COURSE:    Medinah #3

JNUG DESIGN:  Scott Chesney

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:  Thanks to Lee Ritze for use of his bench from  
                   St. Andrews and to Don Ward for use of his     
                   course video.

SOURCES:  Don Ward's video of the 1990 Open, THE MAJORS           
          SERIES: 1990, and The World Atlas of Golf


Medinah #3 near Chicago is a controversial course that has hosted
the U.S. Open, most recently in 1990, where Hale Irwin sunk his
now famous 60 foot putt and then proceeded to high five the
entire crowd.  At the time of the Open, the course was rated 77.3
with a slope rating of 148, the most difficult course in the
United States.  Accolade somehow managed to transform a glorious,
tree-lined and difficult course into an easy and very dull
experience.  Hopefully, I have improved on that and restored the
course to its more controversial dimensions.

I must say at the outset that this course is not for the faint of
heart.  In my 10 playtest rounds I have averaged 74 (my normal is
in the upper 60's range).  Those who know my work will know
immediately why I chose Medinah.  It is a course where, in
reality, the trees hang out over many fairways.....fairways that
are not too generous to begin with.  It you are a "red zone"
driver in JNUG, you are dead.  Tee shots here must be accurate
and often long.  In some cases you are required to play a hook,
draw, slice, or fade.  I did not invent this for JNUG.  On the
Medinah course this is really true from the pro tees.  The greens
at Medinah are very difficult, not because they have so many
humps and bumps, but because so many of them are slanted one way
or another.  Shot placement becomes critical.  As on all JNUG
courses, the par 3's are easier than they are in real life. 
Shots stop on the green too easily.  At least at Medinah, 3 of
the 4 par 3's have beautiful tee views over Lake Kadijah.  The
non-water par 3 may actually play the toughest as I have re-
created a tree that hangs out into the fairway off the right
front of the green.  

Medinah can play so tough that I for the first time ever did not
set a prevailing wind direction or strength.  (Almost always I
set high wind on my courses).  I have broken par on the course
twice out of 10 rounds, but have yet to break 70.  

Visually, I have created all new objects, except for Lee's bench
and the ball washer.  I also used a willow tree that was
originally done by me, then altered somewhat by someone else
(possibly Ted?) who made it look better.  The other trees I did
new from scratch....nothing dramtic, but I like each course to
have new things on it.  You may look at some tees and see a white
thing with colors on it.  During the U.S. Open in 1990 that
object was at each tee and I believe served to give info about
the hole.

The background is predominantly new.  I inserted the garrish
looking Medinah Club House and added numerous foreground trees
along with the Chicago Skyline in the distance.  Whenever you use
a clubhouse in the background it means it probably appears more
often than in real life, but that was a tradeoff.  I originally
designed the clubhouse as an object, but it took up half the
object file so I scrapped it (after 4 hours work!).

I will look forward to your reviews if you visit the JNUG section
on the Prodigy Board.  My next project is to do PGA-West in time
for the Skins Game.  

By the way, if you haven't downloaded Lee Ritze's version of
Muirfield Village course, you absolutely must.  It is truly one
of the premiere courses available.


Scott Chesney  (DBTD73A on Prodigy)
27 Edgerly-Garrison Road
Durham, New Hampshire  03824
603-868-1251