Guest Blog Posts

Cog Hill #4 Lives Up to the “Dubsdread” Reputation

By Jim Zuccarelli Cog Hill 4 3rd HoleI felt a touch of nervous excitement as I stood on the 1st tee at Cog Hill #4, the fearsome "Dubsdread" course that has hosted 20 PGA tour events since 1991.  It's been many years since I last visited, but "Dubs" was an annual stop before the notoriety, and the subsequent increase in greens fees, exceeded my golf budget.  But the $100 twilight rate that the Jemsek family offered for 2014 convinced me that it was time to make a return.  My first swing produced a weak drive down the right side of the dogleg left par 4, but a solidly struck 4 wood, a chip to 10 feet and a barely missed par putt and the subsequent tap in bogey had me off to a decent start.  But after one hole, it was apparent that this was not the same course that I had filed in my memory. (more…)

Eaglewood Resort Reconditions Golf Course – Restores Scenic Beauty and Playability

By Andrea Schnorr, Eaglewood Resort New Renovations Restore Course to Outstanding Quality The grass may not always be greener on the other side, but the newly renovated Eaglewood Resort & Spa golf course certainly is. The wooded, scenic Eaglewood 18-hole Golf Course, located 35 miles west of Chicago in Itasca, Ill., is back to excellent condition with lush fairways that promote outstanding play for even the most discriminating golfers. After multiple years of renovation, the newly reconditioned Golf Club at Eaglewood marks a return to the quality and playability of years past. Stately 100-year-old oak trees frame the lush, green fairways that reward players with accurate fairway play thanks to lower height cut of grass. The green collars have also been transitioned over the past year to become a part of the greens, giving the player more opportunity to take advantage of scoring. (more…)

Eaglewood Resort Reconditions Golf Course – Restores Scenic Beauty and Playability

By Andrea Schnorr

New Renovations Restore Course to Outstanding Quality

ITASCA, Ill. - The grass may not always be greener on the other side, but the newly renovated Eaglewood Resort & Spa golf course certainly is. The wooded, scenic Eaglewood 18-hole Golf Course, located 35 miles west of Chicago in Itasca, Ill., is back to excellent condition with lush fairways that promote outstanding play for even the most discriminating golfers.

After multiple years of renovation, the newly reconditioned Golf Club at Eaglewood marks a return to the quality and playability of years past. Stately 100-year-old oak trees frame the lush, green fairways that reward players with accurate fairway play thanks to lower height cut of grass. The green collars have also been transitioned over the past year to become a part of the greens, giving the player more opportunity to take advantage of scoring. (more…)

Inaugural LPGA International Crown – Tune into the Golf Channel!

By Samantha Rubin, Communication Manager - Rich Harvest Farms Who is the best golfing nation in the world? The wait is finally over. Starting in 2014, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) will launch a new, biennial global event called the International Crown. The inaugural tournament will debut July 21-27, 2014 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland, and then in 2016, journey to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Tune in Front 06.25.14 (more…)

It Ziehms to Me: Tweaking is almost done at Erin Hills

Len Ziehm on GolfBy Len Ziehm Erin Hills has undergone more than its share of tweaks in its brief history, but interest in the layout 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee has never wavered. In fact, enthusiasm for the course has grown with each of the changes made since the opening in 2006. It's good news, though, that the alterations are just about done. (more…)

Port Course at Harborside Channels Scottish Links

By Jim Zuccarelli [caption id="attachment_712" align="alignright" width="300"]Harborside International 2nd hole Harborside International 2nd hole[/caption] When the starter at the Port Course at the Harborside International Golf Center heard that this was my initial visit to the former city of Chicago landfill turned upscale golf facility, he proudly stated, "You're as close as you'll get around here to golf in Scotland, but you won't have to pay for the airfare to get there." Since my experience with golf in the British Isles goes no further than the Open Championship on television each year, I'll have to take him at his hyperbolic word, though a sighting of the midwest version of a Loch Ness Monster-like creature inhabiting the murky depths of Lake Calumet may not come as a total surprise. (more…)

This is American Golf’s ‘Other Augusta’

Len Ziehm on GolfBy Len Ziehm When you put Augusta and golf together you think of April, azaleas and the Masters tournament, right? Well, that'd be understandable. Not all the great Augusta golf is played in Georgia, though. Check out Augusta, Michigan. Golf is pretty good there, too. This little town (population of only about 1,000) in southwest Michigan is the home of one of the premier families in the American golf industry as well as a unique resort/convention center complex that features one of that's state's premier courses. [caption id="attachment_1910" align="alignright" width="300"] Vice president Tim Moskalic shows his eye-catching course at Yarrow Golf & Conference Resort.[/caption] Put them together and you have the story of six courses just a few miles apart that create an ideal destination for group outings. We'll start with Yarrow Golf & Conference Resort. Its golf is good - an 18-holer designed by busy Michigan architect Ray Hearn in 2002. Hearn has either designed or worked on 25 courses in his home state (he lives in Holland, MI.) and has done quality work elsewhere. His renovations at two Chicago clubs - private Flossmoor Country Club and upscale public Mistwood - have drawn more attention lately but Yarrow is definitely one of Hearn's best. (more…)

The “Brook” and the “Crook” Offer Great Value to Area Golfers

By Jim Zuccarelli Although they are separated by only 7 miles of far northeast Illinois real estate, Bonnie Brook in Waukegan and Shepherd’s Crook in Zion are golf courses that are a world of difference in style. But both Park District facilities share the common goal of providing a great experience and a premium value to area golfers, and each has announced significant adjustments to their greens fee schedules for 2014. (more…)

Course Review: Scenic Seven Bridges Provides Stern Challenge

By Jim Zuccarelli Seven Bridges 2nd HoleMy relationship with Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge is similar to the one I have with a Snickers bar.  One is bad for my waist line and the other isn't good for my golf score, but I still indulge in both every so often.  Architect Dick Nugent razed the property of the old 36 hole Woodridge Golf Course and created a menacing monster of woods and water that will test the low handicapper and scare the heck out of the average golfer.  The par 72 layout stretches to 7,100 yards from the back set of 5 tees, and the 74.6 rating / 144 slope ranks it in the top 5 metro Chicago public courses in terms of difficulty, a clear indication that this is not a course for the easily intimidated.  On my last visit this past fall, I played the 6,300 yard white (middle) tees, and the 70.7 / 135 was all I could handle as I scrambled to stay in double digits. (more…)

Simple Steps Can Minimize Early Season Golf Injuries

By Jim Zuccarelli Although no one will ever equate the athleticism needed to play golf with, say, football, there is still a certain level of preparedness required to maximize potential and avoid injuries.  Since I’ve qualified for my AARP card a few years ago, my 20 handicap golf swing has degraded further, the aches and pains are a bit more pronounced and several close friends and golf buddies have seen their annual rounds curtailed by chronic back problems.  As we transition into the 2014 golf season, I consulted with a trio of fitness experts to discuss the steps that golfers can take to reduce the risk of injuries at the start of, and throughout the season. (more…)