Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round 3)

[mci711]

How is Piper Glen in central Ill? One of the few courses I haven't played between Chicago and Stl. Going this weekend. Weather looks terrible, so not a great start 😂

[geochitown]

Email out tonight about Maple Meadows master plan open house Oct 25

 

The re-routing of the holes is a great idea

 

https://www.dupageforest.org/what-we-do/projects/maple-meadows

[taylorx300]

Played Bull Valley this morning. Frost delay till 9 with a real feel temp of 41 when we started. Lost the jacket by the 6th hole ( made a double with two penalties ) and lost the 1/4 zip on the 10th. Ended up being a very nice day. Played like garbage since the last round was the Senior Am a month ago. 88 with 4 ob’s from 7,000.

Guess it could have been worse.

Not sure I’m done for the year since my 3 new custom MG4 wedges showed up today.

[Quem24]

55 minutes ago, geochitown said:

Email out tonight about Maple Meadows master plan open house Oct 25

 

The re-routing of the holes is a great idea

 

https://www.dupageforest.org/what-we-do/projects/maple-meadows

You think?

 

So 1/2/3 become 7/8/9 and you play the latter in reverse of how 1-3 are currently.

 

Instead of a silly gap between 3 and 4 there's a silly gap between 6 and 7.

Strange gap between practice greens remains.

 

Still no range.

 

Back 9 is the same.

 

Halfway house is a nice addition since 9 ends on the other side I guess, and you don't have to cross a street to get to 1...which is nice.

 

Clubhouse re-design would be nice since the bar section looks 60 years old and not 30.

 

I suppose it's fine, but I'm far from excited.  Would prefer they go rogue and make the "golf course maintenance" building on the other side some type of badass halfway house as opposed to forcing the 9th to return towards the clubhouse, if the road has to be crossed anyway (don't necessarily expect that to be a popular opinion).
 

In a vacuum the plan recommendation on those pages seem strong, but a second look makes me think they are fluffy.  Glad they are honest about enjoying the $$$ they've made since COVID (indirectly) at least.

[@_the_crook]

22 hours ago, geochitown said:

Email out tonight about Maple Meadows master plan open house Oct 25

 

The re-routing of the holes is a great idea

 

https://www.dupageforest.org/what-we-do/projects/maple-meadows

proposed #2 is a short par3....wonder how that will back things up when they're busy.

I recall the horrors of Deerfield's #3 on weekend mornings.

you had time for breakfast waiting there if you weren't the first two groups out.

[chisag]

9 minutes ago, @_the_crook said:

proposed #2 is a short par3....wonder how that will back things up when they're busy.

I recall the horrors of Deerfield's #3 on weekend mornings.

you had time for breakfast waiting there if you weren't the first two groups out.

 

 

... Legacy is a pretty decent course here and worth playing if you can't find a tee time on something better. It had a typical opening resort hole with a very wide fairway and a bunker on the left side almost out of play and only 358yds to start your round off with a very forgiving hole. But the 2nd was a difficult short par 3 that backed up play. Some genius came up with the bright idea of switching the 9's. So now the opening hole is a much tighter driving hole, with deep lipped bunkers on both sides and the fairway slopes into them with OB right and desert on the left. So now the backup happens on the first hole. 🙄

[geochitown]

24 minutes ago, @_the_crook said:

proposed #2 is a short par3....wonder how that will back things up when they're busy.

I recall the horrors of Deerfield's #3 on weekend mornings.

you had time for breakfast waiting there if you weren't the first two groups out.

well the existing routine had a mid length par 3 as the second hole, so maybe not much worse, but not ideal

 

I think I’ve played there at MM maybe twice or three times 

 

There is a survey there if you guys want to give your input, which is good

 

I’ve moved to the Tetons so my posts should be viewed as nostalgic longing

 

Fewer courses here, but a lot less people 

 

 

 

[@_the_crook]

2 minutes ago, geochitown said:

I’ve moved to the Tetons so my posts should be viewed as nostalgic longing

 

Fewer courses here, but a lot less people 

 

 

 

all the best to you in your new location.

 

[geochitown]

30 minutes ago, @_the_crook said:

all the best to you in your new location.

 

thank you

[MountainKing]

On 10/12/2023 at 7:08 PM, @_the_crook said:

proposed #2 is a short par3....wonder how that will back things up when they're busy.

I recall the horrors of Deerfield's #3 on weekend mornings.

you had time for breakfast waiting there if you weren't the first two groups out.

 

The existing routing has a short par 3 as the second.  Rounds never seem to be quick at MM, maybe the new routing will help it slightly?   I sort of like what I see, front 9 routing looks better, some slight changes to 12 and 14, both which need it.  Looking forward to seeing some of the more minor changes, but otherwise until that apartment complex can be torn down, it's going to be hard to make the course attractive. 

 

First weekend since March with no golf.   Hate this time of year.

[@_the_crook]

30 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

First weekend since March with no golf.   Hate this time of year.

 

I'm not normally home on Saturday mornings, still woke at 4:30 and was thisclose to going out.

them I remembered what rain, wind and 45 degrees feels like.  and that was that.

 

friends were to play the Chili Open today at Shepherd's. kind of glad I passed on that invitation.

I dislike that course when it's waterlogged. .

 

 

 

[MountainKing]

8 minutes ago, @_the_crook said:

 

I'm not normally home on Saturday mornings, still woke at 4:30 and was thisclose to going out.

them I remembered what rain, wind and 45 degrees feels like.  and that was that.

 

friends were to play the Chili Open today at Shepherd's. kind of glad I passed on that invitation.

I dislike that course when it's waterlogged. .

 

 

 

 

I'm playing in Lost Marsh's chili next weekend.  I'm praying it's not like this next weekend.

 

[@_the_crook]

3 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

 

I'm playing in Lost Marsh's chili next weekend.  I'm praying it's not like this next weekend.

 

you'll be fine I'm sure.

 

what could go wrong with a large number of impatient golfers on a rainy morning??

 

 

[MountainKing]

5 minutes ago, @_the_crook said:

you'll be fine I'm sure.

 

what could go wrong with a large number of impatient golfers on a rainy morning??

 

 

 

I'm more worried about what could go wrong later with unlimited dogs and chilli

[Argonne69]

Maple Meadows really should flip the nines. The 18th is such an awful finishing hole. 

 

The current 4th could become #10. The current #1 would become the 16th, and the current 3rd would be the finishing hole. Don't really like finishing on a short 4, but it's so much better than the current 18th. 

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by Argonne69

[Shriner]

16 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Maple Meadows really should flip the nines. The 18th is such an awful finishing hole. 

 

The current 4th could become #10. The current #1 would become the 16th, and the current 3rd would be the finishing hole. Don't really like finishing on a short 4, but it's so much better than the current 18th. 

 

 

I live close by and play it a decent amount.  The problem is nobody knows what the 9th and 18th are since they rotate the two nines 😉 That said, it is the same guy who redid Oak Meadows which turned out amazing so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

[Quem24]

I know when y’all see a new post you are hoping it’s for a Settlers Hill Review, so here ya go!

 

After not convincing anybody in my regular or extended golfing group to head out today (I love this weather), I ended up going it alone.

 

Called over to settlers about 345pm and to make sure they were open. He said cart path only (which I ended up very loosely following as darkness was a factor, almost always walk when alone but as a high handicap I can’t play as fast); open, carts due in by 630. I didn’t have many options after leaving my parents house in North Aurora after the Bears shitshow, so why not try and speed golf this one, after all, it’s only 5 minutes from my house…
 

My expectations?  3/10. Held out some hope that the remodel was better than I’d seen posted about, here and elsewhere. 
 

I only played once pre remodel and didn't remember a lot, just that it was among the top 5 worst “regular” courses in Chicagoland that I’d played, if not THE worst. 
 

My expectations were met.

 

The good-  The cart paths were pristine!  I assume those were redone. The one sand trap I was in was also perfect. Buzz, working the clubhouse was polite and personable. 
 

That’s about where the good ends. 
 

Impossible to sugarcoat this, what a condition disaster. 
 

Fairways were the worst I’ve played all year (not close). Greens were slightly below average at best and awful at worst. At least they sort of rolled true? To say the tee boxes were chewed up would be all sorts of polite. 
 

There was a fairway / rough differential so…the fairways were cut. Nice?

 

Ground under repair on multiple holes. Tee boxes closed off with “Use the mats” instruction (you just remodeled…). The 1st hole is now the 18th…could you bother to move the “Rules of the course” sign off what is now the 18th tee box?  Zero clubhouse change. Minimal layout change, but the layout actually is not THAT bad I suppose. 
 

Such a shame. Area is starving for a decent course. Instead, we have Prairie Landing and...Hughes Creek, Tanna Farms, this, and, I guess orchard valley is decent. 

 

If they could have gotten this right it had a lot of potential but instead we got a layout change and new cart paths.  
 

I can confidently say I won’t be back, ever, though time heals all wounds and I can see myself wanting to cram in a round before sunset in the fall in the future, I guess.

 

Too bad. 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Quem24

[Jc0]

On 10/14/2023 at 5:40 PM, Argonne69 said:

Maple Meadows really should flip the nines. The 18th is such an awful finishing hole. 

 

The current 4th could become #10. The current #1 would become the 16th, and the current 3rd would be the finishing hole. Don't really like finishing on a short 4, but it's so much better than the current 18th. 

 

 

18 would probably be better if they made it shorter. Make it a driveable par 4 to end the round. Its got the right kind of setup for it. 3 isn't any better, it's only like 10 yards longer. 

 

If you really want to screw with it, flip the 9s, make 7 10, and make 6 18. Nothing like ending your round with a 450 uphill par 4. 

[MountainKing]

On 10/14/2023 at 5:40 PM, Argonne69 said:

Maple Meadows really should flip the nines. The 18th is such an awful finishing hole. 

 

The current 4th could become #10. The current #1 would become the 16th, and the current 3rd would be the finishing hole. Don't really like finishing on a short 4, but it's so much better than the current 18th. 

 

 

It looks like based on the drawing they might spruce it up a little bit, but yeah there's only so much you can do with it.  With the proposed new design I think you're right with the flip, ending on what will now be a par 5 would be a much better finish. 

[MountainKing]

10 hours ago, Jc0 said:

 

18 would probably be better if they made it shorter. Make it a driveable par 4 to end the round. Its got the right kind of setup for it. 3 isn't any better, it's only like 10 yards longer. 

 

If you really want to screw with it, flip the 9s, make 7 10, and make 6 18. Nothing like ending your round with a 450 uphill par 4. 

 

I had that thought as well, 18 is a weird length for the type of hole it is.  Hole 3 I think is the same length from the back tees, but it's more a target golf style hole.   18 is too long to drive, but with a fairway being miles wide driver is the play.  I don't like the idea of a drivable par 4 as the 18th, but it would improve the hole.

[ldchristopher]

19 hours ago, Quem24 said:

 

Such a shame. Area is starving for a decent course. Instead, we have Prairie Landing and...Hughes Creek, Tanna Farms, this, and, I guess orchard valley is decent. 

 

Whoa! No love for MILF Creek? Don’t answer that. The MILF is the worst of the bunch. Though it sounds like SH is giving them a run for that title. 

[geochitown]

On 10/16/2023 at 7:29 AM, MountainKing said:

 

I had that thought as well, 18 is a weird length for the type of hole it is.  Hole 3 I think is the same length from the back tees, but it's more a target golf style hole.   18 is too long to drive, but with a fairway being miles wide driver is the play.  I don't like the idea of a drivable par 4 as the 18th, but it would improve the hole.

 

The reason the 18th hole is an odd length is because the hole was shortened to accommodate the Maple Meadows clubhouse.  The original design of 18 as part of Brookwood CC was a longer par 4 that took up the entire available footprint without the clubhouse.  The original Brookwood clubhouse was on the other side (east side) of Addison Rd, I believe.

 

My late dad played there once in a while with an equipment rep who had a membership there, and I remember him lamenting how lame the 18th was at Maple Meadows as a result of the MM Clubhouse addition.

Edited October 17, 2023 by geochitown

[geochitown]

5 minutes ago, geochitown said:

 

The reason the 18th hole is an odd length is because the hole was shortened to accommodate the Maple Meadows clubhouse.  The original design of 18 as part of Brookwood CC was a longer par 4 that took up the entire available footprint without the clubhouse.  The original Brookwood clubhouse was on the other side (east side) of Addison Rd, I believe.

 

My late dad played there once in a while with an equipment rep who had a membership there, and I remember him lamenting how lame the 18th was at Maple Meadows as a result of the MM Clubhouse addition.

Youncan see this on google earth by looking at the 1993 aerials

[Holy Moses]

On 10/15/2023 at 8:43 PM, Quem24 said:

I know when y’all see a new post you are hoping it’s for a Settlers Hill Review, so here ya go!

 

After not convincing anybody in my regular or extended golfing group to head out today (I love this weather), I ended up going it alone.

 

Called over to settlers about 345pm and to make sure they were open. He said cart path only (which I ended up very loosely following as darkness was a factor, almost always walk when alone but as a high handicap I can’t play as fast); open, carts due in by 630. I didn’t have many options after leaving my parents house in North Aurora after the Bears shitshow, so why not try and speed golf this one, after all, it’s only 5 minutes from my house…
 

My expectations?  3/10. Held out some hope that the remodel was better than I’d seen posted about, here and elsewhere. 
 

I only played once pre remodel and didn't remember a lot, just that it was among the top 5 worst “regular” courses in Chicagoland that I’d played, if not THE worst. 
 

My expectations were met.

 

The good-  The cart paths were pristine!  I assume those were redone. The one sand trap I was in was also perfect. Buzz, working the clubhouse was polite and personable. 
 

That’s about where the good ends. 
 

Impossible to sugarcoat this, what a condition disaster. 
 

Fairways were the worst I’ve played all year (not close). Greens were slightly below average at best and awful at worst. At least they sort of rolled true? To say the tee boxes were chewed up would be all sorts of polite. 
 

There was a fairway / rough differential so…the fairways were cut. Nice?

 

Ground under repair on multiple holes. Tee boxes closed off with “Use the mats” instruction (you just remodeled…). The 1st hole is now the 18th…could you bother to move the “Rules of the course” sign off what is now the 18th tee box?  Zero clubhouse change. Minimal layout change, but the layout actually is not THAT bad I suppose. 
 

Such a shame. Area is starving for a decent course. Instead, we have Prairie Landing and...Hughes Creek, Tanna Farms, this, and, I guess orchard valley is decent. 

 

If they could have gotten this right it had a lot of potential but instead we got a layout change and new cart paths.  
 

I can confidently say I won’t be back, ever, though time heals all wounds and I can see myself wanting to cram in a round before sunset in the fall in the future, I guess.

 

Too bad. 

I talked to the former super there who quit in the middle of the grow-in after the renovation because he said the company that was doing it was terrible. Tons of rocky soil was used and the grow-in wasn’t timed right. He knew it would be a disaster. 
 

That’s too bad because I think the course would be above average if conditions were better.

[DavePelz4]

10 hours ago, Holy Moses said:

I talked to the former super there who quit in the middle of the grow-in after the renovation because he said the company that was doing it was terrible. Tons of rocky soil was used and the grow-in wasn’t timed right. He knew it would be a disaster. 
 

That’s too bad because I think the course would be above average if conditions were better.

 

Wasn't SH redone by Greg Martin? He's normally pretty decent although it seems he didn't do enough at The Preserve to handle all the potential water issues.  It's not a bad piece of property at all with some elevation changes, the wooded areas, water, etc.

[Scratch2Plus]

Played White Pines yesterday. I haven’t played there in about 25 years. What a nice surprise. Course was in really

good shape and it’s only 10 minutes from work.

Schaumburg this morning! 

[geochitown]

2 hours ago, DavePelz4 said:

 

Wasn't SH redone by Greg Martin? He's normally pretty decent although it seems he didn't do enough at The Preserve to handle all the potential water issues.  It's not a bad piece of property at all with some elevation changes, the wooded areas, water, etc.

it was

 

i think this was a failure because of an inexperienced Kane County Forest presrve project team and the decisions made by that group.

 

the architect can only do so much

 

look at DuPage county forest preserve and their golf projects 

 

night and day 

 

 

 

 

[@_the_crook]

11 hours ago, geochitown said:

it was

 

i think this was a failure because of an inexperienced Kane County Forest presrve project team and the decisions made by that group.

 

the architect can only do so much

 

look at DuPage county forest preserve and their golf projects 

 

night and day 

 

 

 

 

makes sense. the designer brings a good plan forward and the powers that be try to skimp a bit here and there.

 

"look how much money we saved!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MountainKing]

21 hours ago, geochitown said:

it was

 

i think this was a failure because of an inexperienced Kane County Forest presrve project team and the decisions made by that group.

 

the architect can only do so much

 

look at DuPage county forest preserve and their golf projects 

 

night and day 

 

 

 

 

 

So little was done to the course I feel like they went to Greg and asked if he had a 4 hole package.  It's a mess, back from my visit int he spring it looks like they just need to rip it all up and start over.

[geochitown]

It’s a miracle that the Settlers Hill project happened at all, with all of the delays, etc

 

they added a driving range and a 4 hole junior course 

 

i think

the scope was never going to be able to address the big issues there, but the fact that they botched the grow in so badly is a travesty