Photo Credit: Jon Cavalier (@linksgems)
Following is a short summary of the history of the Chicago Golf Club - note that all historical events after 1894 occurred at the present site in Wheaton, IL.
Chicago Golf Club's Role in American Golf
Key Events in Chicago Golf’s History
Chicago Golf Club's Role in American Golf
- One of five founding members in 1894 of the United States Golf Association, or USGA (Chicago Golf, Newport G.C., St. Andrews G.C., Shinnecock Hills G.C., The Country Club);
- First 18-hole course in the U.S. (at Belmont location), with the original course routing resulting in the creation of the out-of-bounds rule;
- Founder Charles Blair Macdonald was 1st U.S. Amateur Champion (1895);
- Winner of the 2nd & 3rd U.S. Amateur was a Chicago Golf member (H. J. Whigham – Macdonald’s son-in-law);
- The 2nd U.S. Open Champion was the Chicago Golf professional (J. Foulis);
- Held the 3rd U.S. Amateur; the 3rd and 6th U.S. Opens; the 9th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship; the 1st Western Junior championship; the 1st U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship.
- Crowned the 1st American-born and youngest-ever U.S. Open winner (John J. McDermott - 1911); and
- Home for inventions by James & David Foulis (flagstick holder, mashie niblick).
Key Events in Chicago Golf’s History
- Founding: 1892 – Chicago Golf Club started at Belmont, DuPage County with 9 holes laid out by Charles Blair Macdonald, its Captain. 1893 – An 18-hole course laid out and played at Belmont. This is the first 18-hole golf course in the U.S.; parts still exist as the city-owned Downers Grove Golf Club. State of Illinois issues charter.
- Move to Wheaton: 1894 – club leases Patrick Farm in Wheaton and an 18-hole course is laid out. Chicago Golf Club moves to Wheaton full time for the 1895 season. Club eventually purchases the property outright in 1898.
- Four U.S. Amateur Championships: 1897 (H.J. Whigham), 1905 (H. Chandler Egan), 1909 (Robert A. Gardner), 1912 (Jerome D. Travers).
- Three U.S. Open Championships: 1897 (Joseph Lloyd), 1900 (Harry Vardon – his only U.S. Open victory), 1911 (John J. McDermott).
- Two Walker Cups: 1928 (team includes Bobby Jones, Chick Evans, Francis Ouimet), 2005 (team includes future PGA Tour winners Matt Every, Brian Harman, John Holmes, Billy Hurley, Anthony Kim).
- U.S. Women’s Amateur: 1903 (Bessie Anthony).
- U.S. Senior Amateur: 1979 (William C. Campbell).
- U.S. Senior Women’s Open: 2018 (Laura Davies) – the USGA selected Chicago Golf to host the inaugural event.
- Western Golf Association: Western Amateur: 1902 (H. Chandler Egan), 1907 (H. Chandler Egan); Western Junior: 1914 (Charles Grimes – inaugural event).
- Raynor Redesign: Beginning as early as after the 1912 U.S. Amateur, members began to recognize the need to significantly modify the existing course. In 1917 there was a correspondence with Charles Blair Macdonald in which our founder recommended that Chicago Golf “scrap your golf course,” and recommended hiring Seth Raynor to build a new modern course along the lines of the new National Golf Links of America. Owing to World War I, the work started in 1921 and the new course – today’s course – opened in June 1923.
- Clubhouse Fire and Reconstruction: Two weeks prior to the 1912 U.S. Amateur championship, a fire burned the first Wheaton clubhouse to the ground. Members and their guests (including Chick Evans) tried to put out the fire and recover personal items, and by the time the fire had died down the club members had pledged a sizable amount towards building a new fire-proof clubhouse. The current clubhouse opened in October, 1913.
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