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The George W. Dunne National Golf Course in Oak Forest has improved in recent years under private management, but much work remains to be done.
When the Dick Nugent-designed course opened in 1981 — carved out of forest preserves, it was then called Forest Preserve National — it was one of the best publicly owned golf courses in Illinois. Club rules forbade advance tee times, so visitors would line up in their cars overnight on weekends to grab precious prime-time playing spots.
But neglect by the Cook County Forest Preserve District throughout the 1990s took a heavy toll. Fairway grass turned brown and grub-infested and greens hardened because of a lack of water and fertilizer.
After four years under Billy Casper Golf Management Co., of Vienna, Va., the grass is lush and green again. Yet sand traps constantly flood because of poor drainage, leaving behind tightly packed silica that is virtually unplayable at times. Casper has rehabbed about 10 of the 64 traps on the course, but by now the company ought to be further along.
On the driving range, Casper installed a real grass hitting area for the first time last year, supplanting some of the artificial-turf mats. A recent visit, though, found the grass in very poor condition and the remaining mats in desperate need of replacement. Visitors here deserve better.
Dunne gets heavy play, with 42,000 rounds recorded last year. The bare-bones clubhouse, with a small pro shop selling second-tier equipment and a snack bar with a limited menu, certainly isn't sopping up capital. Maybe Dunne isn't charging enough for golf to finance necessary capital investment. Prime-time green fees are $50, but most golfers show up with coupons.
With or without a discount, the golf remains a terrific experience overall. The greens, moderately fast and well-contoured, require approach shots to be left below the pins. On many holes the trees are pushed far enough back to allow generous landing areas off the tee, though there are exceptions.
On No. 2, a par 4 of 413 yards, big oaks on the left and right sides overhang branches well into the fairway, forcing golfers to "split the uprights" with tee shots.
No. 4 is a stiff par 4 of 445 yards, a dogleg left around a lake with an approach to an hourglass-shaped green that's a monstrous 52 yards deep. The next hole, a par 4 of 418 yards, has a green just as big with four expansive traps encircling the putting surface.
No. 17 is a sporty par 3 of 205 yards to a green — this one an unprecedented 66 yards deep — flanked by a trio of traps and a line of trees around the back.
On No. 18, believe it or not, the 32-yard-wide fairway is actually a narrower target than the large green itself. A par 4 of 454 yards, it's a tough reach in two shots.