Never played there but that is some nice shooting Ugie. That sucks to have one hole put a damper on
what sounds like a stellar round

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Played great at the Bachelor Party at Steeplechase. Don't have a score since it was a hybrid scramble, but I'd say I shot well enough to be right around 80. Course was really easy, I mean really easy. Tons of room off the tee, big greens. Course was in very nice shape and for $60 on the weekend it was a good deal, but not much of a test. But, I like courses like that, they balance out the ones where you get your ass kicked.

Then I made the mistake of playing yesterday slightly hungover at Harbourside. Never played there and always wanted to. We found a deal for $75 on Golfnow at 1:10 in the afternoon. I played horrible, 48-46-94. I had 11 fat shots/mishits after having maybe 1 all day Saturday. To top it off, I HATED the course. Absolutely hated it. Worst course I've played all year. If you've never been here is essentially waht the entire day is. Go up to the tee box, look out at the exact same hole you've played al day long, try and figure out what part of the 200 yard wide sand trap is the part you are supposed to carry off the tee, factor in the 25 mph wind and then try and land it perfectly in a pretty big fairway without going into the 3 feet of rough that separates teh fairway from sand on every hole. The layout is awful and boring. Like I said, the wind is ridiculous, the sand is everywhere and its impossible to tel exactly where in the fairway you are supposed to be aiming at...even with my gps device. I put at least 5 good drives into bunkers.

I will say that the course is in great shape and the greens ran very fast...and the italian sausage sandwich at the halfway house was one of the best things I've ever eaten at a golf course.

At $50 I would say go ahead and play it if you don't mind battling gale force winds on every shot. Me, I'm never going back. It presented a challenge that I didn't find enjoyable one bit, just stupid, frustrating and confusing.

Honestly, if there was no wind there it breaking 80 would be quite attainable for me with only the fast greens being a hurdle to that.

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Glad you enjoyed Steeple Chase it is a pretty fun course. I have played there many times, surprised you found it
to not be challenging.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Took the afternoon yesterday to play Oak Grove with some friends of mine and their dad. Thought it was going
to be unbearably hot but they had some wind out there and wasn't really an issue. Anyway, it was an interesting
course on the front nine. I managed a 38 but wasn't hitting the ball very solidly. My putting is finally coming
around and wedge game saving me some strokes lately. Put one from 100 yards out to 2 feet for birdie on the
7th hole. The back nine is a mess. Target golf at its worst. Many holes where you need to hit an iron or
3 wood or hybrid to get in position to hit another shot. The 11th hole is one of the dumbest holes I have ever
seen. They have you aiming 200 yards to a flag with a small landing area, the hole then goes directly right for 120
yards and then zags again at a left angle another 100 yards. It is essentially a 450 yard par 5. We all teed off and hit
what we thought were good shots. Two guys lost their ball because the landing area was only about 20 yards
wide where they hit it. My partner was in the fairway but couldn't see the hole. I lucked out and had a glimpse
of the hole. I hit probably my most solid shot of the day from 225 out and hit the green pin high. I ran over the
edge on the eagle putt but I bet I wouldn't play it that well if you gave me 10 more chances. That won't happen
though because I doubt I will ever go back. we were running out of time so played 2 man scramble teams in the
last 4 holes. I was sitting at 3 over on the back at that point. I'll guess I would have finished at +5 for around a
79.

In my opinion don't waste your time and money on this one. I don't want it to sound like sour grapes or something
because it was difficult. It was, but it was pretty unfair in some cases and just not enjoyable. The greens were a
good speed but very spongy and you really had to watch your footprints which was annoying. A lot of wild grasses
just off the fairways so we had a few cases where guys landed balls in the fairway off the tee and they rolled and
bounded into this long grass just off the fairway. Harvard is a bit of a haul and in the middle of nowhere so I can
see why they don't get much play.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I hate courses like that. And good to know about Harborside too, shakes.

Tough courses are fine. Big Run was like that. It was very difficult, and very long, but it wasn't really unfair. It was just long. Its one thing to be challenged with some tough holes, but its another thing to have a dogleg that is so unfair or a shot on a par 4 where you have to carry 260 to clear water. 1 or 2 holes like that isn't a big deal, but when an entire course or an entire front/back 9 is like that its not fun and just causes average weekend golfers frustration and thus they never return.

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These are pretty silly commercials but funny if you like golf I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXU7P5Vci5U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bv3OwQyFmM

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Here's my schedule for the weekend....

Friday: Taking a friend/doctor who sent me a good case golfing at Cantigny. The good news is I can write it off as a tax deductible.
Saturday: Taking the fiancee to Highlands of Elgin, got a great deal on a afternoon tee time.
Sunday: CSFMB golf outing!
Monday: Afternoon 4some at Lost Marsh in Hammond.


Tuesday and Wednesday off and then my big Wisconsin golf outing starts a week from today!

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Take care of that back man. That is a lot of golf.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Are you set on the restaurants you needed?

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Yea, I just accept that when I'm not playing golf I'll be spending the rest of the time laying on the couch watching tv and relaxing. There's worse ways to spend a weekend, right?

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yep, gonna hit up that Little Red restaurant place you recommended next Thursday. In Madison gonna hit up one of those burger joints right downtown so the guys can see a bit of the campus.

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Enjoy Pizza Hut and Burger King.

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I'm dangerously low on golf balls. I'm at the point where my goal for every hole is +2 over par so I don't need the balls Tiger Woods uses especially since I'll lose 1 or 2 in a round anyways. What are some good but moderately priced balls I can get? I was looking at these: http://www.amazon.com/Nike-Power-Distance-Balls-Orange/dp/B00518N8PK/ref=sr_1_2?s=golf&ie=UTF8&qid=1377795888&sr=1-2 or http://www.amazon.com/Nike-Golf-Crush-Balls/dp/B00818DCI0/ref=sr_1_18?s=golf&ie=UTF8&qid=1377796370&sr=1-18

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I go with the recycled Callaways or TaylorMades. Occasionally you get one thats pretty beat up, but most of them are still in pretty good condition and they are max $20 a dozen, often times a lot less than that.

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Was able to play Butler National for the first time last week. Probably the best manicured course I've ever played. Would still consider Medinah No. 3 the best overall that I've played (with respect to the layout/difficulty). Shot an 87 from the "Member" Tees, which were about 6,700 yards (they have two other sets of tees, "Tournament" and "Butler," going to 7,523 yards, and supposedly have room to make them even longer if they wanted ).

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I've never been out there but heard it is very nice. Sounds like a very solid round to me, very cool.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Unless you are adamant about playing a particular ball like a ProV, I don't understand why anyone would play recycled balls. Way too many deals w/eBay or other online retailers. New 2-piece surlyn balls should never cost you more than a buck a ball.

BRick: Rock Bottom Golf has Noodles $3.99 a dozen today. Didn't see the specifics, but you probably have to buy 3 doz. + shipping, but still a good deal and a fine ball for you at this point.

Factory blemished balls I would consider because they are usually indistinguishable from new, just the logo/ print might be funky. Wilson is a totally underrated brand - both balls and clubs. The FG Tour blems for $20/doz. are great and the Wilson Zip, Fifty Elite and DUO are great options for non-urethane balls.

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

Noodles
Top Flite
Wilson

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Finally got a chance to play Highlands of Elgin, been wanting to since last year. Really nice course, links style and very similar to Prairie Landing, however not quite as nice as PL (which is not a diss, just that PL is amazing). Greens were beat up from the rain and it was cart path only which sucked, but really enjoyed the place. Had a GREAT round, 43-41-84. Had 5 putts touch the hole and not go in, had another one, a birdie putt on #1, stop as close as it possibly could next to the hole without going in. Drove the ball great for the most part, hit 9/14 fairways.


Highlight of the day though had to be my fiancee driving the green on a short 200 yard par 4. Had a 20 foot downhiller for eagle and sent it 10 feet past the cup. Ended up with par. But considering she took up the game in April and already had an eagle putt is pretty amazing. I didn't have my first eagle putt till this year.


Looking forward to tomorrow, hopefully I keep the momentum going. Would be nice to go into my huge golf tournament/weekend playing well.

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45-44-89 in the CSFMB Masters. Was great off the tee, but couldn't handle the pressure of the large galleries around the green and was brutal with the putter. Here is my report card for today...


Off the tee: A-
Irons: C+
Fairway wood, hybrid: C
Putting: F
Weed smoking: A+


One last round tomorrow at the very difficult Lost Marsh and then its off to Wisconsin for my big golf weekend!

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92 Saturday at Woodbine, 96 Sunday at George Dunne. Off the tee and on the green I was pretty good. Irons getting to the green were awful most of the time. Was not very pleased overall, but it was nice to see the short game really come around. Only had four 3putts the entire weekend so I am pretty damn happy with that.

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Shot a 75 at Schaumburg GC on Sunday afternoon. Got off to a real nice start birdieing 2 of the first
3 holes. A few minor slipups on 2 of the following 3 and was heading to #9 even par. I managed to
double the 9th, ugh... Got off to another good start on the back birdieing 2 of the first 3 including
holing out a ship from about 30 yards on a par 3. After the chip in I promptly triple bogeyed the
next hole. Tee shot ended up behind a bushy tree. I thought i could squeeze it through a tight opening
and get it near the green. It hit the tree and ended up in it. I crawled in and chipped it out, only to have it
hit a small tree and roll back under the bushy tree. The 4th shot I managed to get it out and near the green.
It was pretty comical even though it really hurt my score. Played even par golf from that point on. I really
didn't do anything spectacularly but the chipping left me some makeable putts and the putter did well for me.
28 total putts for the day was the lowest for me this year.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I went with Rock Bottom Golf though I bought a different set of balls.

Thanks for the responses.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

About time

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

46-43-89 at Lost Marsh, the toughest course in the Chicago area that I've played. The first 4 holes are the 4 toughest starting holes I've ever seen anywhere.

Hole 1: Only a 312 yard par 4 from the regular tees, but the fairway and green become a peninsula surrounded by water starting 200 yards from the tee box. So first shot must be 200 yards max setting up a short shot into a tiered green surrounded by water on all sides and an always strong wind.

Hole 2: Uphill 150 yard par 3 over water to a tiny green you can't see. Trouble behind, left and right of the green. Bunkers in front after water is cleared.

Hole 3: 430 yard Par 4. First shot is to a narrow fairway with water surrounding both sides. Next shot is a long iron over a ravine to a tiny perched green where flag is often tucked on a tiny ledge in the far back corner.

Hole 4: This one is ridiculous. 454 yard par 5. OB the entire left side with very little room between fairway and OB. Lake is on the entire right side. Two ravines cross the hole forcing layups off the tee and on the second shot. Wind is usually fierce and from left to right pushing all balls towards the water. Green is once again tiny with a false front and surrounded by bunkers and fescue. I put two in the water on this one on my way to an 8.

Overall, played really well. The greens were really slow which screwed me up big time after playing fast greens all weekend. 22 puts on the front 9 alone.

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www.tgw.com is a good site for discounted golf stuff.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

I really need to get out and play a course with bent-grass fairways before I go to Gaylord, I mean Burritolord, in a couple of weeks. My only golf for the last 3 1/2 months was a few nines on old-school parkland-style courses. Never have a problem with bent-grass usually, but after hitting a few thin shots right out of the gate, it really messed with my head. Even chunked like four wedge shots, which is usually my strength. If you ever get up that way, make sure to play Otsego Tribute. Treetops get all the press, but it's overpriced and the course we played (Smith Signature) was in lousy shape. I hear it's not much better this year w/ rocks in the bunkers. Forest Dunes gets rave reviews as well.

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PNsMXe1 ... r_embedded

Golf Stereotypes

Can think of a buddy that can find every single one of these

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Team Cutler.

"You sit on a throne of lies, you scumbag!"

Favorite part

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Team Cutler.