Surely, you haven’t heard of Beach Park, IL, so give yourself ample time to get to Thunderhawk from wherever it is you are coming. Sitting on the cusp of the Illinois/Wisconsin border, and a good 15-20 minutes from I-90/94, I have seen many a playing partner take their first swing of the day on the first tee box due to a longer than expected commute. Do not, under any circumstances, let that keep you from seeking out this course and giving it a go.

If you have read my past golf course reviews, you will know this about me, I love a good value, and I really love courses that offer a wide variety of holes with risk/reward options. Thunderhawk Golf Club has both of these in spades. In the recent past, Thunderhawk, for me, was a once-per-year kind of course both due to the fact that it was so far away from my home in downtown Chicago, and because the rates were nearly prohibitive at almost $100 for prime time weekend rounds. Though they can not move the course location, I recently moved much closer to this course, eliminating the travel factor. What the course did accomplish was something that many, many other courses need to do as well, they lowered their rates! I don’t know how many half empty Saturday tee sheets a course has to see before realizing that by lowering their rates they will attract more golfers, but Thunderhawk got the message. Not only do they offer compelling twilight rates of $55 after 1:00 and $47 after 3:00 on weekends, but their standard rate of $85 from open through 1:00 on weekends is worth the cost – and they let you replay for $25 more! If you can play during the week, it gets even better with an early bird special of $39 from open through 8:00 am. That is quite possibly the best value in all of Chicagoland.

The clubhouse fits the landscape like a glove, and the staff, though often confused by their own multi-tiered pricing structure, is always friendly and accommodating. Though the snack bar is out of the way from the turn, and offers nothing compelling beyond a hot dog or turkey sandwich, the restaurant is very nice, and regularly hosts medium-sized weddings on it’s beautiful brick patio overlooking the stunning 18th green. They offer a nice selection of apparel in the pro shop, and the restrooms are clean and spacious. The driving range is nowhere close to the 1st tee, so if you are walking (and, really, you should be walking), give yourself a good 10 minutes to get over to the starter, and more if you want to take a few practice putts (also highly recommended as these greens can run pretty quick and are laden with undulation). My commentary below is from the Brass tees, so adjust accordingly should you decide on the tips or the two shorter options.

The first hole is a very well designed first hole. Nothing too fancy or tough on this straight and short par 4, allowing for a variety of club choices off the tee (I almost always opt for the 3-wood unless the wind is really howling in either direction). Don’t take this hole too much for granted, however, as you will not find your ball in the tall stuff well left, and you have OB all the way up the right side. The green is large, and offers one of the flatter putts you will face today.

As you stand on the 2nd tee, the first of many risk/reward decisions come into play. If you can’t hit the driver more than 245 yards, or want to hit a shorter club on this par 5, knocking one straight up the left fairway is a safe and more than acceptable decision. If you, however, have notions of eagle right off the bat, it is a shorter carry than it appears over the wetlands, and left of the imposing tree protecting the right side. About 210 yards is enough to sneak over that right side. Accomplish that or better and you will be staring straight at a wide open green and ample fairway in front of you making both a big swing or layup viable and comfortable options. Beware, this green can be tricky, and you don’t want to be chipping back from behind the green, so if you do miss, short and right is usually best.

The third hole is a bear of a par 3. On a busy day, this is normally a bottleneck on the course even with the mandatory drop rule that is well-signed on the tee. Generally you will be facing a tee shot of about 190 yards with almost all of that being carry over wetlands. The green is a big saddle with a low are in the middle between two shelves left and right. Par is a good score on this hole, and don’t be too hard on a bogey either.

On the fourth hole, an average length par 4, everything on the tee tells you to hit it into the big open right side of the fairway, and there is nothing wrong with that play. Don’t be too aggressive nor too far right, however, or your ball will have surprisingly disappeared into the ubiquitous wetland weeds, and you will be hitting your 3rd shot from 180 yards. My suggestion, if you can carry your driver 225 or so is to hit your tee shot directly over the right side of the big fairway bunker in the middle of the fairway. Clear it, and you will be hitting a short and trusty club into another well protected green. In 14 rounds here, I have played this hole to an average of 4.14 strokes, and never taken worse than a bogey, so I practice what I preach.

I am not the best spokesperson for the 5th hole which is an otherwise straightforward and slightly shorter than average par 4 with a wide fairway. For whatever reason I am forever hitting pull hooks into the forest guarding the entire left side of this hole, and from a drop there have little chance of doing better than double bogey. For most of you, anything from long iron through driver relatively straight should put you in position for an easy approach shot to a rather huge green. The putts can be tricky depending on pin position, but I would think this isn’t one of the most challenging holes out here.

Turn the corner through the woods and feast your eyes on one seriously cool par 3. This really big peanut shaped green offers the course loads of options for how to punish the golfers on any given day, but at most you will face about a 160 yard shot – over a small pot bunker to the tiny portion of the green, of course. On front pin placements, short and right is a very acceptable miss as it could leave you with an uphill putt or chip from a closely mown area. The key to hitting it close here is being aware of a ridge running from the front to back of this green that will funnel your ball to the pin as long as you catch the correct side of it. For the tricky left pin, aim just right of the right edge of the bunker fronting the green then let the green funnel the ball down for a good look at birdie.

Remember that risk/reward comment? You’ve got a whole bunch of options on the next two holes, beginning with the super-fun Par 5 7th hole. This very reachable par 5 offers a huge landing area to the right off the tee for those so inclined, but better be short right or your ball will roll right through the fairway and into the woods making your conservative play quite penal. With the prevailing SW winds, I much prefer to take the drive right over the bunkers bordering the left side of the dogleg. It’s a 225 yard carry that plays shorter than it looks, and if you carry the ridge just beyond the bunker complex, you could be coming into this par 5 with a scoring iron in your hands. This green can be tricky with a back pin, but front pins are pretty straightforward.

On to number 8, a drivable par 4 that offers another risk/reward decision. Again, with the prevailing winds, I actually think what looks like the risky shot is actually the safe play, and that is a drive over the small lake directly at the green. Often, the pin is around 270 yards from the tee, and the carry over the lake is a hair over 200 yards. You can definitely bail out to the right with the routing of the fairway, but if you do, I recommend you leave the driver in the bag as there are bunkers very well placed to catch any errant shots. If you do find yourself in one of these fairway bunkers, you might as well kiss any chance at par goodbye, and you have likely made a cautious decision that cost you 2-3 strokes.

After a couple of great scoring chances, Thunderhawk slaps back hard on the long par 4 ninth hole. If you’ve got the shot, a hard, long, controlled draw that wraps right around the 150 barber pole is the best drive. For the other 99% of you, hit this drive as far as you can, or play it as a par 5. Wetlands guard the right side making a ballooning fade sure death. The left side is guarded by tall weeds followed by woods making a shorter shot left of the barber pole a nearly impossible approach shot, most of the time requiring a short chip into the fairway beyond the dogleg left. The approach shot is significantly up hill with woods bordering both sides of the fairway, and the large green well protected short and right by a handful of deep bunkers carved into a steep slope. Bogey is a good score here, and pars are great. If you are able to manage a birdie, you have taken a good amount of bite out of this course.

Make the turn to number 10 and take a breath. This is a pretty simple driving hole as any shot over 210 yards in the fairway will trundle down the hill and add 20-30 yards to your drive. 200 yards or so will even carry the bunker on the left. Don’t knock it too far left, however, or you’ll be hitting three from the tee. Back pin positions on this green can be a challenge as it slopes pretty severely from back to front and has a ridge separating the left and right halves, but relatively speaking, this is one of the easier holes on the course.

Take a good look from the par 5 eleventh tee, and hopefully you’ve read this review before playing it. Don’t be afraid of those bunkers on the left side of the fairway as the entire landing area right of the bunkers slopes hard left to right ad well struck shots will easily run all the way down to the weeds on the right side of the hole. It’s another 210 or so yard carry over the far right of the fairway bunkers and will leave you with a flatter lie and a fairly easy approach to any pin on the right 2/3 of the green. Even with an inaccessible left pin, this is still the best play as the green will always be in view. The green is pretty flat as these greens go, so once on, a two-putt is common.

The short par 4 twelfth offers options off the tee once again, but I like to think that a hybrid or fairway wood is the correct option. A pull hook off this tee is certain death, and the further right you hit it, the quicker you bring the short but thick line of trees into play. It is a short hole, so after a decent drive, you should be holding a comfortable iron or wedge in your hands. That is a good thing because this is a very long and contoured green making putting here a challenge once on the green.

Onto the long par 3 thirteenth hole, one which seems to give everybody fits. I’m not exactly sure why it plays so difficult, even at 200+ yards. Perhaps it is the narrowness of the peanut shaped green guarded on both sides by bunkers. If you miss right or left, you will be short sided regardless of where the pin is located. The best miss is simply short, and, of course, hitting the green is always the best option. This is another hole where par is a very good score.

Now onto the very short par 4 fourteenth hole that is not much of a challenge if you play it correctly. A solid 200 yard shot straight up the fairway will put you in great position to hit a very short club into this elevated green. What challenge this hole presents is in the contouring of the green along with the severe drop off fronting the green making short or heavily spinning shots roll down to that fun little tight lie straight up the slope. Just keep you head on the shots here, and you should score well.

The par 3 fifteenth is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Go ahead and take one extra club here no matter how you feel. I am pretty sure I’ve never seen anyone hit it past the pin off this tee despite its relatively short yardage. Everything rolls off the front and right into another fun collection area, so be long, be long, be long! Interesting note here…this hole features one of the most ridiculous forward tees I’ve ever seen. From this tee box, you really could putt the ball onto the green, and a bump and run is probably the most appropriate play. Pretty silly tee box for any ladies with even a reasonable amount of game. You’ll see it, and I think, agree with me on this one.

I have mixed feelings about the par 5 sixteenth hole. It is a beautiful hole, but visually confusing, and the final approach can be intimidating and confounding. Furthermore, nearby lives a

The Classic Accessories Fairway Golf Car Fleece Seat Cover is a comfortable addition to your golf car that protects new seats and renews the look of old seats. The seat cover’s fabric is made of cushioned non-slip fleece, and extends the life of your seats by protecting against dirt, sun damage, and wear. The covers are machine washable, and the elastic hem and strap system provides a custom fit. No tools are required for installation, and the cover fits most golf car seats i (more…)

Keep your equipment clean with the Wilson Golf Club Cleaning Kit. This kit has everything you need to keep your woods and irons looking like new. Includes club cleaning solvent, metal club polisher, grip enhancer spray, nylon brush for woods, nylon brush for irons, polishing cloth, and cleaning sponges.

Everything that is needed to keep golf clubs in top condition.

(more…)

The Wilson Bag Tag/Score Keeper is the perfect addition to your game. Eliminating the need for pencils and paper scorecards, this small device digitally records your score for all 18 holes and automatically calculates the total score when you advance to the next round. It is conveniently designed for hand-held use, but also features a clip, which can be attached to bag straps or belt loops. Plus, this score keeper doubles as a bag tag with space on the back to write identificati (more…)

Keep your eyes focused on one part of the ball.  Don’t watch your club as you swing.

Keep your focus on the ball and let everything else fade into the background.

Try to look down on the ball, rather than watching it at the end of the golf club.  Raising your shoulders is not going to help you see the ball more clearly.  If you will look down on the ball, you will get results that are more successful and you will not have a tendency to look up before the end of your swing.

Unfortunately, it is completely natural to look away when you begin to pull the club back.  Ignore the natural feeling and keep your eyes on the ball.

When you are looking down at the ball, you should notice that the only way you can keep the club head in the correct line of flight is to keep your hands moving parallel to the flight line.  Keep your hands in line with the club head when making contact with the ball.

It is very important to learn to watch the ball no matter what kind of shot you need to make.  It does not matter if the ball is in the long grass, the sand trap, on a slope, or anywhere else, the main thing is to see the ball completely so that you can hit it solidly and successfully.

There are not many golfers who stand still and keep their attention on the ball.  Many times, people will look at where they want the ball to go and then look at the ball.  Most golfers would be surprised to learn that they do not stand still and watch the ball.  The instant that you take your eye off the ball, you begin having problems.

Most golf mistakes are a result of a loss of concentration.  It you keep your focus on the ball, you will be able to hit the ball well.

To help your golf game, remind yourself to keep your eye on the ball for the entire swing.  You will find your golf game improving so much that your friends may be asking you for advice!

After missing what feels like a routine putt, many questions and doubts can race through your mind.  For example, you may remember the last time you had a similar shot -  you had the same stance, putter, and “feel” as you had today, but last time you made the shot easily.  What happened?

Putting is not a game of chance, but rather an exercise in both skill and mental ability.  There is one very common culprit as to why you may miss what ordinarily would be considered an “easy” shot:

Tension.

Concentrate on keeping your muscles relaxed while you are putting and your shots will become more and more accurate.

Stiff muscles only make it harder to putt.  Good putting takes complete muscle relaxation so that your movements are fluid.  Fluid movement gives you the freedom to make a good putt.  If you are trying to tense your body up to keep your balance, then you are guaranteed to have problems.

When you are not having problems putting, your confidence is increased and you are having free movement.  When you miss an easy putt, then you become tense and you try more carefully.  The more tense you become, the more freedom you lose and your putting goes down the drain.

You can change everything about your putting and try to copy every professional player imaginable, but it all hinges on you being relaxed.  Relax your muscles.  Be loose and free.  Pretend your muscles are like jelly.

Making a good shot is impossible if you are tense.  When you stiffen up from your face to your feet, you lose the freedom that you need to make a good shot.  You may make several shots this way, but there will come a time when all you will hit are bad shots.  You need to stay relaxed enough to fall down (but stay up).

If you will stay relaxed then your putt will improve, your confidence will rise, and you will be more relaxed for the entire golf game!

Are you looking for the magic key to putting?  RELAX!  Good putting hinges on this one very simple, yet easily overlooked key!

When you are just starting to play golf, you are frequently warned to not hit the ball too hard. Energy that is focused will make the ball go much further than a hard swing that does not make contact with the ball at the club’s center. When you are well balanced, you are more free to hit the ball correctly.

Keep your head still, with your eyes focused on the ball. The more still your head is, the better you will be able to see the ball. This helps to create the foundation for you to keep your balance. Any movement or distraction that hinders your balance will make it impossible to focus on the ball. It is imperative that you keep your head perfectly still and do not move it during your swing.

If you want to keep your balance, you need to relax your body and muscles. If you don’t relax, then your head is going to move.

If you will watch yourself in front of your mirror, you will soon realize that you need to relax your muscles for your head to stay still while you swing. No two golfers have the same build, so you will have to figure out some things for yourself. It is a necessity to begin by keeping your head in the same position from the beginning to end of your swing. If you keep your head still, you will be able to focus on the ball, and you will turn your hands at the right time.

You will be able to cure many of your problems just by keeping your head completely still. It will be impossible to incorrectly grip your club without losing your balance and moving your head.

If you don’t follow through correctly, you will not be able to keep your balance.

If you concentrate on your balance and keeping your head still, then you will not swing too hard or pull your club away. It will be impossible to put too much strength into your swing. You will be relaxed and will have a smooth swing and a successful finish.

Keeping your balance is necessary for you to enjoy a great game of golf. It will take time for you to see definite improvement, so be patient. Concentrate on keeping your balance and your head in one place and in no time you will be enjoying an excellent golf game that your friends will be envious of!

Amazon.com

Keep all your golf gear neatly arranged when traveling to South Carolina or other resort destinations with the Samsonite golf trunk organizer. The trunk–which is made of durable ripstop polyester with waterproof backing–offers two levels of storage, similar to the design of many jewelry boxes. The bottom level holds such items as shoes (up to three pairs) and ball sleeves, while the top level is perfect for storing shirts, pants, and other apparel. The trunk also in (more…)

So, why don’t we all just gather our things and move down south? OK, so, lots of Chicagoans actually do just that. There must be something keeping the rest of us here, though, right?

Something that we are blessed with here in the upper Midwest states is fertile land upon which to grow, without a doubt, the greatest grass on which to play golf. Yes, if you haven’t played on true bentgrass fairways and greens, then you need to take a trip up here. To top that off, Chicago features within an hour’s drive in every direction some of the greatest public golf courses in the country (and from what I’ve read and heard, quite a number of the private ones as well). Among my personal Top 5 are Pine Meadow, Thunderhawk, Cantigny, and Prairie Landing, but the crown jewel of public golf in Chicago has to be the famed fourth course at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club. Better known to the masses as “Dubsdread”, Cog Hill #4 is the current home of the FedEx Cup’s BMW Championship after having hosted the PGA Tour’s Western Open from 1991-2006.

Unfortunately, “Dubs” is also quite expensive to play relative to the other great public courses in the area, so it limits my rounds on the course to once every 2-3 years. In my four complete rounds at “Dubs” I have grown to enjoy the course more and more as one is prone to do as they become more familiar with the course and it loses some of that intimidation factor. Just prior to writing this review I shot an 84 on “Dubs”, my best round of my four on the course, and am currently an 8.4 handicap, so a very good score for me. This despite being marred by an awful start during which I went 7-over through the first four holes, including a par on the Par 3 2nd. With that said, don’t you dare ever pay more than $100 to play any of Bolingbrook Golf Course, The Glen Club, or Ruffled Feathers if you can get on “Dubs” instead…it might just be better than all three of those courses combined!

The round I just finished there was also my first at “Dubs” since they closed for the entire 2008 season while “The Open Doctor” Rees Jones undertook a fairly massive renovation project that took a once outstanding course into the realm of unbeatable. Most of the renovation was to make the course more playable after the frequent heavy rains that befall it during the summer months. All 18 greens were rebuilt over a new Sub-Air System which actually sucks the moisture from right underneath the green complex. It appeared to my group that this was working under the bunkers as well.

Three weeks prior to the round I completed, we tried to play, but only finished 7 holes before a long and torrential Memorial Day downpour halted us at the halfway house. Following a 90+ minute delay, most everyone packed it in, collected their rain checks and went home, but my buddy and I tried to wait it out. Though we attempted unsuccessfully to play the eighth hole before another wave of rain drenched us, we got right up to the green and realized that despite taking on about two inches of rain in 90 minutes, there wasn’t even the smallest of puddles on either the green or the 4 million bunkers that front the eighth hole…that is unprecedented drainage for the Chicago area, or perhaps anywhere.

Aside from the greens, Mr. Jones also added and/or deepened many of the fairway bunkers that give pause to anyone used to cutting off some of the corners out there. Being the absolute worst part of my game, the fairway bunkering was terrifying, apparently enough to keep me out of them on all but the first hole which I double bogeyed. On the 7th hole which had been arguably the easiest hole on the course, Rees went and dug a small lake on the inside of the dog leg right that now makes cutting the corner a tremendous risk.

The renovation also included the addition of several sets of tees, which along with a “Combo” course that uses different tees on different holes, allows for a much better dispersion of golfers to play a course fair to their ability. The course rating/slope for men stretches from 70.2/130 on the forward tees to a killer 77.8/151 from the tips and for women from 72.8/135 on the forward tees to an unbelievable 80.2/150 from the Blue tees with two unrated tees behind it (my foursome played these blue tees at 73.9/138 for us).

The greens fees for Cog Hill #4 are a flat $155 no matter the time of day or the season. This fee includes your 18 hole round, complementary range balls at a very nice facility just adjacent to the #4 course, and a golf cart with Laser Link distance finder. I stuck to my practice of walking when allowed as did Brad, but the other two took the cart (though with the Laser Link oddly absent).

I have now played this course four times (plus the additional 7 holes on Memorial Day) and have never played it without having to stop for at least a few minutes to let some heavy rain/thunder/lightning pass through. Coincidence? Probably, but I can’t help feeling a bit cursed. Alas, this past round was delayed by 45 minutes due to T-Storms, but we got underway in dry, but humid weather only to be delayed for another 45 minutes again after hitting our drives on 16. Disappointingly, Cog Hill has chosen not to install a lightning alarm system on their courses suggesting that all players may play at their own risk. Of course, some players being less sensible than others, this policy creates some odd and uncomfortable moments as groups change position as some take shelter and others play on. Not a big deal, but worth noting.

For the following course review, please note that I am describing how the course exists now, and will not take the words to describe every little change Rees Jones made during the renovation. If you’ve played this course before the renovation, suffice it to say, it got even better, and if you’ve never played it before, it won’t matter to you what changes were made. If you are really interested in the depth of the changes, click this link to view it in full.Also, any yardage and par references are from the Blue tees.

The first hole, while not the most challenging on the course, is also not one that eases you into your round. A long dog leg left, this 425 yard hole hardly even dares you to try to cut the corner as a plethora of deep fairway bunkers and trees block that path sufficiently well for the vast majority of us mortals. Following a safe drive in the fairway, you will probably be faced with a long iron or hybrid into a very well protected green which will slope from back to front and left to right on most pin placements. Bear in mind, however, that on almost every hole at “Dubs” different pins will create very different slopes, and there are very few places on the course where you can “bail out” long, short, left, or right…best to hit the green as often as you can. As bad as the bunkers appear, they are almost always better than missing the green into the lush rough growing along the steep sides of the green complexes. You will almost never get a greenside chip from either short grass or a flat lie, and the first is no exception.

The second hole can be played from an alternate hole I have never experienced, so if you have that chance, you’re on your own, though I would encourage you to come back and tell us about it. As you consider your club selection on the 182 yard Par 3 2nd hole, be aware that going long is just as bad as short, so choose your weapon wisely, aim for the center of the green and put a good smooth stroke on it. The only exception might be a back right pin placement where long won’t kill you.

For whatever reason, the Par 4 3rd, at a very manageable 407 yards is a nightmare for me. I’ve missed right, I’ve missed left, and I’ve 3-putted this green multiple times. There really isn’t that much to this hole. Sure, there are small water hazards off the right and left sides of the “landing area”, but they are small. The green can play difficult, but it isn’t the worst complex on the course, so don’t follow my lead…try to get yourself a par here while you still have some confidence (assuming you brought any of that to the course with you).

Side by side back and forth holes are not my thing, but Cog Hill handles them with grace. The fourth is a Par 4 of “only” 397 yards. Better to miss left back into the 3rd fairway than right into another small water hazard that simply eats golf balls. Even if you find your ball near said water hazard, you will be lucky to have a window through which to chip you approach through a stand a big old willow and oak trees. This is one of those greens that can present nightmares depending on the pin position, and another one where bailing out long is bad news.

Turning onto the fifth hole, hopefully you have maintained some sense of yourself, and haven’t let the course get into your head. This uphill 479 yard hole may or may not be a Par 5. It is listed as 4/5 on the card, but gives no indication of how that applies to different tees, gender, etc. Just to forewarn, I played it in four shots for a par/birdie which included a well struck driver followed by a well struck 3-wood, a chip from just in front of the green and a putt. We called it a par 5, though I guess what the par is doesn’t matter much when compiling your score. I do wish they would better clarify what the intent of the course is here.

The sixth hole is the longest, and arguably the most difficult Par 3 on the course (though I would give all four of them plenty of respect). If Cog Hill doesn’t allow you one thing, it’s a break on a Par 3. All four of them are over 180 to the center of the green, and all four have some very penal areas into which you can deposit any number of less than perfect shots. On the 194 yard sixth hole, best to take the extra club and hit the middle of the green. This green is enormous and has all kinds of tiers, but best to be on and bogey at worst. I hit my 3-Hybrid the last two times I played it and was on the back portion of the green.

The seventh, even with the added water hazard is still a little bit of a breather, though much less than in the past. At 385 yards, my advice is to forget about clearing the hazard, and just aim down the left side with your drive. This is a very challenging green with four “arms” to it. Even a middle pin isn’t a piece of cake as it will challenge your green reading skills to their fullest.

If you hadn’t already done so on four or seven, go ahead and leave the driver in the bag on the 341 yard eighth hole. Staying in the fairway is important here as you are going to have a blind shot over an army of bunkers fronting the green. This isn’t the deepest green on the course, and there is more trouble behind, so getting a ball to stick on the green is important to avoid making this hole more difficult than it needs to be.

Put on your marching shoes on number nine. At 586 yards, this is the longest hole on the course, and provides you a very narrow fairway upon which to focus with large trees on both sides of the hole. Don’t try to do too much here, though…you are not getting home in two, seriously. Hit the clubs that get you to a good manageable mid to short iron for your third shot, and make it count. This is a big green, but one of the flatter ones on the course. get your par, you can do it!

Number ten is a good birdie opportunity if you can keep anything from a long iron up to a driver right of the trees without getting into one of the many bunkers lining the right side of the fairway. At 353 yards, you don’t need more than 200 yards to get into a good approach position to this green.

Leave on the left side of the tenth green and head across the street to tee off on the reachable 547 yard Par 5 11th hole. Despite OB up the right side, that is where you’ll hit the ideal tee shot to have a chance to cut off the dog leg left and go for the green in two. If you simply don’t want to risk it, birdie is still very achievable after hitting a drive up the left. A solid layup will leave you with a short pitch shot to one of the bigger and flatter greens on the course.

I believe that the 194 yard Par 3 12th is where “Dubs” really begins taking on mythic status. This big downhill shot for an incredibly picturesque tee box at the height of the property makes you feel like you can’t miss this shot. Ah, but you certainly can. Settle down and pay attention because those bunkers down there are very deep, and going long of the green will get you absolutely nothing good. Enjoy the hole, but don’t pay it too much respect…it’s still a downhill Par 3.

The thirteenth hole begins a stretch of holes lasting back to the clubhouse where slicers must beware. The rest of the way into the house, the right side is bad news, and the 383 yard 13th is no exception. The length won’t kill you here, so hit a manageable club off the tee. Once you begin planning your approach, try to make a miss be long rather than short. Thought they have cleared away the tall fescue and weeds which once guarded the front, it is still a steep face of rough with a creek down in the ravine.

Climb your way up to the barn which stands guard over the 14th tee. This 184 yard Par 3 can cause some major fits of anguish even with shots finding the green, much less those finding one of the many greenside bunkers ringing this hole. It seems as though all shots on the green funnel to the back middle, so hope for a favorable pin, or putting could be an adventure.

At only 482 yards, the Par 5 15th hole is a great opportunity to get some strokes back…unless you are like me and choose to ignore the few gifts this course offers. A healthy shot in the fairway should set you up for a good attempt at reaching in two, but I witnessed several golfers try it on this hole with nary a one finding success as we waited out the rain next to the 15th green. Most of the trouble here is along the right side, so whether going for the green or laying up, stay to the left for the best outcome. Another big green with less contouring than most of the Cog Hill greens.

After some discussion on the matter, our group seemed to agree that the Par 4 16th, a dog leg left measuring 381 yards, might just be the most memorable and beautiful holes on this course which would put it pretty high up there on most “best holes in America” list. The tee sits up high over the fairway with a forest of trees blocking the view of the last 100 or so yards of fairway and the green. Once down in the fairway, you are shooting to a very elevated green guarded by deep bunkers front right and left, while shots hit long and left will careen down a steep hill leaving a ridiculously difficult recovery attempt. The green along with the rest of the hole slopes from left to right, but is surprisingly flat on the back portion. Simply a great hole that will challenge the best of golfers, but rewards good shots in kind.

The seventeenth suffers somewhat due to the fact that it is wedged between the 16th and 18th in terms of beauty, challenge, and memorability, but I would advise you to not take it too lightly. At 399 yards, this Par 4 features a slight dog leg to the right, with an open entry to the green on the front left side. If you are going to miss right off the tee, it better be WAY right as balls finding the 16th fairway you just finished will have a much better chance of finding the green than anything remotely close to the trees that separate the two holes. The 17th green is another enormous one, with subtle breaks throughout. This hole plays a lot harder than it looks.

The eighteenth tee will likely have you feeling a combination of relief and remorse. You probably have shot several strokes more than you normally do, but have that nagging feeling of desire to simply head back over to #1 and start again. This extremely difficult finishing hole still has plans for you, however, so snap out of it! This 431 yard monster of a Par 4, snakes around some maintenance buildings on the right side, with bunkers and willow trees standing guard there as well. The green sits perilously close to a large lake that you will immediately recognize from seeing it so often on television. What better way to finish your round than striping a long iron or hybrid through an opening to the green mere feet from a watery grave? If you, like me, can walk away with part here, enjoy the smile because you deserve it.

Cog Hill #4 is an absolute masterpiece and should be on everyone’s must play list. This is a course worth traveling to play. I guarantee that if you have the means or the method to scratch up the $155 to play the course, by all means, take your shot. The conditioning of the course is as good as anywhere you’ve ever played, the service, while not uber-friendly, is acceptable, the practice areas are outstanding, and the course is challenging, long, and imminently fair for what it is. Try not to come with lofty expectations, but more to enjoy the experience…heck, maybe that approach will even help you play a great round! “Dubsdread” is definitely back at the top of my list of Chicago’s public courses, and I’m guessing it’ll top your list as well.

Finally, a moment of marketing for Cog Hill and the Jemsek family. This renovation was clearly done with a U.S. Open in mind, and in no way did it fail to meet those goals. I have played on Bethpage Black, and as great as it is, “Dubsdread” is every bit its equal…maybe better. Cog Hill is ready for a major championship, can easily accommodate the crowds, and will provide the pros every bit of challenge they need to face in an Open. I know those spots book up fast, but the USGA was onto something when they brought the Open to a public facility. There is something very special about the fact that anyone with the means necessary can head to Bethpage for a round on an Open course, and “Dubs” would be just the same. So, despite their stature, let’s put Shinnecock, Pinehurst, and Oakmont on the shelf for a rotation, and bring the Championship to Cog Hill!

The Wilson Ultimate Club Brush includes three different types of brushes with different uses. The curved nylon brush can be used to clean grips, the straight nylon brush can clean wood faces, and the metal brush can be used to clean iron faces. Rubberized touch points and surface grips make this brush one of the most comfortable club cleaning tools you can use. A great gift for your favorite golfer.

The Ultimate Club Brush includes three different types of (more…)