Chicago Golf Club facts for kids
| Club information | |
|---|---|
 Location in the United States
Location in Illinois
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| Coordinates | 41°50′55″N 88°06′58″W / 41.84861°N 88.11611°W |
| Location | Wheaton, Illinois, U.S. |
| Established | 1892 |
| Type | Private |
| Operated by | John Guyton |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Tournaments hosted | U.S. Open:
Walker Cup:
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| Designed by | Charles B. Macdonald |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 6,950 yards (6,355 m) |
| Course rating | 73.8 |
| Slope rating | 137 |
 Layout of course from space |
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The Chicago Golf Club is a special private golf club located in Wheaton, Illinois. This town is a suburb west of Chicago. It's famous for being one of the five clubs that started the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 1894.
This club has hosted many important golf events. These include several U.S. Opens and Walker Cup tournaments. A famous golf course designer, Charles Blair Macdonald, founded the club. He is even in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In July 2018, the club hosted the very first U.S. Senior Women's Open. This was a new national championship created by the USGA.
Contents
The Story of Chicago Golf Club
How Golf Came to Chicago
Charles Blair Macdonald is known as the Father of Golf in Chicago. He learned to play golf while in college in Scotland. He studied at the University of St Andrews, where golf is very popular. When he came back, he brought golf clubs with him.
In 1888, Macdonald set up seven simple golf holes on a friend's property. His friends loved the new game. They wanted a proper golf course. In 1892, Macdonald collected money from his friends. He used it to build a nine-hole course near Belmont, west of Chicago. This was the first golf course built west of the Allegheny Mountains. It was also the second oldest in North America.
Building the First 18-Hole Course
Macdonald ordered golf clubs from Scotland. Soon, many people in Chicago were excited about golf. Margaret Abbott, the first American woman to win an Olympic event, was a member here.
In 1893, Macdonald expanded the Belmont course to 18 holes. This made it the first 18-hole golf course in North America. On July 18, 1893, the Chicago Golf Club officially started.
Moving to Wheaton
The club became very popular. In 1894, members bought a large piece of land in Wheaton. They paid $28,000 for 200 acres. This land became a top-notch 18-hole course. Macdonald chose the spot because its rolling hills reminded him of Scotland.
Macdonald designed the course himself. It was a "links-style" course, like those in Scotland. He made the holes play in a clockwise direction. This helped him avoid hitting his golf ball out of bounds. The rule for "Out Of Bounds" in golf actually started at Chicago Golf Club.
Ossian Cole Simonds designed the beautiful landscape for the Wheaton course in 1894. He also worked on other famous Chicago places like Lincoln Park. The club's main building was designed by a well-known architect, Jarvis Hunt.
The Golf Train Station
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Chicago Golf Club
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| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1902 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 1957 | ||||||||||
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Around 1902, a special train line was built. It connected Chicago to towns like Aurora and Elgin. A branch of this line went right past the Chicago Golf Club. A beautiful brick station was built there.
Many club members traveled from downtown Chicago. On weekends, a fancy club car would take golfers to the club. This car had a bar and dinner service. It would wait on a special track until it was time for the return trip.
Golf Experts from Scotland
Macdonald also brought the Foulis brothers from Scotland to Chicago. Their father worked for the famous Old Tom Morris. James Foulis became the first golf professional at Chicago Golf in 1895. He was a skilled clubmaker and player.
In 1905, James's brother, David Foulis, took over. He stayed until 1916. The Foulis brothers made many important changes to golf. They helped create the "bramble" pattern on golf balls. They also developed the "mashie-niblick", which is like today's 7-iron. David also brought the metal hole-liner to the U.S. from Scotland.
The Club Today
After the Chicago Golf Club moved, the original Belmont course became the Belmont Golf Club. Today, it's a public course run by the Downers Grove Park District.
The Chicago Golf Club has made important changes over the years. In the 1990s, the club started allowing African Americans and women to become members. Judith Whinfrey became the first female member in 2001. Charles Thurston was the first African-American member in 1993.
The Golf Course Layout
Here is a look at the 18 holes at Chicago Golf Club. Each hole has a unique name, length, and par score.
| Hole | Name | Yards | Par | Hole | Name | Yards | Par | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley | 450 | 4 | 10 | Short | 149 | 3 | |
| 2 | Road | 481 | 4 | 11 | Dogleg | 410 | 4 | |
| 3 | Biarittz | 219 | 3 | 12 | Punchbowl | 465 | 4 | |
| 4 | Long | 549 | 5 | 13 | Eden | 181 | 3 | |
| 5 | Leven | 365 | 4 | 14 | Cape | 356 | 4 | |
| 6 | Principal’s Nose | 399 | 4 | 15 | Ginger Ale | 400 | 4 | |
| 7 | Redan | 211 | 3 | 16 | Raynor's Prize | 530 | 5 | |
| 8 | Narrows | 445 | 4 | 17 | Double Plateau | 467 | 4 | |
| 9 | Pond | 448 | 4 | 18 | Home | 425 | 4 | |
| Out | 3,567 | 35 | In | 3,383 | 35 | |||
| Source: | Total | 6,950 | 70 | |||||
Major Golf Championships Hosted Here
The Chicago Golf Club has been the site of many exciting golf championships.
1897 U.S. Open and Amateur
The 1897 Open was the first big tournament at this club. It was also the first championship held west of the Appalachian Mountains. Scotsman Joe Lloyd won the Open with a score of 162. James Foulis, the club's professional, finished in third place.
1900 U.S. Open
The 1900 Open was won by Harry Vardon. Many people consider him one of the greatest golfers ever. Vardon won by two strokes over J. H. Taylor.
1911 U.S. Open
The 1911 Open was a big win for John McDermott. He was the first American to win the U.S. Open. He is still the youngest winner ever, at just 19 years old. McDermott won in a playoff against Mike Brady and club member George Simpson.
1928 Walker Cup
The 1928 Walker Cup was played on the newly designed course. The American team won easily against their opponents from Great Britain & Ireland. This American team is thought to be one of the best Walker Cup teams ever. It included golf legends like Bobby Jones and Francis Ouimet.
2005 Walker Cup
The 2005 Walker Cup took place on August 13 and 14, 2005. Team United States won a very close match, 12½ to 11½.
2018 U.S. Senior Women's Open
The 2018 U.S. Senior Women's Open was the first time this championship was held. Laura Davies, a champion from 1987, won the event. She later achieved a "women's senior slam" by winning another major tournament.
Tournament Winners at Chicago Golf Club
Here are some of the notable winners at the Chicago Golf Club:
U.S. Open
- 1897 Joe Lloyd
- 1900 Harry Vardon
- 1911 John McDermott
U.S. Amateur
- 1897 H. J. Whigham
- 1905 Chandler Egan
- 1909 Robert A. Gardner
- 1912 Jerome Travers
U.S. Women's Amateur
- 1903 Bessie Anthony
U.S. Senior Amateur
- 1979 William C. Campbell
Walker Cup
- 1928 United States 11, Great Britain & Ireland 1
- 2005 United States 12½, Great Britain & Ireland 11½
Western Junior
- 1992 John Curley
U.S. Women's Senior Open
- 2018 Laura Davies
