Wheaton, Illinois
Chicago Golf Club is hallowed ground for course architecture fans and golf historians alike—a private invitation to play the earliest American 18-hole course, shaped by Macdonald and Raynor and brimming with template brilliance. It’s a demanding test of angles, creativity, and nerves on some of the best-preserved greens in the country. Getting on is a challenge, but the experience is nothing short of bucket-list worthy.
Before you leave the locker room, look for James Foulis’ niblick patent and the copy of the original Rules of Golf just outside — the place feels like a living museum of early American golf.
Chicago Golf Club is the living, breathing blueprint of what ‘classic’ American architecture means: Macdonald used insights from St Andrews to route a strategic, walkable layout, then Raynor elevated the course with template hole artistry—each green, bunker, and angle designed to reward creative, precise golf. The blend of deep history and bold feature shaping makes every shot a lesson in architectural genius. Biarritz, Redan, Eden, Cape, Punchbowl, and Double Plateau holes ensure every club in the bag gets called into service—and every approach tests your imagination.
Macdonald pioneered the template-hole concept here, while Raynor’s classic renovation cemented Chicago Golf Club as the purest expression of their shared architectural vision.
An intimidating par 3 defined by the infamous Biarritz swale separating front and back green sections—distance control is crucial. A tee shot finding the wrong section guarantees a terrifying putt and often a bogey. The green’s division challenges your nerve from start to finish.
Land your shot on the correct tier for a realistic birdie chance; center is rarely optimal.
Miss left or miss tiers and you’ll face a brutal lag or a tricky up-and-down.
Immaculate, firm parkland turf and classic tournament grooming with bold, pure rolling greens.
Hushed, reverent tradition with a scholarly edge—this is a shrine, not a party.
Understand the demands of Redan, Biarritz, Eden, and Punchbowl green types—knowing what to expect gives you a strategic edge on every approach.
The big, ridged greens guarantee you’ll face monster putts; work on pace control and breaking reads before arrival.
Every hole rewards brains over brawn; plot your tee shots and approaches backwards from safest side.
Superb routing and flat terrain make this one of the country’s ultimate walking experiences.
Chicago Golf Club is founded by Charles Blair Macdonald at Belmont (Downers Grove), Illinois.
Becomes one of the five founding clubs of the USGA; acquires Wheaton property.
First 18-hole course opens at Wheaton and is played full-time.
Hosts the 3rd U.S. Open and 3rd U.S. Amateur.
Iconic Jarvis Hunt–designed clubhouse completed.
Seth Raynor completes major renovation, perfecting Macdonald's routing with bold template holes.
When Macdonald and company moved Chicago Golf Club to Wheaton, they made U.S. golf history: it became the first 18-hole course in America, shaping almost every championship venue that followed. You’re teeing it up where the entire concept of the 'full round' was invented stateside.
Legend has it Macdonald routed the course so that out-of-bounds was usually on the left—because he fought a slice and wanted insurance off the tee! Every hole’s angle tells a story about strategy and human flaws.
The 3rd and 7th showcase template design at its finest: daunting, beautiful, and punishing for misses. These signature one-shotters have inspired copycats for more than a century, but few rival the originals.
Not only did Chicago Golf Club help found the USGA in 1894, but it also hosted the 1897 U.S. Open and Amateur, proving its mettle as a pure test—long before the modern era of major golf.
Routed so that out-of-bounds is mostly left—thanks to Macdonald’s slice.
Home of America’s first 18-hole course and origin of 'template holes.'
The club's 1892 Downers Grove site can still be played as a public course.
Raynor’s 1923 redesign preserved Macdonald’s vision while elevating strategy.
Secretive, invitation-only access—making an invitation golf’s golden ticket.
Famous PGA Tour venue and Chicago's boldest public challenge.
Polished, approachable daily-fee option for visitors.
Dependable, well-maintained public with strong amenities.
Major championship icon—‘the big leagues’ of Chicago area golf.
Classic, tough championship pedigree with storied history.
Oak Brook, Elmhurst, or western suburbs for central access
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. The Park West Palm makes the greens a central strategic puzzle, making it a compelling counterpart to Chicago Golf Club.
Why it matches: If Chicago Golf Club is your kind of course, Maketewah Country Club is worth a look because it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: What links these two? Puts the same premium on presentation — a familiar feeling, expressed in Old Elm Golf Club's own setting.
Macdonald #4
Community Sentiment
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