Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
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FAIRWAYS TO HEAVEN Take a swing at these Chicagoland golf courses, each one vetted by the experts. Luke Donald has golfed around the world, but some of his favorite places to play a round are the courses closest to home. We asked Donald where he likes to tee off in the Chicago area; several other local golf experts chipped in on the subject as well. Luke Donald, PGA champion: "I have some really good memories of Medinah Country Club; I played very well at the PGA Championship in 2006 when I was paired with Tiger Woods in the final round. My favorite course has to be the Chicago Golf Club, just because I love the architecture, the design of it. The toughest course in Chicago? Butler National. I've played Butler quite a few times, and with the back tees, that is all the golf course you want or need." Pat Goss, Northwestern University golf team head coach: "I love the traditions of Conway Farms: walking only, fast play, strong caddie program, no restrictions on membership. And the private clubs on the North Shore— Skokie, North Shore, Evanston, and Lake Shore. They all have a great sense of history and tradition; it's a great afternoon of golf to play any one of those clubs." Pat Dorgan, PGA teaching pro and former head coach at Loyola University: "Even though there's no business having a golf course that's that far away from the city, Oak Grove in Harvard is still one of the best courses in Chicagoland. Big Run: classic golf course, very hilly, big trees. And you can't go wrong with any of Cog Hill's four wonderful courses—the Jemsek family has done an incredible amount for the game." Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune golf writer: "The vistas at the Merit Club are sensational. From the 13th tee, it seems like you can see every flag—including the ones on the three practice holes. Chicago With his BMW PGA Championship trophy, Luke Donald celebrates his May 2012 win. Cantigny Golf Course in Wheaton. Highlands is a new linksy course west of Chicago where you might be fooled into thinking you're in Ireland until you aim your tee shot on No. 14 at the Willis Tower. It's hard to tell The Glen Club is a public course and that it was built on a naval air station. The elevation changes are dramatic, and on the par-3's, you better hold your breath." Walter Lis, founder/managing editor of Chicago Golf Report: At Cantigny, you go deep in the woods, rivers wind through everything, and there Cog Hill Golf & Country Club during the 2011 BMW Championship. are lots of native plants and flowers. It's a course you could walk and still enjoy even if you weren't playing golf. Ruffled Feathers is beautiful yet treacherous, with a surprising number of elevation changes. Harborside International is an obvious choice because you can see either Lake Michigan or downtown from wherever you're playing. And with its deep bunkers and beautiful winding fairways—not to mention water on almost two-thirds of the course—Mistwood is a nice test of golf but also playable for a lot of skill levels." MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 101 PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID CANNON/GETTY IMAGES (DONALD); JEFF REITER (CANTIGNY); JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES (COG HILL)