I know you all want to verbalize this, so let’s do it together…S-I-NN-I-SS-I-PP-I. Sinnissippi is an American Indian word meaning either or all of these depending on which article you read – “rocky river, troubled waters, or clear flowing river”. So at Sinnissippi Golf Course did we find troubled waters, a rocky round, or a clean, unblemished walk around the course?
I hadn’t been to Rockford, IL since 1973. It was a far distant but good memory, as during my last Aurora University baseball game, I clubbed a home run and left the field (and career) on a winning note against our arch rival Rockford University.
Fifty plus years have taken the toll on my power (of which there was little), and these three old men decided to play from the front (red) tees today. Hole #1 is a par 4 with a big dogleg left to open your round. Your drive will find a small valley before you hit uphill to the green. A nice hole to begin the round. Hole #2 is another uphill par 4 that is reminding these senior golfers that riding today was a good choice.
The third hole is the only par 3 on this par 37 layout. We were informed that the ideal shot was to hit short of this 170 yard hole and let the ball roll down and onto the green. Easy Peezy, right? The green is large, but slopes dramatically from left to right. It’s not much fun getting older, but at Hole #4 (a par 5) the front tees measure 301 yards while the middle tees add 155 yards to the length. Some times old age does have it’s advantages! You hit from higher ground with a fairway that slopes from right to left. If your ball hits the hump correctly, it will roll down the hill and give you a good shot to the uphill green placement. It’s a very nice and interesting hole (and difficult from the middle and back tees). There are five sets of tees: Blue-Back (3355 yards); White-Middle (3050); Red-Front (2572); Golf-Family (1900); and Blue-Family (1500).
Another big dogleg left greets you at Hole #5. The tee shot is blind, but there is plenty of room out there. Most of the fairways are generous and tree-lined, but any stray shots are playable from the trees. Hole #6 is a par 5 and the number one handicap hole. And guess what – it’s another bend to the left. The course architect must have had a wicked hook and needed a design that would suite his game. The seventh hole starts the string of three consecutive par 4’s that play 345, 246, and 280 yards respectively. And you guessed it – a dogleg left!
Hole #8 has a blind tee shot and a few trees to avoid on the left as you work your way down to the green, but it is relatively straight. Another blind tee shot at the ninth hole will lead you to another fairly straight hole. I was getting tired of all those “draw” holes!
Rating – Birdie (49 out of 60): The condition and layout of the course is excellent (even with all the left doglegs). The clubhouse staff was very friendly, and even though the pro shop was small, it had the right amount of golf accessories and drinks for a post round brew.
Being the beer connoisseurs that we are, we decided to make a short drive to Rockford Brewing Company and enjoy another post round beer sitting on the patio along the Rock River. Life is Good!
2003 Arlington Ave., Rockford, IL 61107; 815-987-8838; www.golfrockford.org
