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Many of you know that I reside in Chicago and have been promoting Chicago golf on my
website for several years. I know and love Chicago golf.
I was pleasantly surprised recently to see that Golf Magazine and the National Golf
Foundation teamed up for their first-annual countdown of the 10 Best Golf Cities in
America. This year, Chicago jumped to No. 5 from No. 46.
Here is our review of some of the must play courses:
Dubsdread Course at Cog Hill Golf Club, Lemont.
Dubsdread was built from the natural terrain and is known for its many oak trees lining
the fairways and its large, undulating greens. The signature hole on Dubsdread is #16, a
397-yard, par 4, with a dogleg left fairway and great views of the countryside. Its green
if four -tiered and surrounded by trees. "GOLF Magazine" chose this 18th among the
"Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S." for 2004.
NOTE: Dubsdread is closed in 2008 for redesign.
Prairie Landing Golf Club, West Chicago
This Scottish links-style course only has trees in play on four holes. Designer Robert
Trent Jones Jr's philosophy enables golfers of all skill levels to have an enjoyable test
of golf. The course's character is unique in the Chicago area, derived from the skillful
blending of earthwork contours, innovative bunkering, waterways and wetlands, and dramatic
sweeps of native grasses. The signature hole is #5, a 406-yard, par 4, with a lake that
bisects the hole, which creates two alternative fairways to choose between when
approaching the green. "Golf Digest" rated Prairie landing as the 25th "Best in State"
course for 1997-98.
The Glen Club, Glenview
For generations, Chicago has laid claim to being one of North America's great golf
destinations. That tradition continues today at The Glen Club, Tom Fazio's North Shore
masterpiece, sits at the heart of a 195-acre refuge that features rolling terrain,
dramatic elevation changes, tranquil lakes, meandering streams and stunning vistas,
including the Chicago skyline in the distance. Ranked # 65 in Golf Magazines Top-100 Golf
Courses you can play in 2004.
Harborside International Golf Center, Chicago.
This course consists of two eighteen-hole courses that are a miracle of enlightened
politics, environmental engineering and the imagination of Dick Nugent. The two courses
located at the club are the Port and the Starboard. Both courses are links-style.
There is water that comes into play and many very deep sand bunkers in keeping with the
links tradition. "GOLFWEEK" selected the Port Course 100th among "America's 100
Best Modern Courses" for 1999. The signature hole is #15 on the Port Course, a
216-yard, par 3, which is in the shape of an anchor.
Pine Meadow Golf Club, Mundelein
The Dubsdread of the North Side is a gorgeous, Jemsek-owned parkland layout designed by
Cog Hill #4 contributor Joe Lee. It was built on the grounds of an old seminary and is
edged with forest preserves and dotted with lakes.
Cantigny Golf Course, Wheaton
Robert R. McCormick, former publisher of the Chicago Tribune, decreed in his will that
his estate should serve as a recreational spot for the people of Illinois, and these 27
holes occupy a substantial portion of that estate. The Woodside, Hillside and Lakeside
nines are equally worthy, but the Lakeside boasts the signature hole, the watery par-4
ninth, with an enormous bunker in the shape of Dick Tracy.
There are another 100 courses to choose from in the immediate area if you want to blend
the name courses with some of the undiscovered treasures that dot our golf landscape.
We have lots to do in Chicago in the summer. There is baseball with the Cubs and Sox, the
beautiful Lake Michigan lakefront for boating enthusiasts, plenty of night life downtown
and in suburbs like Naperville and Schaumburg.
I recommend three places for accommodations:
Springhill Suites in Warrenville, a centrally located suite hotel to many of the
top courses. For those that prefer to be downtown, the Courtyard by Marriott gives
you location, location, location, and the comforts of home. Some prefer the traditional
golf resort. Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale gives you the feel of a room with
a golf course view.
Please contact mike@golfexclusives.com if
you want to plan a golf trip to the Chicago area. I have the expertise and resources to
plan a memorable trip for you.
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Golf Exclusives 
