Cog Hill No. 4, Dubsdread
The name is the warning: a dub should dread it. Course No. 4 at Cog Hill, designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee and opened in 1964 southwest of Chicago, is a 7,554 yard par 72 that hosted the Western Open and BMW Championship for two decades and handed Tiger Woods five trophies. It remains the standard for tournament grade public golf in the Midwest. Here is the verdict, the facts, the holes and how to get on.
Photograph: Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, via Google.
The verdict
Dubsdread is many people's pick as the best work Dick Wilson and Joe Lee ever did, and it is hard to argue on the ground. The course rolls through mature oaks and maples on surprisingly good land for the Chicago suburbs, and the architecture does the rest: clamshell bunkers cut deep into green complexes, doglegs that demand a chosen side of the fairway, and par 3s that have been collecting cards for sixty years. The Rees Jones renovation, completed in 2008, rebuilt the greens and sharpened the bunkering to tournament standard, and the conditioning has stayed at that level since.
What makes Cog Hill special is the pedigree without the gate. This was the PGA Tour's Chicago home for a generation, the course where Tiger Woods won five times, and anyone with a tee time and the green fee can play it tomorrow. Among America's public championship venues it belongs in the same conversation as Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines South, and it is considerably easier to book than either.
Cog Hill Dubsdread at a glance
- Opened
- 1964
- Designers
- Wilson and Lee
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 7,554 yds
- Type
- Parkland
- Green fee
- ~$175
Designers, opening and layout verified June 2026. Dubsdread was designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee and opened in 1964, with a renovation by Rees Jones completed in 2008. It plays as a par 72 of 7,554 yards from the championship tees, rating up to 78.0 and slope up to 153. The indicative 2026 guest rate is around 175 dollars including cart under dynamic pricing; fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Dubsdread is a relentless examination rather than a course of one postcard. The opening stretch settles you in through the oaks before the round tightens: long two shotters that bend against the natural slope, greens guarded by Wilson's signature flashed sand, and barely a flat lie on the property. From the tips it is one of the longest public tests in the country, and even from the members' decks the course asks for honest, repeated ball striking in a way few daily fee layouts do.
The par 3s carry the round's memories. Each one plays across a different axis of wind and shade, with deep faced bunkers pinching the entries so that anything timid leaves the dreaded long splash out. The closing holes earned their television time in the Western Open years: a strong drive and mid iron into the amphitheater 18th, with the clubhouse beyond, is one of Chicago golf's classic finishes, and the green that decided shootouts between the game's best now decides Saturday matches for everyone else.
Walk it if your legs allow. The property rolls more than visitors expect, the trees are magnificent in late summer, and the course reveals its tournament routing logic at walking pace.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Fully public; Cog Hill is a four course daily fee facility owned by the Jemsek family, with tee times bookable online well in advance |
| Green fee | Dynamic pricing. The indicative 2026 guest rate for No. 4 is around 175 dollars including cart, with twilight windows lower; the other three Cog Hill courses cost far less |
| Booking | Summer weekend mornings go first; book ahead online, or play midweek and September for the best combination of rate and conditions |
| On the day | Walking permitted, carts and caddies available; a grass range, short game areas and an old school clubhouse that wears its tournament history on the walls |
| Getting there | In Lemont, around 30 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, roughly 40 minutes from Midway and an hour from O'Hare |
| Best months | May to October; June to September for warmth, September for firm turf and value |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with Cog Hill or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Most visitors base in Chicago and treat Cog Hill as a 40 minute drive against the traffic. Downtown puts the lake, the restaurants and the museums on your rest day; the southwest suburbs around Burr Ridge and Oak Brook offer comfortable hotels half the distance from the first tee. Golf groups doing a Chicago week often pair Dubsdread with the city's storied public lakefront golf and a day trip north toward the Wisconsin courses.
If your trip leans architectural, build a Midwest loop: Erin Hills and Lawsonia Links are within striking distance, and our best public courses in America ranking shows where Dubsdread sits among its peers.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts across Chicago and the western suburbs.
Build a Chicago and Midwest golf trip
We arrange tee times on Dubsdread and build them into a full Midwest swing, Wisconsin's giants, a city base and every transfer, costed to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge does the rest, with no obligation.
Cog Hill Dubsdread questions
Who designed Dubsdread at Cog Hill?
Course No. 4 at Cog Hill, nicknamed Dubsdread, was designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee and opened in 1964. Many consider it the best work of both architects. Rees Jones oversaw a renovation completed in 2008 that rebuilt greens and bunkers ahead of the course's BMW Championship years.
What par and length is Dubsdread?
Dubsdread plays as a par 72 of 7,554 yards from the championship tees, with a rating up to 78.0 and slope up to 153. Multiple tee decks bring it down to a manageable length, but the deep clamshell bunkering punishes from every distance.
How much does it cost to play Cog Hill No. 4?
Pricing is dynamic by day and time. The indicative 2026 guest rate is around 175 dollars including cart, with twilight and off peak windows lower. The three other Cog Hill courses cost far less. Always confirm directly before booking.
What tournaments has Dubsdread hosted?
Dubsdread was the longtime Chicago home of the PGA Tour, hosting the Western Open and then the BMW Championship through 2011. Tiger Woods won five times on the course. It remains a regular venue for elite amateur events.
When is the best time to play golf in Chicago?
May through October is the Chicago golf season. June to September gives the warmest, most reliable weather; September is the sweet spot with firm turf, fewer crowds and lower demand pricing. The course closes through the depths of winter.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, opening date and layout verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.