Day Eight: Eagle Eye and Chicago, maybe some Portillo’s

Saturday morning, we don’t have a tee time until 8:30 am. I walk over to the 7-11 for coffee. Tom and I have decided that we’ll go eat at this flapjack place on the way to the course since we have nothing better to do.

My blueberry pancakes (blueberries IN the pancake, not on top) with bacon are perfect. Pete finally gets eggs benedict (not sure I would have ordered this at this place – and after starting to re-read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, not sure I would ever order anything with the sauce at a restaurant!). Of course Tom gets an egg white omelet (he wanted sweet potato pancakes, but they didn’t have). And Levi gets the “big boy breakfast.”

Then off to the course, just past MSU.

Eagle Eye is a Top 100 Courses in America: https://eagleeyegolfclub.com/.

Per the website: Chris Lutzke, in collaboration with Pete Dye, has designed a rolling “links” style championship golf course featuring magnificent shot values on every hole. Eagle Eye provides a challenge from any of five sets of tees... and the signature “Island Green” #17 is simply not to be missed.

In 2017 Golf Advisor raters ranked Eagle Eye #5 in the nation! In 2016 Eagle Eye was the host to the 105th Michigan Amateur. In 2014 Golf Digest magazine rated Eagle Eye’s 18 holes as the fifth best public golf course in Michigan, and the 4th-best championship golf course in Michigan in 2006 by Michigan Golf magazine. Rated 27th best public course in the nation and 4th best in Michigan by GolfWorld subscribers. (September 2009)

Eagle Eye Scorecard.

BTW: Pete Dye can also be an asshole.

The pro shop has NOTHING for women, but I don’t like their logo so I’m fine with that. I have only bought a glove and my purple fleece on this trip. BUT, they have REALLY cheap alcohol at Eagle Eye compared to every other course on the trip (buy a six pack from $15-$25! And $6 Bloody Mary’s and much cheaper Vodka and Diet Monsters for Tom and Levi). Levi, Tom and I load up inside and then also on the course.

Eagle Eye Yardage/Rating/Slope:

Championship   7323 yards; 75.9/145

Black                      6881 yards; 73.8/143

Black/Blue           6696 yards; 72.9/141

Blue                       6412 yards; 71.4/136

Blue/White         6101 yards; 70.1/134

White                    5923 yards; M 69.5/128; W 75.2/145

White/Forward 5365 yards; M 66.6/123; W 72.0/132

Forward               5105 yards; M 65.4/119; W 70.6/126

Eagle Eye is now ranked in the top couple of courses in Michigan by Tom (True North is #1, but it’s not public anymore). They had the nicest driving range. The greens roll smooth, but not overly fast. There are a lot of bunkers. Plenty of water. And the signature railroad ties that Pete Dye likes (since they go into the water, you can’t putt out of them like #1 on Boyne’s Monument). It’s playable (but don’t go in the “itchy scratchy stuff” that Levi walked into.

The #1 handicap hole is a par 3 – typical of Dye and I guess his “in collaborations.” A horseshoe tee box. It looks more straightforward from the tips than the other tee boxes. None of us hit the green. I hit mine on the cart path and putted it down for a four. We did all make par on the #17 replica par 3 at Sawgrass.

Weird "fairway" next to 18 green.

Critter in the water.

Farmland next to the course.

In case you think you'd like to swim, they have a sign.

Pete used the walkway like a good boy.

Not showing the stuffed bear, but downstairs they have a "wall-o-critters."

#18 has this “weird” fairway next to the green. Not sure what that’s all about. We finish up our last round of golf and head out – check out, stop at MSU Dairy Store (of course we did! – Pete was disappointed that they didn’t have plain chocolate, so he got plain vanilla with chocolate syrup) and then onto Chicago. Note: a number of hours later, Levi informs us that the green-dyed waffle cones have an interesting (unpleasant) digestive after effect. Tom asked Levi how he knows it’s the green-dyed waffle cone. “You know” was Levi’s reply. But he really enjoyed the ice cream! [I’m bummed that I didn’t get a Dairy Store t-shirt now – just read an article in the Oak Cliff Advocate – you’re called a “delicore” if you wear a restaurant t-shirt. Tom is definitely a delicore since he has  Milty Wilty AND Bob In Again t-shirts. I guess while not a restaurant my Oberon beer t-shirt may count.]

Levi with a MSU green waffle cone.

We got in before the bus stopped!

Staying at Pete’s Mom’s House and going to Portillo’s for dinner. The drive back to Gary involved a quick change to the tollway near Gary, Indiana, because the traffic was piling up (Pete doesn’t like to take the tollway, but Tom said he’d pay the $11). We were on Broadway and I kept wondering if we were going to pass my stepsister Fran’s bar in Gary, Hunters Inn. I would have felt really guilty about not stopping if we passed it (we didn’t – I found out that we were going the wrong direction to pass Hunters Inn). Sorry, Fran! And when we get on Lake Shore Drive, Pete drives like a mad man and Levi and I watch golf on my Hulu.com (seems that it’s Taste of Chicago, Lallapalooza, a soccer game, Cubs game and a mustache bar crawl all in Chicago on Saturday). Madness and traffic.

Pete’s mom lives almost in Wrigleyville (they used to). Been there a long time. Parking is fun, but Pete finds a place (should have taken a picture, but one tire was on the curb and the rest was dangling). Unloaded our stuff (my bag and clubs will make the journey back in Pete’s car) and then headed to Portillo’s (https://www.portillos.com/index.html).

We’ll be getting a Portilllo’s (or two or three) in DFW soon, but surely will be a madhouse when it opens. And, nothing like going to the home of Portillo’s for a combo (sausage and Italian beef, dipped). Maybe one day I’ll have the hotdog (Pete had a combo AND a chili dog). BTW, I found out that Portillos went public – you can buy stock in them. And, the NIRI Chicago chapter did a tasting at Portillo’s. That would have been a fun event.

Then back to Judy’s to play with Geno, and then to bed before getting up early to head back to Dallas.

Geno!