Lake Forest course a hit despite rain

Tournament champion Zach Johnson wasn’t the only winner on Monday.

Conway Farms in Lake Forest played to solid reviews in its debut hosting the BMW Championship. The north suburban course is tentatively scheduled to host it again in two years, after the tournament plays at Cherry Hills, outside Denver, next year.

“I’m very proud of the way Conway Farms has held up,’’ said former Northwestern star Luke Donald, a longtime Conway member. “We saw Jim Furyk’s 59, and we’ve seen a lot of high scores from some quality players as well.

“I think the spread is a good indication of a good championship golf course.’’

There were some parking and traffic issues, but the north suburban location of Conway Farms, and the support the tournament received from its members as well as the North Shore community, helped make the BMW a success. More than 130,000 spectators turned out during the week, tourney officials said.

“I’ve heard a lot of positives from the players,’’ Donald said. “It’s a shame we had to go to Monday with the weather [on Sunday], but certainly the crowds have come out. [Attendance was] pretty good for a Monday.’’

Johnson has been a fan since he played in the NCAA championships here in 1997.

“I fell in love with it back then,’’ Johnson said. “At the time, I thought, ‘This place is amazing.’ It was the best facility I’d ever witnessed at that point. And it’s still really good, obviously.’’