Illinois: Cog Hill Golf and Country Club

Illinois: Cog Hill Golf and Country Club

June 16, 2020 Off By BBF

Cog Hill is a golf complex outside of Chicago about a 45 minute drive south in the town of Lemont, IL. It has had some notoriety in the past, even hosting final rounds of the BMW Championship for the PGA tour. This combined with the fact they have a number of golf courses there (one of which is consistently rated in the top 10 of IL) might lead you to thinking about doing a buddies golf trip there, but I would caution don’t. It does not qualify as a destination golf campus. Plus the ride out there from Chicago is somewhat of a hassle and if you stay right near the course you are going to be consigned to staying in a crappy Springhill Suites and eating at Applebee’s. If you happen to find yourself nearby and do want to catch a round of golf, definitely play the “Dubsdread” course as the other courses just don’t stack up. 

There was an army of retired gentlemen volunteering as Marshall’s and they were very nice and super helpful and genuinely cared. However, that’s sort of where things stop. Service is inconsistent at best. We could not regularly get access to a cart girl, and we happened to have a 60 golfer tournament there for three days and it was very difficult to get them to even respond. 

Number 4 “Dubsdread”

Opening in 1964 Cog Hill Course Number 4 in the Cog Hill complex is nicknamed “Dubsdread”. The nickname “DUBSDREAD” is derived from the idea that a “dub” or poor golfer should beware and served as a warning of the challenges forthcomings. It was refurbished by Rees Jones in 2008 to restore the original intent of the golf course. 

The bunkering on Number 4 is quite impressive

This course consistently comes up as the number #1 rated golf course in Illinois. Although it is definitely a tough test of golf, it is decidedly not a destination golf course. Its challenging layout makes it a must play if you are in the area. However the overall appointments and course condition do not elevate this to bucket list status, nor is it worth the over-stated green fees. 

Ravines Course

Ravines course
Completed in 1929, Course number 2 or the “Ravines Course” has the bones of an early century golf course. A parkland golf course with small greens, at least half of the holes on this course have a ravine on one side or the other that will severely punish an over-cooked shot. 

A sister course to renowned “Dubsdread” course, this course is the second most popular of the courses at Cogs Hill. It is an okay layout, and provides some nice holes. If you are in need of a warm up round before you play Dubsdread this is a decent option. 

Given the fact that the course was built right before the depression and yet is still around (and even hosted the 1997 US Amateur), you might have high expectations for this golf course. But it’s a little bit of a dog track so keep your expectations low. There is GPS on the carts, but no sand bottles making one feel really awkward after the errant fat shot. The course is much more of a locals delight than a sister to a bucket list golf course. Set your expectations appropriately and you won’t be disappointed. 

Number 1: 

Course number 1

This course is the red headed stepchild of the others. It is decidedly a low rent experience. Looks lush, but the ball falls through the grass to the mud. Carts don’t have windscreens and no navigation. The holes are unimaginative, yet straight forward. The course and tee boxes have a very beaten up look to them.

Best Buddies Golf Trip Rankings:

  • Bucket list rank (from 1to 5 buckets): 1 Bucket
  • Location: 5
  • Spectacle/ visual: 4
  • History: 6
  • New/ancient: Modern
  • Playability : 4
  • Memorability : 4
  • Buddy-a-bility : 2
  • Service/etc: 5
  • Value: 2
  • Shopping:
  • Warm up facilities/Range: 6
  • Food & Drink: 5
Category1 Bucket Illinois

About The Author

BBF or “Big Ball First” comes from a golf saying for hitting a shot fat. Or hitting the “big ball first” in that you hit the ground (the big ball) before hitting the golf ball. In the BBF blog, it’s a metaphor for traveling the planet, soaking in exclusive experiences, and pointing people to the Awesome, the Great, the Good, and the not so good out there. We’re hitting the big ball running with tales from international golf courses, with fine wine, fine food, did I mention golf…well, especially the ‘buddies bucket list golf trips’. The hope is that like minded people will enjoy the stories, and hopefully use it as a reference point. If this blog helps people prioritize the experiences they want to have on our planet then we will have succeeded on our mission. We only have so many go’s at “bucket list” travel experiences. Especially the bucket list buddies golf experiences. My hope is you can refine your experience based upon my learning, and take your “big ball first” experiences to the next level.