"But feedback about the course was, at best, mixed."

One last Cog Hill item from Steve Elling:

Owners spent $5.2 million to spruce up the joint in hopes of landing a future U.S. Open bid or hosting the Olympics in 2016, if the opportunity arises. But feedback about the course was, at best, mixed. Without prompting, a longtime PGA Tour official panned the course and said the Rees Jones redo was not much of an improvement. No doubt, the U.S. Open needs to be played in the Chicago area on a consistent basis, since it's one of the world's great golf cities. But with Medinah tied to the PGA of America, and after a so-so Open staged six years ago at suburban Olympia Fields, the potential site options aren't exactly dizzying, are they? It would be a shame if the Cog Hill makeover gamble went for naught, and not just for owners -- in the redesign aftermath, greens fees are now $150 per round.