Downers Grove, Illinois
Downers Grove Golf Club isn’t a secret haven for low handicaps, but it’s a living museum of American golf history. You’ll challenge bunkers and Macdonald’s strategy on a short but clever routing that lets you walk the same ground as the game’s founding fathers.
Pause behind the 8th green and look back — you’re standing on the same ground as America’s first 18-hole course, with the original Redan template at your feet.
Downers Grove is the living legacy of Charles Blair Macdonald — the founder of strategic American golf design — showcasing the fundamental principles that shaped the very definition of golf in the United States. It may be short, but its clever bunkering, angled green sites, and nods to template holes demonstrate Macdonald’s formative touch and provide a history lesson amid compact parkland. The recent renovations have tided up its classical hazards while honoring the roots of the layout, ensuring every shot is a brush with golf’s past.
Macdonald’s original philosophy — strategic hazards and demanding angles — remains the DNA of every green, making the course a living architectural time capsule.
A long par 4 where placement is paramount, this hole tests your ability to hit narrow fairways protected by deep bunkers, then conquer a well-defended green. It’s a demanding start to Macdonald’s canvas, requiring both accuracy and strategic thinking.
Favor the left side off the tee to set up the best angle; beware pin positions behind bunkers.
Stray drives or tentative approaches can easily find sand or rough, turning par into a scramble.
Reliable municipal conditioning with recent bunker upgrades; greens run true but can be firm.
Expect 2.5-hour rounds if not busy, but pace can stall on weekends due to short intervals.
Relaxed, neighborly, and rich in golf history; this is muni golf with serious historic gravitas.
Standard golf attire recommended but no strict enforcement reported; call ahead to confirm.
Weekend mornings fill fast; secure your tee time online or by phone to avoid disappointment.
The compact routing shines on foot, letting you soak up the history between shots.
Historical markers near the first tee and throughout the property tell the story of American golf’s birth.
Course established by C.B. Macdonald and Chicago Golf Club members
Expanded to the first 18-hole course in the United States
Chicago Golf Club moved, but site continued as Illinois and then Belmont Golf Club
Downers Grove Park District purchased and preserved the course
When golf pioneer C.B. Macdonald convinced Chicago’s elite to fund a new course, he laid out a nine-holer on these rolling acres — then doubled it, creating America’s very first 18-hole layout. That action forever etched Downers Grove into golf’s DNA.
The par-3 8th, a Redan-inspired hole, perennially stirs debate and admiration among architecture buffs. This nod to Macdonald’s strategic mind draws pilgrims chasing the traces of his pioneering templates.
Once the province of founding club members, the grounds became public in 1968, cementing the idea that golf’s hallowed origins could be walked by anyone, any day, for a muni green fee.
A quirky set of 23 bunkers are not just window dressing — they’re cleverly placed to pinch fairways and punish loose approaches, especially after recent renovations.
Downers Grove once boasted the only 18-hole golf course in America.
Five holes remain routed on original 1892 Macdonald ground.
The Redan 8th is a sought-after pilgrimage for golf architecture fans.
Early membership dues were only $10, funded by Chicago’s founders.
Municipal since 1968, preserving golf for the public by community initiative.
Championship course with strong conditioning and water features.
Champion-caliber muni with a loyal following and great variety.
Polished, well-routed 27-hole public favorite.
Historic PGA Tour venue with a major championship pedigree.
Stay in Downers Grove, Oak Brook, or Naperville for short drives and great food options.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: If Downers Grove Golf Club is your kind of course, Bacon Park Golf Course is worth a look because it moves through the round with the same walkable flow.
Why it matches: What links these two? Moves through the round with the same walkable flow — a familiar feeling, expressed in David L. Baker Golf Course's own setting.
Why it matches: What links these two? Moves through the round with the same walkable flow — a familiar feeling, expressed in Clearwater Country Club's own setting.
Macdonald #14
Community Sentiment
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