Let Patch's Golf Guide Take You to the Greens

See the series of videos showing the tough holes around the south suburbs.

Where's the Best Golf in the South Suburbs?

Patch is teeing off a new feature! We've traversed the links in the south suburbs and compiled videos of some of the toughest holes around. You can refer back to this handy video guide all summer. Or come back and vote in our regular contests.

Video: 14th Hole at Stony Creek

Stony Creek Greens Superintendent Tim Scott shares some insider tips on the course's 14th hole, which can play several ways depending on the tee box you choose.

Stony Creek is one of the shorter tracks in Southland golf, but its intricate layout still provides a challenge for all golfers. The 14th hole is a perfect example of a hole that can prove difficult if golfers don't find the fairway. The 370-yard, par-4 hole features a slight dogleg right, making it tough for people with a natural draw. Tee shots from the back tees must cross over a creek and stay in between a pair of bunkers on each side of the fairway.  "The big hitters can hit a 3-wood off the tee, leave it short of the bunker and have a mid-iron into the green," said Tim Scott, Greens Superintendent at Stony Creek. On the approach shot, golfers have a large green as a target, but beware of three-putting. 

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Local Sports Notebook

Oak Forest Cross Country Welcomes Back Senior Captain

John Kawulia should give Bengals a boost. Meanwhile, the golf and tennis teams are looking to swing into top form.

The Oak Forest High School boys cross country team will get back a valuable contributor this week when senior John Kawulia runs in his first meet. Kawulia is recovering from a stress fracture in his shin, an injury he suffered during the spring track season. “He is running in practice and was cleared to run, but we didn’t want him to compete this early on and have a chance of re-injuring himself,” said Gary Andruch, Oak Forest’s cross country coach. The Oak Forest boys golf team defeated Oak Lawn 155-175 and beat Argo 174-216 on back-to-back days last week. Josh Napoli was the medalist against Oak Lawn, shooting a 37, while Nick Flynn had the low round of the competition against Argo, firing a 41. Not to be outdone, the Bengals girls golf …

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Southland Golf: It's Not About Length at Stony Creek

Stony Creek is a shorter golf course that plays to a par of 65. The trouble is the fairways are U.S. Open-like, that is to say, very narrow. The course originally was built in 1994 alongside the already standing practice facility and driving range.

Stony Creek Golf Course's modest 18-hole length of 5,004 yards from the blue tees might give the impression that Oak Lawn’s par-65 course can be had rather easily. But after taking a quick glance out to the narrow fairways from any of Stony Creek’s tee boxes, you might want to reconsider your original opinion. “Seeing that it’s a slightly smaller golf course, the fairways are similar to when they have the U.S. Open, where the fairways are 25-30 yards wide," said Tim Scott, Stony Creek’s Greens Superintendent. “That’s where all our fairways are at. Everybody’s getting a feeling of, 'Well, you have to hit the ball off the tee in the U.S. Open because there’s not as much area to spray the ball left and right.' ” Stony Creek Golf Course was …

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andy skoundrianos

2:35 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011

Awesome course, they really keep it in good shape for a park district course. I've been going since it opened in 94. Nice to see the progression of all the trees getting bigger that they have planted. Great course for people loke myself who play general golf.. left right left right !!!!   more ›

Oak Forest Helps Veterans Live the 'High Life'

Beer distributors, city team up to show appreciation for returning veterans during golf outing.

“Living the High Life never tasted so good” is commonly heard on TV, and veterans will most likely agree as they're hitting the links at George Dunne National Golf Course in September. Veterans are invited to a complimentary day of golf and entertainment on Wednesday, Sept. 7 as MillerCoors, Hayes Distributing Company and the City of Oak Forest team up to host the Returning Veterans’ Golf Outing. Miller High Life commercials have been hitting the airwaves all summer long, promoting “Giving a veteran a piece of the High Life,” and Oak Forest is getting in on the fun. For every Miller High Life and High Life Light bottle cap or tab that is sent to Miller High Life, it will donate 10 cents toward High Life experiences for returning vets. …

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Sportscast: Bears Camp, Golf and Summer Football

A weekly video look at sports in the Southland.

It's summer, and in the world of prep sports that means summer camps, T-ball and a round of golf. But even fall favorite football was in on the action this week in the Southland, with a few talented teams participating in 7-on-7 drills. For more coverage of the stories featured in today's Sportscast, click on the links below. For the Love of the Game: Evergreen Park Girls Softball Southland Golf: Plenty to Test All Skill Levels at The Sanctuary Richards 7-On-7 Football Camp Draws Elite Field Bears to Stage Youth Football Camp in Tinley

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Southland Golf: Plenty to Test All Skill Levels at The Sanctuary

Scenic golf course in New Lenox earns earns high marks from Golf Digest.

Sometimes the best things aren't easy to find. Hopefully it's not your drive on No. 5. The Sanctuary Golf Course in New Lenox is pretty much in the middle of New Lenox, but it's tucked away off of Route 30, making it the type of place that most aren't going to drive by on a regular basis. The course marked its 15-year anniversary last year and continues to offer a challenge for both the newer golfer as well as those with plenty of experience. "Steve Halberg designed the course, and when he first designed it the fescue was pretty much the whole course," Sanctuary golf pro Bob Schulz said. "They cut a lot of it down after the course first opened because the high-end handicapped golfers were struggling, but we've grown some of it where it …

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Get Out: Get Veggies, Go Green and Get Gooey

Why stay home when there is so much happening in the area? Patch's entertainment guide will give you plenty of reasons to "get out" this weekend.

It’s Thursday, and you’ve got no idea what you’ll do for the weekend. Patch is coming to the rescue. We’ve got the best bets for your done-work-outta-here time. Check our picks for the activities to hit and bars, restaurants and shops to explore Arts Rear Window June 3, 6pm | The Center Watch Alfred Hitchcock's thriller, Rear Window, at the Center.  L.B. Jeffries is recuperating from a broken leg during a hot New York summer when he thinks that he sees a murder in another apartment. This classic film stars James Stewart, Grace Kelly and Raymond Burr. No fee or registration is needed. Gallery 2011: A Juried Exhibition of Artwork by Community Artists June 4, 2pm - 4pm | Moraine Valley Community College (Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery). A …

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Golf Dome Update: No Timeline for Repairs, Reopening

Green Garden Country officials are still gathering information on the cause of the dome collapse and when it will be back up.

It's been almost two weeks since the inflatable dome at Green Garden Country Club collapsed during this month's massive blizzard, and golf course officials are still sifting through the damage and no closer to opening the indoor range. Course workers, as well as representatives from the company that supplied the 11-year-old dome, have been investigating the site to see what caused the dome to collapse and what the next step is, said Todd Russell, head golf professional at Green Garden. Representatives from the insurance agency that covers Green Garden also have visited the site, and Russell would not comment on whether insurance will cover the damage. High winds and heavy snow from the Feb. 2 storm might have torn one of the structure's …

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