Chicago GC
The Chicago Golf Club is one of the oldest golf clubs in the US and was one of the founding clubs of the Unite States Golfers Association. It is located at Wheaton, Illinois
History of the course
The Chicago Golf Club was founded in 1892 and was initially located in Belmont. Charles Claire Macdonald was the founder of the club and he himself designed the course. He informally built seven holes on a lakefront property called “Bluff's Edge”.
As the game became known the demand for a proper 18-hole golf course became stronger. Macdonald collected $10each from his friends for this purpose and laid down a nine-hole course on a stock farm in Belmont, a little distance away from the initial one. It became the first golf course to be built west of the Alleghenies and the second to Shinnecock Hills which opened in 1891. In 1893, Macdonald extended the course to 18 holes becoming the first full course in North America.
As its popularity increased, the club bought a 200-acre piece of land in Wheaton which was converted into a world class 18-hole golf course. The links-style course features wide fairways and large greens while the terrain is hilly.
Course Trivia The Chicago Golf Club was one of the five founding members of the American Golf Association, which was later renamed as USGA.
- The club has hosted many major tournaments like the US Open (thrice), the Walker Cup, the US Amateur Championships and many others.
- It is a private club and outsiders can play here only when they are accompanied by a member.
The Chicago GC holds the 39 th spot in Golf Digest magazine's list of top100 golf courses in the US . As we continue on this tour we will learn about the other top-100 golf courses in the world.
