Golf Scrapbook Blog (The Other Ones)

Cog Hill #4: Dubsdread

Played Cog Hill #4 Dubsdread in 2012 with my buddy Johnny Cocktails (above giving you the finger). This is a tough course. In fact the name itself is a clue to its difficulty: Cog Hill 4 or “DUBSDREAD” as commonly referred to, was derived from the idea that a “dub” or poor golfer should beware and served as a warning of the challenges forthcoming. Well I’m a dub, and I sucked here though honestly it was more just poor golf than from my memory of how hard the course was.

The whites measure just over 6,300 yards and slopes to 134 so yes it was difficult but with the exception of seven and 18, there’s no water to speak of (the tips play to a game-quitting 7,554 yards and 151 slope). What makes it tough are the greens, bunkers and tree-lined, tight fairways. Interesting tidbit: Tiger owns the course record: 62.

Dubs is the top-ranked public track in the Chicagoland area. It’s long gone from Golf Digest and Golf mag’s top 100 lists – last appearing in 2001 on the former and 2009 on the latter. It used to host the BMW Championship from 2007 to 2011 and before that the Western Open, 1991–2006. I don’t remember much about it except the bar was not easily accessible. In fact that fact knocked Johnny Cocktails’ rating of the course down to a 10 out of 30. The course was a 10, but access to booze and hotness of cart girls (there were none) were both zeroes. I have it in my top 150 but barely and probably influenced by the golf mag rankings, the tournament history and the fact I had it on a computer game.

Assuming you park by the golf shop by the first tee of Dubs, you are not close to the bar. It’s across Parker Rd. and for those not familiar, you’d not even think to head over there for a cart full before teeing off. Then as you round nine, you come back by the golf shop but before you can think about crossing the road and filling up the cart with beers, ten smacks you in the face and takes you further away from booze before crossing Parker again for 11 where you have no chance of heading back to get booze without backing up the course. So if you found your way to this little corner of the web and are looking for recommendations on playing Dubsdread, fill up your cart aplenty before teeing off. You’re welcome.

If you’re in Chicago and limited to public golf, you should play here. Beyond the golf resorts, I think major metro golf is a great guys’ trip and you can add sporting events or concerts as apres golf entertainment. Austin is a great trip. Tampa. Orange County. And here. I talk up the area a little bit on my Butler review and a little more in my Olympia Fields review. You’ll see there that we did the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off thing. Highly recommended. There is no French Restaurant like in the movie, so I suggest Gibson’s instead. If you have the means, the private offerings are top notch: Obviously I did Butler National and Olympia Fields and am working on Chicago GC, Shoreacres and Medinah #3.

For the Chicagoland publics, I rank them below:

Dubsdread
Kemper Lakes: Played in 2019. A few photos below. Another former tourney course. We played it wet making it immensely long. A lot of water. Ri-fucking-diculously hard – much tougher IMO than Cog Hill. But a good play.
Glen Club: Played in 2012. Formerly an airstrip. A couple of office buildings sprinkled about but really like this course. If you’re doing a Chicagoland All-Publics trip, definitely add this one. Not too far from the city. Photos below.
Cantigny: Played in 2017 with Ed the Fucker. Not bad. Worth putting on the rota of public courses in the area. Eagled the par-five 7th.
Golf Club of Illinois: Way out there but was in great shape. Played by my lonesome before a meeting at the crack. Under three hour round.
Harborside (Port): Two courses that are super close to the city. Not bad. I can only remember the big anchor sand trap that of course I was in (no photos).
White Pines: Blah. One photo. El poopo.

So all that being said, if you’re doing the Chicagoland area five-day for a golf trip and don’t have the where-with-all to get on the privates, I would do Ferris’ Day off (with the Cub’s game, Willis Tower, and art museum side-trips) and play Cog, Kemper, Cantigny and Glen’s.

Dubsdread