fjgilbert

This course met my expectations as a first time player. I think it is a target golf course - not very long from the white tees with mostly narrow fairways and small greens. And a lot of dangerous places to avoid.

It’s also a course that requires knowledge of its geography to play well. Consequently, I’ll have to play it a few more times before keeping my score. And I’m looking forward to doing just that.

The back nine is more scenic than the front nine. The back nine also has more severe elevation changes especially from the tee boxes.

I would recommend this course for golfers who like a challenge.

This course was in horrendous condition. The grass in the fairways needed cutting badly. I almost lost a ball that I hit in the middle of the fairway because the ball sunk down into the grass. On the fairway!!

The same with the greens. I’ve never played on greens that were so slow because of the length of the grass. And some greens had many bare patches.

The course conditions were so bad I quit after nine holes. It’s a shame because I saw a lot of potential in this course. Too bad it’s taken care of so poorly.

This is the first time I played Corte Bella. Upon checking in at the pro shop I was told that the driving range was free and that I could hit as many balls as I pleased. That was a pleasant surprise. The golf cart had a cooler with ice in it. This was particularly gratifying since I was playing in the Phoenix area in late August.

The toughest part of the course for me was the greens. Many were multi tiered with severe undulations. Fortunately, I was playing with a guy that was intimately familiar with the course. He told me how each green was shaped before we played each hole. Very helpful.

There were a number of very wet spots on some fairways. Consequently, I got relief whenever I found myself embedded in one of them. The fairways were generally wide and forgiving. However, some fairways had rough spots with little grass in them.

The sand traps were not in great shape but were in better shape than a lot of courses I have played this summer. I rate a sand trap by the fineness of its sand. Too many sand traps are like concrete. At Corte Bella I was able to play out of some sand traps with relative ease because the sand wasn’t real hard. That’s a plus..
One more thing about bunkers. At Corte Bella they’re hugh, deep and plentiful. One par 3 had so many bunkers I asked my playing partner where management put all the grass.

The rough was not particularly troublesome in that the grass was not very long nor very thick. This has the added advantage of being able to find your ball without prolonging the pace of play.

My last comment is that I think the greens fee is too high for this course. I’ve played better courses that were also cheaper. But it is what it is.

Coldwater is a nice course with some very large fairways. There are some holes where your approach shots have to be quite accurate to reach the green. But for the most part there are bailout opportunities for you should you choose to use them.
The condition of the fairways was fair but the conditions of the greens made up for the lack of fairway conditioning. There are some multi tiered greens and many undulating greens to test your putting skills.
All in all a nice course with reasonable prices.

This course was in very good shape. The greens rolled true and were fairly fast (I prefer fast greens). The only drawback to the course conditions was the sand bunkers. The sand was hard, so playing out of them was very difficult.
This is truly a target golf course. The yardage from the tips is about 6200. But don’t let this deceive you. If you’re not accurate, you won’t score well.

Stay out of the rough, stay out of the rough, stay out of the rough. Driving and putting are the keys to lower scores at Chalet Hills.

The greens were not in the best shape; however, I played 5/29/19 and the course has taken a beating from the weather. This is true for most courses in the Chicago area.

The fairways yield tight lies that require good ball striking skill. So hitting the ball first and then the ground is mandatory for playing good golf at Chalet Hills especially when the course is as wet as it’s been.

Even with all the moisture the greens were fast. They’ll be even faster if and when the course is given a chance to dry out. The speed of the greens is, of course, a personal preference. I like fast greens so Chalet’s greens suit me just fine.

Many of the holes at Chalet Hills offer beautiful scenery and provide you with solitude that’s indicative of rural settings. After playing these holes I sometimes like to just sit near their green for a couple of minutes to listen to the wildlife and to enjoy the serenity. This, of course, can only be done when the course is fairly empty of golfers.

I would recommend Chalet Hills to intermediate and advanced golfers. However, if you’re a beginner and you know how to keep pace, Chalet Hills will provide good lessons about course management, patience, and the skills you’ll need to play a challenging golf course.

The greens ran true even though they were a little slower than I expected. But, than again, I prefer fast greens.

The fairways were in excellent condition as were the tee boxes.

The rough was rather short. This could be because of the time of year. So I wasn’t too concerned when I missed a fairway.

The only fault I found was with some bunkers. A few of the bunkers had hard sand and were therefore difficult to navigate at least for me.

I think there are a sufficient number of ponds strategically placed on the course that should grab your attention.

I really enjoyed my round at RedTail. The course is about thirty-five miles from my house. So it has to be good to motivate me to make the trip.

First, this is a links course.This means few, if any trees. So the wind becomes a significant factor. A links course also allows you to run the ball up to the green from the fairway without fear of having the ball die in the fairway short of the green (assuming of course you hit the shot correctly).

The Highlands is one of my favorite courses to play in the Chicago metro area. I've always found the fairways, bunkers and greens in excellent condition. And I love the challenge. There are plenty of bunkers strewn throughout the course to grab your attention. And the rough is thick enough to motivate you to be accurate off the tee. The greens were slower than what I'm accustomed to at the Highlands. However, I played on a November morning right after the frost melted. So the greens were quite wet.

The pace is generally average for a foursome (4/4.5 hrs.). And the staff in the pro shop and on the course were very friendly and accommodating.

I would definitely recommend the Highlands of Elgin to anyone that wants to play a top notch course in the Chicago area.

Hilldale promotes its greens as the best in the Chicagoland area. I agree it's among the best. However, if you're looking to shoot a good score, you better drive the ball accurately. If you miss the fairway, chances are you won't make the green in two because the rough is usually thick enough to present problems. Keep in mind that I'm speaking as a senior golfer with a twelve handicap. You strong, young bucks may have the strength to overcome the rough.

I've played this course many times and I rarely have any complaints about the condition of the greens, the fairways or the sand traps. I recently played in November and the course was in excellent shape for this time of year. If you want to treat yourself to a round of golf on a challenging, fun course, play Hilldale.

Foxford Hills is a very challenging course. What makes it challenging are its undulating fairways, water obstacles, and undulating greens.

Most fairways are fairly expansive. However, the fairway bunkers are well placed and force you to take notice.

My biggest disappointments were with the sand traps and the pace of play. The sand was too hard and the pace of play was very slow. When I approached a ranger about speeding things up he said everyone was on pace. However, when two foursomes are on the tee box waiting to hit on a par 4 and this happens consistently, there's no way the pace of play is normal. I got so frustrated I left the course after the fifteenth hole.

Anyway, this is a very nice course to play and I would recommend it with a pace of play warning.

The main problem I have with Palatine Hills (PH) is that it's overpriced. It's a nice course but there are comparable if not better courses in the area that you can play for a lower price.

I played this course because I got a nice hot time price on Golf Now. Little did I know that the greens were treated with sand. This was frustrating because I finally got a reasonable rate to play PH; however, the rate was reasonable because the greens were covered with sand. BIG disappointment and lesson learned.

On July 1, 2016 Arlington Lakes reopened after a year of renovations. So I am writing this review as a person who played the course many times before the renovations took place.

Bottom line: I liked the old course better. It was much more challenging; therefore, in my opinion, the old course was more fun to play.

An employee explained to me that the renovations sought to make the course easier to play; hence, an expected increase in the pace of play. I've played the "new" course three times and have not experienced a significant increase in the pace of play from the old course.

However, Arlington Lakes is now an easier course to play than before the renovations. Unfortunately, to me, many trees were cut down thus making what were once interesting holes very mundane.

There is plenty of water on this course and many narrow fairways. So accuracy is the key to success particularly because this is a short course from the back tees. So distance is not problematic.

The greens are in excellent condition and are not particularly fast.

So if you want to play some interesting target golf, give Arlington Lakes a try.

Prairie Landing is one of my favorite courses in the Chicagoland area. But then again I like playing links courses and that's what Prairie Landing resembles.

I was particularly impressed with the fine sand in the bunkers. This made it much easier to execute recovery shots from the sand.

Most of the fairways are wide enough to be forgiving to errant tee shots; however, whether you're hitting tee shots or approach shots stay out of the ever present fescue. This stuff swallows golf balls.

A unique feature at Prairie Landing are three regulation size warmup holes. No reservation required to play these holes. So if you get to the course early enough, you can play these warmup holes in preparation for your round.

When I played Boone Creek the greens and fairways were in excellent condition.
This course has many wide fairways; however, it also has a lot of fescue. So stay on the fairways or in the rough. If you end up in the rescue (which, by the way, protects many greens), good luck finding your ball.

As advertised by Hilldale the greens are its trademark. They will challenge your putting skill. If you putt poorly, you will suffer. If you're an excellent putter, you will be tested.

The overall condition of the course (fairways, bunkers and, yes, even the rough) was excellent.

The only complaint I have is with the pace of play. However, a Ranger did inform my group that the course was very busy and it wasn't just one or two groups holding things up.

Do yourself a favor this year and play Hilldale. I think you'll find it very enjoyable. And please keep pace.

In my opinion Stonewall Orchard is the top golf course in the North/Northwest Chicago land area. The greens are fast and the fairways are in excellent condition. There is plenty of water, trees and natural hazards to grab your attention. Make no mistake this is a very challenging course. I love it and I think you will too.

There are few courses in the Chicagoland area I've played that make you feel as if you're in the country and that you're miles away from urban areas. Chalet Hills is one of them. So if you're looking to play a gorgeous golf course, Chalet Hills is it.

However, you'll pay for the beauty in more ways than one. Chalet Hills is one of the most challenging courses I've ever played in the Chicagoland area. It puts a premium on driving accuracy and on putting. I've played the course when my driving accuracy was excellent and when it was horrendous and the results were like day and night. In the latter case I couldn't wait for my round to end. So if you're playing poorly, you will suffer. On the flip side you'll feel like a million bucks if you play this course well.

The last time I played Chalet Hills the greens were in excellent shape. The roll was true and fast. I happen to like fast greens so I wasn't disappointed. Many of the greens are small so approach shots and par 3's demand accuracy.

Most of the fairways are narrow with lots of trouble on either side. So fading or drawing the ball is not always a "stay out of trouble" option. I like to move the ball either way so I am often trying to decide if it's best to draw or fade the ball on many tee shots. The fairways were also cut to a reasonable level. By that I mean I was not confronted with tight fairway lies that that made it extremely difficult to execute pitch shots. However, they were cut short enough to allow me to use a putter when I chose to do so.

The rough was tall and lush. My playing partner and I each lost a couple of balls that we hit in the rough from the tee. The green side rough was also challenging. So hitting a ball just off the green wasn't always a bargain.

I can't comment on the sand traps because, surprisingly, I didn't end up in any of them during my last round. All I can say is that there are a lot of fairway and green side bunkers. I should also mention that there is also a lot of water. And the water is strategically located to swallow errant shot.

There are a lot of trees on Chalet Hills. Many of the trees are located so that it isn't enough to just be on the fairway. You have to place your tee shot on the left or right side of a fairway to have a good angle for your approach shot to the green.

All in all I would recommend Chalet Hills to any golfer except the novice. It's worth the challenge.

I've played Buffalo Grove many times. But I've played it only when I can get a good deal on GolfNow. I do this because I don't think the course provides the value for the price of a normal week day or weekend greens fee.

But first, the good news. Buffalo Grove will challenge you with its many fairway and greenside bunkers. Many of the greens are small so your accuracy on approach shots must be spot-on. The greens were in good shape when I played and they are generally fairly fast. Most importantly they hold their line very well.

The sand in the bunkers isn't fine but it isn't coarse either. So if you're a good bunker player, you shouldn't have any trouble getting out of the sand.

Trees come into play on the course and so do creeks and high grass. However, even though most of the fairways are wide you'll have trouble if you spray the ball all over the place.

The staff at Buffalo Grove have always been very friendly and have always been more than willing to take the time to answer any questions I had.

My biggest complaint about Buffalo Grove has always been the length of grass on the fairways. Many times when I hit the ball in the fairway I couldn't see the ball until I got about twenty yards from it. This was ridiculous. Good fairway shots should be rewarded with good lies (absent divots and severe undulations). And sometimes I couldn't distinguish the fairway from the rough while standing over my ball.

I recommend that you try Buffalo Grove (at a reasonable price of course) and form your own opinion. Many times one's judgment about a golf course is like one's judgment about pizza (i.e., very subjective).

First let me state that I'm a senior golfer who has finally decided to play from the white tees. I put my ego aside and resigned myself to the fact that I don't have the length I use to have. I'm also an 11 handicap golfer.

On that note I must tell you that Shepherd's Crook is an excellent links course that will challenge a player's skill (or lack thereof) from any of the tee boxes.

I define a links course as a course with no trees, with undulating fairways and greens, with hidden pot bunkers, with very high grass (fescue), and with a lot of wind. This is the predominant layout you'll find in the British Empire (or so I've been told). And this is what you'll find at Shepherd's Crook except that there are some tress on the course.

Shepherd's Crook is not a long course even from the back tees; however, it places supreme emphasis on accuracy especially from your tee shots. That's why I practiced with my Driver at the driving range the day before playing Shepherd's Crook and it paid off.

The greens were fast and rolled true. I like fast greens so this appealed to me. You may think differently. Regardless of the speed of the greens I've never played Shepherd's Crook when the ball didn't roll true on the green. And that's very important.

The fairways were not in exceptional condition as I found them in the past. I think they succumbed to the brutal winter that ravaged many golf courses in the MidWest. However, the fairways were in good condition.

Many of the greenside bunkers were deep (at least the ones where I ended up). Many of the fairway traps were large and were located in strategic spots on the fairway. By that I mean they were reachable from the tee box.

The fescue was very high as is to be expected from a links course. So stay out of the fescue. My playing partner lost three balls in the fescue. We found one of his golf balls in the fescue but he didn't want to hit it out of the grass for fear of hurting his wrist/hand. So he took a drop.

The wind was a factor when we played. It's always a factor when I play a links course. This seems to happen even when I played a links course on a "calm" day.

The rough at Shepherd's Crook was high and deep enough to present a challenge. However, it wasn't so high and deep that you had to wave a white flag whenever you hit into it.

The bottom line for Shepherd's Crook is this: if you spray the ball all over the place, good luck and bring a lot of golf balls. If you hit the ball somewhat accurately most of the time, you'll have a good time.

Shepherd's Crook is on my top ten list of public courses to play in the Chicago area and I highly recommend that you try it and form your own opinion.

I was blown away by the the pristine condition of the fairways, the rough and the greens. This in itself qualified as a five star course to me.

Most of the fairways were narrower than I've encountered in other courses in the area. However, I think this was necessary because this is a short course. Can we say target golf? Many of the fairways had water running down their length or most of their length.

The rough was lush. It was tall enough to risk losing your ball but it was definitely lush enough to make it a challenge from which to escape.

The greens were very fast which I like a lot. They ran true. So if you read them correctly you can have confidence in your stroke. However, you will be penalized for any miscues.

The sand traps were easy to get out of if you know how to play bunker shots. What I mean by this is that the sand quality was very good. No pebbles or granularity that makes you cringe when you step into a sand trap.

Because the course is rather short the pace of play was excellent. However, I did play in the morning on a weekday. This could also have something to do with the quick pace I encountered and that I prefer.

Try this course. I think you'll like it.