Cog Hill Golf & Country Club: Dubsdread (Course #4)
Lemont, IL, United States • Public
Overview
Some tour pros were critical of Rees Jones's remodeling of Cog Hill No. 4, insisting it's too hard for high handicappers. What did they expect? Its nickname is, after all, Dubsdread. And there are three easier courses at Cog Hill for high handicappers. Original owner Joe Jemsek wanted a ball-busting championship course when it was built back in the mid-1960s. Jones's renovation was true to the philosophy of original architect Dick Wilson, who liked to pinch fairways with bunkers and surround greens with more bunkers, all of them deep.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked for 36 years from 1967-'88 and 1991-2004.
Highest ranking: No. 40, 1999-2000.
Second 100 Greatest: Ranked 190th, 2013-'14.
100 Greatest Public: Ranked since the inaugural edition in 2003.
Highest ranking: 8th, 2003-'04.
Previous ranking: 56th.
2023-'24 ranking: No. 65.
Best in State: Ranked 11th, 2015-'16. Ranked 12th, 2011-'14, 2017-'20. Ranked 13th 2021-'22.
2023-'24 ranking: 14th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“This tough course rated as the #1 public course in Illinois hosted the 2009 BMW Championship won by Tiger Woods. It’s a beautiful parkland course with bent grass fairways and greens. The fairways narrow in the landing areas making it much tighter than it appears. The bunkers have recently been renovated with the Better Billy Bunker system and are pristine. The bunkers are strategically positioned throughout the course and add to its beauty. The rough does not appear to be extremely long, but it is thick and just long enough to give you fits on your approach shots. The elevated greens are large, multi-tiered, undulating and fast. If you are in the Chicago area, I recommend a trip to play Cog Hill #4, aka Dubsdread."
Read More2024
Review
“A brawny course with shots especially to the elevated greens with much deep sand around them. No running the ball on the greens. Public access if you are so inclined to the challenge."
Read More2023
Review
“Biggest comment here is that the course is nearly unplayable at a level where score would matter given the lack of sand in the bunkers. Bunkers are the main source of challenge both in the fairways and around greens. Fine if fairway bunkers don’t have much sand, but lack of sand around greenside bunkers leaves myriad shots that are almost unplayable given inability to extract ball with any source of consistency. Several fairways have very long grass that is more what one would expect of first cut rough at a top-100 level course. Some cool holes that make player think such as the par 4 dogleg par 4 7th, but lots of duplicative holes that all seem to be the same question being asked...can you split a ~30 yard fairway? And if not, likely hitting wedge out of incredibly thick rough. Par 3s were all the exact same shot and similar question being asked. Lot of good history here, and would love to see a financial commitment to returning the course to the shape that it was in a few decades ago. Really love the elevated greens and the challenge that poses for the player. Note that although the course was quite challenging, it didn't score particularly as high as it should given that the lack of sand in bunkers made it not play that "fair.""
Read More2023
Review
“Cog Hill Dubsdread is a wonderful course that gives one a chance to play where the pros played. Former host of the BMW Championship. This is a huge property that makes the golf course feel big as well. Great Layout with wonderful conditioning and smooth greens."
Read More2022
Review
“Not much fun here--that's not what this course is about. Some poorly-timed and ill-advised renovations to entice a U.S. Open, which never happened. Nevertheless, you can still play where the pros used to play."
Read More2019
Review
“Well bunkered. Raised greens."
Read More2018
Review
“Course was enjoyable and challenging. Conditions were excellent for a mid summer round. Expansive property and mature trees helps the appeal of the Rees Jones course."
Read More2018
Review
“Great opportunity to play where the pros play. Course conditions are wonderful and layout is very challenging."
Read More2018
Review
“Even with the much-maligned redesign, I still like the course a lot. Thought that the citicisms got out of hand a bit. Conditioning was very good. And the greens complexes are interesting throughout the round."
Read More2018
Review
“Tough public course with a good layout and a bad feel."
Read More2018
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