Favorite Golf Courses

Back in September, I promised I would write more about golf. Up until this point, I haven't. With the spring-like temperatures this week, I've been getting the itch to play again. Until spring training gets into full swing, I decided to turn my thoughts to golf.

Since 1988, I've been a golfer. I hit the links as often as I can, but sadly, that's not as often as I would like. After deciding I was too small to be an effective wide receiver during my freshman year of high school, I turned to golf. The adventure began at the Dwight Country Club as I stood on the 10th tee box.

Looking back, I haven't played nearly as many courses as I would like. Some people plan golfing vacations, but I haven't. Though I never keep an exhaustive log of courses I've played, there are two I've played more than the rest. The Dwight Country Club is an 18-hole course in Dwight, Illinois is hands down the course I've played the most. I ripped that course up virtually every day during the high school golf season from my sophomore year through my senior year. Throw summers during college and the annual round with friends in the mix, and that makes it the clear leader.

The second course is Sugar Creek Golf Course. It's a 9-hole course located in Villa Park, Illinois but maintained by Elmhurst Park District staff. Playing there in college and working at the park district for just shy of a decade makes that my second-most-played course.

By no means is this a complete list, but here are some the courses I know I've played. I wish I kept a list of each course I played in high school, that would easily triple the size of this list. All of these courses are located in Illinois.

- Dwight Country Club, Dwight
- Sugar Creek Golf Course, Villa Park
- Arrowhead Golf Club, Wheaton
- White Pines Golf Club, Bensenville
- Downers Grove Golf Club, Downers Grove
- The Den at Fox Creek, Bloomington
- Green Garden Country Club, Frankfort
- Oak Brook Golf Club, Oak Brook
- Tamarack Golf Club, Naperville
- Oak Meadows Golf Club, Addison
- Maple Meadows Golf Club, Wood Dale
- Robert A. Black Golf Course, Chicago
- Ken Loch Golf Links, Lombard
- St. Andrews Golf and Country Club, West Chicago
- Willow Crest Golf Club, Oak Brook
- Meadowlark Golf Course, Hinsdale
- Wolf Creek Golf Club, Pontiac
- Fresh Meadow Golf Club, Hillside
- Shamrock Golf Course, St. Anne

If you're a golfer, what courses do you play regularly? How often do you get out?

Tags: golf, Illinois

4 Comments

I had a chance to play Pinehurst #2 about 12 years ago and played BlackSheep out by Batavia last summer. I lost more balls at Blacksheep than I did at Pinehurst. Both were excellent courses though

RickMonday Saturday, February 19, 2011

I bet you would enjoy talking to my Dad (though maybe not, his stories often exhaust me). I've never met anyone more passionate about golf in my life (take your passion for baseball and multiply that by 1000). He's written a few books about the game, has played all over the world, and caddied for some of the greats when he was young. He can sit down and tell you, in intricate detail, each hole he played in a tournament 50 years ago. He's even an honorary member of the Western Golf Association (and has THE green jacket!)

Jules Saturday, February 19, 2011

A golf author. That's amazing. I'll have to see if I can find some of them.

Bill Pearch Saturday, February 19, 2011

Since I don't play golf but I admire the people that do play it very well. As far as courses that I would be able to play if I could, I would choose all of the courses on the Grand Strand of South Carolina plus Pinehurst #2 and I would probably play the Lonnie Poole Course at North Carolina State University. The Loonie Poole Course opened last year and was designed by the Arnold Palmer Design Group. Coincidentally, Arnoldd Palmer played his college golf at Wake Forest, which at the time was located in the town of Wake Forest, NC which is twelve miles from Raleigh; however, until the Loonie Poole Course was built he and his group had never designed and built a course in Wake County North Carolina.

BeanCounter37 Saturday, February 19, 2011