Olympia Fields (North) - Illinois - USA

I was able to play Olympia Fields just before the BMW Championship. Because of this, the rough was extremely high and I could experience the conditions that the Pros would experience. 7 inch deep rough around the greens and 6 to 8 inches deep bordering the fairways.

The course starts benignly, especially since I hit both fairways. Then it gets interesting on the third hold with a big drop in the fairway and then up again to the green.

After that the fairways get narrower and the trees get closer to the fairway. Many wonderful holes from there on. It is interesting to note that the 6th par three) and 7th (par four) tees are located next to each other on the same hill. Since both play down into a valley, it is common to hit the tee shot to the 6th green and then walk over to the seventh tee and hit your drive for the seventh hole before playing out on the 6th hole. A fun idiosynchrasy!

This is my favorite course in Chicago.

Olympia Fields is the perfect test of golf. It's not overly long, but rather challenges accuracy, strategy, and creativity. The greens are phenomenal and decently undulating. The routing through Butterfield Creek is interesting, creating a decent amount of elevation change.

The entire back nine is extremely fun. The Eleventh is an interesting drive and pitch par 4 which demands strategy off the tee based on the pin location. The twelfth is an interesting dogleg right which plays over the creek to a beautiful green site. The thirteenth is an awesome short par 3 with a large, punchbowl green. Fourteen is probably the hardest hole on the course and my personal favorite. The hole plays into the valley created by the creek, and back uphill to a difficult green with a major false front. Fifteen is a cool par 5 that is full of options. 16 is another beautiful downhill par 3 over the creek.

Overall, I think the North course is the best championship test of golf in Chicago, with Bev as a close second. I think the North has a lot more variety than Medinah, which at this point has turned into a bomb and gouge course for long hitters due to technology.

The North Course is a throwbacks throwback course. A Willie Park design, it was originally #4. While not long by today’s standards, it is a par 70 and has hosted numerous championships including the 2003 US Open.

The front opens with a long narrow par 5. If one can avoid the fairway bunkers left and right, and hit 3 average shots you are off to a good start. Now it gets tough. The 2nd hole is a long par four slight dogleg right. There are 3 bunkers on the inside elbow. The courageous and foolish will try to carry the bunkers to set up an easier approach. Trust me, it is not worth it. Play it left off the tee. This green is protected by four serious bunkers. The 3rd is even tougher, but at least there are no fairway bunkers. The tees hot is blind and out of a chute, favor the left side to ensure that you are not blocked out. A good drive will roll to the bottom of the hill. The approach is over a creek to an elevated table top green with more greenside bunkers. An awesome hole, a par here is worth celebrating. The 4th and 5th holes are not long but very tight. Good scoring holes, favor the left off the tee on 4 and right on 5. The par 3 6th is off an elevated tee to a green with ridge on the back 1/3 of the green with 3 green-side bunkers. The 7th is another tight hole, fairway bunker and creek on the right with bunkers left and right protecting the green. The 8th is a monster par 3. From the tips 280 and uphill. I was smart enough not to be playing from the tips, but still hit driver. For pure entertainment there are also four greenside bunkers, 3 left and one right. The front closes out with a demanding par 4. Off the tee the ideal shot will be left, this will avoid the right fairway bunker and hopefully take the water right out of play on the approach. The green slopes back to front but has a large hogback on the right side. Par is your friend.

The back starts with a long slight dogleg left. Fairway bunkers left and right, favor the left side off the tee. The green is well-protected, bunker left and two right. This green is sloped hard back to front so your approach should hold. The 11th hole will allow you to catch your breath as it is a real birdie oppty. The tee shot is critical as once again there are bunkers left and right. You should have a short iron into the green. Aim about 5 yards right of the flag as this green moves hard right to left. Long is death. I think the 12th hole plays much tougher than is ranking. Tree lined and bending slightly right, too far right off the tee and you will be blocked out by trees, but there is another fairway bunker left. Also, a creek bisects the fairway about 100 yards out. Another green guarded by two bunkers left and one right. The shortest hole on the course is the par 3 13th. Uphill and from the tee one can only see about 1/3 of the green. The 14th is really tough. You will cross the creek twice and parallels the hole on the right side. Left is better off the tee, the green is a table top with a false front, take an extra club. The 15th is a dogleg right par five that most should play as a 3 shotter. Possible to get home in two, but you need to go down the left side and avoid the fairway bunkers on the left. This green is protected by four bunkers, 3 right and one left. The 16th was my favorite hole, a mid-length par 3. One must carry the creek and keep the ball between the two greenside bunkers. Yes, I birdied. The 17th is another tight fairway with the creek on the right side and a cavernous fairway bunker on the left. The 18th should be a par 4 1/2. It is long and difficult. A good tee shot is between the fairway bunkers. There is also a water hazard right. This is one of the biggest greens on the course and it is protected by 4 bunkers.

Olympia North is a wonderful course. If you can get on, you gotta go.

Olympia Fields (North) makes for a tough day of golf. This course in no frills; simply a collection of challenging golf holes that make you earn every par. It's a great place to host championship tournaments. However, the course lacks two things that most Top 100 level tracks possess. First, the course looks and feels like any other parkland layout you can see all over the Midwest. The only holes that standout are the 3rd and 14th. Second, from any tee you choose, between the brutal rough and elevated greens, scoring is really tough. I can't imagine anyone over a 10 handicap having much fun out there.

Plenty of history here. Has held more than one major championship and the difficulty is on par with that tradition. Huge, old clubhouse housing which I believe is the largest locker room in the world. Originally, Olympia Fields had four courses instead of two so the locker room was built to accommodate more than double the number of current numbers.

The thing that jumped out at me more than anything about the North at Olympia is how well-placed the bunkers are. Navigating them is the biggest trick to succeeding when playing here. If you get around them, the chances are you'll shoot a decent number. Even still, the greens can be lightning quick and the rough is plenty thick enough to challenge anyone. It's an unbelievably well-manicured course. I had to take a second walking down the 18th fairway to savor one last time just how perfect the grass is cut here. It's a tough track, but a good score is definitely doable. It's the first course I've played that's hosted a US Open, but based on what I've observed and studied over the years, it is one of the more forgiving and more likely for the average golfer to have success at.

I've had the honor of playing both courses at Olympia Fields during their annual National 4 ball tournament the last two years. The North couse is a true championship test. There are simply no easy shots, let alone any easy holes on this course. The course is guarded by fiendishly placed fairway bunkers, tenacious rough, and fast, sloping but fair greens. Many of the holes are tightly treee lined, although there are several more open holes throughout the course so that you never have a claustrophobic feel while playing. There are many excellent holes but #'s 3, 9, and 18 stand out above the others. The course is fun to walk, and the excellent caddies add to the enjoyment of the course. Best of the all, the members and staff have been wonderful hosts. Playing here has been a highlight for me and if you have to chance to play the North and highly underrated South course I would do so.Richard SmithKnoxville, Tennessee

One of the Grand old ladies of Chicago area golf courses. Fabulous layout that, unlike local brethren Butler and Medinah, is fun and fair for ALL levels of players. This is accomplished by firm fast greens with a lot of slope to them, as well as manly yardages. Massive old clubhouse that must be seen to be believed. Gets downgraded from 6 stars only because it gets more play than your average private club in the area.