Cog Hill Golf and Country Club (Lemont, IL)

        TOP 100 PUBLIC GOLF COURSE 

             GOLF DIGEST 2017/2018 

                   #51 COG HILL 4  

Cog Hill has been synonymous with Chicagoland golf for half a century, and its crown jewel is the championship layout #4 also known as Dubsdread. Dick Wilson and Joe Lee designed CH4 in 1964, and Rees Jones remodeled it in 2009 in an attempt to lure a US Open. 

(The long 443/407 yard third plays uphill to two tiered green fronted by deep traps. It takes a well struck shot to hold the putting surface.) 

Dubsdread is not for the timid. In fact, there should be a sign on the first tee like the one at Bethpage Black. “This is an extremely difficult course that we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.” This is a ballstrikers  course! One must be able to control his ball, stripe it off the tee, and hit the appropriate shot into green. 

(The 240/173 yard sixth has several great pin placements. The ability to tuck pins is one way CH4 is able to test the pros.) 

Every green at CH4 is elevated! The bunkers are recessed into the slope and they are very deep. The greens are sectioned to accommodate specific pin positions. When the pros are here, they can place them in some tight corners. When one steps on the tee, the hole is laid out right in front of you.  There is no question about where to drive it or what to do. 

(The seventh doglegs right around a water hazard. The option to challenge it or play away is a difference of several clubs. Playing conservative makes this a more demanding approach. 431/385)

Does this mean it lacks strategy? I don’t think so. There were times when I couldn’t hit at a pin and had to decide where to leave myself to have the best chance for par. In the past few years, I’ve come to really appreciate courses like CH4. No guess work, or trying to figure out how much roll the ball needs to come off a slope. It’s just here’s the fairway. Here’s the green. Hit it! Good players have to like that!!

(The 607/525 par five eleventh is a beautiful par five with views across the valley backdropping the green.) 

For average players, CH4 can be a slog. If one can’t elevate the ball high enough, then the chance of holding the green is slim. Bouncing the ball on is not an option on many holes. There are three other courses to cater to average players, however, if they choose to play Dubsdread, a sleeve of balls is all that’s needed. 

(The 215/178 yard twelfth features a gull shaped green with several excellent pin locations. It was my only birdie.) 

The terrain at Cog Hill is surprisingly varied with a lot of up and down movement. The Dick Wilson routing is solid even if some of the holes run parallel to each other. The valley behind eleven green offers beautiful views throughout the back nine. Watching on tv, one doesn’t get the serenity feel. 

(The fifteenth plays as a long uphill par four for the pros, but for the rest of us, it’s a short 482 yard par five. The back pin sits on a little plateau.) 

I had a great time at Cog Hill. One knows he’s in a special place the moment one pulls into the parking lot. I know it gets a lot of criticism for being too difficult, but that’s exactly why it was designed. I give it a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours). Definitely worth the trip from Cleveland! 

(The 494/401 yard eighteenth is an extremely demanding par four played below the clubhouse. The green is set next to the water and one’s approach must cover the hazard to attack the hole. Short right is fine for front or middle pins, but the rear ones have a knob that makes those locations very difficult. A four is an excellent score.) 

(I shot 79 from the combo tees 6564)

Mark Twain Golf Course (Elmira, NY)

If one enjoys Donald Ross golf courses then a trip to Elmira should be on the itinerary to see a course with a very interesting back story. 

(The uphill 185 yard eleventh has one of the most difficult greens on the course. Every par three at Mark Twain plays significantly uphill making them a fearsome set.) 

Mark Twain was designed in 1937. By this time Ross was very well known and established, so it’s quite interesting that he took on this project for the WPA. A theory I read on GCA hinted that Ross lowered his bid to win the job from RTJ who had just did a WPA project at Green Lakes Park to high reviews. 

(Who designs better short par fives than Ross? The 470 yard third green slopes from high right to low left with a bowl on the left side. Misposition your ball and strokes can add up very quickly.) 

Mark Twain is not a very sexy golf course. It literally sits on the side of a large hill. Many of the holes play longer than what is listed on the card, so it comes out swinging the moment one steps on the first tee. 

(Missing a green leaves a very tough up n down. The hill makes the putting surfaces look flatter than what they really are thus the short game requires a lot of skill.)

The greens are particularly strong with severe slopes in them. Staying below the hole is the only way to make par or birdie. 

(The 173 yard fourth is another uphill par three. It’s almost impossible to keep the ball below the hole, so two putting becomes the goal.)

(My favorite hole on the course is the 564 yard fifth. The green lays out across a plateau with the fairway tumbling left below the green side bunker. A flat area ninety yards short offers a fine place to hit a wedge.) 

Mark Twain is a municipal course owned by Elmira. It’s kept in country club conditions and the greens will surprise with both their pace and firmness. 

(The uphill 158 yard seventh reminds me a bit of the eleventh at Conewango except this green has separate levels left and right. A hidden bunker short punctuates the need to take enough club.) 

If the city renovated the bunkers, then Mark Twain would climb into the best municipal course list. It’s a strong layout that will test all your shots. There are numerous uphill, downhill, and sidehill lies to negotiate, and these greens will only accept well struck shots. I give this a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours). Mark Twain is the highlight of public Southern Tier golf. 

(The 421 yard eighteenth plays downhill to a crease in the fairway before going uphill to another pitched green.) 

Winged Pheasant Golf Links (Shortsville, NY)

It’s been a long time since I’ve driven around looking for a place to play.... like any place to play! I had a long weekend in Finger Lakes and this situation happened which found me at Winged Pheasant. 

(The 201 yard par three fourth is a challenging hole with the creek guarding the right side.)

(The 327 yard fifth had a nifty green tucked in the trees. A knob short right adds to the defense of this little par four.) 

(The 485 yard finishing hole is reachable in two shots.  The small green however can prove to be an elusive target.) 

Winged Pheasant was designed by Pete Craig. It reminds me a bit of the NLE Maplecrest. The greens are well done with good interior contours in them. They’re well placed throughout the property, behind the creek, atop little ledges, or fronted by traps. The only criticism is the trees that make the tips claustrophobic. Otherwise it’s a solid course for the locals. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-40 mins). 

Sweetbriar Legacy Course (Avon Lake, OH)

What a surprise the Legacy course turned out to be! The remodel is a wonderful addition to the west side, and is one of the better courses in the Cleveland area. 

(The 382 yard opening hole demands a perfect tee shot right from the start.) 

When I was young, this was a mom n pop type course. There was plenty of water hazards to challenge you, but it was very similar to Hilliard Lakes in Westlake. I liked playing here in the winter because the ponds would freeze over, and I would walk on the ice to pick up balls. Not exactly the smartest thing to do I must admit. 

(The 170 yard par three fourth sets up well for a draw.)  

The decision to remodel was an excellent one. Sweetbriar’s location is optimal and it is the course of choice for many living on the west side. 

(The 166 yard sixth is a good example of the detail given to making this a success.) 

The Legacy has a nice mix of holes. Several are definite birdie opportunities, and others are difficult par holes. Courses like this usually have a nice flow to them. Legacy fits that mode. There are several ponds found throughout the course, and the architect does a fine job using them to create both interesting shots or enhancing the visuals. 

(The 170 yard thirteenth is another hole where the water doesn’t come into play but enhances the beauty of the course.)  

The old course catered to the average player, and was in so so shape. Legacy still caters to that crowd, but the conditioning is much better, and greens roll very well. For regulars, it’s a new and improved hangout to play golf, albeit at an extra cost. Most of the big trouble is well away from the greens and if one is hitting the ball solid, a good score is possible. 

(The 432 yard eighteenth is a strong finishing hole. A par is a good score.) 

The Legacy was positively received by the CGA and I expect it to become an annual stop on the golf schedule. The clubhouse is excellent with both indoor and outdoor seating. I give it a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour).