Known as the Father of Golf in Chicago, designer Macdonald went to college in Scotland at the University of St Andrews,[3] where he learned to play the game. He brought back a set of clubs, and in early 1888, on the Lake Forest estate of a friend, C.B. Farwell, and his son-in-law, Hobart Chatfield-Taylor, laid out seven informal golf holes on an interesting piece of lakefront property known as "Bluff's Edge". His group of friends were fascinated by the new game and demanded a course be built on a dedicated site. In late spring of 1892, Macdonald passed around a hat with his friends, who contributed $10 each for a total of two or three hundred dollars. Macdonald spent that money in laying out a nine-hole course, about 23mi (37km) west of Chicago's Union Station, on the stock farm of A. Haddow Smith at Belmont, located one block north of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad line. This was to become the first golf course built west of the Alleghenies, and second to Shinnecock Hills in Long Island, New York, which opened 12 holes in 1891.
With contacts in Scotland, Macdonald next cabled the Royal Liverpool Golf Club and ordered six sets of clubs. As soon as they arrived, his newfound associates were soon bitten by the golf bug.
The first American woman to win an Olympic event, Margaret Abbott, was a member at the Chicago Golf Club in the 1890s.[4]
In the spring of 1893, Macdonald wrote in his c. 1925 book Scotland's Gift – Golf, that he increased the number of holes at Belmont to 18, creating the first 18-hole golf course in North America. On July 18, 1893, the charter was granted for the Chicago Golf Club.
The club became so popular that, in 1894, the members bought a piece of property to build an improved 18-hole course. They purchased a 200-acre (0.81km2) parcel of the Patrick farm in Wheaton, for a complete sum totaling $28,000, which became "a first class 18-hole course of 6,500 yards." The site was chosen because of its vast rolling hills covered with native grasses, which reminded Macdonald of Scotland.
Macdonald designed the links-style layout himself; since he was a chronic slicer, he routed the holes so that both nines would play in a clockwise fashion so that he would stay out of trouble. Once the private land adjacent to the course became developed, a new rule was needed for errant golf balls leaving the premises. The United States Golf Association Rule of Golf for "Out Of Bounds" (27-1) had its origin at Chicago Golf Club.
Ossian Cole Simonds was commissioned to design the landscape architecture for the course at the Wheaton property in 1894.[5] O.C. Simonds went on to do the landscape architecture for many famous Chicago properties including Lincoln Park, the Morton Arboretum and other golf courses including the Glen View Golf Club in 1897.
The Chicago clubhouse was designed by renowned Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt.[6][7]
Around 1902, the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad constructed an electrified third-rail railroad between the far western terminus of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad at 52nd Avenue (now Laramie Avenue) in Chicago, and the Fox River towns of Aurora and Elgin. The branch line splitting to Aurora from downtown Wheaton traveled just past the main entrance to Chicago Golf Club, where was built a splendid brick station. A large majority of the club members commuted from downtown Chicago, and on weekends and special occasions a luxuriously appointed wood-paneled club car with a well-stocked bar and linen tablecloth dinner service was employed to ferry golfers out to the Chicago Golf Club. At the club's station was a siding, where the club car was parked until it was needed for the evening return trip.
Macdonald also brought the Foulis brothers to Chicago from St Andrews, Scotland, to help grow the new game. The Foulis' father, James Foulis Sr., worked as a foreman in the clubmaking shop of the legendary Old Tom Morris—which was located across the street from the Old Course at St Andrews. Macdonald invited Robert Foulis to be the first club professional at Chicago Golf, but, as he was already under contract at a separate club, he passed the offer to his brother, James Foulis, who became the golf professional at Chicago Golf in 1895; he had worked for both Old Tom Morris and clubmaker Robert Forgan.
In 1905, Jim was succeeded by his brother David Foulis,[8] who stayed at the Wheaton course until 1916. In addition to their skills as golf professionals, clubmakers and players, they were responsible for many innovations to the game of golf. They were first to apply the bramble (reverse-dimple) pattern on the cover of Coburn Haskell's new rubber-cored wound golf ball, and in response to the demands of the new ball developed the "mashie-niblick", the modern 7-iron, which fell between the traditional mashie (5-iron) and niblick (9-iron). Jim and Dave also designed many golf courses, most of which still exist today. While at Chicago Golf, Dave brought the metal hole-liner to the U.S. from Scotland and improved the design to hold the flagstick upright, even in the wind. Another brother, John, was a ballmaker and bookkeeper at the club until his death in 1907.
After the Chicago Golf Club vacated the Belmont location, Herbert J. Tweedie, a one-time member of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, formed the Belmont Golf Club, of which the charter was granted in 1899. By that time, however, the course was back to nine holes. The original site has remained a golf course through the years, passing through several owners, and now is owned and operated as a public facility by the Downers Grove Park District.
Chicago Golf Club is ranked the fifth-most exclusive in the world. There are only 120 members and it will never exceed this amount, the only way to get in is by invitation from a member.[citation needed]
Current members include Cleveland Golf founder Roger Cleveland, former ServiceMaster chief executive Jonathan P. Ward, actor Chris O'Donnell, former ServiceMaster vice chairman Charles Stair and former Amoco chairman H. Laurence Fuller. Two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw is a non-resident member, and recently deceased members include radio great Paul Harvey and International Harvester scion Brooks McCormick. Club President Bob King (1990–1991) led the process which allowed African Americans and women to be admitted as members of the club. Despite being in close proximity to multiple all-male clubs, Chicago Golf Club began admitting female members in 2001 with the admission of Judith Whinfrey.[9] Chicago Golf Club admitted its first African-American member, Charles Thurston, in 1993. (History collected from Chicagoland Golf magazine, April 1992, by Phil Kosin)
The 1897 Open was the first tournament hosted at Charles Blair MacDonald's club as well as the first championship west of the Appalachia. Macdonald ended up losing the championship on his home turf in the semifinals to W. Rosstier Betts. The actual open championship was played over 36 holes in one day between the semifinals and finals of the Amateur championship and was won by Scotsman Joe Lloyd with a score of 162. Local club professional James Foulis finished in third place two shots behind Lloyd. Eventual Amateur champion H.J. Wigham finished as the low amateur in a tie for eighth.
1900 U.S. Open
The 1900 Open was the sole USGA Championship won by Jerseyman Harry Vardon, who is regarded by many to be one of the greatest players of all time. Vardon competed in the championship after finishing a 90 match tour of the United States and Canada. He won the Open by two strokes over Englishman J.H. Taylor
1911 U.S. Open
The 1911 Open was the first of back to back championships won by John McDermott. This came following a defeat in a playoff in the 1910 U.S. Open in his hometown of Philadelphia. McDermott was the first American to win the Championship, and to this day is the youngest ever to win the U.S. Open at 19 years of age. McDermott won in a playoff over Mike Brady and Chicago Golf Club member George Simpson. He would go on to successfully defend his title the following year.
1928 Walker Cup
The 1928 Walker Cup was the first championship played across the newly designed Seth Raynor course at Chicago Golf Club. The American team crushed their GB&I foes 11 to 1. The team is widely regarded as one of the greatest Walker Cup teams of all time, having a combined 6 U.S. Open and 12 U.S. Amateur Championships among the eight of them. The team featured superstars such as Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet, and Chick Evans
2005 Walker Cup
2018 U.S. Senior Women's Open
The 2018 Senior Women's Open was the inaugural edition of the championship. It was won by 1987 U.S. Women's Open champion Laura Davies, who went on to complete a "women's senior slam" by, three months later, winning the Senior LPGA Championship.
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open national championship of golf in the United States. It is the third of the four men's major golf championships, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Since 1898 the competition has been 72 holes of stroke play, with the winner being the player with the lowest total number of strokes. It is staged by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in mid-June, scheduled so that, if there are no weather delays, the final round is played on the third Sunday. The U.S. Open is staged at a variety of courses, set up in such a way that scoring is very difficult, with a premium placed on accurate driving. As of 2024, the U.S. Open awards a $21.5 million purse, the largest of all four major championships.
The following is a partial timeline of the history of golf.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in an unincorporated area of the Town of Southampton on Long Island, New York, situated between the Peconic Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
James Foulis, also known as James Foulis Jr., was a Scottish professional golfer who won the second U.S. Open in 1896. He also finished tied for third in the inaugural 1895 U.S. Open held at Newport Golf Club in Newport, Rhode Island.
John J. McDermott Jr. was the first U.S.-born golfer to win the U.S. Open, in 1911 and 1912, and he remains the youngest player to win the event, at age 19, as well as the second youngest to win any of golf's four major tournaments after Young Tom Morris. He was the first player to break par over 72 holes in a significant event, which he did at the 1912 U.S. Open. He was one of the world's top players between 1910 and 1914.
Newport Country Club, is a historic private golf club in the northeastern United States, located in Newport, Rhode Island. Founded 131 years ago in 1893, it hosted both the first U.S. Amateur Championship and the first U.S. Open in 1895.
Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club in the eastern United States, located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia. Its championship layout is consistently rated among the nation's top golf courses. Aronimink is currently ranked 78th in Golf Digest's "Greatest Courses," 44th in "Toughest Courses" and 55th in Golfweek's "Classic Courses." In 2010, Aronimink was ranked #4 among the toughest courses on the PGA Tour by Links magazine.
Edward Rivers John Ray was a British professional golfer, one of the leading players of the first quarter of the 20th century. He won two major championships, the Open Championship in 1912 and the U.S. Open in 1920, and contended in many others. He was captain of the British team in the inaugural Ryder Cup, in 1927.
The Country Club, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is the oldest golf-oriented country club in the United States. It holds an important place in golf history, as it is one of the five charter clubs that founded the United States Golf Association and has hosted numerous USGA tournaments, including the 1913 U.S. Open won by then-unknown Francis Ouimet. Although the club has 1300 members, it is known for its exclusivity.
Charles Blair Macdonald was a major figure in early American golf. He built the first 18-hole course in the United States, was a driving force in the founding of the United States Golf Association, won the first U.S. Amateur championship, and later built some of the most influential golf courses in the United States, to the extent that he is considered the father of American golf course architecture. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
The 40th Walker Cup Match was played on August 13 and 14, 2005 at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, United States. Team United States won 12½ to 11½.
Onwentsia Club is an 18-hole golf course in the central United States, located in Lake Forest, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago.
St. Louis Country Club (SLCC) is a country club located in Ladue, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. It is recognized by the United States Golf Association (USGA) as one of the first 100 Clubs in America.
The 1910 U.S. Open was the sixteenth U.S. Open, held June 17–20 at Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, a neighborhood of northwest Philadelphia. Alex Smith, the champion four years earlier, prevailed in an 18-hole playoff over his younger brother Macdonald Smith and 18-year-old John McDermott to win his second U.S. Open.
The 1900 U.S. Open was the sixth U.S. Open, held October 4–5 at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago. On a tour of the United States from Britain, Harry Vardon won his only U.S. Open title, two strokes ahead of his great rival, J.H. Taylor.
The 1913 U.S. Open was the 19th U.S. Open, held September 18–20 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, a suburb southwest of Boston. Amateur Francis Ouimet, age 20, won his only U.S. Open title in an 18-hole playoff, five strokes ahead of Britons Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.
The 1897 U.S. Open was the third U.S. Open, held September 17 at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago. Joe Lloyd won his only major title by one stroke over runner-up Willie Anderson.
Henry Spence Turpie was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He had two top-10 finishes in golf major championship tournaments. Turpie finished T5 in the 1909 Western Open, shooting a course record tying 69 in the final round.
David Foulis was a Scottish-American professional golfer who played in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Foulis tied for eighth place in the 1897 U.S. Open, held at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois. He was the inventor of the golf hole cup liner or "golf flag support" and received a patent for the invention in 1912. He and his brother James were co-inventors of the modern 7-iron, which they called a "mashie-niblick".
William Frederick Davis (1861–1902) was a Scottish professional golfer who designed two of the five charter clubs of the United States Golf Association (USGA) including Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and Newport Country Club. At the time of his death in 1902, Davis was credited as being the first individual to have come to America to make a professional living as a golfer. He was also remembered as leading the movement to establish a championship tournament for professionals.
All stations were flag stops unless bolded. Stations in italics only discharged passengers eastbound, and only boarded passengers westbound; stations marked with § had the same service pattern as italicized stations between 1926 and 1951. Stations marked with * did not offer CA&E service between 1926 and 1951.
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