more than make strategic decisions on both courses, IMO, or at least make decisions in ways that can be illustrated.

I assume you'd like to use a more "name" course for this illustration however.

[Terry Lavin]

The new #5 at bob o is worthy of consideration.

But I think it's probably 2 at Shoreacres.  The lines and pin positions there are so damn cool.

Good points.  The line of your drive on #2 at Shoreacres is of critical importance vis a vis avoiding the small burn on the left and avoiding the rough/trees on the right.  The second shot is also something that makes you really think about a bump and run because the burn that is in play off the tee snakes around the left and back of the green while butting up against the club driveway.  The diagrammatic possibilities are pretty apparent here.

As for Bob O #5, I think this hole is going to vault up on everybody's list of great Chicago par-5 holes.  Urbina's removal of the water hazard and the implementation of a centerline bunker around 280 yards off the tee has taken vanilla and made it mocha.  I know this is an Alison course, but this hole has some Mackenzie magic to it now because of JCU's inspired work.

[BCowan]

I have a limited amount of courses played in Chicago, a few holes that I like..

#3 at Mt Prospect
#8, #11, and #18 at Ravisloe (i could list more)
#18 at Old Elm (Very cool green, especially with a right pin)