Help Us Pick the Golf Course with the Most Intimidating Drives

You aren't able to hit the links as often as you would like, and there are just some courses you know to avoid because those drives? They get you every time. Which courses offer the most intimidating drives?

You're standing on the first tee. You didn't get in quite as many practice shots as you would have liked. Ahead, you see nothing but treelines and bunkers on both sides of the fairway. All you can hope is that the ball flies straight and you don't slice into a bunker or hook into the woods. When it comes to playing a round, golf courses in the Southland range in difficulty from "I got this," to "How in the heck...?" Your favorite courses offer the perfect mix of straight shots and tough doglegs, but Patch wants to know which course's drives leave you holding your breath after the ball leaves the tee? Which course offers the most intimidating drives around? Reviews count for half of the overall score in determining a winner. The reviews and…

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POLL: Do You Want Your Kids to Play Football?

After the New Orleans Saints bounty program and Junior Seau's suicide captured headlines, former NFL players say they wouldn't encourage their kids to play. What do you think?

The offseason headlines for our nation's most popular sports league, the NFL, have been taken over by the violent nature of football. Junior Seau's suicide has raised questions about a healthy life—both mentally and physically—after football, and the New Orleans Saints' bounty programs in which players were paid to hurt the opposition have highlighted the dangerous aspects of the game. With this in mind, would you let you kid play football? Vote in the poll below.  It's been a question asked in the media frequently this offseason. ESPN football writer Ashley Fox says the answer for her son is a definite "No."  "There is no way I'm letting my beloved boy play the game at any level," Fox wrote in a recent ESPN column. "Football is not an …

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UPDATE: Tinley Park's Gunther Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Tinley Park softball standout Alyssa Gunther is swinging a red hot bat for the Titans. And she's swinging for the fences in Patchland, too. Gunther outpolled 10 others in Patch's weekly MVP poll. She is now eligible for May Athlete of the Month recognitio

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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Help Us Pick the Golf Course with the Best Greens

Vote in the Patch poll! You love your course for its well-manicured, uniformly brushed, divot-less greens—tell us all about it and brag about your favorite courses in the Southland.

Few things can spoil a round of golf quicker than unkempt greens. Ball divots, uneven green speeds and, not to mention, dead patches can quickly send golfers searching for the 19th hole.  Your favorite courses have mastered the combination of greens speed, undulations, trueness of roll and firmness. Patch wants to know which course's greens keep you shooting for par.  Reviews count for half of the overall score in determining a winner. The reviews and poll votes will be tallied and factor into the naming of "The Course with the Best Greens in the South Suburbs."  Visit a Patch directory to learn about the courses by clicking on the names below:

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TPS

7:23 am on Sunday, May 20, 2012

I agree that there needs to be a breakdown between private and public courses, as there usually is a big difference in the budgets they have, amount of play and control over the players on the course.   more ›

Hospitalized Student Recognized in Baseball Parade

Teams from the Oak Forest Baseball Association took time during and after their annual parade on Saturday morning to honor Alex Fitzgerald, the 12-year-old Jack Hill Middle School student who was struck by a car in April.

Hundreds of players, coaches and parents from the Oak Forest Baseball Association rode in the annual parade Saturday morning. Gathering at the baseball diamonds in Convent Park after the parade, association members took a few minutes to recognize Alex Fitzgerald, a baseball player on the association's pony league "Cardinals" team. Known as "Fitz," Fitzgerald was struck by a car on 151st Street while walking home from Jack Hille Middle School. The school is located just a short distance from the park. A group is working on an official Facebook page and donations page for those who wish to contribute to the fundraiser for Fitzgerald. Everyone also has the option of writing a check to "Fighting for Fitz" and taking it to the Oak Forest City …

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The Sports Report

Oak Forest Sophomore Baseball Standout Richard Proves He Belongs in the Varsity Ranks

Sophomore do-it-all Brian Richard has solidified Oak Forest's baseball batting order with his consistent performance in the three-hole.

When Oak Forest baseball coach Thad Gatton talks about the play of sophomore do-it-all Brian Richard, he talks first about his experience. “As young as he is, he’s very experienced,” Gatton said. “He started from Day 1 as a freshman in right field. He contributes on the mound, at first base, in left field and, by far, in my opinion, he’s our best hitter.” Richard backed up Gatton’s bold talk with his bat in the Bengals’ 9-0 victory over Shepard on Wednesday afternoon. He banged out four hits in four at-bats, including three doubles, and drove in three runs to wriggle his way into the spotlight on Senior Day. He also scooped up a low pickoff throw at first base and gunned out Shepard’s Christian Araiza on a 1-3-2 putout to help preserve the…

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Baseball: Oak Forest Blanks Shepard, Celebrates Senior Day in Style

Oak Forest 9, Shepard 0: Senior pitching ace Kyle Funkhouser righted himself after a slow start, and the Bengals' bats were booming on Wednesday afternoon.

Touching All the Bases: In the first inning of a 9-0 baseball victory over Shepard, Oak Forest senior pitching ace Kyle Funkhouser looked like he was the one in a bit of a funk. The game started five minutes early Wednesday at Bengal Field. He took the mound before he completed his warm-up tosses in the bullpen. And Shepard put runners on first-and-third with one out thanks to a double by Paul Gregory and a single by Adam Samad. Then, Funkhouser (8-1) settled into a groove and left the Astros’ hitters in a funk. He pitched four-hit ball over six innings to pick up his eighth victory in nine decisions. He struck out eight in a performance worthy of a Senior Day celebration. Three other seniors stepped to the fore for the Bengals. Kyle …

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UPDATE: Andrew's Lenza Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Andrew softball standout Jenna Lenza outpolled 10 others in Patch's weekly MVP poll. She is now eligible for April Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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Help Us Pick the Best Golf Course for Beginners

Vote in the Patch poll! If you're a golfer, chances are you talked a novice friend into joining you—where did you take them? What's the best course for a beginner?

You've been golfing for years, and when it comes to courses, you play favorites. Our Patch readers know all the best fairways, the trickiest water holes and the best-kept greens. But for a newbie just getting started, playing a tough course can be as daunting as tracking the ball looking into the sun. They're looking for a challenge, but don't want to hold up the foursome behind them.  So where do you point the beginners? Help us pick the best starter course in the South Suburbs.  Reviews count for half of the overall score in determining a winner. The reviews and poll votes will be tallied and factor into the naming of "The Best Golf Course for Beginners in the South Suburbs."  Visit a Patch directory to learn about the courses by …

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