News:

This discussion group is best enjoyed using Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari.


Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« on: November 19, 2014, 10:40:44 PM »
There are many posters on this site (Mike Young, Dave McCollum, Bogey Hendren to name a few) that often remind us of the vast number of simple, owner operated, mom and pop type courses/clubs that make up a significant portion of the golf facilities in this country. Our discussions here are typically centered around a very small percentage of the world's golf courses, and rightfully so. Much can be learned from the oldest and greatest and they also have had more of OUR eyes on them than the humble layouts that dot the highways and byways.

These modest, "everyman's" courses often don't carry much in terms of world-class architecture, but that doesn't keep them from being the primary playing fields for many (if not most) golfers. A good number of courses of this ilk practice the "less is more" approach that we laud here from time to time. Often, due to budget constraints and site limitations, the results aren't anything that would catch the eye of a discerning hobbyist. However, the bare bones approach keeps these facilities affordable to customers/members and sustainable for owners.

Old Wayne GC in West Chicago, IL is a club of this type. It is built on a broad gentle hillside that cascades down to the West Branch of the DuPage River which serves as the course's eastern border. Really it is more of a stream, but the map says what it says. The approach to maintenance is quite simple, and for the most part the seasons determine the lushness of the turf. In drier periods, there isn't  any overcompensation to keep the course emerald green, but during the typically wet spring and early summer months the course gets plenty of water. Playing with a few GCAers a couple of weeks ago, the course was downright springy with balls bounding onto and over some greens.

The greens are small and presented in the de facto oval shape, for the most part. Most, but not all, of the greenside bunkering is front right-front left. Except for the area around the modest clubhouse, the course is sparsely treed. The lack of punishing hazards throughout results in  stress free swings from the tee, you will not loose golf balls at Old Wayne. That said, the predominant slope of the land creates some greens with significant tilt that can up the ante on approach shots from bad angles. That same slope can befuddle newcomers on the greens as well. Seemingly straight putts break considerably, while putts with modest-looking break take off and don't stop.

Old Wayne was built by Charles Maddox in the 1960's on family owned farm land. Stonehenge GC, in Barrington, IL, is a sister course to Old Wayne and is also built on Maddox family property. OW offers three sets of tees (6805, 6450, and 5295). Being so exposed, wind conditions can make a considerable difference as to how long each hole plays on a day to day basis.


Instead of an exhaustive photo tour, I'm going to highlight a few of the more interesting holes. A few GCAers have joined me at Old Wayne, and their feedback and insights are welcome. However, I don't expect this to generate a multi-page blow by blow akin to the Ballyhack thread or other similar threads featuring our GCA beloved.


The entrance to Old Wayne Golf Club




We'll take a look at some holes from the back 9 first, as I think it is the better of the two 9s. Here is a view from the tee at the 10th (Par 4 - 400, 375, 340). The hole bends sharply to the left around the two bunkers in the foreground. The fairway you see extending off in the distance is the 11th. Tee shots on the dogleg 10th can be played out to the right of, short of, or over the fairway bunkers. I have played in conditions where it was everything I could do just to get to the bunkers, and on other days they can be carried quite easily. There is a front right greenside bunker that becomes less of an issue by favoring the left with your tee shot. Unfortunately, I don't have any useful shots of the approach or green, but I feel this is one of the better tee shots on the course.




If you come up short of the fairway bunkers, your shot to the green is blind. Here is the view you'll have, note the 11th hole charging up the hill in the background. The 10th green actually lies out of sight to the left of this frame...





The 11th (Par 4 - 420, 410, 290) is an attractive hole and one of the more challenging par 4s. Favoring the left hand side of the fairway is recommended especially for a back right hole location. Two bunkers and one of the few patches of native await drives that play a bit too aggressively up the right.





The green has a bit of a false front. It is also set at an angle to the fairway from front left to back right. Due to the uphill nature of the approach, it can be difficult to stop shots up on top of the green when the ground is playing firm. As a result the back bunker does get a bit of action.











J_ Crisham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2014, 09:05:09 AM »
Matt,  I must confess to having never heard of Old Wayne. Is it private? Pictures look as though it is well maintained.

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2014, 09:40:52 AM »
Hi Jack,

OW is technically private, but it is a much different model than the typical U.S. club. There is a very basic application process that includes sponsorship by an existing member. Essentially, once you become a member you have the option each year to re-up via a VERY modest yearly fee. Currently there is a multi year waiting list, so if you do not re-up at the beginning of the year you would have to get in the back of the line. Members pay a small green fee for each play, so other than the yearly fee, costs are based primarily on usage.

Regarding the conditioning, as I mentioned in the OP, the maintenance is kept very simple. However, the course is almost always in good shape. It will never be mistaken for the upper tier clubs in the area, but the turf is perfect for the clientele. Also, the green and bunker shapes are kept simple for ease of maintenance, so they won't every be very eye-catching. Again, the goal is to stretch the maintenance budget and they do a very good job.
« Last Edit: November 20, 2014, 01:41:32 PM by Matthew Sander »

Josh Tarble

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2014, 09:51:37 AM »
Thanks for bringing this course to light, Matt.

I really like the look of these bunkers.  They are not the "artistic" style that's so popular right now, but they look very intimidating to me. 

The membership model sounds pretty interesting as well, and seems like it's very successful. 


J_ Crisham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2014, 10:11:40 AM »
Matt,  given the membership model it sounds as though it is successful? Looks like a nice place for parents to introduce children or perhaps a spouse to the game without the course beating them up?

Jim Tang

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2014, 11:05:03 AM »
I have had the pleasure of playing Old Wayne several times over the years.  It's a great place for golf.  Old Wayne is unpretentious, low key and very welcoming.  The round is a walker's paradise, as greens are right next to tee boxes and the land has some good movement.  It's a lot of fun to play!

Thanks for sharing the photos, Matt.

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2014, 11:49:52 AM »
Matt,  given the membership model it sounds as though it is successful? Looks like a nice place for parents to introduce children or perhaps a spouse to the game without the course beating them up?

Yep, the club is doing well and the waiting list is pretty deep. The yearly membership fee and green fees are so low that they would have room to bump them up a bit if need be and they would still be very affordable.

To your second point, it is a wonderful place for beginners to learn without too much stress - wide open spaces off most tees with no forced carries. I should have mentioned this in the introductory post, but there is also a shorter 9 hole course made up of shortish par 4s and par 3s. Ironically, this shorter course is considerably more tight and constrained off the tee, but there are some fun shots to be had and it is a nice option for families. It gets quite a bit of use.

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2014, 11:54:38 AM »

I really like the look of these bunkers.  They are not the "artistic" style that's so popular right now, but they look very intimidating to me. 


Josh,

What you are seeing may be a product of the photos. For the most part they aren't very deep and they leave plenty of opportunity for recovery. I think the photos create an illusion that they are deeper than they really are. There are a few around some greens that do have higher lips that can pose some problems.

However, there is one really cool, nasty little strip bunker that runs to the left of 14 green. I'll be posting some descriptions/photos of that hole in the near future. It will probably be my most detailed description as I think that particular hole might be the best on the course (and the most flawed if that makes any sense...).

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2014, 12:20:55 PM »
The 12th Hole (Par 3 - 135, 130, 125) is a little drop shot that takes you down by the aforementioned river/stream. The drop looks like it should effect your distance more than it actually does. For such a little hole with an inviting green, it is surprising how few really tight shots I've seen here. As you can see in the photo below, green sizes really could be expanded to make the bunkers play more of a part. I'm not sure if the greens ever extended all the way to the bunker edges, but I imagine it is likely that they have shrunk somewhat over time.




As you see in the photos below, the back tee at the 13th (par 4 - 385, 370, 280) takes you across the river for your tee shot. Unfortunately, trying to play an aggressive shot that hugs the river doesn't really do much for you other than shortening the hole ever so slightly.







This is a view from the tee back across the river showing part of the 12th green (foreground) and the 16th green (on the hill).




I don't have photos of the 13th green, but this is a view from near the green looking up at the back of the 15th green. On the 15th your tee shot emerges from the shoot of large Oaks in the distance.






Bill Seitz

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #9 on: November 21, 2014, 10:08:35 AM »
I had the pleasure of playing with Matt and couple other GCAers a few weeks ago.  My expectations were kept pretty low by Matt, but the round and the course exceeded them.  It stretches to 6,800 yards from the back tees, so it's no pushover, but as Matt mentioned, most of it is wide open.  I'd say about 13 holes have very little tree trouble to find.  On a warm, damp day in June or July, I would imagine the course would seem fairly easy.  But we played it on a brisk, early November afternoon.  Cold, windy, and very firm greens and surrounds, which really made it a blast to play.  Exactly the type of course and day where you ought to be carrying a flask of bourbon.  Fortunately, our host was prepared.  And the turf was generally in terrific condition. 

The greens don't have a lot of internal contour, but some have a great deal of slope from one side to the other, and the river has a larger effect than your eyes tell you.  In the conditions we had, you needed to play your approach to the correct side of the green and short to get it to stop anywhere in the vicinity of the hole.  You could have some very treacherous putts out there if they had a superintendent who wanted to crank the greens to 11 or 12, but I doubt they ever get that fast.  It doesn't seem like that type of club.  And the vibe was low key and unassuming.  As Matt indicates, it seems like a really good family club. 

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #10 on: November 21, 2014, 10:55:22 AM »
The 14th (par 5 - 520, 485, 395) hole, as previously mentioned, is probably my favorite hole on the course. It is also the most flawed and could be so much better. The changes I would like to see will never happen, so I'll just choose to really enjoy the hole in its current iteration.

Below is the view from the tee. Here is where the majority of the shortcomings reside. First, there is a clump of willows down the left hand side.  They are horrible golf course trees for several reasons. Aside from the agronomic problems, they negatively influence the possibilities off the tee. Unless you can get it out there in the neighborhood of 300+ yards (from the back tee), you have to give them a wide berth to the right or else your second shot is greatly affected. Secondly, removing the willows would allow the fairway to be shifted to the left, bringing the river more into play to create more of a risk/reward possibility. Hugging the left hand side would shorten the hole, make it more reachable in two, and give a better angle into the severely sloping green. As it is, the fairway edge is at least 30 yards from the river, with the willows in between.



 
If you play your tee shot too far to the right, you will reach the massive oaks that dot the far hillside. Recovery is possible, but can be challenging due to the trees and the lie of the ball above your feet.

The orientation of the green is what really makes the hole. From the tee (although not pictured), you can see the green off in the distance right next to the river. From the fairway it is not easy to discern how extremely tilted it is from right to left and front to back. Back left hole locations are really a blast to try to get close to. The ideal shot is to play a low shot to the front right quadrant where the ball will disappear from sight. The player will have to wait until they are on the green to see how well the approach has paid off. Right hand hole locations are extremely difficult to get close to. You would have to play a hard cut into the slope to have any chance of stopping the ball near the hole, or you would have to play a soft shot to the right of the green and hope it gently rolls on and stays in the correct section.



Below are a few views of the green. Note the gnarly little strip bunker that lies between the green and the river. This gets a lot of action when players attempt to reach the green with their second shots. If they come in hot they'll take the slope of the green and end up in this bunker which can lead to some interesting lies and recoveries.







« Last Edit: November 21, 2014, 01:40:14 PM by Matthew Sander »

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2014, 09:55:41 PM »
Old Wayne's 15th (Par 4 - 420, 400, 350) is a tale of two environments. The tee is back in a chute of old oaks. As you'll see in the photo below, it looks impossibly narrow. It is not quite as bad as it looks because the trees end at about 200 yards. That said, you still need to start your tee shot on line or else risk significant tree trouble. The ideal tee ball will begin at the golden tree in the distance and cut a little bit. This shot can find the downslope and leave a very short approach. Brave souls can even take it just over the near edge of the right side tree line, although a slight push can leave a very difficult recovery.




A straight tee shot of 220-230 will leave you at the crest of the hill with this approach...





A more aggressive drive can find the bottom of the hill for a shorter shot to this flattish green...





Looking back on the hole, you can see the hill that comes into play on the tee shot.





The 18th (Par 5 - 500, 480, 440) is a fun finishing hole that leaves an opportunity for a good score. In neutral or down wind conditions it is very reachable. There is a bit of a downslope on the back of the right side bunker that will propel balls a bit further down the fairway. Playing more conservatively out to the left will increase the length of the approach.




The right hand fairway bunker bleeds into the mini stand of trees. If you are in the far right hand portion of the bunker, tree limbs can block a shot directly toward the green, however there is ample room for an unobstructed lay up down the left hand side. This does not leave a preferred angle into the green though.






This is a view from the "go" zone.




I like the 3rd shot into the 18th. It is semi blind in that you can not see the green surface or the bottom of the flag. It is very difficult to judge distance and get a shot close. The back third of the green runs away ever so slightly which can add some difficulty.





BCowan

Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2014, 10:14:51 PM »
Matt,

    Great photo tour.  Wish there were more courses like yours as this model is very similar to my club.  Low key private is a great model.  
« Last Edit: December 04, 2014, 10:02:55 AM by BCowan »

Tim_Weiman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2014, 04:36:22 PM »
Matthew:

I was probably among the first here to use the term "Mom and Pop" golf courses, so I especially appreciate this thread and your excellent pictures.

Northeast Ohio, by the way, is loaded with Mom and Pops. I'll admit that perhaps most don't offer much for discussion at a site like GolfClubAtlas, but they are really great for golf, IMO.

Thanks for posting.
Tim Weiman

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2014, 01:58:09 PM »
Matthew:

I was probably among the first here to use the term "Mom and Pop" golf courses, so I especially appreciate this thread and your excellent pictures.

Northeast Ohio, by the way, is loaded with Mom and Pops. I'll admit that perhaps most don't offer much for discussion at a site like GolfClubAtlas, but they are really great for golf, IMO.

Thanks for posting.

Tim,

Thanks for the kind words. I also grew up in a locale (southeastern Indiana) with many low-key, mom and pops. Many of them are/were rural courses. Some are much better than others, but they all provide a place to play golf. I certainly agree that they don't inspire lively discussion, but they are an important part of the backbone of this game.

Bill,

I'm glad you mentioned that OW isn't quite the pushover that it can appear to be. At first glance, you may think really low scores would be plentiful, but there is just enough length at 6,800 and enough trickiness around the greens that there exists enough challenge for a modest bit of interest.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2014, 01:59:57 PM by Matthew Sander »

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #15 on: December 08, 2014, 01:45:37 PM »
It is my opinion that the back nine has a bit more interest than the front nine at Old Wayne. However, several holes on the front do a good job of illustrating the course's primary challenges.

The 1st hole (Par 4 - 410, 380, 355) is as straight as they come. Playing down the left leaves a more open angle to the green, but a tee shot down the right will allow you to hit your approach into the prevailing slope. This shot will have to flirt with the front right bunker.




Personally, I like coming in from the right because it sets up better for the soft fade that is promoted by the slight right to left to right pitch of the fairway. The green is small and difficult. The entire green has a pronounced left to right slope. Also, the front half is tilted back to front while the back half moves away which makes approaches to the rear hole locations difficult. When the flags are on the back half it is much easier to get up and down from slightly long. Putting can also be difficult here, especially for newcomers. The obvious left to right tilt of the green isn't difficult to assess, but this is the first exposure to the hillside effect. Putts that are read to break toward to the low ground break much harder than they look.




The way I play the 2nd hole (Par 4 - 410, 390, 295) is based entirely on the wind conditions. If the tee shot is downwind or right to left, I choose to take on the left hand fairway bunker. The reward is a much shorter approach from a better angle. Honestly, even a pull left of the bunker leaves a better shot than the right hand side of the fairway. If the shot is into the wind or left to right, I'll aim to the right of the bunker. Coming in from the right plays a bit longer and the front right bunker is more influential as it catches many shots that look good while in the air. The hole can play VERY long for shorter hitters because the tee shot is considerably uphill and their shots tend to hit into the upslope resulting in a significant loss of distance and a completely blind approach.





The view from short of the fairway bunker...




If you successfully challenge the fairway bunker, the result will be the short iron/wedge approach...



Looking back on the hole...



« Last Edit: December 08, 2014, 04:52:06 PM by Matthew Sander »

Scott Wintersteen

Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #16 on: December 09, 2014, 10:25:04 PM »
Matt,

Thanks for the photo tour and putting this place on the radar.  I was not aware of it before your post and will have to add it to the list. 

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #17 on: December 10, 2014, 02:56:59 PM »
The 3rd hole (Par 5 - 560, 545, 445) isn't the most attractive hole you will encounter. It is, however, an interesting par five where positioning as you approach the green is essential.

The hole runs up hill and bends gently to the right. Honestly, you can hit it just about anywhere on the tee shot and be just fine...





It is the second shot that will go a long way in determining how well you score on the hole. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of the lay up shot, but below you can see how drastically the green tilts from right to left. If your goal is a makeable birdie putt then approaching from the left is advisable. Shots from the right, even wedge shots, are very difficult to stop anywhere near the hole.





« Last Edit: December 10, 2014, 03:03:26 PM by Matthew Sander »

Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #18 on: December 11, 2014, 12:31:45 PM »
Hole 7 (Par 4 - 410, 395, 280) is in the discussion for most difficult par 4. This is due in part to the uphill nature of the second shot. As you can see from the tee view below, the hole starts downhill and then abruptly climbs the slope toward the green. It can be difficult to account for the extra club(s) you may need. When you factor in ever changing wind conditions , it is a challenge to dial in an accurate approach. The difference is often +/- 2 or more clubs.




Another tilted green adds to the hole's difficulty. This example slopes hard right to left and there is a portion of the green (about the left 1/4) that is unpinnable due to a severe fall-off, or false side. Shots that are hit to the middle of the green with a draw often take the slope and run well off the left side of the green. The significant tilt is impossible to see from this pic, but it gives you a visual representation of the uphill approach shot.




Matthew Sander

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old Wayne Golf Club - West Chicago, IL (Photo Tour)
« Reply #19 on: December 17, 2014, 10:34:07 PM »
The 8th hole (Par 3 - 155, 140, 130) may be my favorite of the one shotters. Like most of the holes, it is totally exposed to the wind. The back left section of this green slopes hard to the back and left, not unlike the 7th green. Balls moving right to left toward the left hand side of the green are at extreme risk of rolling off. This tee shot also provides a nice view ahead to the ninth and the wooded clubhouse area.



A look at the back-left portion of the green that slopes away from the tee...



The 9th hole (Par 4 - 355, 310, 290) heads south and plays back toward the entrance road. From the white tees it is a straight away short par 4. From the blue tees however, a large tree gives you the impression that a fade is required to find the fairway. I think a straight ball is fine, but the tree certainly leaves little room for a draw.



The slight uphill approach to the ninth hole will usually be with a short iron or wedge.




That does it for the tour of Old Wayne. Again, it is a very pleasant and simple place to spend an afternoon playing low stress golf. If any GCAers would like to give it a go, just let me know. I'd be happy to oblige.



Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back