Royal Fox’ course in St. Charles is again presenting a challenge for Illinois Open finalists.
Usually a golfer makes his mark in the Illinois Open and uses it as a springboard to earn a regular spot on the PGA Tour. For Carlos Sainz, though, it’s been the other way around – at least for now.
Sainz had a strong showing in the 2013 Illinois Open, losing the title to Joe Kinney in a three-way playoff, and then earned his PGA Tour card at qualifying school. Last season Sainz was a regular on the big circuit but didn’t earn enough money to keep his card, so now he’s starting the process all over again. On Tuesday he showed lots of progress.
A 65 over the Royal Fox course in St. Charles propelled the Elgin resident to a four-stroke lead in the 67th playing of the biggest championship for state residents. He’ll go for the title in the final 18 of the 54-hole test on Wednesday.
Sainz owns a four-shot lead on 2014 champion Brad Hopfinger and Christian Heavens, who could become the event’s first African American champion if he gets hot in the last round. The top two amateurs — Branden Mounce of El Paso and Nick Hardy of Northbrook — are five strokes back along with Andy Mickelson, director of golf at Mistwood in Romeoville.. Another amateur, 16-year old high schooler Tommy Kuhl of Morton, is another shot back.
If Hardy rallies to win he’d be the second player to win the Illinois Amateur and Open titles in the same year. David Ogrin accomplished that feat in 1980.
Given the size of his lead, though, the tournament is Sainz to lose. After rounds of 67 and 65 he’s at 11-under-par and showing the form that got him to the PGA Tour in the first place. This year he’s splitting time between the Web.com and Canadian circuits while shaking off the disappointment of his rookie PGA Tour season.
“It was frustrating,’’ admitted Sainz, “but it was a great learning experience. It’s the same game out there, but those players are really good. The PGA Tour is really competitive. You know that coming out but don’t really know it until you’re there.’’
Sainz earned most of his $124,115 PGA Tour winnings in one tournament – a top-10 finish in the Sanderson Farms Classic in Mississippi. He went to college at Mississippi State and is now training at the school’s new practice facility at Mossy Oak Golf Club.
“Playing on the PGA Tour only made me better,’’ said Sainz. “It gave me a taste of it, and I really want to get back there. I feel I have the game to do it.’’
His top challengers on Wednesday have never made it to the big time. Hopfinger spent this season between the Web.com and PGA Latinoamerica circuits. Heavens turned pro after being a First Tee graduate of Georgetown College in Kentucky in 2011. He’s tested his game playing “pretty much all over the play, wherever I can find an affordable tour.’’
Hopfinger is the last of seven players to win both the Illinois Amateur (2011) and Open. Mounce spent his freshman year at Illinois State and is transferring to Bradley. Hardy, a sparking 28 under par in winning the Illinois State Amateur last week at St. Charles Country Club, is headed for his junior season at Illinois. Mickelson is the reigning PGA Assistants champion.
The pros will have a bit more incentive in the final round than they’ve had in recent years. Carrie Williams, in her first year as Illinois PGA executive director, announced that the purse will hit the $100,00 level for the first time since 2003. That’s in large part because the entries were up from 537 last year to 638.
The 67th Illinois Open had two co-leaders after Monday’s first round, and neither was exactly a surprise.
Christian Heavens, a touring pro from Fairview Heights near St. Louis, had the best score in the seven state-wide qualifying rounds – an 8-under-par 64 at Effingham Country Club on June 24 – and that good play carried over to Monday’s first round of the finals when he shot a 6-under par 66 in the morning over the Royal Hawk course that is co-hosting the 54-hole event.
The other 66 was by Royal Hawk pro Brian Carroll, who played his opening round on his home course in the afternoon. He birdied the first hole, triggering a 5-under-par front nine, and coasted in from there.
“A fun day,’’ said Carroll, who reported early to make sure all was going smoothly in the pro shop and then concentrated on playing. “I’m very happy with how I played. Now I’ve got to do the same thing the next two days on a different golf course. There’s still a long way to go.’’
Carroll conceded that home course knowledge might have been a factor.
“Some people think I have a great advantage playing here, but I’ve only played Royal Hawk twice all year,’’ he said. “Most golf pros don’t get to play all that much.’’
A full-time player six years ago before entering the club pro ranks, Carroll has played only 27 holes this year at nearby Royal Fox over a two-day span, one of which was in bad weather. Royal Hawk and neighboring Royal Fox are co-hosting the finals and all the best scoring came at Royal Hawk on Monday.
The group one stroke behind Heavens and Carroll – Bloomington’s Brandon Holtz, Lockport’s Andy Mickelson, Elgin’s Carlos Sainz and Northbrook’s Nick Hardy – also played their first round of the tournament at Royal Hawk and will play their second on Tuesday at Royal Fox, which will also be the site of Wednesday’s final round.
Hardy, the only amateur among the 66 and 67 shooters, won the Illinois State Amateur with a rousing 28-under-par performance at nearby St. Charles Country Club last week. He’s trying to become only the second player to win both the state’s Amateur and Open in the same year. David Ogrin, a PGA Tour journeyman, did it in 1980.
Mickelson, the reigning PGA Assistants national champion, is director of golf at Mistwood in Romeoville and Sainz was a PGA Tour member last year.
Holtz’ round was the exact opposite of Heavens.’ Holtz had two eagles in his first five holes at Royal Hawk and was 5-under-par after six holes before cooling off. Heavens finished strong. He made five birdies in the last six holes.
The Gailes course, with pot bunkers galore, holds a special place in Michigan golf. OSCODA, Michigan – I’ve always tended to shy away from dwelling on greens fees in reporting on golf travel destinations. There’s a good reason for that. Course owners, by necessity, are constantly changing what they charge their golfers and these reports can’t keep up with that. They’re written with the expectation of a long shelf life.
So, when a course is described by many as “the best golf buy in Michigan,’’ that’s a hard claim to substantiate.
But then there’s the Lakewood Shores Resort, which has been operating for over three decades within a short walk of Lake Huron and proclaims itself as “Michigan’s Best Value Resort!’’ It has three courses, each very different from the other two, and price is definitely a plus – though we’re still not going to get into specific figures.
Let’s put it this way: the resort’s promotional literature states “we believe in offering great golf along with comfortable lodging in a truly sincere and friendly atmosphere at an affordable rate.’’
I can’t quibble with any of that. Floral gardens on The Serradella course are most pleasing to the eye at Lakewood Shores’ clubhouse.
What’s most striking about Lakewood Shores is the variety in its courses in a relatively out-of-the-way segment of this golf-rich state.
The Serradella came first, a parkland style layout designed by Bruce Matthews that opened in 1969. It has minimal hazards, wide fairways, large greens and a tradition for having extraordinary floral gardens. That was the only course when Craig Peters arrived on the scene.
Stan Aldridge, already established in Michigan golf as the owner of the private Indianwood in Lake Orion, had just purchased the property and Peters – a former Notre Dame golfer – had decided that it was time to give up trying to be a touring pro. Lakewood Shores and Peters were an ideal fit. He is now in his 29th year at Lakewood Shores, serving as both general manager and director of golf. The Blackshirt course, No. 17 shown here, has a completely different look than The Gailes
Lakewood Shores will probably never be as well known as Indianwood. It was the site of the 1930 Western Open, won by Gene Sarazen, but thrived more after Aldridge purchased it in 1981. Since then it has hosted two U.S. Women’s Opens – 1989, won by Betsy King, and 1994, won by Patty Sheehan – and the 2012 U.S. Senior Open. Roger Chapman was the champion in that one.
Aldridge, who was eventually inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, expanded his portfolio by adding two courses to his original purchase of Lakewood Shores. Best known of the trio of 18-holers there is The Gailes, which was Golf Digest’s Best New Resort Course of 1993.
Lots of Midwest courses have been promoted as Scottish-style links courses, but this one is way ahead of its counterparts. It has double greens, an array of sod-faced pot bunkers and long fescue grasses. I’ve played lots of courses in over 30 years of Michigan visits, but haven’t encountered one like this one. Aldridge’s son Kevin is the designer of record for The Gailes, though Bob Cupp also had a hand in the project.
Kevin Aldridge did all the design work at the second course added after the Aldridge purchase. It’s called Blackshire, a great walking course with a rugged feel thanks to the hardwoods, large sand waste areas and undulations in the greens that are incorporated into the design. It opened in 2001.
In 2004 The Wee Links was added, an 18-hole pitch and putt course also designed by Aldridge with holes ranging from 50 to 105 yards. It can be played free of charge if you’re a resort guest.
The UL International Crown may wrap up on Sunday, but there’s no break on the area tournament calendar. The 67th Illinois Open begins its three-day run on Monday at two St. Charles clubs, Royal Fox and Royal Hawk.
Defending champion is Bolingbrook’s David Cooke, who posted the best 54-hole score (199) and best score in relation to par (16 under) in winning by five strokes at Royal Melbourne in Long Grove last year.
As always, the Illinois Open has an interesting field. Among the other amateurs among the 258 starters is Bears’ cornerback Kyle Fuller.
Illinois men’s coach Mike Small, who has won the title four times, will be joined in the field by one of his star players – Northbrook’s Nick Hardy, who won the Illinois State Amateur with a record 28-under-par performance at the nearby St. Charles Country Club last week.
Small will also have one of his future players in the field in Tommy Kuhl, a 16-year old from downstate Morton. Still in high school, Tommy has already committed to the Illini while his 18-year old brother Pete will be playing for Wisconsin in the fall.
The Baumans will also be a family act again. Doug, head professional at Biltmore in Barrington, will be joined by sons Greg and Riley.
Carlos Sainz Jr., of Elgin, is also part of the pro contingent. The low amateur in the 2006 Illinois Open at The Glen Club in Glenview, Sainz played on the PGA Tour last year and is splitting time between the Web.com and PGA Latinoamerica tours this season.
Gary Groh, the long-time head professional at Bob O’Link, in Highland, Park, will be the oldest player in the field. The 71-year old Groh won the Illinois Open when it was contested at Royal Fox 22 years ago.
Royal Fox returns as the tournament site after a 15-year hiatus and this year’s staging marks the 25th anniversary of the first Illinois Open played at the course. Since last hosting the tournament has changed its format to allow more players from the state-wide qualifying rounds to participate in the finals. That necessitated the need for an alternate course, and Royal Hawk will fill that bill.
The field will play 18-hole rounds at both courses Monday and Tuesday and the final round – for the low 50 and ties and anyone within 10 strokes of the lead – will be at Royal Fox on Wednesday.
It’s official. The United States is the best women’s golfing nation. The UL International Crown was created to determine that very thing, and Team USA was up to the challenge in the second playing of the event at the Merit Club.
In 2014, the event’s inaugural year, the U.S. couldn’t survive the best ball matches at Cave’s Valley in Maryland as Spain won the crown. The second staging didn’t start well, either, as Team USA lost both its opening day matches vs. England.
After that, though, the foursome of Stacy Lewis, Gerina Piller, Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson got better and better. They won three of their remaining four best ball matches on Friday and Saturday and came out swinging in Sunday’s concluding singles duels.
Lewis went out first, the second match of the day, and lost but one hole in dispatching Japan’s Mika Miyazato 3 and 2. That set the tone for the day.
“It was huge,’’ said Lewis. “I wanted to get a lead early and put a number up there for the girls to see. I haven’t done what I wanted in Solheim Cups on Sunday (matches against Europe, in which she had been winless), and this is not quite as much pressure. But my team pulled me out here for a reason and I’m just happy we could get two points on the board.’’
Piller was up next, against the formidable Yani Tseng of Chinese Taipei. Piller, who wasn’t on the U.S. team that was such a disappointment in Maryland, didn’t lose a hole in a 4 and 3 victory in the day’s third match.
“Yani’s a great player, and she got off to a rough start,’’ said Piller. “She’s a prior No. 1 in the world. You can’t overlook that. She’s got the game. She’s got the length. I just dug deep towards the end and had the mentality of taking no prisoners.’’
No doubt that was the right strategy, but Team USA still needed something from Kerr, the most experienced member of the foursome, and/or Thompson, the top-ranked player (No. 4 in the world) in the four-day competition.
Kerr never trailed against England’s Mel Reid, though her 4-up lead after five holes did shrink to 1-up after No. 14. Kerr then won the next two holes to close out the match and the two points awarded for that victory gave Team USA an insurmountable 13 points. Kerr was surprised when her teammates swarmed her on the green.
“I just tried to take care of my match,’’ she said. “I didn’t know that it came down to my winning.’’
It did after Thompson dropped the last U.S. singles match to Korea’s So Yeon Ryu 2 and 1. That outcome didn’t matter.
“This is huge, unbelievable for us,’’ said Lewis. “To be called the best golfing nation is so satisfying. We had zero points the first day, and we still ended up with the most. It’s just a testament to these girls and their will to want to win this thing.’’
Korea, the top-seeded team (the U.S. was No. 2) when the competition started, was second with 12 points while England and Chinese Taipei each had 11 and Japan eight. Korea was without its best player, Inbee Park. She sat out with a left thumb injury and will also bypass her title defense at this week’s Women’s British Open in hopes the injury will heal in time for next month’s Olympics in Brazil.
Even without Park, however, Korea fielded a foursome in which all members were ranked in the top 12 of the Rolex World Rankings.
Korea’s chances were also hampered by the weather. Saturday’s late afternoon storms forced two best ball matches involving Korea to be pushed back to Sunday, so the team had to be back on the course at 7 a.m. to secure its berth in the 10 singles matches. Korea finished off both early matches vs. Australia with victories but couldn’t sustain that momentum once the singles began.
Neither could Japan, which won the wild card spot in singles after eliminating Thailand and China in a rousing sudden death playoff decided by Ayaka Watanabe’s 30-foot eagle putt.
Team USA remained in last place in four-team Pool B at the UL International Crown on Friday, but there’s still hope for the home team in this global team event that determines its champion on Sunday.
Thursday’s first round of matches was a disaster, the U.S. going 0-2 against England. Friday’s second round showing against Thailand was much better. The American team of Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr had no trouble with Ariya Jutanugarn and Porani Chutichai, winning 4 and 3 to secure the first U.S. points of the competition.
The other U.S. team, Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller, played well, too. They took the lead on the third hole and never trailed against Pornanong Phatlum and Jutanugarn’s sister Moriya, but Phatlum’s long birdie putt on the 17th green enabled Thailand to halve the match.
“We had a rough day, and we just got beat,’’ Thompson said of the bad start on Thursday. “We just had to come back with a positive attitude and focus on good things.’’
With two points awarded for a win and one from a tie, the U.S. has three points going in Saturday’s matches. England leads the pool with five and Thailand and Japan have four each. In the final round of best ball competition the U.S. faces Japan and England takes on Thailand.
“We knew we couldn’t lose today,’’ said Kerr, “and getting three out of four points was huge. We did what we had to do.’’
“We’ve still got some work to do tomorrow, but as a team we’re moving in the right direction,’’ said Lewis. “We’ve got to get four points, and we’ll be right where we need to be.’’
The top two teams in each pool advance to Sunday’s concluding singles matches and the third place team in each of the two pools will go to a playoff for the fifth and final spot in singles. Team USA lost in the Saturday playoff two years ago when the Crown was played for the first time in Maryland.
Team USA was the top-seeded team in the first Crown and is seeded second to Korea in this one. Korea had its troubles the first two days as well, splitting both of its matches each day. Korea, with its four players all ranked in the top 12 in the world, trails surprising Chinese Taipei by two points in Group A heading into Saturday. Taipei has six points, Korea four and Australia and China three each.
The pairings in Group A for Saturday are Korea vs. Australia and Taipei vs. China.
While the U.S. matches drew the biggest galleries on Friday, the plight of Team England was captivating as well. England didn’t qualify for the first UL International Crown and was handicapped on Friday when Charley Hull couldn’t play.
Hull became ill after leading England’s sweep of the U.S. on Thursday. In a statement released by her team Hull said she sought medical attention after an asthma attack turned into a fever before Friday’s matches. Her absence meant that her partner, Melissa Reid, had to go it alone against the strong Japan team of Haru Nomura and Mika Miyazato.
Reid battled valiantly, taking Nomura and Miyazato to the final hole before the Japan duo could claim a 1-up victory.
“I’m extremely proud of myself,’’ said Reid. “I knew it was going to be difficult playing on my own against two of the best players in the world. For me it turned out a huge positive. To get anywhere near the 18th was going to be a huge achievement, and I’m just really, really pleased I gave the team a huge chance of even a point.’’
While Reid didn’t get the point, her teammates Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Holly Clyburn managed to halve their match with Ai Suzuki and Ayaka Watanabe. The point gained in that one kept England on top of Group B. Hull’s status for Saturday’s matches is uncertain.
After two near-misses Northbrook’s Nick Hardy can finally savor at State Amateur title.
No golfer in the 86-year history of the Illinois State Amateur came close to doing what Northbrook’s Nick Hardy did this week at St. Charles Country Club.
A 64-65 finish during Thursday’s concluding double round enabled Hardy to post a 260 total for the event’s 72 holes. The tournament record had been 270 by Bob Zender at Kankakee Country Club in 1971. That was the last of Zender’s three titles, and he went on to become a regular on the PGA Tour.
The best under-par score for a champion had been 13-under by Jerry Haas in 1984 at Mt. Hawley, in Peoria. Hardy was a shocking 28 under.
Only the margin of victory recorded eluded the University of Illinois junior-to-be. Rob Grube won by 11 shots at Edgewood Valley in LaGrange in 2006. Hardy was 10 better than runner-up Tee-K Kelly of Wheaton.
“I just had it going,’’ said Hardy. “It was nice to finally get the monkey off my back and get it done in this tournament.’’
Hardy lost the 2014 title to Ray Knoll, a University of Iowa golfer from Naperville, in a playoff at Cantigny, in Wheaton. Last year Hardy was one shot out of a playoff at Panther Creek, in Springfield. Kelly won that one and had hoped to claim his third State Am in four years at St. Charles.
Only Zender and another PGA Tour veteran, D.A. Points, had three wins in the State Am after it went to a stroke play format in 1963. Kelly, who concluded his collegiate career at Ohio State in June, had hoped to join Zender and Points. In the end a 71 on Tuesday killed his chances, but he was pleased with his 66-65-68 showing after that on the 6,926-yard par-72 layout.
“If someone had told me before the tournament that I’d shoot 18 under par I’d be pretty pleased,’’ said Kelly. “This is just how it goes sometimes. Somebody just brings his stuff, and you can’t beat it.’’
Kelly finished what is likely his last State Am in style. He put an 8-iron second shot from 179 yards to two feet on the par-5 finishing hole and rolled in the eagle putt to finish solo second. Moments later Hardy had a 20-footer for eagle to match Grube’s record for margin of victory, but his putt lipped out.
The low scoring wasn’t just by Hardy and Kelly. Twenty-one of the 37 finalists finished under par for the 72 holes in one of the lowest-scoring State Ams ever.
“It was a perfect storm,’’ said Kelly. “It was perfect scoring conditions. It was hot, so the ball was going far, and there wasn’t much wind all week, the fairways were in perfect shape and the greens were a little soft. Six or seven people played some of their best golf.’’
Hardy agreed.
“St. Charles is not an easy course, but a lot of players played well,’’ he said. “I had my best stuff. It was probably my best tournament, from top to bottom and then getting it done.’’
Hardy and Kelly will be back in St. Charles next week for the Illinois Open and they’ll also be in the field for the Western Amateur, to be played Aug. 1-6 at Knollwood, in Lake Forest.
The Illinois Open will be played at two St. Charles clubs, Royal Fox and Royal Hawk, from Monday through Wednesday.
Illinois’ Stephanie Miller picks up Illinois Women’s Open trophy from Greg Kosin, brother of the tourney’s late founder Phil Kosin.
The 22nd Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open shaped up as a two-player duel between a pair of Big Ten players before Wednesday’s final round even began.
Illinois’ Stephanie Miller and Wisconsin’ Brooke Ferrell owned a three-shot lead on the rest of the field entering the last 18 at Mistwood, in Romeoville, and they matched shots playing together through the first 14 holes of the final round with no other player mounting a challenge.
And then they reached the tee at the par-5 fifteenth hole. For all intents the competition ended there. Ferrell, trailing by just one shot, hit her first drive into water on the left. Her second went out of bounds right and Ferrell staggered in with a four-over-par nine on the hole. Miller had it easy the rest of the way.
“You learn so much more from your failures than you do from success,’’ said Ferrell. “Stephanie played so well, but I’ll learn a ton from this.’’
Miller knows about failure, too. In 2012, as a junior-to-be at Stevenson High School, she led the IWO after two rounds before stumbling badly in the final 18. Not so this time, as the Illini senior-to-be posted her third straight 69 for a 54-hole scorer of 207 and a three-stroke win over Kelly Grassel, another amateur from Chesterton, Ind.
“It wasn’t like the year I had in high school, when I played like a high schooler,’’ beamed Miller. “This gave me a good boost of confidence because there were a lot of girls I play with in college.’’
Miller, who lives in Elgin, enjoyed three straight days of sub-par golf for the first time after shaking off any rustiness caused by a nine-day break from golf to go on a family vacation to Alaska.
Ferrell, who shot 74, was a stroke behind Grassel in a tie for third with Northwestern’s Hannah Kim and two clear of the low professional among the 63 starters, Symetra Tour player Ember Schuldt of Sterling. Schuldt is an Illinois alum, so the tourney turned out a huge success for the Illini. Schuldt picked up $5,000 but the tourney was still dominated by amateurs.
Miller, who won medalist honors in the Illinois high school tournament twice before heading to Illinois, put herself in position to win with three straight birdies on holes 5-7.
After that both Miller and Ferrell endured long waits between shots as the twosome immediately in front fell two holes behind the third from the last twosome. Miller survived the delays by talking with both her father, who doubled as her caddie, and Ferrell.
“It was hard, but not the reason I lost,’’ said Ferrell. “I had the same issue the past two days. It’s one of those things that’s almost taken over the game now. The LPGA is struggling with it a lot, too, but no one ever gets penalized for it.’’
Finally the biggest event of this Chicago golf season has arrived. The four players on Team U.S. for the second UL International Crown were the first on the course for Tuesday’s practice rounds at the Merit Club and they admitted their task in the eight-team event that tees off on Thursday will be a difficult one.
The U.S. is seeded second to the Republic of Korea, which has all four of its players listed in the top 12 of the Rolex World Rankings. Those rankings determined both the teams and players in the match play event, so Korea would seem a shoo-in to win the title on Sunday.
“It’s a hard format to really predict who’s favored,’’ insisted a still hopeful Cristie Kerr, the veteran member of the U.S. team. “Match play is very unpredictable, but there were a lot of USA fans following us in the practice rounds, and it’s great to be the home team.’’
The U.S. was the top-seeded team in the first Crown event, staged two years ago in Maryland, but didn’t even survive the first three days of best ball competition. Korea, seeded second in 2014, did – by beating the U.S. in a playoff for the fifth and final berth in the concluding singles portion of the competition.
Neither the U.S. nor Korea did well in the first Crown, despite their lofty seedings. Spain and Sweden, countries that didn’t qualify for the second Crown, finished one-two with Korea third.
Both the U.S. and Korea have altered lineups for the second Crown. The U.S. returns Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis and Kerr with Gerina Piller replacing Paula Creamer. Thompson, the top-ranked player in this week’s competition, is No. 4 in the world and only Lewis (8) is also in the top 10.
Korea’s lowest-ranked player, So Yeon Ryu at No. 12, is the only returnee from its team that played in Maryland. Her new teammates are Sei Young Kim (5), Amy Yang (7) and In Gee Chun (9). Inbee Park, ranked No. 3, dropped out with a hand injury.
“What they’re doing is pretty amazing,’’ said Lewis of the Korean contingent. “To have so many players in the top 15 in the world, it’s amazing how well they play. Inbee is out, but the next option is really pretty good.’’
“It’s not a rivalry that we have with them,’’ said Kerr. “We’re just trying to keep up. They have the numbers versus us.’’
At least the U.S. and Korea will understand the unique competitive format better this time. The first three days calls for best ball matches against the teams in their group. The U.S. opens against England on Thursday and also squares off with Thailand on Friday and Japan on Saturday.
Korea faces China first, then has Chinese Taipei on Friday and Australia on Saturday. Teams get two points for a match win and one for a tie, and the top five in the point standings after Saturday go into singles play on Sunday to determine the champion.
“The format was just a little difficult to understand,’’ said Thompson of the first Crown. “I felt like nobody really should have been eliminated.’’
“In this format so many teams are dangerous,’’ said Lewis. “I don’t think you can always go off the rankings in a best ball format. It’s who can make the most birdies in a day.’’
There will be plenty of those, as the Merit Club setup is much different than it was for its only other big event – the 2000 U.S. Women’s Open.
“It’s not even close to what they played for the Open,’’ said Lewis. “There’s reachable par-5s and drivable par-4s and a lot of tee options, so it’s going to make for great golf. You’re going to see a lot of birdies. You’re going to probably see a bunch of eagles on some par-5s. We’re not going to be struggling to make pars, and it’s going to look great on TV.’’
Here and there
The Illinois Women’s Open concludes on Wednesday at Mistwood, in Romeoville, and the Illinois State Amateur wraps up on Thursday at St. Charles Country Club.
Panther Creek, the Springfield course that hosted last year’s Illinois State Amateur, was easy pickings for the Web.com Tour players at their new Lincoln Land Charity Championship. Deerfield’s Vince India posted four rounds in the 60s and could do no better than a tie for 33rd, 10 shots behind champion Martin Flores who posted a 22-under-par 262 total.
Kate Lillie, of St. Charles, was a 3 and 1 winner over Penelope Tir, of Winnetka, in an all-Chicago area final at the Women’s Western Golf Association Junior championship at Blackhawk in Madison, Wis.
Dick Wagley, retired head professional at Indian Hill in Winnetka, was the only player under par at the Illinois PGA Senior Masters on Monday. He shot a 1-under-70.
The greens had to be large and versatile in Tom Doak’s creation of The Loop. ROSCOMMON, Michigan – America’s most innovative golf course design is now open for play – at least on a limited basis.
The Loop, created by the highly imaginative Michigan architect Tom Doak, is an 18-hole course that can be played in two directions. One day it’s the Black Course – 6,704 yards from the back tees and a par 70 played in a clockwise direction. The next day it’s the Red Course, played counter-clockwise at 6,805 yards from the tips but still a par 70. Within the borders of North America there’s no course, or courses, like it.
I walked The Loop in the summer of 2015 while it was under construction. With just a few contours evident in the dirt and little grass showing, it was difficult to judge what Doak was up to. Now that I’ve played it in both directions, I know. And I like it – a lot.
While a more imaginative name seems appropriate, given the nature of the course, The Loop will take the golf world by storm in 2017 when it is fully ready for play. During our July visit only 24 players per day – either members or overnight guests staying in on-site lodging — were allowed on the course.
The halfway house was still under construction, there were no benches available for sitting and only one, very basic, rest room was on the property. Though yardage books were available, slope and rating figures for The Loop had not been determined. Forest Dunes added two new villas this year, and two more will be available in 2017.
It was helpful for early visitors to be accompanied by a staffer, as the routes weren’t clearly defined and signage on the course was minimal. Those understandable shortcomings were being corrected, though, and the number of players allowed each day is to be increased to 48 before the summer was out.
By 2017, however, many, many more will be able to see what The Loop is all about. Some – mainly non-walkers – might not like it but most will.
To appreciate the creation a golfer has to block out two days and be prepared to walk about five miles each day. No carts are allowed, though caddies and push carts are available. Business considerations could conceivably lead to changes in that policy, but I hope it’ll always be a walking course. Allowing power carts would detract from what Doak has done. Pot bunkers are a key ingredient in making The Loop an interesting course in both directions.
Doak had just finished up a massive renovation of the No. 1 course at Chicago’s Medinah Country Club when he started on The Loop and the staff has a Chicago influence. Brian Moore, the director of agronomy who worked closely with Doak during the construction, arrived there after three years as an assistant superintendent at Chicago Golf Club. Chad Maveus, the general manager and director of golf, grew up in the Chicago suburb of Sycamore and played collegiately at Northern Illinois before spending 13 seasons at California’s famed Pebble Beach. Maveus had no trouble adjusting to the change in lifestyle and is looking forward to an expected influx of more players thanks to The Loop’s availability.
As for Doak, he had been considering a reversible course for about 30 years and still doesn’t consider the concept to be all that new. While the concept may be revolutionary for American golfers, it’s not so much that way in Europe. Hopefully walking will always be the only way to play a round at The Loop.
Many clubs there play their courses backwards once a year just for fun. Others, particularly in Scotland, have been played in reverse during the winter months to spread out the wear and tear on divots. Even storied St. Andrews has been played in reverse.
To develop his reverse course in the United States Doak needed a basically flat piece of property with few trees and an owner who could think outside the box. Lew Thompson fit that to a tee.
A little history before we get back to the details of the course.
Thompson, who is in the trucking business in Arkansas, also owns The Bridges – a Jack Nicklaus design in Colorado. His only other venture into golf came in this little town of about 8,000. The Loop has become the companion course to the well-received Forest Dunes layout, which was designed by Tom Weiskopf and opened in 1998. First assistant professional Patrick Bloom was our guide the first time around The Loop.
Forest Dunes opened as a private club in a gated community. With just six homes available, the original owner opted to sell it to the Michigan Carpenters Union Pension Fund in 2002 and Thompson stepped in to purchase the 1,325-acre property in 2011.
The Forest Dunes course was built on just 500 of those acres, so Thompson had plenty of land to consider other options and upgrades. The need for more lodging was immediately evident, and the 14-room Lake AuSable Lodge was added near the Adirondack-style clubhouse.
While Forest Dunes was consistently ranked as one of the very best courses in golf-rich Michigan, having only one layout on the property wasn’t enough to bring in enough visitors. That’s when Thompson and Doak eventually connected. Thompson wanted something that would stand alone for his second course, something very unlike Forest Dunes. Doak certainly gave it to him.
Thompson and some friends were the first to play The Loop, on June 27 of 2016. A member-guest event shortly thereafter served as an informal grand opening for what Forest Dunes is billing as its “Preview Season.’’ A more elaborate grand opening is likely in the spring of 2017. The use of fescue gives The Loop a European flavor in many places.
To get a feel for what The Loop is like it’s first important to know what it doesn’t have. The Loop is built on 200 acres, less than half that used for the Forest Dunes layout, and water is not a factor anywhere. While there are no lakes, ponds or streams, there are 41 and bunkers and 40 grass bunkers. The greens are big and undulating; their average size is 6,500 square feet with the biggest at 8,600 and smallest at 5,000. The fairways are generous and you can play out of most of the rough areas.
Some early players felt there was a big disparity in difficulty between the Black and Red versions. One of my colleagues showed a 20-stroke difference in his scores between the layouts. That wasn’t evident in my visit. I found the Black three strokes easier than the Red, even though one round was played on an extraordinarily windy day and the other wasn’t. My partner had an 11-stroke difference but played all 36 holes with the same ball.
Clearly links style, The Loop is triggering other developments at Forest Dunes. Two villas opened in the spring and two more will be available next spring. Ninety-five beds are available for guests now and that number will increase to 125 in 2017. The addition of a par-3 course is also under consideration.
Well-known instructor Rick Smith opened a teaching facility at Forest Dunes this year and predicted that “it’ll be the most talked about golf destination in the country over the next five to 10 years.’’
There’s no arguing that. The rough at The Loop may sometimes look intimidating but you can usually play out of it.
