[Howard Riefs]

Saturday should be downright balmy:

High:  54*
Low:  32*

Bring your handwarmers, ski cap and bourbon.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/kankakee-il/60901/weekend-weather/328759

[Matthew Sander]

If any other locals are interested in heading down to Kankakee tomorrow morning, we've had 2 spots open up at the last minute. If you're up for it, just let me know...

10:00 a.m.
Howard Riefs
Howard's guest
Mark Smolens
Scott Mortensen

10:07
Matt Sander
Bryan Sander
Jim Tang
Kevin Cahoon

10:15
Bill Seitz
Jud Tigerman

[Jud_T]

My buddy, Dr. Bill W. will take 1 pending approval of his better half...

[Howard Riefs]

If any other locals are interested in heading down to Kankakee tomorrow morning, we've had 2 spots open up at the last minute. If you're up for it, just let me know...

Two cancellations because they didn't want to play with "heavyset balding middle-aged guy covered in more tacky U of M gear than your average Nascar uniform chipping with a 4-wood from 80 yards out.... and lying net zero...."?

For shame.

[Matthew Sander]

My buddy, Dr. Bill W. will take 1 pending approval of his better half...

Great Jud, one spot is his if he's able to make it.

[Bill Seitz]

My buddy, Dr. Bill W. will take 1 pending approval of his better half...

Am I sensing a potential rematch of the better Bill W., Tigerman, and Riefs better ball of three vs Seitz? 

[Howard Riefs]

My buddy, Dr. Bill W. will take 1 pending approval of his better half...

Am I sensing a potential rematch of the better Bill W., Tigerman, and Riefs better ball of three vs Seitz? 

Wish I could accommodate you with another inspiring victory but I'll have to gracefully decline as I'm bringing a friend. Glad I can lean on that excuse.

[Jud_T]

Dr. Bill is confirmed.  I'm sure we can figure out another way to lose to Bill that is at least less embarrassing...

[Jud_T]

Matthew,

Thanks again for organizing.  I continue to be amazed at the consistent quality of Langford's work.  Has to be the most underrated of the Golden Age guys.  The superintendant gets props for having the greens in such great shape this late in the season on their budget, even if having every pin 3 feet from the edge was a bit sadistic...

[Bill Seitz]

Thanks again to Matt.  The weather turned out to be pretty good, albeit a little windy. The course was in terrific shape for $70, which made paying $20 for it a steal. The greens were in great shape, and really fun to putt. You definitely know you're on a Langford at that course. It would be great to see them resort what appeared to be the original green on #4. It's not a bad par three now, but the old green site looks a lot cooler. It could also stand to lose a few hundred trees, but otherwise a really fun course.

[Matthew Sander]

Thanks to everyone for making the drive down to Kankakee. I really enjoyed the day, and the weather, though chilly to start, was not bad at all.

I encourage anyone that enjoys great (I don't think that is an overstatement) greens to make their way to see this Langford gem. It was my only visit there, so I don't know if the greens are always in such goods shape, but they were certainly presented perfectly yesterday. They were very quick which accentuated the diabolical rolls and hole locations. If that is their typical condition then their superintendent and maintenance staff are to be commended. All for $20...

If that was the last time the clubs come out, then the year ended on a good note.

[Andrew Buck]

Thanks to everyone for making the drive down to Kankakee. I really enjoyed the day, and the weather, though chilly to start, was not bad at all.

I encourage anyone that enjoys great (I don't think that is an overstatement) greens to make their way to see this Langford gem. It was my only visit there, so I don't know if the greens are always in such goods shape, but they were certainly presented perfectly yesterday. They were very quick which accentuated the diabolical rolls and hole locations. If that is their typical condition then their superintendent and maintenance staff are to be commended. All for $20...

If that was the last time the clubs come out, then the year ended on a good note.

I know I'm biased, but the great thing about many of the superintendents in that areas is they are avid players (some, like Mike at K-3 Elks are great players) who are essentially members of their facilities.  Therefore they want to play on great greens and hear about the good greens from their members, who are also their friends.

[Howard Riefs]

Thanks to Matt for coordinating a great, perhaps season-ending, outing to Kankakee to visit the hidden Langford gem that is Kankakee Elks.  The fall weather was ideal once the sun made an appearance on the 6th hole.

The course was challenging, with the undulating greens in perfect shape and the real attraction of the course. The green contours were well presented yet not always easy to read. Case in point, thankfully I was just inside Smolens on the 10th green. Facing ~25-foot putts, we both individually read that the putt would break left at least a foot. Nope, it broke right the same distance. Afterwards, we both looked at the green and each other: “Oh, now I see that.”

The fairways are lined with a thick lines of trees, many of which I personally encountered. The course could, as Bill noted, pull out a few hundred to help playability. At least my playability.  

Kankakee was $20 to walk. Last year's visit to Spring Valley was $18. We're trending upward; look forward to seeing where we go for $22 next fall.

A few photos from the day. I may have misidentified a few holes so let me know if that’s the case and I’ll update.






Scoreboard and #18 in the distance



#3



#5



#6






Jud approaching #6 green



#11



#12



#13



#14



#15; Mark crushes a driver into a two-club wind to the 25+ foot elevated green






#15 from #16 tee



#18

[Mark Smolens]

"Crushes" a driver  Howard, that was a choked down, knockdown stinger I'll have you know. Pin high left, and my chip that trickled by the hole. . . leaving me with a 25 footer back up the hill for par.

Great fun on the day. Thanks to Matt for organizing.

[Carl Nichols]

I take it that people like Kankakee Elks more than Kankakee Country Club?  My brother-in-law was a member at the latter for a year but I never played.  

[Andrew Buck]

I take it that people like Kankakee Elks more than Kankakee Country Club?  My brother-in-law was a member at the latter for a year but I never played.  

They are much different animals.  Kankakee Country Club is the more established and nicer "Country club" that is fully private vs open for public play and annual dues are probably 5X.  It's maintenance practices are at a higher standard and offers more amenities.

That said, I'd be hard pressed to say the Country Club if a better golf course.  Like the Elks, it is very tree lined, however it doesn't have the same character, IMO.  The Country Club is about 5700 yards and has some really weird dogleg holes around trees (including one with a tree in the middle of the fairway 40 yards in front of a green, unless it's been removed).  There is one long par 5 along the Kankakee River that is a monster.  

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()