A familiar course on TOUR returns with a new look

Chris Condon/PGA TOUR

Tiger Woods made a triumphant walk to the 18th green at Cog Hill in 2007; will he recognize the course after its renovations?

Earlier this year, Tiger Woods returned to the PGA TOUR after successful rehabilitation of his surgically repaired left knee. Now one of Woods' favorite courses returns after undergoing its own kind of rehabilitation -- Cog Hill Golf and Country Club.

Situated in Lemont, a southwest suburb of Chicago, Cog Hill No. 4 closed in September 2007 to undergo a $5 million renovation by famed golf course designer Rees Jones.

The course, nicknamed "Dubsdread," was home to the TOUR's Western Open from 1991-2006, then hosted the BMW Championship in 2007 as the third leg of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Last year, Bellerive in St. Louis hosted the BMW Championship.

After that year off, Cog Hill is back.

Cog Hill, a four-course facility, is carved out of a beautiful piece of land defined by rolling hills, towering oaks, winding creeks and deep ravines. It's owned by Frank Jemsek, who took over for his father Joe Jemsek, often referred to as the "patriarch of Chicago golf." The elder Jemsek, who died in 2002 at 89, opened Cog Hill No. 4 in 1964.

Built for $600,000, it is considered the first upscale public golf course in the U.S. So why did Frank Jemsek, 69, decide to revamp a course with such a storied past, a course that has hosted 17 TOUR events and four USGA championships, a course Woods said he loves, and a course that is consistently ranked among the best public golf courses in the country?

"The course was built for the best golfers in the world in the 1960s," said Jemsek, a former 2-handicapper who now plays to a 16. "We knew we had to make some changes because today's players are fitter, they swing better, and the equipment has greatly improved. Also, today people associate great golf courses with fast greens and our greens weren't at that level. In order to make our greens faster, we needed to rebuild them and make them drain better."

Tournament results from the 2007 BMW Championship echoed Jemsek's concern that Dubsdread was losing its teeth. Woods, who won the event, finished at 22 under, breaking the tournament record he set in 2003 by five shots.

So after years of research and discussions with various golf organizations, Jemsek decided to pull the trigger and bring in Jones. Son of celebrated golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, Rees Jones has rebuilt 11 courses, including six that have hosted the U.S. Open: The Country Club in 1988; Hazeltine National Golf Club in 1991; Oakland Hills Country Club (South Course) in 1996; Congressional Country Club (Blue Course) in 1997; Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) in 1999 and 2005; and Bethpage State Park (Black Course) in 2002 and 2009.

And it's no secret the USGA would like to have a Midwest venue that can become part of the unofficial U.S. Open rotation that includes stalwarts like Oakmont, Pebble Beach, Olympic and Pinehurst. The last Midwest course to host the event was Olympia Fields, located about 30 miles south of Chicago, in 2003.

"I truly believe there will be another U.S. Open in Chicago," said Jemsek, who would love to fulfill his father's lifelong dream of bringing the championship to Cog Hill. "It's the third biggest market in the country."

Dubsdread has been on the USGA's radar since the '80s and Jemsek's hiring of a high-profile redesign team sends a message to the New Jersey-based organization that the course is ready for the big time.

"We got everybody we wanted to handle the renovation, including the best golf architect," said Jemsek on selecting Jones, who is known in golf circles as the Open Doctor. "He respected the original design of the course, which was important. In fact, Rees Jones was the favorite designer of Joe Lee, the architect who built the course in 1964 along with Dick Wilson. We didn't want to destroy what they did."

Jones said he was excited about the opportunity to restore the design integrity to Cog Hill.

"I like the ebb-and-flow of the golf course. Every hole speaks to you," said Jones, a 1963 Yale graduate who studied landscape architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. "Dick Wilson and Joe Lee did a wonderful job. This is a great piece of golf property. The tailor cut the cloth well initially. What we did was just make adjustments because the game has changed. Cog Hill is now a golf course for the 21st century."

So, how did the makeover go?

"Everything went smoothly," said Ken Lapp, the course superintendent, who oversees the 75-man crew responsible for the maintenance of Cog Hill's four golf courses. "We really had a good team and the weather was just great. We were very lucky with the weather. Mother Nature was on our side."

"We didn't change the direction of any hole," added Lapp. "The greens are a lot trickier, there's more slope to them and they're quick. Also, players will notice the depth of the traps. They're a lot deeper."

Jemsek spent $3 million on the 18 new greens that are now sand based and feature the SubAir system. SubAir, invented by Augusta National superintendent Marsh Benson about 15 years ago, helps promote optimum growing conditions for greens.

"With SubAir, the grass is healthier and the air circulation below the surface is greatly improved, which can make greens firm, fast and challenging for the pros," Lapp explained. "Another benefit is that greens dry out faster, which allows for championship quality speed even in wet conditions."

However, a major concern for Cog Hill management is the difficulty in creating a world-class golf course that can not only challenge the TOUR pros, but keep the average golfer sane.

Jack Nicklaus, who has designed nearly 90 golf courses that have hosted professional or major amateur tournaments, commented on maintaining this delicate balance.

"Basically, you have to design two golf courses in one," Nicklaus said. "Today, you design a golf course that the average golfer can play, because if you can't allow someone to play and enjoy a golf course, you just don't have a golf course that is usable and marketable.

"Because of the distance the pros hit the ball today, the only defense the golf course has anymore are the green complexes," Nicklaus continued. "So, you put a little bit more interest and excitement in the green areas. You have to let the members and the average golfers get from tee to green. If you can get them from tee to green, then they can at least play the golf course. You try to design the greens so there are places you can hide the pin for the event, but at the same time, you have some fairly benign pin placement areas for the public. You've got to have that combination or you're just not going to be successful."

Jones said his team approached the redesign from a similar perspective.

"The fairway bunkers have been improved and relocated to make them 'in play' for the TOUR players, but they are now easier for the average golfer to avoid," Jones said. "Also, we installed six sets of tee boxes that will allow players to test the course based on their skill level. And the green contours are very playable. You can have some friendly pin positions for the public and you can also hide the pins during tournament play."

Dubsdread's length ranges from 5,367 to 7,144 yards for everyday play. Although TOUR officials will have the option to "max out" Cog Hill at 7,616 yards, it's expected that the length will be considerably shorter than that for the BMW Championship.

"The course will be a strong test for the BMW," Jones said. "Players must think their way around the course. They can decide to go for a pin or play it safe. If it doesn't rain, it will be firm and fast like a U.S. Open test. And I believe that's what the PGA TOUR wants for the FedExCup. It should be a stronger test than they have for the regular season."

Vince Pellegrino, tournament director of the BMW Championship, believes the transformation will provide an even more compelling venue for the event.

"The renovation has exceeded our expectations, which were already high," Pellegrino said. "The rebuilt tees, bunkers and greens have made Dubsdread even more visually appealing. But just as important, the changes have created a championship layout worthy of the status accorded a PGA TOUR playoff event. The course can definitely be set up to challenge the best of today's pros. This week should be a lot of fun for both players and golf fans."

And what about Cog Hill's chance of hosting our country's national championship? Well, it's not going to happen in the next six years since the USGA has booked sites through 2015 -- all on the East or West Coast.

However, it's a good sign that Mike Davis, the USGA official who sets up courses for the U.S. Open, has visited Cog Hill and is aware of Chicago's strategic Midwest location.

"I think it is a major tournament golf course," Jones said. "Cog Hill has everything going for it. It has a championship layout. ... It has a lot of space. It has hotels, airports and fans. Chicago is a great golf town. It should have a major."

But, with all the excitement and buzz surrounding his golf course, Jemsek has taken a philosophical view.

"You never know what's going to happen," Jemsek said. "There's no urgency. We'd be thrilled to have the Open anytime, even if I'm not around to see it. But, like my dad used to say, we already feel successful. We feel like we've accomplished something with Cog Hill."

Chris Maloney is a Chicago freelance writer who has been published in several magazines. His recent 3,000-word non-fiction story, "Eaten Alive: Five Killer Croc Attacks," is expected to be developed into a one-hour TV special.