Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[DavePelz4]

Last night I made the weekly pilgrimage to the range at Bolingbrook to work on a couple of things and prepare for this week's event with our group. Hitting balls for about 45 minutes and they're by the markers which separate you from the next person. A man and woman, presumable husband and wife, take the two spots next to me. The "gentleman" hits a shot, turns, then takes his club and rakes a ball from my pile, which is clearly on the inside of the hitting area I'm using. I thought I was dreaming so I hit another shot as he did and he again rakes a ball from my pile.

I politely asked what he was doing and he responds "It doesn't look like you're going to use those balls so I will." I suggested he use his extra large bucket of balls first and if I had any left, he was welcome to them after I was done.

He hits another shot, rakes another ball.

Politely, I said "Sir, what in the Cheese Whiz (yes I said Cheese Whiz) are you doing?" He turns to his wife and says something in a non-English language, they turn back to me and both laugh. He doesn't respond. I moved the balls a bit further from him, just to try and make it clear but it didn't work. He continued until the pile of balls was depleted so I packed up and started to leave.

As I walk away he yells, "Thanks for the balls" and laughs.

SMH.

[AUTIGER07]

You’re a far better person than I am. I would have “inadvertantly” shanked a 4i right up that guys ass.

[stasek]

What da faq is wrong with people! You sir are a gentleman and a scholar.... I'm 100% sure it would have ended differently had he done it to me.

[VNutz]

Should have told him his wife was welcome to your balls but not him.

[propman]

I go the bolingbrook driving range alot. If I may ask, what did this clown look like. Would like to know so I can avoid him.

 

You can pm me if you feel more comfortable.

 

Thanks

[chrisf60526]

I have never heard of this. So the guy reaches in to your area and use your balls? Are these balls you paid for?

[Argonne69]

Lovely morning at Coyote Run. A wider course is just what the doctor ordered. The course was in fine shape, with the greens rolling 10 or so. Pace was OK at 4:15. With 10 minute tee times, is there any reason to be behind at 9 am? Yes, I only teed off 10 minutes behind my scheduled time, but you know something is amiss when 10 minute groupings can't get going without holding things up. Also, when I looked at the tee sheet early this morning it looked solid. However, they managed to send a twosome out behind us, and another twosome behind them. Why not pair them together so the twosome isn't on our tails the entire round? The twosome did manage to hit into us on the short par four 4th. We were standing on the green when a ball landed no more than 12 feet from the pin. No fore. No nothing. Now, for some odd reason I happened to be in a very good mood this morning, so when the two pulled up and started to apologize, my first words were "Great drive. Now you had better make that eagle putt." They were very sorry, but I reminded them that a shout out would be nice. Of course the young guy missed the eagle putt.

Solid round with no birdies, two bogies, and one double. A few great shots. A few not so great, often on the same hole. We had a 15 minute wait on the 7th tee, but I still managed to hit one of my best drives ever on the hole, leaving me 125 into the green. The group ahead was struggling around the green, as was the three guys I was playing with. With two groups now on the tee behind me, I felt rushed when it was finally my turn to hit, and I was standing a little to close to my ball. Ugh. Shank city into the PA. So much for a good drive.

[jcook10]

Most people talk about the 60 yard bunker shot or the short side over a bunker pitch as the hardest shots in golf but for us non-professionals I reckon the wait for a par 5 you think you can reach with the group on the tee and the tee shot with a group pulling up as the hardest shots in golf. Tough situation Arg.

[DavePelz4]

Yep. And you'd think that after moving them further away he'd get the hint but no.

[Shriner]

Stonewall was perfect as always yesterday. Felt bad for the guy that got taken by an ambulance due to an allergic reaction to a bee sting, kind of scary. Tee boxes, fairways and rough were literally perfect. The greens had some imperfections but it has been really hot. Starter said they were rolling at 14, lol. These were definitely not 14 even downhill with a tailwind, but the guy was funny. Much better starter than old grumpy at Schaumburg, thats for sure!

 

I survived hole 5 with a bogey, I will take that every time. Instead, #18 got me. This is what makes Stonewall such a great course. I hit nothing but driver or 3 wood off every par 4 or par 5. I had one birdie, then all pars or bogeys and did not miss a drive all day. Get to 18 and suffer first miss, let it leak to the right which is a no-no on that hole. Trees in the way and my punch shot hits a tree and goes straight backwards. Triple bogey to finish, whoops! Good shots are rewarded and bad shots are penalized, I deserved that one.

 

For $55, I questioned why I dont play every other round here. Such a perfect course, definitely does not feel like 7150 yards because the yardage is spread out pretty evenly between the holes. The 493 yd par 4 11th plays a little shorter if you cut the hole off on the left. Alot of options to play some of those holes...

[TheBear95]

That's just plain nutty. Stealing and doing it right in front of you (not sure that's better or worse). Crazy stuff. I do hope that guy and his wife get struck by lightning when they are on the course next. Some people, blank them.

[Argonne69]

Golfweek's Best in State list for 2020 just came to out. Congrats to HoE for rising to #3 in Illinois. Don't agree with the ranking, but it's all so subjective.
Not sure how Weaver Ridge continues to make the list (#12). Conditions have been poor for some time.
'Curious if Blackstone will ever make the list. @zer0, have you been ballot stuffing? Lol. Definitely love Lawsonia Links, but no way it ranks ahead of Erin Hills and the Irish course on the Wisconsin list.

[St Jimmy]

 

 

Definitely worse.

 

That would've ended badly for one of us if I was put in that situation.

Kudos Dave for being a bigger man than I.

[TheBear95]

Weaver Ridge has new ownership, so perhaps the conditions have improved. LD and I were thinking about going down there a few weeks ago, but alas, the weather was poor in Peoria.

[mci711]

Same people that own Metamora bought it and that place has never been anything but great conditioning for me. Hopefully weaver follows suit because its one of the most unique and fun layouts in Illinois.

[ldchristopher]

Brighton Dale White Birch tomorrow. I like White B!tch but it’s the more difficult of the two 18 hole courses there. I can get away with missing fairways on Blue Spruce but need to tighten things up for the White course.

[ldchristopher]

Fun round this morning at Brighton Dale White Birch. The greens were in excellent shape and the bunker renovation they did last year has really paid off. What was once either junky clay or hard pan is now very grainy with plenty of sand in every bunker. However, the fairways were awful. I don't know if they had a fungus or just didn't recover from when the course baked out earlier in the summer when we had an extended stretch with no rainfall but there were dead spots everywhere. They tried to aerate in a few really bad spots but that was definitely a case of too little too late. It reminded me of when courses got hit with the dollar spot fungus a couple of years ago.

My ball striking was a little off but my putter was bailing me out early. My putter cooled off a bit as the round progressed and I was just too loose with my driver and irons. I birdied 10 but had a bunch of bogies en route to a 77. The Kenosha County Open this is weekend but none of the pins were in especially tricky spots or anything. I'm assuming they'll make them more challenging on Sunday.

[AUTIGER07]

Worst round in 10+ years this morning at HoE. Shot an 83 with 11 bogeys. Only hit 2 fairways, 8 greens, and had 6 3-putts (38 total). Actually had 22 total putts on the back 9 to boot. Driver, woods, irons, wedges, and the putter all sucked. One of those days you just take your beating, laugh it off, and move on.

The course was in great shape and was solid tee to green. Green speed was good and I would guess running in the 10 range; could be 40 though when downwind and downhill. Only negative was the pace of play. Just over 4 1/2 hours but it took awhile for the staff to notify the slow group to pick it up.

[Shriner]

Settler's Hill yesterday and it was pretty awful. Would not recommend playing here to anyone who is a serious golfer. We booked late and could not find an opening at any other course, so it goes...

 

Dead grass in fairways and on greens. The ball does not run true on the greens, it was actually interesting to see the ball plinko towards the hole. Two blind tee shots....on par 3's...lol. The layout is awful, I knew that going in though. I'll need to play again soon to get this out of my mind.

[DavePelz4]

Our group had an event at Schaumburg yesterday. First time playing the new Tournament 9. Enjoyed the redesign and think they did a really nice job with the layout, repositioning greens, building new greens etc. The conditions though were not very good. The fairways were so over watered that they were patchy in spots, some weeds and I plugged at least 4 drives and backed up a few and played mud balls to the green. The rough was at least 4 inches thick in spots and I had two shots that I barely got a club on and barely advanced those shots 25 yards. As you'd imagine with new greens, they were firm and not very receptive. It's also shocking that in a week of play that there were so many unfixed ball marks on the greens. I can't wrap my head around people not respecting the course and fixing a mark.

 

Have to share one of the rudest things I've ever seen in all my years of golfing and poor leadership by the starter. Walking from the 5th green to the par 3 6th tee, you pass the first hole of the Baer Course. We watched and listened as this young man who was with a friend, were paired with a husband and wife couple. The young man says to the couple that his Dad and sister were going to play so they'd be going off at their scheduled 11:15 tee time and the couple could go after them. He was the first to tee off and hit his drive about 47 yards. Not sure who was more wrong here, the young brash man or the starter for not taking action. I felt bad for the couple as they were in for a really slow round.

[Argonne69]

As a single golfer who's had more than my share of playing partners show up with more than their reserved number of players on a busy weekend morning, there should be a special level of h-ll reserved for them. If you think you're going to be playing with four, then book four a-- munch. If not then expect to get in the back of the line and wait for the first opening for four. FFS.

 

[Dashfast]

Playing Deerfield on Tues and Mt Prospect on Thurs. Any pro tips?

[mci711]

I play Evanston Golf Club a few times a year, tonight was the first time this year. They've done a tone of work and have really brought out the Donald Ross in it. I know we don't talk a ton about private courses here but I love the changes. Dozens of trees were removed and it really opened up the course. A lot of the greens had work to make them more "table top" with run offs on all sides. Was in great shape. They've done a really good job with the mini facelift. I also thought it was cool that they had the green speed posted with the cart rule and pin position. Running a solid 11 today.

[ME27]

Played preserve at oak meadows today for the first time. Nice course with some tough holes. Played even par for 14 of the holes and had a four hole stretch where I was 5 over. Got myself in some trouble from hitting the wrong clubs on tee shots having never played the course before. All in all solid round of 77.

[VNutz]

Schaumburg this weekend, first time back on Tournament since my ace last year, and the green I got it on has been changed completely, that hole location would now be in a bunker. Go figure. As @DavePelz4 mentioned we were surprised on the 2nd hole to be fixing additional ball marks, only 1 week into the course being open. People are just clueless Additionally there were several spots where the fairway grass hadn't come in fully yet or was burned out. Nothing terrible just a little surprising to see on the first week, stuff that a little extra attention from the crew would fix. That said I enjoyed the redesign, felt it made certain holes more enjoyable, but at the same time didn't drastically change the course.

But there's something to that place that eats me up at times, and Saturday was no different. I went back through my shots and realized that aside from par 3s, I used more than wedge just 3 times on the round, and still shot poorly. I generally like to think I've got a pretty good short game, but that place makes me feel otherwise. Greens were firm and fast and I felt like I put myself in the wrong spot every time with putts up and over ridges. When I missed the green I couldn't get up and down for my life until the end. When you've got wedge in hand that much I'd expect to score significantly better, but not so much this time.

[zer0]

ha, thanks for posting. Didn't know the list was out. And shame on you Arg, you obviously don't love LL enough if you're gonna post such garbage about it being worse than EH or the Irish. If anything, they have LL too low at #4. It never played Mamoth so I can't comment on that, but LL is a MUCH better course than that overrated shithole leading the way in Kohler. Is it better than SV? I'd say yes, but I only played SV one time so I would have to play it more to really give an opinion.

 

EH is very overrated. Their greens are garbage compared to LL. Are their greens even as good as Wash County???

 

IMO it should be #1. I personally would have it #1 in the entire country. I honestly believe it is the most perfect golf course I've ever played.

 

Kills me that we sold our house in Green Lake last fall and I had to give up my membership this year :(

 

 

[mci711]

I was going to make the joke that Links should be the #1 course in the country before getting to your line actually saying it should be #1 in the country. This reads like parody, but I think you are serious?

[zer0]

 

100% serious. I think it's the most perfect golf course I've ever played. That feeling comes with playing it 20x per year over a long period of time. The more you get to know the place the more you realize how magical it is.

It's also the only USA public top 100 course that's under $100 to play.

[DavePelz4]

One has to wonder if the people who put this list together have ever played golf in IL.

[Argonne69]

Mostly pleasant morning at Maple Meadows. A little muggy for my liking, but the breeze helped to keep things tolerable. After last night's rain I was expecting wet conditions, but it was in fine shape. Bunkers looked like they were groomed early this morning. 'Nice. Unfortunately the greens on the back nine were punched with small tines. What's with that? They did that a few weeks ago. 'Must be dealing with some turf conditions. The pace was excellent. I joined a twosome, and we got out in front of the league play, so we had a wide open course in front of us.

Horrible front nine. Only managed two fairways, and three greens. The driver continues to play havoc with my game. I did finally hit a solid tee shot on the 8th, but of course the crosswind carried the beautiful fade right into the pond. Grrrr. The back was much better, but the damage was already done. Highlight of the day was my drive on the long par 4 15th. With a helping wind I wound up with just a nine iron in my hand. 'Don't remember ever doing that before. Of course I followed up the best shot of the day with one of the worst when I pulled the 9i into the left front bunker. Doh. That was followed by the 2nd best shot of the day when I splashed out a mid length bunker shot to within two feet of the pin to save par. The snap hook on the next teebox continued the on/off pattern. Lol.

I'll be visiting Cary CC for the first time tomorrow. Wasn't the place private for years?