Representative image Photo: Stuart Logan · CC BY-SA 2.0
Chicago Golf Club
Wheaton, Illinois, United States
18 Holes · Par 70 · Private club — no published green fee; play is by member invitation · Parkland
— About
About Chicago Golf Club
Chicago Golf Club is a private club in Wheaton, Illinois, founded in 1892 at Belmont, in what is now Downers Grove, where Charles B. Macdonald laid out a nine-hole course. The club moved to its present site in Wheaton for the 1895 season and built an 18-hole course there. Seth Raynor was hired to renovate the layout in 1921, and his redesign, dated to 1923, replaced Macdonald's version. Raynor used template holes modeled on famous originals, among them the Redan, and the seventh is the club's Redan, which plays over 200 yards from the back tees. The par 3s vary widely in length: the third and seventh run to 200 yards or more, while the tenth is only about 139 yards. The club has hosted three US Opens, four US Amateurs, two Walker Cups and the 2018 US Senior Women's Open, and it plays as a par 70. The out-of-bounds rule is said to have originated at the club. Access is limited to members and their guests, and no green fee is published, so for anyone without an invitation the story of this course is best read through its championship record.
- The club began in 1892 at Belmont, in present-day Downers Grove, and moved to Wheaton for the 1895 season.
- Seth Raynor was hired in 1921 to renovate the course, and his template-hole redesign is dated to 1923.
- It hosted the US Open three times, in 1897, 1900 and 1911, in the championship's early years.
- The Walker Cup was played here in 1928, and the match returned to the club in 2005.
- The seventh hole is the club's Redan, a par 3 that plays over 200 yards from the back tees.
History of Chicago Golf Club
Chicago Golf Club started in 1892 with a nine-hole course laid out by Charles B. Macdonald at Belmont, in present-day Downers Grove. The club moved to Wheaton for the 1895 season and built an 18-hole course on new land, again to Macdonald's design. In the early days of American championship golf it hosted the US Open in 1897, 1900 and 1911, and the US Amateur in 1897, 1905, 1909 and 1912. The out-of-bounds rule is said to have started at the club. Seth Raynor was hired in 1921 to renovate the course, and his redesign is dated to 1923. The club hosted the Walker Cup in 1928 and again in 2005. The 2018 US Senior Women's Open was staged on the same ground. The club has stayed private throughout, and it continues to limit play to members and their guests.
Signature holes at Chicago Golf Club
The seventh is the Redan, a par 3 that plays 207 yards from the back tees, and it is the hole most often used to describe the course. The third is another one-shotter that can run past 200 yards, depending on the tee. The tenth is the opposite, a par 3 of about 139 yards from the back tee with a much smaller margin for error at the green. Between them, these three holes show how much the par 3s on this course vary in length and character, and how Raynor used the template holes he had studied to set very different tests within the same round.
When to play Chicago Golf Club
Chicago's golf season runs from spring into fall. Winters in northern Illinois are cold, and spring can be cool and wet. Summer brings warm, humid days, while late September and October usually offer cooler air and firmer ground. Because Chicago Golf Club is private, timing only matters if a member invites you; there is no public tee sheet to book, so agree a date with your host first and let the season fall around it.
Playing Chicago Golf Club: tips
Chicago Golf Club is private and does not sell tee times or publish a green fee, so the only way onto the course is as a member's guest. The course plays as a par 70, and the seventh, the Redan, is 207 yards from the back tees. Wheaton, Illinois, is the club's home. Most visitors will want to confirm the route to the club with their host. If you are invited, ask your host about dress code, caddie arrangements and the expected pace of play before you arrive, since the club publishes no public visitor guidance.
— Weather at Chicago Golf Club
Approximate conditions · Observed · Open-Meteo
Visit Chicago Golf Club
25W253 Warrenville Road, Wheaton, IL
Wheaton, Illinois, United States
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Chicago Golf Club
Can the public play Chicago Golf Club?
No. It is a private members' club with no public tee times and no published green fee. The only way to play is as the guest of a member.
Who designed Chicago Golf Club?
Charles B. Macdonald laid out the original course, and the club moved to Wheaton in 1895. Seth Raynor was hired in 1921 to renovate it, and his redesign is dated to 1923.
Which major events has Chicago Golf Club hosted?
It hosted the US Open in 1897, 1900 and 1911, four US Amateurs, and Walker Cups in 1928 and 2005. The US Senior Women's Open was played there in 2018.
What is the Redan at Chicago Golf Club?
The seventh hole is the club's Redan, a par 3 that plays 207 yards from the back tees. Raynor often used the Redan as one of his template holes.