Training Log Archive: chitownclark

C • Chicago sprints May 13th 2

Highlands of Elgin GC. Very cold and windy to start; mellowed to just windy as the sun rose in the spring sky over the Fox River Valley. A recent addition to the Chicago golf scene...and a beauty. Lots of terrain bulldozed into the prairie soil. And lots of elevated tees and greens. Which on a windy day, means difficult ball control. On some of those big greens, the wind just kept the ball rolling and rolling. I think I only two-putted 4-5 greens!

With the renovation of the old art deco 'Elgin Tower' in downtown, this historic manufacturing city is having a rebirth. And Rich Gaylord, with a house in a very desirable part of the city known as Trout Park, must be very pleased.

Stiff and sore from 8 hrs of walking and hitting yesterday. Each spring, as summer sports become possible in Chicago, the transition to new muscles and endurance requirements becomes more and more difficult....and painful!

Klein Creek GC, Carol Stream, IL. Long commute on L train, suburban train and suburban bus. Then walk down a convenient bike path for 1.5 miles to GC. Second one to tee off at 8:05am. Beautiful spring morning: fragrant blooms on trees and bushes, warm sun, birds singing...and not a breath of a breeze.

Soon changed. And by the back nine, I was slugging my drives into 20mph winds from the south. Still enjoyable, when I realized I'd tied my best back nine score despite the wind.

Large bucket of balls. Bright sun, north wind 10mph limited range. Very satisfying to recover elements of set-up, take-away, back swing, and follow-through. But it seemed to take a long time to hit all the balls in that big bucket. And I was pooped by the time I'd biked back home.

Spent the afternoon catching up on everything I'd put off while I did my taxes. Doing state and federal taxes is good discipline, and gives you a chance to reassess where your money is coming from and going.

In 2017 I plan to put in three more kitchens, complete with new cabinets, granite counters, elaborate lighting and stainless steel appliances. I;m also considering adding a washer & dryer to each unit, since all 6 of the needed hook-ups could be arranged without a lot of additional trouble: electric, gas, hot & cold water, drainage, and venting.