Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
Medinah, Illinois, United States
18 Holes · Par 72 · Private club — no published green fee; play is by member invitation · Parkland
— About
About Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
Medinah Country Club's Course No. 3 is the Chicago area's great championship venue, and since 2024 it has been one of the most talked-about renovations in American golf. The club was founded in 1924 by a group made up largely of Medinah Shriners, and its clubhouse, a domed Byzantine and Moorish palace with a 60-foot rotunda, is still the most unusual building in the American game. Tom Bendelow's No. 3 opened in 1928 and grew into a long, tree-lined parkland test that hosted three US Opens, two PGA Championships and the 2012 Ryder Cup. Then the club handed it to OCM Golf, the Australian firm of Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead, who rebuilt it in the manner of the Melbourne sandbelt. Trees came out, fairway acreage doubled from 29 to 58 acres, the bunker count rose from 70 to 117 with jagged, flashed-sand edges, and greens grew by more than 40 percent. Three holes were built new, several of them playing along or across Lake Kadijah. The result reopened in 2024 and hosted the 2026 Presidents Cup, where the United States came from 10½–7½ down on Sunday to win 17–13 against an International side captained by Ogilvy himself.
- Host of the 2026 Presidents Cup — the US won 17–13 after trailing by three points entering Sunday singles
- Rebuilt by OCM Golf in the style of the Melbourne sandbelt, with 117 bunkers and fairways twice as wide as before
- Site of the 2012 Ryder Cup 'Miracle at Medinah', when Europe came from 10–6 down to win
- Tiger Woods won both of the PGA Championships held here, in 1999 and 2006
- Byzantine-style Shriners clubhouse from the 1920s, the most distinctive building in American club golf
History of Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
Medinah was founded in 1924, largely by members of Chicago's Medinah Shriners, on a square mile of farmland west of the city. Tom Bendelow laid out all three of the club's courses, and No. 3 opened in 1928. It became the championship course: Cary Middlecoff won the US Open there in 1949, Lou Graham in 1975 after a playoff with John Mahaffey, and Hale Irwin in 1990 after the first sudden-death extension in US Open history. Roger Packard reworked the course for that 1990 Open and Rees Jones modified it again before the 2006 PGA Championship. Tiger Woods won both PGA Championships held at Medinah, holding off a teenage Sergio García in 1999 and winning by five in 2006. In 2012 Europe recovered from 10–6 down on Saturday night to win the Ryder Cup by 14½–13½, and in 2019 Justin Thomas shot a course-record 61 on his way to the BMW Championship. OCM Golf's renovation closed the course in late 2022, and it reopened in 2024 ahead of the 2026 Presidents Cup.
Signature holes at Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
Lake Kadijah defines Medinah No. 3. The old course touched the water only on three par 3s, the 2nd, 13th and 17th. OCM's routing uses it three different ways: a short par 3 that runs along the shoreline, a par 3 that asks for a forced carry, and a longer, more dramatic par 3 played diagonally across it. For the 2026 Presidents Cup the matches started on what is normally the 5th hole, so that the lakeside holes fell in the stretch where most matches are decided.
When to play Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
Chicago's golf season runs from May to October, and September is usually the best month, with warm days, low humidity and firm turf, which is exactly why the Presidents Cup was played in the last week of the month. July and August can be hot and humid, and the course is exposed now that so many trees have gone. Because Medinah is private, the timing matters only if a member has invited you.
Playing Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3: tips
Medinah is a private club with about 1,200 members and no public or unaccompanied visitor play. The only way onto No. 3 is as a member's guest. Caddies are part of the culture at the club. Medinah sits about 10 miles west of Chicago O'Hare International Airport, a 20–30 minute drive, which makes it one of the easiest major championship venues in the country to reach by air. The club also has Courses No. 1 and No. 2 and a short course called the Camel Trail.
Visit Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
6N001 Medinah Road, Medinah, IL 60157, United States
Medinah, Illinois, United States
— Facilities
Practical Information
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
Can the public play Medinah Country Club?
No. Medinah is a private members' club. Course No. 3 can only be played as the guest of a member; there are no public tee times and no green fees on sale.
Who won the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah?
The United States won 17–13. The International team led 10½–7½ after Saturday, but the Americans took 9½ of the 12 Sunday singles points to win the Cup for the 11th straight time.
Who redesigned Medinah No. 3?
OCM Golf, the Australian firm of Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead, renovated the course between 2022 and 2024 in the style of the Melbourne sandbelt. Ogilvy went on to captain the International team at the 2026 Presidents Cup on his own design.
What majors has Medinah hosted?
Medinah No. 3 has hosted three US Opens (1949, 1975 and 1990) and two PGA Championships (1999 and 2006), along with the 2012 Ryder Cup and the 2026 Presidents Cup.