Cog Hill #1 and #4 in the morning

[kpaulhus]

Pictures and review to follow. Tee off #1 at 6am, #4 (Dubsdread) at 10am.

[kpaulhus]

Well it was a cold 43* and wet after 3 days of rain when I showed up to Cog Hill yesterday around 5:30 am. There were two older gentlemen waiting to tee off on #1, and a starter hadnt even showed up yet. I teed off about 30 minutes after them and we ended up chasing the mowers all morning. 

Cog Hill #1 was an easier course and pretty straight forward. I didn't play my best only making 1 birdie and not really getting off the tee well considering it was cold and wet. There was no roll in the fairways and if I was in the rough it was thick and very wet. I finished my round in about 2 hours and 15 minutes with a cart shooting an 85. 

Next I went to the club house to have breakfast as people began to show up around 8:30. I had an hour and a half to kill before my 10am tee time on the Dubsdread #4 course (Host of the FedEx Cup Playoffs BMW Championship). I did my usual when playing a Top 100 course, buy a pin flag, logo ball, and a ball marker which I will eventually lose anyways haha.

I was a single as the course was basically empty. I played through 2 foursomes the whole round and the 9 of us were the only people on the course. It was nice, but again very cold and wet. Wish I had played the course in warmer weather, however it was still a great experience. 

When I got my scorecard I saw the yardage of 7554 yards from the back tees and decided the weather and wet grass wouldn't be fun to play from that far back. I ended up playing from two tees up at 6750 yards, which was still quite long. Flashback to last June when i played Bethpage Black from the tips at 7468 yards I didnt think the length would have been a huge issue if it had been warm and dry. 

The rough was insanely thick. It could stop a bullet three wood in its tracks. After trying to muscle a 7 iron back into the fairway only to carry it 30 yards I ended up just hitting PW back onto the fairways the rest of the round. I started off pretty bad, then had a string of 4 pars with a lipped out birdie on the front 9 for a 44. Not terrible considering I shot 87 at Bethpage Black from the tips. Honestly, if anyone ever thinks they're a good golfer at their home club, or even wants a real dose of reality in golf, I suggest playing Cog Hill #4. The course, while really cool and in perfect shape, was just utterly brutal for missed fairways and green undulation...deep bunkers EVERYWHERE. I am dying to go back sometime when its warm and dry just to see how I play considering I know the course a bit better now.

 

I finished with an 89 by bogeying every hole on the back 9. Played in about 2.5 hours, so by 12:30 I had 36 holes in and headed back to O'Hare for my flight home to Arkansas. 

Highly recommend the course, but be ready to get your butt kicked. My 8th of the Top 100 accessible golf courses in the US knocked off the list. Until next time......

[iacas]

Nice!

[dave s]

Great pics.  Looks like a beauty.  I'd gag on the back tees.  Ridiculous length.  Plus two rounds would take all day and then some. 

There's another course up in that area I used to play as a kid called Big Run.  Wonder if it's still there?

dave

[GolfLug]

That is awesome. I see you have not stopped amassing trophy courses.. Keep at it!

[saevel25]

4 hours ago, kpaulhus said:

Highly recommend the course, but be ready to get your butt kicked. My 8th of the Top 100 accessible golf courses in the US knocked off the list. Until next time......

Oh that sounds like a fun idea. I might have to do the same. 

 

[kpaulhus]

I've got an excel spreadsheet with the top 100 courses and I'm trying to play the courses I can drive to (within 3 hours) this year. The rest get expensive as it involves a flight rental car and hotel. I'm very fortunate financially and marriage life is god to be able to make this happen in the next 15-20 years. 

Convincing the wife that Brandon dunes is a great picture and wine opportunity will be the sell of the year! 

[Tat14]

Thanks for the pictures!

It's been awhile since I've been back home and had time to include golf. The last time I was at Cog Hill was 1996, the Monday after Billy Mayfair won the Motorola Western Open.

[natureboy]

9 hours ago, kpaulhus said:

Nasty!

[Chilli Dipper]

Dubsdread was too tough for the PGA Tour's cream of the crop after Rees Jones renovated it. 89 must be a really good round for a civilian, blue tees or not.

[freshmanUTA]

Man oh man, nobody warned you about dubsdread? It's a joke for anyone but scratch golfers to play for the tips, not even for people like me who can longball the driver. If you're inconsistent in the slightest, the length slaughters your scorecard. 

Great course, and honestly, most Illinois rough is long. I'm in Florida playing all four Disney courses and the rough is nothing like back in Illinois, I actually don't care if I miss fairways here haha!

Arizona had some courses with thick rough but for the most part it wasn't too bad, but still worse than Florida.

[iacas]

When you head out to Bandon let me know. They aren't big on strings, but I'll pull the ones I've got.

[Dormie1360]

I use to live a couple of miles away.  My Dad and I played #1 all the time.  #4 on special occasions.  Fond memories. Back then Dubs was $100 for a foursome.     Always in great condition.   What was the PGA event they use to play there years ago, the Western?  I think it was the same tournament Butler National lost. If I remember correctly the day following the tournament you could play Dubs as it had been setup for the pros.  Lots of fun.    I haven't played it since the re design.

Edit: I see above it was indeed the Western Open.

Edited May 1, 2016 by Dormie1360