Olympia Fields Country Club facts for kids
Clubhouse in 2015
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| Club information | |
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| Location | Olympia Fields, Illinois |
| Established | 1915, 110 years ago |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 36 |
| Tournaments hosted | U.S Open (1928, 2003) PGA Championship (1925, 1961) U.S. Senior Open (1997) U.S. Amateur (2015) Women's PGA (2017) Western Open (5) BMW Championship (2020, 2023) |
| Website | ofcc.info |
| North Course | |
| Designed by | Willie Park Jnr. |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 7,343 yards (6,714 m) |
| Course rating | 76.6 |
| Slope rating | 150 |
| South Course | |
| Designed by | Tom Bendelow |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,106 yards (6,498 m) |
| Course rating | 75.0 |
| Slope rating | 146 |
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Olympia Fields Country Club
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| Nearest city | Olympia Fields, Illinois |
| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | Bendelow, Thomas M.; Nimmons, George Croll, et al. |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000082 |
| Added to NRHP | February 9, 2001 |
Olympia Fields Country Club is a special place for golf in the United States. It is a private club located in Olympia Fields, Illinois, which is a suburb south of Chicago.
The club has two big golf courses, called the North Course and the South Course. Many people think the North Course is one of the best golf courses in the Chicago area. It is often ranked among the top 50 courses in the entire United States! The South Course is also very good, usually ranking in the top ten in Illinois.
Olympia Fields is one of the few private clubs in the U.S. that has more than one golf course ranked so highly. It is also a historic place, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
Club History and Design
The Olympia Fields Country Club started a long time ago, in 1915. The very first president of the club was Amos Alonzo Stagg. He was a famous coach and sports director at the University of Chicago. The club's main dining room is named after him.
The North Course: A Challenging Design
The North Course was designed by Willie Park, Jnr, who was a two-time champion of a big golf tournament called the British Open. Before the U.S. Open was played there in 2003, the course was made even longer.
This course has interesting ups and downs, a winding creek, and many old oak trees. It was once one of four courses at the club. However, during World War II, the club faced money problems and had to sell some of its land. Course No. 4 became the North Course. The remaining holes from the other three courses were then put together to create the South Course. For a period, the club had rules about who could join, but these rules changed over time.
The Famous Clubhouse
Olympia Fields is well-known for its huge clubhouse. It was finished in 1925 and cost a lot of money to build. The clubhouse looks like an old English Tudor-style building. It has a tall, 80-foot-high (24 m) clock tower with four faces. This clock tower has become a famous symbol of the club.
Modern Improvements and Activities
In 2005, the club started a big project to make things even better. They spent money to improve the practice areas for golf and fix some of the sand traps (called bunkers).
Besides golf, members and their guests can also enjoy swimming and tennis at the club. A train line, the Metra Electric District, runs along the western edge of the property. The Olympia Fields station is right next to the clubhouse.
Major Golf Tournaments Hosted
Olympia Fields Country Club has hosted many important golf tournaments over the years. These include some of the biggest championships in golf.
U.S. Open Championships
The club has hosted the U.S. Open twice. This is one of the most important golf tournaments in the world.
- In 1928, Johnny Farrell won the U.S. Open at Olympia Fields.
- In 2003, Jim Furyk won the U.S. Open here.
PGA Championship Events
Olympia Fields has also been the site of the PGA Championship two times.
- In 1925, Walter Hagen won the PGA Championship.
- In 1961, Jerry Barber was the champion of the PGA Championship.
Other Important Tournaments
The club has welcomed many other significant golf events:
- In 1997, the U.S. Senior Open was held here, and Graham Marsh won.
- In 2015, the U.S. Amateur championship took place, with Bryson DeChambeau as the winner.
- In 2017, the Women's PGA Championship was played, and Danielle Kang won.
- The Western Open, another important tournament on the PGA Tour, has been played at the club five times.
- The BMW Championship was hosted in 2020, won by Jon Rahm, and again in 2023, won by Viktor Hovland.
Images for kids
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Clubhouse in 2015
