COG HILL GOLF CLUB - The Ravines (course #2)(630-257-5872)
Chicago Golf Course Review
Located just SW of Chicago along highway 171, Cog Hill is easy to get to from any of the major freeways. Take 83 south to 171 and follow it to the clubhouse. The practice range
is visible off the road and precedes the club entrance. Come early to practice and stay around afterwards for a drink or meal. This is a great environment for golf - and one that all
levels of golfers can appreciate. Highly recommended. The spacious clubhouse features men's and women's locker rooms (the men's has 195 lockers, 6 private shower stalls
and a shoe cleaning station) Dubs Pub Lounge (great atmosphere) and an expansive restaurant and patio serving breakfast, lunch and some dinners. Separate, fully stocked pro
shops service courses 1 and 3 plus 2 and 4 and are furnished with the latest in golf clubs, shoes, attire and accessories. Cog Hill courses # 1, 2, and 3 are moderately priced
layouts - and afford visitors an opportunity, as a guest, to experience all the Cog Hill amenities that the pros are accustomed to.
The practice facilities at Cog Hill include a secluded range and short game area for chipping and bunker practice. Expansive putting greens are located at three separate
locations on property. Staff and workers at Cog Hill are unpretentious - willing to assist the average person and provide nearly the same service that is afforded players on the tour
. Top service is one of the prime reasons Cog Hill assures a good time to as many as 1200 golfers a day during prime season - as well as hosting a myriad of receptions,
banquets, golf outings, meetings and special events. Over 400 people are employed at the Club during peak season! The success of Cog Hill as a major player in the golfing
industry is largely related to the perseverance and dedication of its owner, Joe Jemsek - who began his career as a caddie and worker on the original courses here in almost
every capacity - truly an original American success story!
Ravines #2
Since its opening in 1929, Course No. 2 was given the nickname "RAVINES." The sporty, championship layout is routed through wooded, rolling terrain and challenges golfers
with ravines on nearly half of the holes. Unique to the RAVINES course is the closing "19th hole." The challenging par-3 offers a testy putting surface and a memorable end the
day's golf match. With the overwhelming success of Cog Hill's first course, the Coghill brothers purchased 160 acres on the east side of Parker Road from the Reed Family. David
McIntosh and Bert Coghill worked together to design and build the original Course No. 2, which opened in the fall of 1929 and just in time for the Black Thursday (October 24,
1929) crash of the stock market and the Great Depression. Despite the twelve years of persistent depression, the golf course prospered and the people who had the means
continued to make their way to Cog Hill. Nearly 70 years passed before any changes were truly needed. In preparation for the 1997 U.S. Amateur qualifying three new holes, a par
3, par 4, and par 5 were constructed to create the present-day "U.S. Amateur" layout. The RAVINES course is a favorite of Cog Hill's regular golfers.
At course #2, 22 Bunkers are strategically located near greens and fairways on 13 of the holes, and water comes into play on 6 of the 19. The courses at Cog Hill are sufficiently
marked with color coded stakes as yardage indicators - red for 100, white for 150 and blue for 200 yards away. Daily pin placement sheets provide hole locations, and the tee
areas are marked with GAM's. Golf carts for #2 and #4 are equipped with GPS, providing distances to the hole, and hazards on course. Ravines has 4 boxes to choose from. The
yardages and slopes are: Forward tees- 5630 yards with a slope of 123 for women / 113 for men. White tees- 6278 yards, 131 women/120 men. Blue tees 6577 yards, 135
women/123 men. Black tees 6877 yards, 126 slope.
Cog Hill #2 has received recognition by numerous golf publications:
- "10 Best Two-Course Combinations in the World" by Links Magazine,
- "America's Best Courses Under $100" by Golf Digest Course & Travel Magazine,
- and "Favorite Classic Courses Under $125" by PGA Professionals Guide who Travel
Click here for the Two Guys Who Golf detailed information page containing a link to the Cog Hill Golf Club's website (if available).
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