Fly First Class at La Grange Country Club
ChicagoGolf.com Course Reviewer
Disclaimer: This is a private country club. But, to accommodate the purposes of this sample, the article was written as though it were a semi-private/public course. The review is written with both conversational and formal diction to give a sample of both.
CHICAGO - Located one-half-hour driving distance from both O'Hare and Midway airports, La Grange (named for the western suburb in which it is located) golf course makes a convenient and worthwhile stop on a Chicago golf weekend.
From bag drop personnel to the conscientious staff in the oversized locker room, La Grange Country Club provides a first class product in terms of service. The friendly members and staff enhance a half day visit. The actual course deserves high ratings for both its inherent beauty and merit as a challenging track. The La Grange experience proved enjoyable and one that this visitor looks forward to repeating.
After emerging from the locker room, our cart awaited us. With over a half-hour until tee off, we wanted to hit a few balls. This pre-game routine unveiled the only substantial deficiency in the country club's golf service. (The ride to the practice range passes by tennis courts and a boisterous pool- side crowd, clearly making the distinction that La Grange is a country club and not a golf club, like a Butler National or Bob O'Link.)
Firstly, the practice range could not have measured more than 180 yards in length. Thus, "caimans" are exclusively employed. These solid plastic spheres make poor substitutes for an actual golf ball. Though in fairness, one can still tell if a ball is struck pure, which is probably the only requisite for hitting balls on a range. Still, watching a pure drive sail a mere 140 yards was a bit disappointing for this golfer.
(Note: A small and equally inadequate indoor range is provided.) After hitting a few shots, we found the putting and chipping ranges to be of a high quality in terms of condition and utility. Unfortunately, they were each located in different areas, inconveniently situated away from the main range and the first tee.
With that wee bit of unpleasantness behind us, we abandoned our carts in favor of caddies. Flat topography, short distances from green to tee, and a strong caddy program make La Grange as walker-friendly as any course you will ever come across. Though it may have been due to an upcoming pro-am, we found the course in immaculate condition.
Fairways, which were for the most part, not unfairly narrow, were short and ran forever. The same holds true for the verti-cut greens which may take a few holes to get used to. Often times, even an eight or seven iron landed short of the green and still rolled well beyond the cup.
If you hit the ball straight, you will have little difficulty at La Grange. While this most basic tenet of common sense can be said for most any course, it should be stressed here. The rough, which comes up to and surrounds nearly every green is absolutely brutal. While manicured and even, few parkland courses possess such difficult rough. It grabs the club and ball with equal severity and easily imposes a half to full stroke penalty when stumbled upon.
On a drive, the six inches of landing space between first-cut and the long stuff often translates into seventy yards of ball distance. Its prevalence and proximity around the fringe of many greens makes "up and downs" a significant feat.
The greens are the second opponent of low numbers. Most greens have no truly favorable pin positions as their undulations resemble radio waves. This, combined with their immense size, make 2-putts a rarity and one-putt an infrequent accomplishment.
The par 71 setup makes for an enjoyably different round. On the front side, after holes five through seven, which average over 500 yards (from the white tees), the golfer gladly finishes with two par threes. Although, the relatively straightforward Hole 8 finds a player at back tee hitting a full 230 yards onto an extremely narrow green. Slanted at a 10 degree grade, the treacherous ninth green sees nearly as many putts go into the water as are sunk on the first try.
The second hole, the first of three par fives on that side, must be considered the signature hole. The tee shot must be hit over 230 and settle on the right half of the narrow fairway to have a chance of crossing the wide diagonal creek that traverses the fairway.
If one lays up immediately short of the golf ball-laden water, he finds himself about 190 to 240 yards from the center of a peanut-shaped green.
While not without character, few holes standout on the back nine. One exception is number 14. This is the postcard hole. From the substantially elevated tee, one looks out over a majestic fountain draped by menacing willows. The tee box looks across the water, down at a steep green, well guarded by bunkers.
The water's role in this hole is purely aesthetic, as it extends no closer than thirty yards to the front of the green. Like the preceding three holes, a hook off the tee sees the golf ball over the fence and out of bounds.
Overall, the course is challenging and very fair. Trees, mostly maple and oak, line each fairway, but are well trimmed and not overly dense. There are no easy greens and few routine two-putts, but the ball rolls true. The grain consistently favors Brainard Avenue (the main road) and significantly influences most putts.
With five par-threes, the course measures 6323 from the men's and 6685 from the championship tees with slope ratings of 126 and 128 respectively. At $110, the greens fee is comparable to other area courses of this caliber and represents a reasonable value.
Though we did not eat, the dinner menu seemed appetizing and reasonably priced. Remodeled in the mid-twenties, La Grange Country Club's golf course provided an enjoyable round in a quiet, suburban, neighborhood setting and is a recommended stop on your next golf trip in this, its centennial year.
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.
With enjoyable golf and more, Oak Terrace Resort and Spa in Pana is a central Illinois rarity
Offering nearly every imaginable amenity, from fishing and boat rentals to a lakeside spa to 18 holes of golf, Oak Terrace deserves a vote for "Most Unexpected" golf resort in Illinois, Kiel Christianson writes. The vast difference between the resort's two nines gives the golf course a bit of a split-personality, but the medium-length track provides plenty of shot-making bang for a reasonable amount of buck.
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