Chicago GCAers - Now SATURDAY (7/17) @ Downers Grove

[Matthew Sander]

Hello all,

Are there any Chicago GCAers interested in playing Saturday afternoon (2 ish)? I was thinking of either heading out to Cantigny or combining 9 holers (Downers Grove and Pottawatomie). Tee times are still available for both options. If anyone out there is interested let me know your thoughts...It would be great to meet some more of you...

Matt

[Mac Plumart]

That sounds AWESOME...too bad I am in Atlanta.  Have fun!

[Phil McDade]

Matthew:

You mean -- the original Chicago Golf Club??

Sorry -- would love to vist my birthplace, but already have plans for the day.

[Jud_T]

Good call on Downer's Grove, but can't make it sunday

[Matthew Sander]

Still looking for takers. We could play Downers Grove at 8:10 and head over to Pottawatomie. Or, Cantigny has an 8:20 available for the Woodside/Lakeside 9s. If you're interested, just le me know...

Phil M.,

I would like to understand some more history of the course. CBM built the initial 9 in 1892 and expanded to 18 in 1893. I'd like to find out when the course transitioned back to 9 holes and how much (if any) of the original routing still exists. Here is some info from their website:

"Golf Course History
 
The Chicago Golf Club in 1892 was established by a group of Chicago businessmen on the site of the current Downers Grove Golf Course. The founding father of the Chicago Golf Club was Charles Blair Macdonald who was, according to Golf Journal, "a true and imposing pioneer of golf in America." Macdonald has been credited with having great influence in establishing the United States Golf Association, the development of golf course architecture in America, and "defending the faith" as taught to him at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Early in 1892, Macdonald, motivated by England's Sir Henry Wood, Commissioner General to the Chicago World's Fair, persuaded thirty of his Chicago Club colleagues to contribute ten dollars each to design and construct a nine-hole golf course. The site that was chosen was a sixty-acre stock farm owned by A. Haddow Smith. A. H. Smith was a Lanarkshire golfer who had immigrated in 1890 to the United States from Musselburg, Scotland, where the game of golf was first played in 1774. When Smith heard of Macdonald's plan, he enthusiastically offered his land as the location for the new golf course.

The golf course was completed and ready for play in the late spring of 1892. Thus America's first golf course west of the Allegheny mountain range had been established. When the inaugural season had ended, MacDonald convinced Chicago Golf Club members to add nine more holes to the course. Therefore, in 1893, the first eighteen-hole golf course in the United States was established on this site.

By 1895, Chicago Golf Club members had become so taken with the sport that they decided to build a new eighteen-hole golf course on two-hundred acres of land located near Wheaton, Illinois. The Chicago Golf Club is still in existence there today.

From 1895 to 1968, the site of the Downers Grove Golf Course was owned by several different individuals and was operated under the name of Belmont Country Club. In 1968, the course was purchased by the Downers Grove Park District and was renamed the Downers Grove Golf Course."

Also, here is a little piece from the local news on the course:
http://www.nbcchicago.com/station/as-seen-on/Why_Do_Golf_Courses_Have_18_Holes_To_Play__Chicago.html

I particularly like the shot of Phil Rogers (the reporter) sinking the putt at the end...

Matt

 

[Phil McDade]

Matthew:

I honestly don't know too much about it, other than its connection to CGC. There are a bunch of Chicago GCA contributers who would probably know more about the course and its history than I.

[PCCraig]

Thanks for the offer but I think I'll probably be watching the Final Round on Sunday morning.

[Matthew Sander]

Pat,

I understand the conundrum. The last several years I've been playing in the morning and DVRing the final round to watch later in the afternoon. The only hurdle is dodging the conversation around the clubhouse after the round to avoid over hearing results...

[Matthew Sander]

I changed the date from Sunday morning to Saturday afternoon (2 ish).  We are looking at combining Downers Grove/Pottawatomie or playing Cantigny. For those interested either reply or send me a PM...thanks...

Matt

[Jud_T]

You may want to consider just going around twice at Downers Grove.  Unfortunately this weekend won't work for me.  Have fun!

[Matthew Sander]

Jud,

Excellent suggestion, will take under advisement. Do you know how much (if any) of the course is the same or similar to the original holes? I've not found (nor looked hard enough for that matter) infomation regarding what happened to the course while it was Belmont CC or when it was returned to 9 from 18. Have a good weekend...

[Jud_T]

here's the website although not too informative:

http://www.dgparks.org/Golf/course-information-rates.htm

here's some det's:

 Downers Grove
General: 2420 Haddow Drive, Downers Grove 60516; (630) 963-1306. A Downers Grove Park District course. Superintendent: Jeff Pozen. Practice bunker, driving range, lessons. Resident rates with purchase of ID card.
Web site: www.dgparks.org
E-mail: dggolfcourse@xnet.com
Reservations: 5 days for weekends. Credit cards: MC, V.
Weekday rates: $17.75 (9 walking), $11 (replay), $16.25 (junior, senior). Weekend rates:: $18.75 (9 walking), $11 (replay). Motor cart: $14 (2 riders), $11 (1 rider). Pull cart: $2.50 (9).
Course: 9 holes. Blue tees: 3,233 yds., par 36, 71.6 rating, 128 slope. White tees: 3,041 yds., 69.8 rating, 123 slope. Gold tees: 72.4 women's rating, 120 women's slope. Red tees: 2,515 yds., 69.4 women's rating, 114 slope. Water on 7 holes, 27 bunkers, 2 doglegs. Bluegrass-ryegrass-poa annua tees, ryegrass-bluegrass fairways, bentgrass-poa annua greens. Peak time tee-off interval: 9 minutes.
Architect: Charles Blair Macdonald (original course). Opened 1892 as original site of Chicago Golf Club, later known as Illinois Golf Club, Belmont Golf Club. Remodeled using portion of original property covering six holes by H.J. Tweedie (1899), revised by David Gill (1976), Steve Hallberg (1994). Bought by Downers Grove Park District and opened to public 1968. Downers Grove is the oldest golf course site west of the Allegheny mountains.

Don't know how much if any Macdonald is still there, but it's a very cool old-school place nevertheless...

[Chris Flamion]

I should be able to make it, look forward to playing DG.

[Mac Plumart]

Please take some pics of Downers Grove and post them.  I would love to see the place.

[Matthew Sander]

Mac,

If we head out to DG I will definitely get some pics...no promises though regarding quality ...

If there are any other Chicago GCAers interested, let me know...room for 2 more

[Dan Moore]

I haven't researched this course yet but Tweedie redesigned the original course when it changed to the Illinois Golf Club after Chicago Golf Club moved to Wheaton.  It has no doubt been changed since then. 

[Matthew Sander]

Just bumping this invitation one more time...I think we are going to play Downers Grove twice (@ 2:00). Room for 2...