Iamdiesel18

This is an update to a previous review I wrote a few years ago. The course itself has remained unchanged. The first hole eases you into the round. The second tee shot is welcoming. And then? I hope you are warmed up and ready for a challenge for the rest of the round.

The conditioning of the course is maybe the best I've ever seen it. The rough was consistent throughout the course. Fairways were in great shape. The greens were the fastest I've played this year.

Advice for playing the course: Driver isn't always the answer off the tee. Multiple holes have very narrow landing areas that are bordered by OB, hazards, or thick tree lines. Swallow your pride and hit something that you are sure will land in the fairway. If you want to bomb it, make sure you have numerous extra balls in your bag before you leave home.

The second piece of advice is to make sure you have the distances on your wedges dialed in. Most of the approach shots are unforgiving. Many require forced carries with hazards, bunkers, or false fronts short of the green.

The third piece of advice is for walkers. I pride myself on being a walker. This course is not for walking even though you'll be hard pressed to beat the walking rate anywhere else of this caliber of course. There are multiple walks with long distances from green to tee. Then there are numerous steep slopes that would be treacherous to walk with even the smallest amount of moisture on them.

Verdict: I would argue that Chalet Hills is one of the toughest courses I have ever played. Bull Valley GC gets the press for being one of the toughest courses in the state and I would say Chalet Hills is neck and neck with it as the toughest course in McHenry County, Be ready for a challenge. Soak in all of the heroic shots you pull off over the water. Enjoy putting on some great greens. I continue to recommend this course for a test of where your golf game truly stands.

At first glance, Boone Creek is often overlooked in the NW Chicago Suburbs. It is a 27 hole facility, featuring three 9 hole courses. The facility consistently rotates the 9 hole courses so that a combination is the 18 hole course for the day and the remaining course is designated as the 9 hole course for the day. This is extremely nice when you are looking to sneak out for a quick 9 hole round. All of Boone Creek is relatively flat with little to no elevation change. It used to be very wide open which made it a bombers paradise. Management has done an excellent job of tightening up the course with letting natural grass areas grow up throughout the course. It may be blasphemy but in several areas, it's similar to hitting out of deep fescue at Erin Hills. Management has also done an excellent job of focusing on the greens. Years ago, they used to be inconsistent and bumpy. The last two years has seen a dramatic increase in the quality of the greens. You'll get a very smooth roll most of the time on these greens. For walkers, you can't ask for an easier walk. No elevation changes and minimal walking from green to tee.

The Valley Course is one of the 9 hole courses. I will admit that out of the three courses, Valley is my least favorite. The par 5, 1st hole is a quirky double dog leg that if you play it the conventional way, makes it difficult to attack the green in two shots. Local advice: if the course is empty, you can hit your tee shot towards the 9th fairway and it will give you a straight shot into the 1st green. In a way, the 1st hole sets the tone for the course. There are two other sharp dog leg par 4's (the 3rd and the 8th holes). The 5th hole is another quirky par 4 that requires a mid iron off the tee unless you are going to try driving the green. Honestly, you may not even need to hit a single driver off the tee on this course.

Overall, the course is extremely playable for all levels of play. The greens are generous in size and as previously stated, they roll well. The 5th hole is the only hole that requires a forced carry into the green and it is a wedge, at that. When the Valley course is crowded, pace of play can occasionally be an issue as there are holes on which you can cut the corners to try driving or getting close to the greens. I've taken multiple newer golfers to this course to get accustomed to the game and they have all enjoyed themselves. The driving range is adequate and the putting green is a great way to spend time warming up or playing friendly games after the round. I'd almost label it as a "can't miss" part of playing at Boone Creek.

I've found Boone Creek to be a great course to have a fun round without having to take it too serious. The laid back environment lends itself to that. The course is surrounded by farm land and is a breath of fresh air. If you are looking for a place to work on your game or not lose too many balls, this is the place for you. If you are looking for a course to stimulate you visually or provide a shot making challenge on each hole, then Boone's "sister" course Prairie Isle is perhaps a better choice for you.

As it stands, this is a good course that I would recommend for most casual golfers.

Having been at Erin Hills for the US Open in 2017, it's hard to describe or fathom how different the course is when playing it versus watching it behind the spectator ropes or on TV. I've found it's also hard for courses to live up to the hype when it has been repeatedly praised in publications and by reviewers far more respected than I. That being said, Erin Hills absolutely lives up to the hype and more.

From when you first check in at the guard shack at the main entrance until you leave the grounds, the service provided is first rate. I felt like everyone on the grounds wanted to ensure that my experience there was the best possible. The caddies were personable and an excellent resource. Not only did they provide good reads on the greens but the yardages they provided for approach shots and aiming lines off the tees were spot on.

Words can't really describe the course itself. I would call it "challenging fun." Throughout the round you will be faced with risk/reward shots whether it is lines off the tee, taking on the pin on approach shots, or trying to figure out if you have a decent lie in the deep fescue. The fact that I had to take a few seconds to truly think about what shot I wanted to play and how to play it made Erin Hills the best course I have ever played. The question for me was "Do I play the hero shot and risk double bogey (or worse) or do I play the safe shot and just play for par?" All of that credit can go to the design of the course and the excellent conditioning. I can't imagine playing that course in US Open conditions. I just hope it gets thrown back into the rotation and the wind decides to blow this time like it did during our rounds.

Friendly tips: Make sure you play the correct tees and don't be afraid to move up a tee box if the wind is blowing. 400 yard par 4's easily turn into playing like they are 450+ when the wind is gusting.

Take advantage of the practice areas. The par 5, 1st hole is no slouch with a somewhat demanding tee shot right from the get-go.

Trust the caddies. Don't trust your eyes. This goes for aiming points and reads on the greens. The greens are so sneaky good with such subtle breaks that us mere mortals won't pick up on them the first time around.

Cons of the course: I have to be fair and point out a couple of negatives but this is just nit-picking. Get your legs in shape to walk this course. The elevation changes will get to you if you aren't prepared. Be ready for a 5 hour round. Erin Hills isn't exactly a course that you can just fly around in carts. Its a "grinder" course that you have to walk and you'll have to take some time to find your ball in the deep fescue or take a couple of swings to get out of deep bunkers. The positive about this is that it never felt like a 5 hour round. The entire time, you are just soaking up the views and the challenging golf.

Verdict: I've been fortunate enough to play other top 100 courses both public and private in the US. Erin Hills tops them all. The experience of playing there is one that I will never forget. The fact that I want to make Erin Hills a yearly "must play" is perhaps the highest compliment that I can give it. This isn't just a one and done bucket list course. This is golf as it should be. Golf at Erin Hills is an escape from the norm and something that I'll now have to measure all other courses against. I can't recommend this course or this experience enough.

When I wrote a review on this course a year ago, it was still semi-private. Turnberry has since opened their doors and now anyone can book tee times here through GolfNow or their website. I was hopeful that with new ownership and a new source of revenue (non-members golfing there), that some money would be put back into the course. The bones for an amazing course are there. This is a course that hosted a US Open qualifier and an Illinois Open. The course is challenging, yet still playable. There aren’t many, if any (depending on the tees you play from), forced carries either off the tee or into the greens. Bunkering is very well placed throughout the course. When it comes to golf course architecture, you’d be hard pressed to find many complaints with this course. The holes are not repetitive and each one brings its own unique challenges.

While the architecture is great, and the clubhouse is very nice, the course conditions need a lot of improvement. Through a local newspaper, it was voted best course in McHenry County for 2017. Based upon the conditions of the course alone, I would strongly disagree with that. I will concede the areas of the course (specifically the back 9) that flooded earlier this year due to the extreme amount of rain we received. What was most disappointing for me was the condition of the greens. DIseased patches, dead patches, large divots, weird scratch marks, ant hills, weeds, and numerous leaves made it nearly impossible to get a true roll on a putt. The rest of the course conditions were just OK. Patchy rough, rocks in the bunkers, inconsistent fringe areas around the greens, and bare areas around the course where it is just hard pan detract from the experience of golfing at one of the more respected courses in the area. Over one year’s time, the course conditions have certainly worsened.

In my opinion, the price point for greens fees is a bit high based upon the conditioning of the course. I hope the course bounces back next year with better weather conditions and some more attention put on improving the course conditions. From last year to this year, the course has dropped from 4 stars to 3 stars. Based on the price, you would be better off playing Foxford Hills, Oak Grove, or spend a little more and play at Blackstone. Even Redtail, which is right down the road (and cheaper), had better conditions this fall. As of right now, I do not recommend this course. I’ll give it another shot next spring/summer and update the review again. FIngers crossed this once great course starts to bounce back. I would love to see it back in the limelight again.

First off, I must say that it was a treat to play CLCC. I have one course left to play in McHenry County (McHenry CC), and the conditioning of this course, is by far the best in the county. It truly is tough to find anything to criticize when it comes to the maintenance of this course. The greens were probably the best greens I had putted on all year. The course website advertises that the greens are “impeccably manicured.” They aren’t being braggadocious when they say that. I did not have a single putt all day that did not roll true. Due to playing after it rained, the greens were not lightening fast but they certainly were not slow either. Putts above the hole still had a propensity to keep running once they got started. Perhaps the best compliment I can give on the greens is that they were absolutely consistent throughout the course. Once you get a feel for them, they will roll the same holes 1 through 18.

For it being the middle of October, the rest of the course, from tee to green was in excellent shape as well. Tee boxes, fairways, bunkers, and even the rough were consistent throughout the course and well maintained. Taking away course conditions as a variable made the round of golf here much, much more enjoyable.

CLCC might be one of the best kept secrets in the area. While it being a private course likely contributes to that, I think that it might also be overlooked because it is “older” (the CC was established in 1922) and not as long as other courses. While it tips out at roughly 6800 yards, the course slope and rating remain high because of the small green complexes. There is extensive bunkering surrounding most of the greens. Should you miss your approach shot, it is no given that you will be able to get up and down. The course is a parkland style course with mature trees lining the fairways. The holes run right next to each other making this course one of the easier ones to walk in the area. While there are some water hazards throughout the course, and OB area around the exterior of the course and along the driving range, I would not say the course is “hard.” In fact, I would give it high scores on playability. As a three-some, I think we may have lost a total of 2 or 3 balls throughout the round (which is pretty darn good). For the most part, you can let your imagination run wild when teeing off here. Many holes offer risk/reward options off the tee based on the shape of the fairways, the strategic fairway bunkering, and the over length of the holes. While driver was the predominant choice, I also hit 3 wood, hybrid, and even a 4 iron off the tee.

That being said, the one criticism I have with the course is that many of the approach shots into the greens and the shaping of the greens themselves are very similar. Several of the holes felt repetitive. Slightly elevated greens with deep bunkers surrounding them seem to be the norm throughout the course. While I can appreciate the rewarding of excellent shots and the punishing of wayward shots (which this course certainly does), I personally enjoy unique challenges with each and every hole. I like being able to have some creativity around the greens. This course somewhat limits that just based upon the design.

I’ll close with saying this, the private clubs throughout McHenry County all offer their own benefits. However, just based upon golf alone, this course is the crown jewel. This is a course that you could play any day of the week, at any time, and in any weather and you’ll know that the course is going to be in great shape. You’ll only have yourself to blame should you have a lackluster round. It is great for all skill levels which I can’t say for Bull Valley CC or Woodstock CC. It would be a great course to walk which I can’t say for Boulder Ridge CC. Should you ever have the opportunity to play here, whether it be as a guest, a member, or in an outing, jump at the chance. You won’t regret it and I have a feeling you’ll look back at your round with as much enjoyment as I look back on mine.

Summary: This RTJ II prairie links style course is a gem and an underrated one at that. I played it one time and I can’t wait to get back and play it again. In fact, it has been the one public course in the Chicago suburbs I have recommended more than any other since I played there in early October.

Pros: The course design is top notch. It is a change of pace from other area golf courses. The prairie style links lends itself to a different style of play. It is not a “bombers” course where you can hit driver off of every tee. While I would not say the course is tight, I wouldn’t say it is wide open either. There is a good balance in the design where the best play may be a 3 wood, 5 wood, or even a hybrid or iron off the tee based upon the width of the fairway, the fairway bunkers, the water hazards, the weather conditions (specifically the wind), and the deep fescue lining the fairways. I did not hit a single driver on the front 9 and I loved every minute of it. Each hole is unique and presents its own challenges as well as its own rewards. WIth most of the par 4’s playing between 300 and 400 yards, you can play as risky as you want. Just know that if you miss the fairway, there is very little area for forgiveness. Deep, thick fescue throughout the course pretty much guarantees a lost ball should you miss badly. The 5th hole is a microcosm for the entire course. There is a split fairway with a water hazard bisecting the two fairways. It is approx a 220+ yard carry over the hazard into small landing area. Should you pull it off, you will have a wedge and a much better angle into the green. Play it safe by staying short and right of the hazard and you will have a long iron in with an angle into the green that makes it very shallow. Pick your poison. Its just a great golf hole that most golfers will appreciate and want to play multiple times.

What I probably loved most about this course was the design of the greens and the areas around them. The course staff did an excellent job of keeping these areas as close to pristine as possible. You essentially are only limited by your imagination. The angles and slopes around the greens allow you to play a variety of shots. You will have to use all of your short game tricks (flop shots, bump and runs, putting from off the greens, etc) in order to stick it close to the pin consistently on this course. Greens were in good shape and definitely have character to them. Different levels on the greens put a premium on good approach shots.

I loved that the course has two warm-up holes. Should you have enough time before your round, I would encourage you to play the two par 4 practice holes prior to teeing off on the actual course. It will give you an excellent feel for the angles, course conditions, and speed of the greens. Standing on the first tee box, I felt more confident in my approach after “testing” out the course on the practice holes. The course also has an excellent driving range should you prefer that. I would recommend both.

Should you take a cart, the GPS is excellent. For having never played the course before, it certainly helped with club selection as well as pace of play. It is one of the better in-cart GPS systems that I have seen/played with. For the most part, the yardages provided were extremely accurate. There were a few times where the yardages into the greens were off by a couple of yards but not enough to change a club selection.

Cons: I know I’ll be the outlier in saying this but I’ll say it anyways: I’m not a fan of holes 10-13. Those holes wind through a wooded area and to me, feel too much like what I can get at any other course around Chicago. Again, just personal opinion. To me, they just feel like they don’t match up with the rest of the links style course.

The par 3’s are somewhat lackluster. The lone picturesque par 3 is the 12th hole which is a forced carry over a large water hazard. From the gold tees, the yardages are 178, 174, 208, 171, and 207. From a design standpoint, I would have liked to see more variation in the yardages. The par 4’s and 5’s have that variance. The par 3’s, not so much.

Being objective, the planes flying overhead could also be an issue for some golfers. The course borders a somewhat busy airport and the planes that are landing do come in somewhat low over the course in their approach to the runways. They are not huge planes and they are not so loud as to hurt your ears, however they could be a distraction if you’re susceptible to that type of thing.

Verdict: This course instantly jumped into my top 5 Chicago suburbs courses. Worthy of a 5 star review in almost all aspects. The challenges and the risk/reward options presented throughout the course make this a true golfer’s course. The uniqueness in the design and style of the course make it one that will provide you with something new every time you play it. I can’t wait until next spring to give it another go. Highly recommended.

I usually get to Oak Grove once or twice a year. For the past 3 or 4 years, the course has stayed in great shape. Its on many people's lists for best courses in the Chicago suburbs (but its really no where near Chicago). The course can be great but its not there yet and might never get there. Let's dive into this.

Pros: The course design is very good. There is a good balance between straight forward holes and "quirky" holes. While a large tree in the center of every fairway would be annoying, having one in a downhill par 5 is kind of fun (it makes for a good target off the tee as well because how many people actually hit a straight tee shot). The par 5, 11th hole used to annoy me. Its a double dog leg with a creek that runs through it. It took me 4 or 5 times playing the course to actually figure out how to play it and see some of the thought behind the design.

The remoteness of the course makes for a very picturesque setting. The only building you will see during your round will be the clubhouse. When you are out on the course, you feel like you are at a resort somewhere where golf is the sole focus.

Cons: You can tell the golf management company GolfVisions is running this place on a shoe string budget. There is usually only one person working in the clubhouse at a time. When you walk into the clubhouse, most of the lights are turned off. The pro shop is sparsely stocked with anything. The driving range is in rough shape. The range balls are terrible. Half of the balls in my bucket were sliced up, very old, or various colors. The course conditions were good for the most part except for the bunkers. There was absolutely no consistency to the sand in the bunkers. There were rocks in the bunkers the size of golf balls. Should you hit one of those, be ready to purchase a new wedge.

While there are some picturesque holes, there are also some very bland holes. I'm also not a fan of two of the toughest holes on the course being the first two right out of the gate. I believe the first couple of holes should ease you into your round. On this course, the first couple of holes slap you right in the face.

Verdict: The foundation is there for this course to really be something special. Besides the bunkers, I'm a fan of the course in all aspects from tee to green. If some money was spent on increasing the playability for golfers of all levels, I think the number of golfers making the trip to this course would increase. In my opinion, some trees need to be removed and the rough needs to be thinned out. Waste areas where you can actually find your ball and advance it are good. Super thick rough just paces off the fairway where you automatically lose your ball are bad. That very thick rough is found throughout the course and is what makes this course so tough. Bring a couple of extra sleeves of balls when coming to play here.

My hope is that someone else or a group of people will see the potential here and try to save this course. Plum Grove GC was another very nice course outside of Harvard that closed several years ago, My hope and prayer is that the same fate does not happen to Oak Grove. Make the drive to play it. Definitely one of my recommended courses in McHenry County.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to play at Medinah on their annual Camel Trail day. It was a long day playing both course #1 and course #3 along with being served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Should anyone be offered a chance to play at this private club, jump all over it. Do whatever you have to do, pay whatever you have to pay, but this is not an opportunity to be missed.

Course #1 is a Tom Doak redesign. When Medinah hosted the Ryder Cup in 2012, parts of this course were destroyed for the infrastructure for the event. Medinah then used some of the money they got from hosting the Ryder Cup to have Doak rebuild and reroute the course. With this being the first time I’ve played the course, I can’t compare the original Bendelow design to the Doak redesign. Having played The Loop several weeks before Course #1, I noticed a lot of similarities between the designs but the two different environments provided several contrasts as well.

Similar to The Loop, the greens on Course #1 are how the course primarily “protects” itself. There are so many tiers and ridges in each green that you will very rarely, if ever, have a straight putt. Three and four foot putts on this course are no gimmies. Depending on the pin placement, a good lag putt is often short of the hole. If you run the putt even one or two feet past the hole, you can catch a ridge and end up with a 20 foot comeback putt. A birdie can quickly turn into a bogey or worse on this course. Likewise, small pitches and chips are no guarantee to tidy up close to the hole. The greens are slick and unless you put a lot of spin on the ball, the shots will run out quite a bit.

The course itself is a parkland layout with mature trees lining many of the fairways. The landing areas off the tee are generous. Should you miss the generous landing areas, the next shot out of the rough or the trees will make bogey or double bogey a very distinct possibility. For advanced golfers, playing to a specific side of the fairway is often required for an easier second shot into the greens. Several of the fairways have significant slope to them that will run towards trouble if you’re not on the preferred side.

There are certainly picturesque holes throughout the course. My two favorite holes were the 9th and 18th holes which have the massive Medinah clubhouse as the backdrop. Its also worth taking a couple of pictures on the first tee with the camel shaped bunker in the background.

The bunkering throughout the course, both around the greens and in the fairway are both beautiful and daunting all at the same time. What I found while playing was that depending on the pin placement, it can be preferable to be in a bunker versus being short sided in a collection area. All of the bunkers were in great shape.

The thing I loved about The Loop the most was the playability. While the layout and environment of Course #1 is different, the “Doak playability” is present throughout the course.. There are drivable par 4’s, par 5’s you can attack with a good tee shot, and holes that you can play with a ground game (putting from the fairways). The drivable, par 4, 13th hole is truly diabolical. Should you miss right, there is mounding that makes it nearly impossible to get a pitch to stop on the green. Should you miss left, you have to ensure you are able to carry a strategically placed bunker. If you are lucky enough to carry that bunker, you still are in a collection area below the green.

Unlike The Loop, there are water hazards throughout the course that certainly come into play as a creek winds through the course and a pond/lake borders four holes. The water is really the only thing that would cause you to lose any balls while playing on this course.

The biggest recommendation I can make for someone that has an opportunity to play here is to go to the pro shop before the round and purchase a yardage book (and lots of other Medinah gear). The diagrams of the greens are worth the price of the book alone. The ridges and plateaus are not visible from the fairways so having a detailed diagram to refer to will save you a couple of strokes alone.

While Course #1 is shorter and flatter than the famous Course #3, it is no slouch. I actually scored better on #3 than #1. If given the opportunity to play #1, don’t be disappointed that its not #3. In time, this Doak redesign is going to get more and more love and recognition. As I said at the beginning of the review, jump all over any opportunity to play here. I can't recommend this place enough. For any serious golfer, its heaven on earth.

Bull Valley GC was recently ranked as the #15 best course in Illinois by Golf Digest. In addition to its high rankings overall, it is also routinely listed as being one of the toughest courses in Illinois. Both of those "accolades" are legitimate. If you try playing here with anything but your "A" game, the course will eat you up. The members joke that when a new member joins Bull Valley GC, their handicap will immediately jump up several strokes no matter if they are a scratch golfer or a high handicapper.

The course is private and membership is not cheap. However, they do host multiple golf outings/scrambles throughout the year that would allow non-members to get onto the course. I've been fortunate enough to get onto the course a handful of times.

Pros: The course just might be the best conditioned course that I have played this year and that included Forest Dunes. Tee boxes, fairways, and greens are all pristine. I had a hard time finding any ball marks in most of the greens. Whereas most courses only have one length of rough, this course has a true first cut and second cut of rough which truly makes a difference in shot selection. Greens were smooth and fair. They rolled fast but not ridiculous. Many of the greens have tough subtleties that are difficult to read at first glance.

Play with an experienced member or take a caddy to help you out your first time here. This is not a driver off of every tee box course. I love courses that force you to hit driver down to a long iron off the tee. My favorite tee shot is off the 15th, par 5 hole, where you have to chose how much water you are willing to try to carry over to a narrow fairway that has mature trees on the opposite side.

You WILL use every club in your bag here and you will pay a steep price if you are unable to execute the shot. Challenges of every type come into play. Elevation changes, water, narrow fairways, strategically placed bunkers, fairways lined with mature trees, and OB are present on every single hole. The course does not let up on you from the first hole through the last. As long as you know that going into the round, bring an extra sleeve or two of balls, and don't beat yourself up over a bogey or double bogey (or worse), you can actually enjoy yourself here.

The design of the course also makes you feel as if you are playing two different courses. The course winds through woods but then also has holes in which it is wide open and appears to be links style (although it does not play like links style). There are multiple picturesque holes throughout the course and multiple "signature" holes. The 1st, 5th, 10th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and 18th all stick out in my mind.

Cons: From my understanding, this course was built to test the best players/professionals. It was not designed for beginners, that's for sure. I would liken this course to The Bear course at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse CIty. That course was designedd by Jack Nicklaus and when designed, he intended for it to be the hardest course in Michigan. I was informed that the course has been "softened" up over the years to try and make it more playable. Big thumbs up from me for that, however, the playability of this course is still low due to the extreme difficulty. All you have to do is look at the rating/slope of the gold tees which are 6186 yards and you'll know the difficulty from all tees, for all levels is real (the rating/slope from the golds is 71.8/136).

The challenges the course presents are ever present. Even with multiple tee boxes ranging from the "tip of the horn" at 7325 yards down to "greenhorn" at 5176 yards, all of the hazards will find you. The difference is that the pristine course conditions make you feel like you are playing on a course that could host a professional event. Even with all of the challenges, it can be fun to test yourself knowing that the pros face similar challenges week in and week out. That being said, some of the holes here just don't make sense to me. I understand making a hole tough, but don't make it impossible. No one wants that. Friendly tip: The 6th hole is one of the shortest par 4"s on the course but the landing area off the tee is narrow, like really narrow, and bordered by death on all sides. When first playing here, drive/walk ahead and check out your surroundings. A hybrid or long iron would be best off the tee but you'll have a very difficult second shot, being a forced carry over water, into the green.

The only course condition I could even think about criticizing is the bunkers. Depending on the green side bunker you are in, you may have nice, fluffy sand or you might have wet, thick sand or even very, very little sand at all. I'm nitpicking this. It has been a historically wet year in Illinois and from playing the course over the past several years, I have never noticed this before.

Verdict: Very easy for me to give it a 5 star rating just based upon the pristine conditions alone. I know I listed the challenges the course provides in both the pros and the cons, and I truly believe that all depends on your mindset going in and the state of your game. I didn't play great when I played there last week but I enjoyed the challenge each shot from tee to green provided. I left the course not thinking about the double bogeys. Instead, I was thinking about the few "pro level" shots I was able to pull off on a "pro style" course. Its very easy for me to recommend this course to others. Its a big treat any time I get to play the course and it will be for anyone else as well.

I've played here twice this year, once in rain and strong wind and once on a sunny, windless day. Both times, I had a blast trying to execute a variety of shots required to play well on this course. Challenges include fast greens with deceptive slopes and undulations, very strategically placed bunkers which will force you to be selective with your lines off of the tees, elevation changes (drastic downhill par 3's and uphill blind approach shots into some greens), and a course that is in great shape for playing it in August.

Pros: The staff are great here. No complaints at all with them or the buildings/facilities on the property. The pro shop has everything you could want. Beverage carts were on point making their way around the course multiple times throughout the round.

As you can tell from above, I'm a fan of this course. I think it is well deserving of the high ranking it got from Golf Advisor a few years ago (In my opinion, it is a top 10-15 Wisconsin course which is great considering the amazing venues in the state). Its in the top 5 most fun courses that I've played. What made this so much fun for me is that I think I used every club in my bag while playing here. Most courses are driver/wedge courses with a couple of mid-irons sprinkled in. While I did hit driver and 3 wood off of all par 4 and par 5 tee boxes, my approach shots required various irons/wedges. The par 3's provide a nice variety of distances and shots as well. Two of them feature drastic drop-offs where depending on the wind, you have to club down one or two clubs. The other par 3's are no slouches either. One requires a forced carry over water and the other is nearly 200 yards.

In my opinion the front 9 is easier than the back 9. The front 9 gives you a good feel for the types of shots that will be required on the back 9. The front 9 has some elevation changes but they are no where near what you will face on the back 9. It almost feels as if you are playing two different courses, similar to what was done by Weiskopf with his Forest Dunes design in Michigan. What I love most about the back 9 is that it feels as if you are on a cut-back path working your way up to the top of the hill which culminates with the tee shot on 17. The view from 17 is as good as what you'll find in this area. I have a picture from the tee box on my Instagram (same SN, Iamdiesel18).

The course gets high scores from me in playability because very few holes "require" a specific shot. You can think your way around this course and be creative with what types of shots you want to play. With playing on two different days with two different types of weather, I played the course differently on each day. On the windy day I played low, punch type shots to keep the ball out of the wind as much as possible. On the sunny day, I attacked pins by trying to fly the ball the whole way to the pin. I enjoyed both rounds equally. This is definitely a course I would feel comfortable bringing newer golfers to because there are holes throughout the course which they will be able to score on. Additionally, there is a par 3 course on the property as well which is also in excellent condition.

Cons: Not much to complain about here. Maybe my biggest complaint is with the warm-up/practice areas. As noted in another local advisor's review, the driving range is at the base of a large hill. While visually its different and cool looking, it is hard to gauge any accurate yardages should you be looking to dial in your irons/wedges. Personally, if you are using it to warm-up for your round, its just fine. My other concern with the practice area is the speed of the practice green. Multiple guys that I played with stated the speeds of the practice green and the actual greens on the course were no where close to being the same. The greens on the course were much faster than the practice green. Keep this in mind on the first green and give your putts a little more respect than what you think.

Verdict: This course has it all: numerous picturesque holes, very playable for beginners, challenging for advanced golfers, shot maker/shaper's dream, and a really cool log cabin type bar in the clubhouse. What's not to like about this course??? Having played multiple courses at Grand Geneva and Geneva National, this is my favorite in the Lake Geneva area. I don't just hand out 5 star ratings to every course. This course earned its rating. I'll certainly make the drive here from the Chicago suburbs and I recommend that others do the same.

No joke, this is one of, if not THE hardest course in the northwest Chicago suburbs. In my book its right up there with Bull Valley CC, which is consistently rated as one of the toughest courses in the state of Illinois. As the title says, be ready to have all aspects of your game tested when you play here. The first two holes ease you into the course but then after that, you better have warmed up because the fairways narrow drastically and the birdie opportunities are few and far between. Hazards are plentiful and will gobble up a couple of sleeves of balls if you don't drive the ball straight.

Pros: In my book, the challenge of this course is a good thing. If I want to test myself or any of my advanced playing partners, this is where I book our tee time. I know going into this course that I'm going to lose some balls and that I'm really going to have to grind to par most of the holes. The course design will cause you to question what to hit off the tee on every hole. My favorite holes are the 9th, 17th, and 18th holes. The holes border a mini-"lake." The 9th hole is a very high risk/reward hole which forces you to pick a line over the water by aiming at bunkers and then trusting your tee shot will carry that line over the water. The 17th hole is another favorite as its a downhill par 3 into an "island" green surrounded by bunkers. Another very high risk/reward hole which you have to trust yourself on. Very picturesque and worth grabbing a picture or two of.

For a middle of August round, I was happy with the course conditions. Greens were running fast and smooth. The fairways were in good shape (minus other golfers being too lazy to replace their divots) and the rough was even throughout the course. Some of the bunkers were in poor shape but I'll give them a pass due to a very rainy summer in Chicagoland.

Pace of play was great for me. I've played here multiple times and never had an issue with pace of play. My recommendation: do yourself a favor and get out before 8 AM. WIth getting out early, I don't think I've ever had a round last over 4 hours here.

Cons: For me, as I play and review more and more courses, playability for golfers of all skill levels is a big deal for me. I always ask myself, can I bring a newer golfer with me and will they enjoy themselves as much as me. I feel like newer golf course designs as well as very old golf course designs have done a very good job with that. Golf CAN be fun for both beginners and advanced golfers playing the same course and the advanced golfer can still be challenged by some of the nuances around the course. A prime example of this is The Loop which I had just played the week prior to playing here so I know its possible.

That being said, this course's playability scores low on my scale. On more than a handful of holes there are narrow fairways off the tee where a drive that goes anywhere but straight is either OB or lost. The tee shot on the 5th hole gives me nightmares the night before I play here. Forced carries over water exist both off of the tee and approaches into the greens on a handful of other holes. The course designer did not have new or average golfers in mind when they designed this course. Bunkers and hazards prevent you from playing low, running shots into most of the greens. I have no doubt that the difficult course design is what leads to other reviewers' complaints of slow pace of play.

Verdict: There's always merit in stepping out of your comfort zone and testing yourself. This is the place to do it. If you're playing the course for the first time, swallow your pride and play up a set of tees. Trust me, this course will still be enough of a test for you even from the shorter yardages. Go into the round with realistic expectations and knowing the course will be tough. Then enjoy the test and the risk/reward options this course provides. I recommend this course for average to advanced golfers.

Played the front 9 on this course with my father during a vacation in Traverse City. Pace of play was great as we finished 9 holes in well under 2 hours on a weekday afternoon. The staff was very friendly from the booking of the tee time over the phone to giving some tips about blind tee shots and the best views from the course. Definitely worth a 5 star rating. As stated in the title of the review, the view from the 6th tee box is also worthy of a 5 star rating. However, the rest of the course is what it is; a very average course tucked away a couple of miles outside of Traverse CIty.

Pros: As stated above, the staff friendliness and the view from the elevated 6th tee box stand out to me. The view from the tee box gives you a perfect vantage point to see Traverse City, the west bay, the east bay, and Old Mission Peninsula. Its beautiful looking out at that and then having a 382 yard par 4 laid out directly underneath you. When a hole makes you take out your phone and take multiple pictures of it, you have something special on your hands. A picture of the hole/view will be posted on my Instagram account (same SN, Iamdiesel18).

Besides that, the course was challenging. Tight fairways on some of the holes. OB, natural areas, mature trees, and thick rough also come into play on multiple holes and will gobble up errant shots. I hit driver, 3 wood, and hybrid off of various tees so this course isn't just a course to bomb it even though the overall yardage is "short" by today's standards. It is a course with good variety including elevation changes, blind shots, driveable par 4's, challenging par 3's, and par 5's that are reachable in 2 shots. My dad who maybe plays once or twice a year was able to scratch out a couple of pars and bogeys and enjoyed himself. If a beginner AND an advanced golfer both enjoy the same course, that speaks volumes for playability.

Cons: When a beginning golfer points out deficiencies in course conditions, that's not good. Patches of hard pan and either diseased or really, really chewed up greens can be found throughout the front 9 holes. I had just played Forest Dunes and The Loop. Based upon the price we paid to play, I didn't expect the same course conditions as those other two courses. I did think that for being a "Traverse City golf course", it would be in better than average condition.

Verdict: My guess is that this course isn't trying to compete with the resort courses in the area. It appears to be very comfortable and content with where it currently stands. If you want pristine conditions, pay the extra money and play the resort courses in the area. The Grand Traverse Resort is a half hour away, however you'll pay almost 3 times the price to play there (and that's not even for The Bear course or The Wolverine course). If you want a "value" course in the Traverse City area to take your family to, this would be the place to take them. In addition to normal golf, they also have a foot golf course on the course. Again, a good thing to get the entire family involved AND unlike on other courses, it did not interfere with the actual golf play on the course. Seriously, the price of a greens fee is worth it for the views, the relaxed setting, and the fun you can have playing here with your friends and/or family. This course does not advertise itself to be the best course in the area. Its a value play and one worth at least playing 9 holes on. I'm glad I took a chance on it and even my dad gave it a thumbs up.

Prior to even stepping foot on The Loop, I was warned by multiple resort employees that it would play completely different than the Forest Dunes course. Having played several links style course in the Chicago suburbs, and knowing that only a driveway and a parking lot separated the two courses, I was a skeptic. While on the Forest Dunes course, the resort owner, Lew Thompson, stopped by to chat for a minute. He asked if I had played The Loop yet and I told him that I’d be playing it early the next morning. He chuckled and said, “DO NOT play it like you’re playing here. Aim 15 yards short of every green and let the ball run up. I’ve seen balls hit those greens and they end up 20-30 yards past the hole.” Even with those words of advice from the owner of the place, I was still a skeptic.

3 holes into playing the course, I was no longer a skeptic. I knew very quickly that this was a style of golf that I was very unfamiliar with. Links style here, on this course, is real. Other self-purported links style courses that I’ve played are phonies compared to this course. Balls that I flew onto the green would hit, make a hollow thump, and then roll off the back or sides into collection areas. There were no ball marks to be seen on any of the greens. If you don’t land your chips in the perfect spot, be ready to see the ball roll off the green. I putted more balls from 5-10 yards off the greens than I would have ever thought is possible in a round. After hitting driver off the tee on the first and third holes and seeing the ball roll through the fairways into the rough, I learned that I was going to have to be selective off the tee as well. This is not a bomb and gouge course.

So with all of that being said, here’s my advice on how to enjoy your round on The Loop and then I’ll get into my pros and cons of the course.

The Loop is a walking only course. While there aren’t drastic changes in elevation, there are gradual slopes both downhill and uphill throughout the course. Should you typically play rounds riding around in a cart, it might be worth hiring a caddy in order to conserve some energy. That brings me to my second point. I don’t know if I would recommend just going into this course and playing it blind. I suppose it’s doable but you’ll lose some of the fun factor of this course. Should you decide to not hire a caddy to give you tips on how to get around, spend the $6 to purchase a yardage book from the pro shop. Trust me, it’s worth every single penny. In addition to a simple image of the layout of the hole, it gives advice on how to ideally attack the holes and areas to avoid. The yardage book saved me a handful of strokes by helping me avoid deceptive collection areas and by identifying areas where there is a “safe” miss.

Heed all advice the starter gives you. They have a checklist that they run each golfer/group through. It’s all well thought out. Should you go out without a caddy, it can get real easy to get turned around very quickly. The starter gave some excellent tips on how to avoid confusion. And if you didn’t hear it from enough people yet, they will give you some quick tips on how to best play the links style.

Before heading out, make sure you have what you need with you. Since it is walking only, there are beverage carts on the course but they don’t come to you. They are parked off to the side of the course halfway through both the front 9 and the back 9. There is also a well stocked halfway house between holes 9 and 10.

Pros: Playability, playability, playability. This course has wide fairways, multiple tee box options, trees located only in waste areas, no water hazards, and no rough (there are bunkers and waste areas). There is no one “right” way to play a hole. There is no hole that requires a specific type of shot. You can let your creativity run wild when playing this course. You can be as aggressive or as conservative as you want off the tee. I hit driver less than a handful of times. Otherwise, it was 3 woods, hybrids, or long irons off the tee for me. Shots into the greens included high flying wedges, punch 4 irons to run it up, and everything else in between. For me, that is the genius behind Doak’s design and what will make every time playing this course completely unique (on top of the fact that the course is reversible).

Doak did an excellent job when designing this course of “hiding” the fairway bunkers that are in play when playing the course in the opposite direction. I have no doubt that one of the reasons for making this course walking only was to prevent people from crashing their carts into fairway bunkers. From the tee, you may see some mounding out in the fairway which adds some character to the hole. As you walk past that mounding, you realize there is a large fairway bunker on the other side of it. As I walked down the fairways, I loved turning around, looking back, and envisioning how the hole would be played in the opposite direction. They truly are two unique and individual courses.

In addition to the greens being rock hard and repelling approach shots like crazy, they are fast, smooth like glass, and really, really hard to read. The starter told me before the round that the greens are where the course “defends” itself. With the course not having too many other punishing aspects, it still has to protect par in some way. I was told the greens on Forest Dunes were running at a 12 on the stimp. If that’s the case, the greens on The Loop had to be a 12.5 or 13. Should the hole be cut only a couple of paces from the edge of the green or near a ridge, be careful on your lag putting. A handful of times I thought I had hit a great lag putt only to see it roll past the hole, off the green, and into a collection area 6 feet below the green. Even though at times they felt impossibly tough, I loved the challenge of them. I didn’t see the ball hop or bounce on any putt all day. If I missed a putt, I knew the miss was due to operator error.

When walking this course, take a second or two to appreciate the isolation. The silence was refreshing as well as energizing. It’s so different from many courses that are plopped down in the middle of housing additions or resorts,

Cons: I’m being very very picky here because there aren’t too many cons to this course. There are some sections in the fairway where the grass is a little thinner than other areas. With the course just opening last summer, it’s hard for me to question any of the conditioning. As time continues to go by and the course matures more and more, it’s only going to get better and better.

Bugs. Yes there are gnats present throughout the course. Yes they will like to fly around you. Bring bug spray and apply it before the round. If you forget bug spray, they stock it in the pro shop. Buy it. Use it. Nuff said.

Verdict: If I go back to the Forest Dunes resort for two days in the upcoming years, I don’t know if I’ll even play the Forest Dunes course again. I can’t believe I’m saying that about a top 100 course in the US, but I am. I would love to return to play The Loop again in both directions. I feel like I missed out by only playing it one direction this year. If that doesn’t say enough, I don’t know what will. Lew will tell you he loves the course. Tom Doak will tell you he loves the course. Other well known reviewers will tell you they love the course. Go play it and enjoy this unique course and the unique challenges it presents you.

Friendly tip: I played The Loop the day it was the black course. The black course does not ease you into it. The first hole, a long par 4, is no joke and the second hole, a par 3, requires a very precise iron shot into the green. If not warmed up, it can be very easy to start off with back-to back double bogeys.

Let me start off by saying, the course and the resort are certainly worthy of all of the accolades they receive. I couldn’t have been more impressed, not only with the golf, but with the service and accommodations while I was at the resort. First class all the way.

There are enough reviews out there from every golf magazine and writer, that everyone pretty much knows that this course is a top 100 course and worthy of a trip to northern Michigan just to play it. I’ll add my two cents but it won’t be much different from the praise it has already received.

Pros: First, the course itself. The conditioning was great. One of the nicest courses, conditioning wise, you will ever step foot on. From tee to green, I had a hard time coming up with anything to criticize. Even if you miss some of the fairways and end up in a waste area, there is a good chance that you’ll find your ball AND will have a decent lie for a shot out. The greens are fast. Running at a 12 the day I played there. Yet, for being that fast, I didn’t feel like they were unfair.

As for the course design, Tom Weiskopf gets an A+ from me for this design. There’s an excellent balance of playability with risk/reward built in. Multiple holes throughout the course will offer you a safe shot off the tee but makes the second shot into the green longer or from an awkward angle. That same hole will also offer a “short cut” where there may be more trouble, but if you pull the “hero” shot off, your second shot is significantly easier than the “safe route.” Even on holes where the risk/reward isn’t obvious with split fairways, its still there with aggressive or conservative lines off of the tee as well as shots into the greens. Weiskopf did a great job with the placement of hazards, penalizing those who try to cut corners on the dog legs and don’t quite pull it off. This is evident immediately on the first tee where you have to choose your line over bunkers and a sandy waste area. Pull it off and you have significantly cut into the distance of the second shot into the green. Come up short and you will get caught in the bunker or waste area. You are then immediately staring a double bogey in the face.

Holes that stood out to me were the obvious risk/reward holes with split fairways or shortcuts around corners. The aforementioned 1st hole, the 5th hole, the 6th hole appropriately named “Gamble”, the 8th hole, the 10th hole appropriately named “Decision”, the 12th hole, and the drivable par 4 17th hole.

It’s worth mentioning that the variety of the landscape from the front 9 to the back 9 is also fun. The par 3 9th hole is a forced carry over water the entire way to the green. Similar in the way to play it, but different in the view from the tee is the par 3 16th hole. The forced carry is entirely over a sandy waste area. Both are visually intimidating in their own way.

I should also mention the room we stayed in at the resort was very clean, had all the amenities we needed, and provided a great view of the first tee on the Forest Dunes course. I’d certainly have no hesitation staying here again for a night or two.
Cons: It’s hard for me to really call anything a negative with this course because I can’t say there is anything that would prevent me from wanting to come back and play this course anytime I get the chance. Pace of play wasn’t great but it also wasn’t horrible. Yes, there were bugs, but after throwing on some bug spray, they were barely noticeable.

Verdict: Everything about this course makes it worthy of the top rankings it consistently receives. For golf in Michigan, its right up there with Arcadia Bluffs for me. The playability is something that all other golf course designers should strive for. This course is also an excellent compliment for the other course at the resort, The Loop. Two completely different types of golf are required for the two courses which will offer golfers an awesome variety. Both courses are easily in the top 5 courses I have ever played. If you ever get a chance, make the trip to northern Michigan and play it. Highly recommended by me and many other golf periodicals. Pictures from my round here as well as the Loop are on my Instagram and Twitter (same SN on both, Iamdiesel18).

Tips: When standing on the 9th tee box, look at the American flag next to the clubhouse to see what direction the wind is blowing by the green. It was crazy how you couldn’t feel the wind when on the tee box. Another tip is to spend the $6 for a yardage book. If you are going to play aggressively throughout the round, it helps to know all of the yardages to carry certain hazards and to stay short of others.

I played here on a late Monday morning and I flew through the front 9 in an hour and a half or so. This review is going to be based on the front 9 holes. From what I've read and from speaking to other golfers who have played here, the back 9 has some elevation changes and is shorter in yardage but the course conditions are the same throughout the course. Of note, it is actually cheaper to book through GolfNow, even with the convenience charge, than paying their normal rates at the course. I tried pointing this out to them but they insisted on their rate, so I just pulled up the app on my phone and booked the next available tee time for a couple of bucks cheaper. Second thing worth noting is that this course is not a member of the CDGA. That being said, they do not have rating/slope for the front 9 or the back 9, just an overall rating/slope which is listed on the scorecard.

Pros: Its very playable for golfers of all levels. There is some water and some OB, but otherwise the course offers you a lot of options off the tee and around the greens. Not a ton of difficulty which can allow you to be creative and hit different shots into the greens. Tee shots will call upon a draw on some holes and a fade on others but dont't require them. If you play only one shot shape (like me), you'll be able to make it around and score on this course just fine. All of the holes on the front 9 are very straight forward with no surprises. What you see is what you get. Playing from the tips is a decent challenge here with the yardages being competitive with other courses. The par 5's are reachable in 2 which is always fun.

Cons: There was nothing about this course that made me want to come back and play it again. As I said above, the course is very straight forward. I feel like I might actually get bored playing golf here no matter how creative they can get with pin placements. Course conditions are OK for what you pay to play here. Greens were slower and the grass in the fairways and tee boxes were slightly longer than other courses in the area. The routing on the front 9 can be confusing if its your first time playing here. Holes 3-5 have their own little circuit before you continue on to the 6th hole. Pay attention to the hole markers near the tee boxes.

Verdict: It can be a fun course to play if your sole focus is on your scoring. There will be multiple birdie chances for average and above average players here and even plenty of par opportunities for newer golfers. However, if you are looking for a course with multiple memorable holes, fast and smooth greens, and above average amenities, look elsewhere. If you are OK with just average, then play it and enjoy yourself. I think the price to play here is appropriate for the course. There was nothing that I would say would keep me away forever, but I just can't get excited about this course even though I played well (shot a 39 on the par 37 front 9 from the tips). Seeing as how I wouldn't recommend this course to my friends, I can't recommend it here.

This was my first time playing any of the courses at Geneva National. Since I was playing with my girlfriend (a newish golfer), I called ahead and asked which was the easiest of their three courses. Their answer was the Trevino course. After playing this one, I'll certainly be back to test myself on the other two courses.

Pros: I'll start with the staff. From the bag drop to the starter, to the beverage cart attendants, to the rangers, all were top notch and very friendly and helpful. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be working there. The pro shop has anything and everything you could ask for. The driving range is awesome. It provides a beautiful view over Lake Como. I liked the course design by Trevino. He definitely forcused on playability when he designed this course. For better players that can fade the ball, they can attack pins all day and try and cut off some corners on the dog leg holes. But for players who are just happy to hit the ball straight, they'll be able to enjoy the round with scoring opportunities on multiple holes. I felt that as the round progressed, the holes got thougher with there being narrower fairways and decisions to be made with forced carries or lay ups. This is not a course where you just hit driver off the tee on every hole. Good variety of holes with enough hazards to punish wayward shots yet not take you out of the hole. Large green complexes with multiple ridges and levels running through them. Be sure to pay attention to pin placement or risk a 50+ ft putt over multiple ridges.

Cons: The course is in nice condition but I've played better conditioned courses this year for a much better price. For me, the value of playing a casual round here is just not there. Special events/occasions? Sure. A normal weekday morning match with my normal golfing buddies? Too steep of a price for me. That reason alone is what differentiates this from being a five star course. My only other big criticism was the inconsistent speed of the greens. It was difficult to lag putt as some were very fast and others were much slower. The caveat to this is that we played after some heavy rains and it also briefly drizzled during our round. That may have had something to do with it. Being a walker for almost half of the rounds I play, there's no way that I would attempt to walk this course. Several of the tee shots can be quite intimidating for players that may spray the ball a bit off the tee with houses coming up right next to the fairways. There were multiple tee shots my girlfriend refused to hit because she was worried about slicing one into a house.

Verdict: The Trevino course is one on which you can score. It offers a good variety of holes. It has picturesque tee shots and approaches. I took multiple photos of various holes. Multiple tee options make it playable for all. I enjoyed myself enough that I'm willing to recommend it to others as well as to give the other two courses a try. Conditioning, value, and design wise, I would place it on the same level of both courses at the Grand Geneva resort (The Brute and The Highlands).

Extra tip: The Hunt Club steakhouse was excellent. Great food and great views overlooking several golf holes and Lake Como in the distance. Gorgeous in the evening. Golf attire is appropriate for the dress code.

I think my title pretty much sums up the rest of this review. By FAR my favorite course that I've played this year (beating out Hawk's View at Como Crossings, both courses at Grand Geneva, the Trevino course at Geneva National, and Blackstone; all of which are highly rated). My playing partner said it best when he said, "This feels like a course that we traveled a long way to play and should be paying A LOT more money to be playing." What a gem of a course in Chicago's backyard!

Pros: For me, this is all about the course. The practice area is nice and so is the clubhouse but the course shines. Course conditioning is top notch. Greens were rolling very fast and true with the complexes often having multiple levels. This places a premium on good approach shots and lag putting. 3 putts are a very distinct possibility on every hole from any distance. The course provides a great variety of holes in both distance and design. Playability is high with advanced players having to decide how much they want to "bite off" when lining up their tee shots. Fairways are wide enough that the average and even newer player will hit plenty of fairways throughout the round. The GPS units in the carts are immensely helpful when determining distance to certain bunkers and hazards and giving you the overall view of the hole. Tee'd off just before 8 AM and the pace of play was awesome.

Out of 18 holes, I'd say 5 of them are just OK. Nothing too special, just routine holes that you would see on any other golf course. The other 13 holes are ALL picturesque in their layout with elevation changes, natural areas, water hazards, bunkering, and just general openness. It's tough for me to pick out just one hole as a "signature" hole as all of the holes around the filled in quarry have a uniqueness and "signatureness" to them. Bring your camera and be sure to take plenty of pictures. This is not a course that feels like you are in the middle of one of the biggest suburbs of Chicago. The par 3, 4th hole is my favorite par 3 I've EVER played.

Cons: Only one con for me during the round. While the GPS is nice for tee shots, be careful relying on it for approach shots. Several times my playing partner and I had hit balls well over the greens when based on the distance on the GPS, we should have been near the center of the green. I started comparing some of the distances on the GPS with my rangefinder. On multiple holes the distance on the GPS was off by 5-10 yards. I know I'm being nit-picky but really this was the only negative I could come up with.

Verdict: Play it. Play it multiple times. It's worth the trip from wherever you are coming. It's worth whatever price or deal you can find it for. It's a great value. It's a great course. It's a challenging course. This course, along with Bowes Creek CC, realistically makes Elgin a golf destination for a day or two. Their high ratings on various websites and in various publications are absolutely justified. I can't wait for my next round back here.

Disclaimer: I only played 9 holes on a late Sunday morning. It was the back 9 which is par 37 and tips out at approx 3300 yards. This review is going to be based on the back 9.

Playing on a Sunday morning with nice weather, I was expecting a full course and a slow pace of play. I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to walk on with little delay and the pace and play was good. In a two-some with multiple other two-somes out in front of us, we were able to finish 9 holes under 2 hours. I believe we were able to move around so quickly (and the other groups as well) is due to the lack of hazards, deep rough, OB, etc. You really have to try to lose a ball on this course. Based on that alone, the "fun factor" is higher here than other courses that just punish you all round long. Just based on the yardages, there are multiple holes that give you a chance for birdies throughout the round.

Pros: The clubhouse and the course's employees were excellent. Definitely worthy of a 5 star rating. While quaint, the clubhouse has everything a golfer could need, including a nice seating area where you can have a burger, dog, or beer after the round and go over your scorecard. There also is a nice outdoor patio seating area as well. The burgers and dogs were freshly grilled for us and were excellent. While on the course, the beverage cart checked on us 3 or 4 times (really nice for only playing 9!).

The course itself definitely lends itself to playability. Some driveable par 4's give you different options off the tee. The course layout doesn't lend itself to favor a cut or a fade. You can play to your strengths all day. Having trouble with your driver? Hit a wood or hybrid off the tee and you'll still be able to get around just fine and still give yourself a chance to score well.

Prior to playing, I noted to my playing partner that the practice greens were running on the slow side. On the 12th green I found out why. Some of the greens have such a severe slope to them that if they ran them any faster, it would be very difficult to have any approach shots, chips, or even putts from above the hole hole the green. As the course played today, it still places a premium of remaining below the hole. I would say it is better missing short and off the green rather than being on the green and above the hole and several of the greens. Sloped greens, in my mind, also add to the playability of this course. Beginners will be happy being on the green, better players will have to decide where to leave their approach shots and not just take dead aim at every pin.

Cons: Not a lot of variety in the design of the holes. There is some variance of yardages but the 11th and 12th holes are similar, the 13th and 17th are similar, and the 3 par 5's, the 14th, 15th, and 18th are similar. On the back 9, only the 10th hole and 16th hole are unique. Nothing really stood out to me as being picturesque or being a "signature hole."

The routing can be slightly confusing on the back 9. If you aren't paying attention to the posted signage, you could easily tee off on the wrong hole. In addition, many of the holes run directly next to each other with only several mature trees separating the holes. Make sure to uniquely mark your ball because there can be multiple times where people are playing in your fairway, or you their's.

The bunkers themselves are in good shape, however the people playing this course HAVE to do a better job of raking them. Even though there is nice sand, hitting out of deep foot prints is no fun for anyone. Likewise, repairing ball marks and spike marks on the greens is a must. I know this is a problem that is not unique to this course.

Verdict: Just based on the staff, the value (9 holes with a cart on a Sunday morning was only $20!), and the playability for people of all skill levels, I would give this course a rating closer to 3.5 stars if I could. The course conditions are average but it's worth a visit if you are in the Burlington area or passing through like I was after a weekend trip to Milwaukee. I have no hesitation recommending it for others to try out.

This is going to be short and sweet compared to my other reviews. Unless you are like me and trying to play all of the golf courses in McHenry and Lake counties, don't waste your time. I checked this one off my list and had to walk away after just 9 holes. The course conditions were so poor that I just couldn't take anything serious. I'm glad I only paid 20 bucks for 18 holes and a cart so I could walk away without feeling guilty that I wasted money.

Pros: I would consider the course a difficult course. Even when the course was freshly opened and in great condition, the layout is just flat out hard. Very narrow fairways, deep rough, numerous water hazards and natural areas, mature trees, and what were once sand bunkers come into play on every hole. The potential for the course is there. Unfortunately, it is never going to reach its potential. The course does have a driving range on which you can warm up before the round. Multiple tee boxes give you options. Pro shop attendant was very nice and helpful.

Cons: I don't even know where to start, so here's just a "short" list: Bunkers no longer have sand in them, they are essentially dirt areas which are overgrown with weeds. My buddy almost lost a ball in a bunker because it was so overgrown. The greens are the length of fairways at other courses. There is no way to putt, pitch, and chip and know how the ball is going to react on the greens. There are just random obstacles scattered throughout the course like large piles of dirt and stacks of cut wood. I lost a ball in a fairway bunker which had been filled with 3 large piles of dirt and debris. Drainage of the course is poor. Fairway conditions on some holes are just ridiculous, specifically the 5th hole. They have just given up on trying to maintain the fairway on that hole. Essentially it requires a 300 yard drive to reach any semblance of the short stuff. Miss it short of that and you are in a marshy "fairway" which feels like you could sink into it at any time and not be able to get out. Cart parts don't exist in most places making navigation around the course difficult.

Verdict: Its sad to see a course with potential just withering away. It's already in poor shape and I can't imagine the cost to just get it back to fair shape. Yes, the price to play is low. Yes, you'll be able to fly around the course because no one else is playing it. But for me, I just couldn't take it serious when you are nearly losing balls in what were once bunkers, trying to hit out of US Open type deep rough (because they haven't mowed it, not because that's how they want it), and trying to putt on "fairways." Even though I paid for 18, I walked away after 9. I think my buddy said it best when he said we could play a practical joke on someone by highly recommending the course to them so they go out and try playing it themselves and are stuck torturing themselves by slogging through 18 holes. I don't recommend this course even though the prices are dirt cheap. I can honestly say the conditions of this course are the worst I have played.

Pistakee CC is a 9 hole course that has two sets of tees. From the "tips" it's just over 3000 yards. When looking at that yardage you would think it is not a long course by any means, however, it doesn't play as short as the yardage indicates. There are some par 4's on this course that are over 400 yards that deserve some respect as well as a "longish" par 3 that is 190 yards. What provides a nice balance is that there are some "scoring" holes as well. Depending on the wind or wet/dry conditions, two of the par 4's are drivable being less than 300 yards in length. Likewise the closing hole is a par 5 which is only 452 yards in length. No water hazards and less than 15 bunkers throughout the course means the course has to protect par in other ways. It does that through small green complexes, uneven lies throughout the course due to elevation changes, and steep drop offs around the greens. OB on the left side of the fairways on the first three holes and mature trees lining the fairways throughout the course also provide obstacles for drives that stray from the fairways. The course has some great charm and character; you just have to look a little deeper and understand that it was built nearly 75 years ago.

I came into this round with very little info on the course. I took a chance on checking it out and I'm glad I did. Now I get to be the first to review it and pass the info along.

Pros: Hands down, the greens are the best part about this course. Even the scorecard encourages people to take care of the greens because they are what the course has become known for. They are smooth and they roll true. While small in overall size, they have character (subtle breaks in some, large slopes on others). The pro I take lessons from once surmised that the course must spend most of their course maintenance budget on the greens because they have the potential to be some of the nicest in the northwest suburbs.

The gentleman working in the pro shop was nice. The workers on the course were considerate and even made sure to compliment nice shots.

Can't beat the rates and the pace of play. Even with multiple groups in front of and behind us, we never felt rushed and were never waiting after the second hole.

Course was easy to walk with limited distance between greens and tees. Total distance walked for 9 holes was a little over 3 miles. With the elevation changes throughout the course, the walk also had the equivalent of 17 flights of stairs climbed.

Cons: Gasp! I can't believe I'm saying this about golf but maybe the course is a little too easy??? I played on a very windy day that affected every shot and still finished only 2 over through 9 holes (double bogey on the second hole, parred the rest). Had I been putting well, I could have easily finished 1 or 2 under par. The beauty is that scoring well is fun for a change of pace. I didn't have to shoot a bunch of different targets with my range finder. It was flag hunting golf all day long. I had a blast. My buddy who golfs a handful of times all year also found it enjoyable. That being said, if I wanted to play a competitive round, this would not be the place for it unless you put some fun restrictions on it. I believe there are multiple 1 club and 3 club scrambles at this course. Again, good for a change of pace and something different but not something I would do everyday.

The clubhouse and pro shop appear as if they haven't been updated since the place was built. Depending on your opinion, I could see how people would say it's dark and dinghy but I found it to be a throw back and could absolutely imagine groups gathering there throughout the last 75 years. Of note, I didn't eat or drink anything at the course. Just judging based on the few minutes I was in the clubhouse.

No driving range and just a putting green for a warm-up area. The putting green did give an accurate feel for how fast the greens on the course would be running.

Verdict: If I would come back and play it again, I feel safe enough to recommend it to others. Yes, the course will get rough in places. Yes, the clubhouse leaves a lot to desire. Yes, the practice/warm-up area is limited. But as I've stated in some of my other reviews, I'm a firm believer in that you get what you pay for. The course is not charging you an arm and a leg. It is reasonably priced for the quality of the course and the facilities. I think that's all anyone can ask for when playing around at various courses. I would consider this a good "value" course based on the condition and challenges of the greens and pace of play alone. Definitely worth giving a chance and enjoy your chance at making birdies throughout the day.