Shoreacres

In the upscale town of Lake Bluff, IL sits one of the best golf courses in the world.  Shoreacres is a 1916 Seth Raynor designed course just north of Chicago.    Raynor navigated a labyrinth of natural ravines to produce a golf course full of strategy, fun, and peril.

In my opinion the green complexes are some of the more tame of the Raynor designs, while the tee shots require the most strategic thought of any Raynor I have played.  Though lacking the sandy soils, this course feels just like it should be neighboring the great courses outside of London.  Very understated with little elevation change, but full of natural landforms that have been strategically incorporated as hazards.

Hole #2

The golfers first introduction the meandering ravines that weave throughout Shoreacres

Hole #3

Hole #4

This hole has probably the most intricate ravine that diagonally dissects the fairway.  The more aggressive line up the right brings more of the ravine into play.

Hole #5

Long par 4 with a ravine that cuts the fairway in half (with a very neat depression) about 190 yards from the green.

The depression cut at fairway height that a player could play from.

Hole #6 Biarritz

Hole #8

Hole #10 Road Hole

Given the closely mowed grass around the greenside bunker, any poorly struck shot is quickly gobbled up.

Hole #11

One of the best holes in the world.  It sort of reminds me of the Cape Kidnappers look (not that I have been there) where there are little fingers of fairway and greens stuck out on the peninsulas above the ravines.

Hole #12 Short

I have never been a huge fan of drop shots but this was really neat tucked back in a far flung piece of the property.  I wonder how they get the grass to grow on this green very well given its lowness and tree cover.

Hole #13

As blind of a tee shot as a golfer will find in the world.  A hybrid club with a draw off the tee leaves you with a short iron approach.

Approach shot over a steep ravine to green sloping back to front.

Hole #14 Redan

One of the more tame Redans I have played.  It was 3 iron from the back tees to a much less sloping green than usual.  Still a very solid test.

Redan from behind the green

Hole #15

A reachable par 5 with yet another ravine dissecting the fairway diagonally.  The shortest route is left off the tee to make the green reachable, but it also brings the ravine into play.  Very good use of the natural land form here.

Hole #16

Just for fun I took a picture of the worlds only Biarritz cart path