Illinois
Top Choice: Cog Hill Dubsdread No 4, Palos Park
9.6/10
Why it's Spectacular
Designed By: Dick Wilson, Joe Lee
The famed Dubsdread No. 4 at Cog Hill is everything you'd want or expect in a top-tier midwestern course. The grass is lush, perfectly manicured, the fairways undulate and slope in all angles and the bunkers are abundant (that might be an understatement) and tough! Find yourself in the bottom of one of them and you'll likely see a looming lip that precludes you from having any clear line of sight on your shot.
In a strange way, however, the course is very fair. If you can find the fairways the distances are manageable and while the greens do have some dramatic slopes, they roll true and advertise where to, and not to, target. There is also a classic feel to the entire club and it's hard not to take notice of the rich history (including the eight-foot tall photo of Tiger Woods in the clubhouse during his victory at the famed course).
Like many courses in the midwest, you won't find any crazy holes or many elevated tees or greens, but in this case, that's alright! There is still a natural beauty and for a brief moment you forget that you're in one of America's largest cities.
A true gem worth experiencing regardless of your playing style and interest, we'd highly recommend stopping at Cog Hill and accepting the challenge!
