Hole 1
Description: A short par 4 to start the round. The tee shot is played from a shoot of trees and the green is guarded by large trees.
How to Play It: There are different ways to play this hole. To ease into the round, play a 180 yard shot into the left side of the fairway, leaving you 120 to 130 yards to the green. To start aggressively, hit a driver down the left side with a slight fade to leave the most open approach to the green. The green has 2 tiers and it is most important to be on the same level as the hole.
Hole 2
Description: A good medium distance par 4 with a slight dogleg to the right. There is out of bounds the entire right side of the hole.
How to Play It: The tee shot needs to be kept to the left side of the fairway to avoid the out of bounds and other problems on the right. The green has several undulations, so try to keep the second shot below the pin. Par is a very good score here.
Hole 3
Description: A beautiful par 3 with plenty of distractions. All tee shots must clear a water hazard to a green surrounded by bunkers.
How to Play It: Clearing the water is just the start on this medium length par 3. The green has some of the most severe slope on the course, so keeping the ball short of the hole is a must if you want to do no worse than 2 putts. If the pin is in the front portion of the green, a tee shot short of the green is better than anything that goes past the hole.
Hole 4
Description: A straightaway and long par 5. There are no hazards or out of bounds on this hole, just plenty of distance and well-placed bunkers.
How to Play It: This hole plays somewhat longer than the score card yardage, as the tee shot hits into a hillside, something very common at River Forest. A well-placed second shot will leave the player with a fairly easy uphill approach to the green. The approach may play about one half club long as it is slightly uphill. Once again it is best to favor short of the pin instead of long as the green slopes severely from back to front.
Hole 5
Description: A beautiful par 4, considered by many to be the signature hole. Bunkers on the left define the fairway and the green is framed by a grove of large trees.
How to Play It: Getting the tee shot over the pond and anywhere in the fairway is the first objective. Keeping the approach shot near or on the green is the second objective. The green is once again very sloped from back to front, so staying below the pin will give you a good chance at par and probably no worse than a bogey, which is a pretty good score here.
Hole 6
Description: A fairly straight forward par 4 which again plays slightly longer as the tee shot is into a hillside. Bunkers line the entire right side and a hazard lurks to the right of the green.
Hot to Play It: This par 4 plays from one hillside to another, adding some length to the hole. A good tee shot in the fairway will leave a second shot that is almost always played from a side hill lie, with the ball below a right-handed golfer’s feet. Aim to the left on your approach to allow for the side hill lie, as any shot missing the green to the right will probably find the lateral hazard. The green is the flattest on the course, so getting a par or birdie is quite possible.
Hole 7
Description: A terrific par 3 with plenty of length, well-placed bunkers, and even out of bounds to the right.
How to Play It: This par 3 nearly always requires a long iron or even a fairway wood. The best play is usually to play short and left of the green to give yourself a relatively easy pitch shot. The green is severely sloped from back left to front right, which can make for some interesting attempts at 2 putting. Par or bogey is a pretty good score here, as the out of bounds and the severe green can lead to much higher scores.
Hole 8
Description: Another very long and straightaway par 5, but there is much more trouble lurking here. There is out of bounds to the left on the tee shot, and out of bounds the entire length of the hole on the right side.
How to Play It: This is almost an “unreachable” par 5, although there have been a few players who have made the green in 2 shots. The tee shot really needs to find the fairway, whether or not it is hit very far. The second shot will most likely be a lay-up to a very narrow fairway guarded by a bunker on the left and out of bounds on the right. Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew here, as big numbers are possible with any bad shot.
Hole 9
Description: Another short and straight par 4 with a pond extending into the fairway about 200 yards from the tee. The hole is lined by trees on both sides and the green is well bunkered.
How to Play It: This par 4 calls for 2 precise shots. The tee shot should be about 190 yards from the gold tee markers and definitely needs to be in the fairway. The second shot is slightly uphill from about 130 yards to a relatively flat green. Long hitters will sometimes try to drive this green when down wind, but that requires a tee shot that carries 270 yards to clear the pond.
Hole 10
Description: A very good par 4 with a light dogleg from left to right. There is a series of bunkers on the right side and the driving range on the left side is in play.
How to Play It: This is a very good par 4. The tee shot should be kept on the left side (even in the driving range is fine) to avoid the bunkers and trees on the right. The second shot should be planned to stay short, as anything over this green will lead to a big score.
Hole 11
Description: The shortest par 3 on the course, but don’t be fooled. The green is surrounded by bunkers. There is a hazard over the green. Out of bounds on the left is closer than you think.
How to Play It: Getting the correct club for this tee shot is a must. The green is the smallest on the course and it is surrounded by lots of trouble. A well struck shot with the right club will give the player a good chance at birdie.
Hole 12
Description: Although not extremely long, this is one of the best par 4’s in Chicago. The hole doglegs to the left with water hazards in front of and left of the tee, bunkers covering both sides of the fairway, trees lining the right side, and the most challenging green on the course, which makes this a very tough test.
Hot to Play It: A tee shot of 230 to 240 yards is ideal. That shot will take the bunkers out of play and give the player about 150 yards to the green. Shorter hitters will want to play their second shots to the left of the green for any easier pitch. Longer hitters may play the tee shot over the willow trees on the left to leave a much shorter second shot. The fun really starts when you reach this green, which slopes severely from back right to front left. Keep your approach short of the pin, take your 2 putt and get to #13 tee as fast as you can.
Hole 13
Description: A straightaway par 5 with out of bounds down the entire left side and well-placed bunkers on the entire right side.
How to Play It: This is probably the best chance at birdie, and maybe even eagle, on the whole course. A well struck tee shot will leave long hitters about 200 yards to the green. If reaching the green is not realistic, make sure that you lay up short of the bunker on the right to leave yourself a shot of 100 to 120 yards.
Hole 14
Description: A long, long, long par 4. There are no fairway bunkers here, but there is a pond short and left of the green which is not always visible.
How to Play It: Once again, the tee shot is hit into a hill, which makes the hole play longer. Keep the tee shot on the left side, as the right side is “jail.” Two good shots here will give you a chance at par, as the green is relatively flat and doesn’t slope as much from back to front as it may look. Par or bogey are not bad scores here.
Hole 15
Description: A beautiful par 4 with a narrow driving area bunkered on the right and tree lined on the left. A pond guards the green which is situated on a hillside with bunkers to the left and a grove of pine trees framing the green.
How to Play It: This pretty and medium length par 4 calls for 2 very well-placed shots. The tee shot is somewhat blind, as all you can see from the tee are trees and bunkers. The shorter hitter will want to keep the tee shot to the left of the bunkers while the longer hitter may hit the tee shot over all of the bunkers. You need to watch out though, because there is a pond short and right of the green which may come into play on the tee shot if you hit it too far. The green is well guarded and slopes from back left to front right. A par is a very good score on this beautiful hole.
Hole 16
Description: Another great long par 3. The green is surrounded by bunkers and is one of the toughest greens on the course.
How to Play It: Once again, a par 3 that calls for a long iron or fairway wood, especially in the summer because it plays into the prevailing southerly wind. Par and even bogey can be good scores here. The best way to play is to hit the tee shot short leaving a fairly easy pitch for a 1 putt par or a 2 putt bogey. A tee shot into any of the greenside bunkers will leave a very difficult shot with bogey or higher the likely outcome.
Hole 17
Description: A fairly short par that doglegs from left to right for most of the length of the hole. There is pond on the right which will catch poorly hit tee shots and a series of bunkers guards the entire left side of the hole.
How to Play It: This is the shortest par 5 on the course, but it doesn’t necessarily play that way. Once again, the tee shot will most likely hit into a hillside which makes the hole play longer. Also, the last 300 yards of the hole keeps winding to the right with thick trees lining the entire right side, which makes the green difficult to get to with a long iron or fairway wood. The smart player will hit the second shot down the left side of the fairway and to a distance which will give them an easy third shot approach. Any shot, from tee shot to approach, which is missed to the right will most likely lead to a very high score.
Hole 18
Description: The score card is deceiving. This short finishing hole will give you all the trouble that you are looking for. A pond to the left and bunkers to the right define the tee shot. The green is small and rest just over the pond and right in front of the clubhouse where all the other golfers will be watching. A great finishing hole!
How to Play It: This short par 4 demands 2 well hit shots to reach the final destination. The tee shot needs to be from 190 to 210 yards and really needs to be in the fairway. Most tee shots that miss the fairway are best to chip out and then go for the green. The second shot requires precise distance to clear the pond and also not go too far, which will leave a very difficult pitch to a green that slopes to the water. The green slopes quite severely from back left to front right.
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