Over the weekend, I gathered with a some of my friends and played a round at Klein Creek Golf Club. Klein Creek is located in Winfield, Illinois, which is located approximately 25 miles west of downtown Chicago. The course, which opened in 1994, was designed by Dick Nugent (who also designed Seven Bridges Golf Club and both courses at Harborside International Golf Center).

The course features four par-3 and four par-5 holes for a total par of 72 at a length of 6,701 yards from the back tees. The fairways are mostly straight, flat, and surrounded by medium-sized trees or rolling hills. There’s a lot of water on this course. Water touches 15 holes, but you only need to carry over three of them (possibly more if you play from the back tees). Bunkers are found on every hole, either in the form of a small sand trap, or an expansive “beach” (similar to the bunkers you can find at Harborside). The greens are average in size with challenging breaks. When we played the round, it rained the night before, so a couple of the bunkers were filled with water, and the greens were pretty soft. The greens also didn’t look to be in the best shape (they looked kind of “patchy”).

The course weaves its way around a subdivision, which is typical of many courses in the Chicagoland area. This course is different, though, because on most of the holes, the houses line the left side of the fairway, and the water touches the ride side of the fairway. Also, the houses sit slightly farther back from the fairway, giving you a little more room if you pull your shot.

Two notable holes… The first is the 9th hole (a 453 yard par-4 dogleg right), which is “rated as the most challenging ninth hole in Chicago”, where you must carry a small pond on your second shot if your tee shot is less than 250 yards or so. The second is the 17th hole (a 192 yard par-3), where you must carry a small body of water to the green, which is completely surrounded by sand, and bordered by water on the right side. All-in-all, this is a really nice course that will provide challenges for all levels of play.

I’ll quickly touch on a couple things about this course that I didn’t like… First of all, the course is a little difficult to find. The subdivision it wraps around doesn’t sit off of a major roadway, and the road to the clubhouse doesn’t hit the major roadway at a traffic light (luckily, you can still find your way to the course from the road that does intersect at the traffic light). So when you are heading to the course, be on the lookout for the correct road to turn on. Second, the rangers on duty were a little aggressive, probably the most aggressive I’ve seen. A couple times throughout the round, we were approached by a ranger and asked to speed up our play, and we were definitely staying on pace (probably playing faster than average). I also overheard that a ranger asked a couple of my friends to skip a hole, which was completely unnecessary. When all was said and done, we ended finishing the round in about 4.5 hours, which is an average pace for a par 72 course. Lastly, there are very few trash cans and water coolers throughout the course. This makes no sense to me. These are two things that you can normally find on any public golf course. Luckily, the beverage cart came around often.

As I mention at the beginning of the post, I played this round with a couple friends. Actually, I played this round with seven friends (see the scores below), all gathered for my bachelor party. We were, of course, broken into two groups of four, and I further broke everyone down into 2-man teams for a friendly competition. We played a 2-man total stroke play bramble (shamble), which actually sped play up even more. The teams were formed based on skill level, which evened the teams out. Further, the playing the round as a bramble (where the best drive is selected as the second shot) allowed the scores to stay relatively low.

I felt like I played a decent round; not the best round, but not the worst. My drives were a little random, and I didn’t feel like they were staying as straight as they have in the past. I was still slicing a couple times, and not pulling to the left as much, which makes me think I wasn’t turning my hands over during the swing. I think we used about 50% of my tee shots as the next shot. My iron shots were mediocre, as were my approach and chip shots. Nothing really stands out them as being good or bad. My putting as random also. I 1-putted three times and 3-putted three times.

I ended up shooting a 100 for the round (28 over par), but I’m marking this score down as a scramble, even though I played a lot of my own shots. If this was a standard round, I probably would have shot in the 110′s. My teammate, David (my best man), shot a 106, making our team score 206. The other teams were: Eddy and Adam, who shot a 98 and 97, respectively, for a team score of 195, Markus and Kevin, who shot a 79 and 113, respectively, for a team score of 192, and Trent and Tunwa, who shot a 73 and 107, respectively, for a team score of 180. (Yes. Trent shot a 73. He said he was sinking all of his putts.)

Klein Creek Golf Club – Scores & Stats
Course length: 5,579 yards (white tee boxes)
Course par: 72
Course rating/slope: 67.2/122 (white tee boxes)
My score: 100 (28 over par)

Klein Creek Golf Club
1N333 Pleasant Hill Road
Winfield, IL 60190

To wrap up the hot weekend, I played a round at another Joliet Park District course: Inwood Golf Course in Joliet, Illinois. I ended up playing this course because I found a great price on a tee time, and I actually didn’t realize it was a ‘field trip’ course until I started heading toward the course. In either case, I thought it was fitting to play this course, because the previous day I played Woodruff Golf Course, another JPD course. As I mentioned in the post about Woodruff, Inwood Golf Course is one of three Joliet Park District courses (the third being Wedgewood Golf Course). Inwood is the ‘middle child’ of the three courses, both in age and course length, and is located about 10 miles west of Woodruff.

The course features five par-3 and four par-5 holes for a total par of 71 at a length of 6,196 yards from the back tees. If you play from the front tees, the length drops to 4,678 yards, and the par drops to 70 (the 11th hole is a 500 yard par-5 from the back tees and a 335 yard par-4 from the front tees). The fairways are mostly straight and wide. Medium-sized trees surround the fairways on nearly all the holes, while a couple holes on the back nine have large trees along the left side of the fairways. Some of the holes have a slight dogleg left or right, while the 16th hole, a 366 yard par-4, has a near 90 degree dogleg left. Water hazards touch ten of the holes, many of which you’ll carry over on your tee shot. Probably the most notable water hazard comes on the 2nd hole, a 327 yard par-4, where the fairway doglegs slightly left before an island green (similar to the 17th hole of Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, but smaller and far less maintained). Sand traps can be found on every hole, mostly near the greens. The greens are mostly flat, and didn’t seem too challenging.

I ended up playing this round by myself. I wasn’t really expecting to be paired up with anyone either, since the temperatures were in 90′s, resulting in a course that was almost empty. I somehow got stuck behind an impassable twosome for most of the round, but I ended up finishing the round in about 4 hours.

I felt like I played another good round. I kept with my new practice swing routine, and it seemed to still be working. With it, I’m still not slicing as much as I have in the past, and for this round, I was actually pulling more shots left than pushing them right. I was still trying to use my fairway wood and hybrid more, and I’m starting to see those slowly improve. Actually, if it wasn’t for my fairway wood, I wouldn’t have shot par on the 8th hole, a 502 yard par-5 (I missed birdie by about an inch too). Anytime I can make par or bogey on a par-5, I’m happy (I actually shot triple-bogey on the other three par-5 holes). I felt that my approach and chip shots were pretty good, and I was making solid shots with my irons. My putting was about average. I probably should have slowed down a little more on my putting to try to make more 1-putts, but I was mostly just trying to get out of the sun. I ended up 1-putting once and 3-putting twice. Not too bad.

I ended up shooting a 99 (28 over par), which breaks 100 again. The triple-bogeys on the three par-5 holes didn’t help at all, and I think more practice with my fairway wood and hybrid will help make those holes easier. I actually ended up making four pars on this round, which is another goal for the season! Aside from that, I made four bogeys, six double-bogeys, and four triple-bogeys (way too many double- and triple-bogeys). I probably could have made more bogeys if I focused more on my putting, but I’m still happy I walked away with a 99.

Inwood Golf Course - Scores & Stats
Course length: 5,890 yards (white tee boxes)
Course par: 71
Course rating/slope: 68.7/122 (white tee boxes)
My score: 99 (28 over par)

Inwood Golf Course
3200 West Jefferson St
Joliet, IL 60435

As temperatures in the Chicagoland area reached into the 90′s, I decided to brave the heat and venture down to Woodruff Golf Course in Joliet, Illinois. Woodruff Golf Course is located approximately 30 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, just a couple miles from the edge of this project’s circle. Woodruff is owned by the Joliet Park District, which also owns Inwood Golf Course and Wedgewood Golf Course, both of which are outside the circle. Of the three courses, Woodruff is the oldest course, opening in 1926 (according to their website; other sources say 1922). Inwood opened in 1931 and Wedgewood opened in 1970.

Woodruff is also the shortest of the three JPD courses. The course features four par-3 and no par-5 holes for a total par of 68 at a length of 5,670 yards from the back tees (Inwood is a par 71 at 6,196 yards, Wedgewood is a par 72 at 6,836 yards). I didn’t really see much of a difference between the back tees and the middle tees, usually only a difference of 5 – 20 yards. The par-3 holes average around 190 yards in length, and the par-4 holes average around 350 yards in length. The fairways are different between the front nine and the back nine. On the front nine, the fairways are very straight, flat, and open, and surrounded by small- to medium-sized trees. On the back nine, the fairways are more hilly and narrow in some areas, and surrounded by large trees. You’ll also find a lot more water hazards on the back nine, which provides most of the challenge. In many cases, the water hazard, usually a small stream cutting across the fairway, will be around 200 – 250 yards from the tee, right about where most beginners will place their tee shots. Water hazards touch three holes on the front nine, and seven holes on the back nine. Sand bunkers are not very common (only near the greens when you find one). You are more likely to find a grass bunker, which is something I haven’t seen before. Greens are average in size, and didn’t seem to challenging. The speed of the greens were a little inconsistent, but that could have been because of the heat.

Two notable holes are the 11th hole (a 379 yard par-4) and the 12th hole (a 194 yard par-3). The 11th hole is a dogleg right, and if your tee shot is more than 220 yards, it’ll end up in thick brush (which you won’t find). Also, if you slice your tee shot right, expect to find it in the yard of a nearby house (who will gladly sell it back to you). The 12th hole’s tee box sits on top of a hill, and your tee shot is through a narrow opening in the trees. Your tee shot must be straight, otherwise your ball could be lost in the woods.

This course reminded me of two other courses I’ve played in the past: Glenwoodie Golf Club and Frank Govern Memorial Golf Course. It reminded me of Glenwoodie because of the differences between the front nine and the back nine. Glenwoodie also has a very flat and straight front nine, and a hilly back nine with a lot of water hazards cutting through the fairways. It reminded me of Frank Govern Memorial because of the tee shot on the 12th hole, where you have to hit your shot over a narrow opening in the trees and over a water hazard. You see that tee shot a couple places at Frank Govern Memorial.

For this round, I was paired up with another player, Rick, on the first hole. Since the temperatures were high, and it was somewhat later in the day, the course wasn’t too busy, so we were able to complete the round in about 4 hours (we got slowed down on the back nine by a threesome of beginners in front of us).

A couple days prior to this round, I spent an hour or so at the driving range, and I started to feel something different about my drives. Ever since I started playing this game, I’ve always been worried about hitting the ball (so I don’t top, shank, or duff the ball), and not so much about where the ball went after I hit it. I think I’m past that point now, and I’m starting to feel like I can keep my driver on the correct swing plane and hit the ball a very high percentage of the time. I personally think this is a great feeling, and it allows me to focus on other things now, like any small changes to my swing to correct my [usually consistent] slice.

In fact, in the same session at the driving range, I think I might have figured out the first change to fix the slice. During my practice swing, I take a couple 1/4 swings (halfway up my back swing, then down to the ball, and repeat). Doing this a couple times, allows me to remember when to turn my wrists so the club-face is square at the impact of the ball. I do that 1/4 swing a couple times, then take a full swing. When ready, I step into the ball, take a couple 1/4 swings, then take a full swing to hit the ball. Most times, my wrists will be in the correct position from the practice swings, and the ball will travel on a straight path.

Lastly, I’m working on driving through the ball, which means I’m working on properly shifting my weight from my back foot (right foot for right-handed players) to my front foot. This is something that I’ve been told and heard that I need to do for a while, and I’m just now really able to understand and put it to use.

I took this new weight-shift and practice routine into my round, and I feel I had more success with my drives. My drives were a lot straighter, or if anything, just pushing to the right. In some cases, I’m actually starting to pull my drives to the left, which is something I rarely do. I felt that my drives got longer too (around the 220 yard range), and I looked forward to those 320 yard par-4 holes, where my 2nd shot would be an easy pitch. I also worked on the weight-shift for my iron shots, and those seemed to straighten up a lot. Another big change for me in this round was I started to hit with my fairway wood more. I’ve always had issues with my fairway wood and my hybrid, usually topping the ball. I’m slowly getting comfortable with it, and I’ve been trying to practice more with it at the driving range. My approach and chip shots were decent, but nothing spectacular, and the same goes for my putting. I didn’t have any 1-putts, and I 3-putted just three times.

I ended up shooting a 93 for the round (21 over par), which breaks 100 again, but the course is a par 68 and just 5,412 yards from the blue tees, so I’m not really making a big deal of it. I made two pars, nine bogeys, five double bogeys, and two triple bogeys. Making nine bogeys was nice, and having a long, straight drive on 350 yard par-4 holes helped me out tremendously. All-in-all, I’m happy with this round. I think I’m starting to make good advancements in my drive, and getting that fairway wood to work properly for me is a nice feeling.

Woodruff Golf Course – Scores & Stats
Course length: 5,412 yards (blue tee boxes)
Course par: 68
Course rating/slope: 66.3/116 (blue tee boxes)
My score: 93 (21 over par)

Woodruff Golf Course
621 Gougar Road
Joliet, IL 60432

I’m a bit late on this post, but a couple weekends ago, I traveled down to southern Indiana, and while there, I got a chance to play Champions Pointe Golf Club in Henryville, Indiana. Champions Pointe, located approximately 20 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky, is one of two courses designed by Fuzzy Zoeller, the other course being Covered Bridge Golf Course, which I played back in May of 2009. The course is very new, opening in 2007, and the neighborhood around the course is slowly being built up. As a result, many areas of the course look like a “prairie style” design. I think over time, the area around the course will build up, and some areas feel much more like a standard course that wraps around a neighborhood. Much like Covered Bridge, Champions Pointe is a beautiful course that has a lot of potential.

The course features four par-3 and four par-5 holes for a total par of 72 at a length of 7,174 yards from the back tees. The fairways are mostly open, straight, and wide, which give you a lot of options on where to place your tee shot. Water hazards and rolling hills shape many of the fairways, which gives the course it’s challenge. Water hazards touch ten of the holes, including the 16th hole (a 597 yard par-5) and the 18th hole (a 451 yard par-4) where you must carry water hazards twice on your way to the green. Bunkers are found on all holes, usually both near the fairways and the greens. The greens are a decent size with consistent slopes and challenging breaks. Overall, the course is pretty challenging, yet still very fun. You have many options to get creative with your shots.

I played this round with David, Heather, and Stephen. I actually played this course in the middle of June with David also, but I didn’t want a write a post on it because I wasn’t putting all my effort into playing a good round, and I knew I would be coming back to play this second round.

I felt like I played a decent round. My drives were a bit random on the front nine, and a little more straighter on the back nine. My iron shots were good, although some of them were inaccurate, but at least I was making solid contact. My approach and chip shots where still pretty good, usually setting me up for a 1-putt or a 2-putt. I almost played the round without 3-putting, but on the 2nd hole (a 181 yard par-3), I ended up 3-putting after hitting a solid tee shot with my 7 iron (it was 152 yards from the white tees). I 1-putted four times and 3-putted just once.

I ended up shooting a 107 (35 over par), which was a 52 on the front nine and a 55 on the back nine. This consisted of 2 pars and a bunch of double and triple bogeys. Stephen shot a 118, which he said was one of his worst rounds of the season, and David and Heather didn’t keep score. To compare with my first round, I shot a 108 (54 on both front and back nine), and David shot a 112. I was hoping to play a better round the second time around, but I’m still happy I didn’t shoot more than 110. It really is a challenging course, and I should be happy walking away with a 107.

Champions Pointe Golf Club - Scores & Stats
Course length: 6,484 yards (white tee boxes)
Course par: 72
Course rating/slope: 71.3/130 (white tee boxes)
My score: 107 (35 over par)

Champions Pointe Golf Club
1820 Champions Club Lane
Henryville, IN 47126

Over the long holiday weekend, I got a chance to break away and play a quick round at Plymouth Rock Golf Course in Plymouth, Indiana. I’ve played this course a couple times now, twice with Adam for the Blueberry 2-Person Scramble (both in 2009 and 2010), and one regular round with Dirk. Since everyone had their own holiday plans this year, I played this round alone. In fact, hardly anyone was playing at the course. On the front nine, I caught up and passed a foursome and a twosome, and on the back nine, I saw maybe three people at the most. Much of the back nine, I didn’t see anyone.

The low amount of people playing the course isn’t much of a surprise, since Plymouth is a fairly small town in northern Indiana, about an hour and a half drive from Chicago. Also, Plymouth Rock is not the only (or necessarily the best) golf course in the area. A couple miles down the road from it, you’ll find Tri-Way Golf Course, which seems to have more of a following (and also had a 2-person scramble the same day I played). Also close by to Plymouth, you’ll find Swan Lake Resort & Golf Club, which home to the United States Golf Academy, as well as two championship courses. About 30 minutes from Plymouth, you’ll also find Mystic Hills Golf Club in Culver, Indiana, which is a Pete Dye designed course. Anyway, for $30 with cart, Plymouth Rock is worth a quick round.

I wasn’t expecting much out of the round. I really just wanted to get out and play. The last time I even swung a club was over two weeks ago (I understand that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but oh well).

Surprisingly, I played really well. My drives were mostly straight or pushed right. Anytime I hit right, I usually had a good recovery shot to get me back into play. I got lucky a couple times too, somehow finding my ball in the high grass. Also, the high grass on the back nine that usually gave me trouble was cut a lot lower than normal. I was playing really well with my long irons, and I had some great (and not so great) shots with my short irons. My approach and chip shots were pretty good, usually setting me up for decent putt. My putting was really good, mostly my lag putting, which set me up for short, easy 2nd putts.

As I said, I played pretty well. I ended up shooting a 96! This broke down to a 46 on the front nine and a 50 on the back nine. Throughout the round, I made two pars, nine bogeys, six double bogeys, and one triple bogey. I also had no 3-putts! I had three 1-putts and the rest were 2-putts. So I met two goals in one round, and most importantly, I finally broke 100! I’d say it was a pretty good day.