COURSE REVIEW
St. Andrews Golf Club
Filled with 36 Holes
of Midwestern Charm
By Jeff Reynolds,
TravelGolf.com Staff Writer
WEST CHICAGO, IL (July 12, 2003) -- You could never confuse West Chicago for Scotland, but this St. Andrews has a lot working in its favor.
Nestled in the far western suburbs, the 36-hole St. Andrews Golf Club (West Chicago) was built as a 36-hole private club in 1926. Joe Jemsek, who roamed the grounds until his recent death, handed the public the keys in 1938 following an ownership change that earned him the deed to the course. Jemsek was seen as a capable course boss, having spent several years learning the business side of the grand old game from George Coghill (yes, that Cog Hill), Jemsek molded a nearly extinct 18-hole course into what exists today, a very good 36-hole golf experience.
The courses --- No. 1 is St. Andrews and No. 2 Lakewood --- have not changed greatly since the Jemsek Family attained ownership. Long, straight and wide both courses have a traditional feel, which can be confused with blandness in this era of course design. No. 1 plays at 6,759 yards from the tips and 5,183 up front, which Lakewood is 6,666 from the back and 5,353 in close.
"I guess that is one complaint," said one member contrasting the two layouts. "You can sense that one course is different than the other. But with 36 holes, you might like the differences to be less subtle."
You couldn't call either course vanilla, with an abundance of
water and elevation changes. Undulations make up for otherwise
straight fairways, and making it hard for a first-time visitor
to size up the hole ahead from the tee box. St. Andrews is less
hilly and more narrow.
"There are a lot of blind shots," Jason Ochwat, 25, of Schaumburg, Ill., said of the Lakewood course. "That hasn't made it easy."
First-time visitors shouldn't find the Lakewood course a greatly difficult challenge and may even turn in a score below their handicap. Lakewood is very open and very straight. Other than the par 4, 412-yard eighth, hitting a driver or wood from the tee is not a question. But No. 8 opens over 50 yards of water, which is flanked at the rear of the pond by a 75-foot elevation increase, leaving you with a "blind" tee shot to a slight dog-leg to the right. By aiming center-right at the patch of the fairway that remains visible, you are left with a middle iron second shot to the green.
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Both courses are known for their strong finishing holes. On the Lakewood course, you have gone eight holes since being last challenged by water hazards. To find the green successfully on No.'s 17 and 18, however, you will need to clear ponds placed in difficult positions and which present golfers a choice --- restraint or risk.
The 17th is on Course 2 is the longest on either course at 543 yards. A pond that is more than 40 yards long rests 230 yards from the championship tees, meaning only the strong survive a driver on their first shot. A four iron is sufficient for most, or in some cases a five or six iron is necessary. After a day of relatively generous greens, landing on the 17th is more difficult with a peanut-shaped and crowned, yet soft, green.
No. 18 is 392 yards and a par-4. Here the water is more expansive
and hidden by a decrease in elevation which makes the distance
appear much shorter than it actually is and results in acts of
bravery that, more often than not, lead to treachery. Another
iron (three or four) is the weapon of choice by most golfers with
260 yards to the water. That leaves only a seven or eight iron
to a guarded green, with sand front and left and the rear of St.
Andrews' expansive driving range to the right.
Speaking of the range, many feel the practice facility is the prize possession of St. Andrews. A year-round, lighted driving, putting and chipping facility stays open from sunrise until 10 p.m. during golf's peak season with private lessons available throughout the day. Flags are marked for distance and the multiple putting surfaces are recommended prior to tackling the triple-cut greens at St. Andrews.
In the end, the course may leave something to be desired, especially for those who have tasted the finer things golf has to offer. But with a few planned upgrades and bent fairways, it could become 36 holes of must-play golf.
Though St. Andrews did play host to a U.S. Open qualifying event in 1947, it has been another Jemsek Family operation that soaks up the limelight on the PGA scene. In 1991, Jemsek was was named One of the Most Powerful People in Golf by Golf Digest and named national Golf Professional of the Year by the PGA of America. As of April 2002, when Jemsek died, he and his family owned four golf courses, three in the Chicagoland area (St. Andrews G. & C.C., Cog Hill G. & C.C., and Pine Meadow G.C.) and one in Atlanta (Summer Grove). And Cog Hill is the home of the PGA's Western Open.
St. Andrews Golf and Country Club
Route 59
West Chicago, IL 60185
630-231-3100
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
