- FedExCup Points: 50,000
- Purse: $7.0 million
- Winning Share: $1,260,000
- Yards: 7,547
PGATOUR.com Site Producer
In case consecutive weekends in New York and Boston weren't fun enough for you, Chicago awaits.
| HOT HOTELS |
We enter the third round of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup this week, the BMW Championship, hosted by Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Ill., which is just 30 minutes from the Midwest's biggest city. If you have never been to Chicago, you'll be itching to visit soon.
Perched on the southwest bank of Lake Michigan, Chicago has all the attractions of a major city -- hot shopping, cool nightlife and a pristine view of the water. So of course the hotels will treat you right, too.
WHERE TO SNOOZE
Live it up in luxury: If you're feeling rather grand this week, then the Peninsula Chicago has your name on it, all 339 rooms of it. Thirty minutes from Cog Hill, this five-star hotel offers classically decorated guest suites, superior restaurants and a top-floor spa and fitness center equipped with spectacular views of the Windy City. You won't want to go home.
Prepare to pay: While a stay at the Langham Hotel Boston seemed steep last week, get ready to spend a pretty penny at the Peninsula Chicago. Rates differ by day and room package, but on average, the Peninsula should cost between $650 and $1100 a night. Whew.
Take it down a notch: For four-star comfort at half the price of five, make a reservation at the Wyndham Chicago. This hotel will wow you with its window-paneled exterior and classy interior, not to mention the indoor pool (for that Midwest weather) and Italian-Californian blend restaurant -- and it's only half an hour from the course.
Prepare to pay: You might think dropping down one star wouldn't affect the price much, but you'll be surprised. Typically for a visit with the Wyndham Chicago, you'll spend around $280 and $350 a night.
Chicago's cheapest comfort: For sheets and a shower that won't break the bank in Chicago, try the Hampton Inn Chicago Westchester. This two-and-a-half-star hotel is located 20 minutes away from the tournament and offers breakfast on the run in case you can't make it out of bed in time to sit down before your favorite golfers tee off.
Prepare to pay: The Hampton Inn always offers more-than-decent lodging for excellent value, and the Chicago Westchester is no exception. At around $135 to $155 a night, staying here will leave you with plenty of pocket money for fun.
But who cares about sleep? Chicago will rock your white socks off.
| ON THE WATER |
THURSDAY
You can't take a trip to the Great Lakes region and only taste the shore. That would be like going on a ski trip and never leaving the lodge. Lake Michigan, the second largest of the inland seas and the only lake entirely in the United States, looks like an ocean when you fly over it, so imagine how it feels to glide out into it.
Dinner cruises on the lake show you Chicago from its softer side and feed you pretty well, too. For lake craft, the boats aren't too shabby, and most trips last around two hours, so if you suffer from motion sickness, make sure you grab that Dramamine before you leave the dock.
FRIDAY
You had to know this one was coming. Two-straight weeks of the Playoffs and no mention of a little friendly wager? It's time to hit the casino. East Chicago, Ind., is only 25 minutes from downtown Chicago, Ill., and has a host of casinos ripe for the betting. Whether you like to slam the slots all day, waste time working on your poker face or go head-to-head with the dealer at the blackjack table, you can have fun at the casino. Just about anybody can.
| CASINO TIME |
Head to Resorts East Chicago and get your game face on. Even if you don't like to gamble, casinos provide great entertainment for the people watcher in you. Plus, any time you're gambling -- be it at the high rollers table or not -- the drinks come free and often. Sure, the house wants you to make poor decisions on your bets, and the alcohol helps, but it doesn't hurt to play the game. Just remember to bet at your own level. No one wants to see you go home in the red.
Some tips for the casino:
1. At all times remember that, eventually, the house always wins.
2. Roulette is a game of chance. If you want a thinking game, try blackjack.
3. Be conscious of others playing with you in blackjack: You don't want to screw up everyone else's hands at the table by hitting -- or sticking -- when you shouldn't.
4. Poker is fun, but games last for hours. Make sure you have the time before you get dealed in.
5. Set yourself a limit of how much you want to spend and stick to it. When you hit your maximum, leave. The casino is only a good time when you play responsibly.
OK, sorry to get preachy, but you never can be too careful.
SATURDAY
Everyone knows Chicago equals Dublin in the Midwest. And while you do not have the fortune of visiting the city during March for the fabulous St. Party's Day, you can still make the most of the Irish heritage of the area by checking out one of the fabulous fall fests: The Guinness Oyster Festival.
| IRISH PARTY |
The festival, hosted in Roscoe Village, goes from noon to 11 p.m. and lasts only for Saturday. Fresh Oysters, provided by the Whitehall Hotel's Fornetto Mei, and Guinness Beer will keep your Gaelic spirits up as you jam out to music from one of the two stages at the event.
Welcome the fall Irish-Chicago style and revel in the fact that entrance to the festival will only cost you $5. That's especially good news if you choose to stay at the Peninsula.
SUNDAY
Once you reach recreation time on Sunday, the final-Playoff-event field will have been decided, and we will only be one week away from crowning the first-ever FedExCup champion. So, naturally, an easygoing evening makes sense in order to maintain strength for the tough week and celebration ahead.
| SHOP AND STOP |
One of the Windy City's more famed attractions screams Sunday afternoon: Shopping on the Magnificent Mile. Located downtown and close to most of the major hotels, this world-famous avenue tempts even the tightest of spenders with over 450 stores and boutiques.
After you've exhausted your feet on the pavement and your credit card at the register, you might need a beverage to top off the day. Head over to the Billy Goat Tavern to see a piece of old-school Americana. A good friend of mine (and Midwesterner) recommended this place to me and described it just as that.
Originally opened in 1934 but relocated in 1964, the bar has lived a long life as a Chicago tradition -- so much so that a highway was built over and around it instead of plowing straight through. Not many bars can claim that. Billy Goat Tavern earned fame over the years in several special ways, but it took its name from perhaps its quirkiest historical highlight. The owner of the watering hole, angry that he was not allowed to bring his goat to a Cubs game with him, set a curse upon the Wrigley Field boys, and I think we all know a little something about what curses in baseball mean ...
So if you're interested in learning more about the bar's past, or you just want to grab a burger and a beer in one of the city's more personality-filled joints, pull up a stool at Billy Goat and raise your glass to the final round.
STICKING AROUND?
| BASEBALL BONANZA |
Maybe you had your fill of extra-curricular sports last week in Boston, but if you still have enough energy left, you really should take in a Cubs game. Monday afternoon (Sept. 10), Chicago's oldest team plays the St. Louis Cardinals in a pre-playoffs game that could have quite the effect on the postseason.
Any baseball fan will tell you that a stop at Wrigley Field on the ballpark tour is a must, and if you caught a game at Fenway Park last week in Boston, you could knock out two of the game's finest diamonds in as many weeks. That's like following up a weekend at St. Andrews with a round at Augusta National.
Not bad, hey?
