The Old Bunker Hill Golf Course Traditional Cache
The Old Bunker Hill Golf Course
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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A cache at the old Bunker Hill golf course, which no longer exists.
Bunker Hill Forest Preserve is part of the Cook County Forest Preserve District. It is named as such for the privately owned Bunker Hill Golf Course that once existed on that land.
Coming across solid information about the golf course has been less that successful to say the least. As far as I can tell, it probably closed sometime in the 1950's. The club house and first tee were located on Milwaukee Avenue next to an American Legion Hall. That location today is the Bunker Hill Condominiums (6701 N. Milwaukee Ave, Niles), located south of the current restaurant/banquet Hall, which back then was the House of Trumba Polish/American Restaurant. There was a fountain in front of the club house which was saved and now exists in front of the Niles Historical Society building at Milwaukee Avenue and Ballard.
Golfers would tee off next to the club house in a south/southeast direction. I cannot confirm which side of the river the 1st green was on, but i'm assuming it was the east side. There was a wooden bridge which golfers would cross and then continue on the rest of the course. The cement supports of the bridge still exist, as do various other structural remnants on both sides of the river. Several fairways and bunkers are clearly evident as well in the forest preserve itself.
According to a June 1993 article in Golf Journal by Al Barkow, former heavyweight champ Joe Louis played the course in 1950. Here's an excerpt of the article...
"I played the seven holes with Louis at the old Bunker Hill Golf Course, about two blocks into the town of Niles from the north end of Chicago’s Milwaukee Avenue streetcar line. Bunker Hill has been a housing development for years now, but it was a public course back then that let blacks play. Not all courses did in 1950.1 was enjoying a round there by myself after caddieing at nearby Tam O’Shanter Country Club to earn money to pay my green fee. I knew the group ahead was Louis and his retinue. He had three or four people who were just hanging around, or on, and a personal pro who was playing with Louis. Sometimes the pro was Ted Rhodes, but not this time. Too bad. Rhodes was the best black golfer before Charlie Sifford and Lee Elder, and maybe ever – he had a wonderfully smooth swing and classic moves."
The full article from Golf Journal can be found here...
(visit link)
The cache location takes you to the location of the old wooden bridge.
PLEASE NOTE: The cache is on the WEST side of the river. Not accessable from the north branch trail side.
If anyone has pictures or more information of this golf course, please let me know. I would love to add more information to this cache description.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[This is the best location for accessing the location.]
12 srrg abegu sebz gur fbhgu raq bs gur obppr onyy pbheg, snpr rnfg, ragre jbbqf ng gur byq fgbar jnyxjnl.
[Here's another hint if your really need it]
Plpybar