Glen Oak Country Club is a country club and private
golf course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". ...
in
Glen Ellyn, Illinois that was designed by
Tom Bendelow
Tom Bendelow (1868–1936), nicknamed "The Johnny Appleseed of American Golf" and "The Dean of American Golf", was a Scottish American golf course architect during the first half of the twentieth century. He is credited with having designed some ...
and established in 1911.
On January 7, 1909, the Pickwick Country Club was created. It had a 9-hole golf course, eventually expanded to 18 holes. Within a year, the club went bankrupt. In 1911, the property was purchased and reopened as the current Glen Oak Country Club.
In the past bordering the club to the north- which is the Prairie Path today, was an interurban train stop. Many members lived in Chicago and would take the train out of the city to this club. Upon exit, a carriage would take the members along Hill Ave to the club house.
Along with the golf course, it also has a swimming pool, and facility for trap shooting for member use on the club's south border. On the ninth hole, there is a Halfway House to refresh the players with drinks, beverages, and food. As the weather transitions from fall to winter many members change from golfing to The Skeet and Trap Club, which features a new remodeled Lodge area.
Over the years, the club has been expanded and remodeled to the club it is today.
Some of the famous people that have visited the club are famous athletes like MLB Players
Jorge Soler
Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo (born February 25, 1992) is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Soler has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, and Atlanta ...
,
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano ...
, Basketball Hall of Famer
Michael Jordan(basketball), Chicago Bulls Player
Alex Caruso
Alex Michael Caruso (born February 28, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Bald Mamba" or "Carushow", he played college basketball for the Texas A&M A ...
,
Bobby Rahal
Robert Woodward Rahal (born January 10, 1953) is an American former auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500. He also won the 2004 ...
(retired race car driver), Masters 4x
Masters Champion
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer (September 10, 1929 – September 25, 2016) was an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history. Dating back to 1955, he won numerous ev ...
(golfer), and PGA Golfer
Mark Wilson.
Golf
The club mascot is Pinki - a former caddy of which there is a statue of in front of the club and a tournament named after him. The 18-hole course plays 6,503 yards and
par 72 with a 72.1 rating. The course features relatively small greens protected by
bunkers with
fairways; it is especially notable for the extensive treeline on most holes. , Danny Mulhearn is the head
golf professional
A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...
.
winner of 31 PGA events, was the club professional from 1930 to 1937
The club hosted the
1943 Women's Western Open, won by
Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) co-founder
Patty Berg
Patricia Jane Berg (February 13, 1918 – September 10, 2006) was an American professional golfer. She was a founding member and the first president of the LPGA. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a fem ...
, one of her still-record 11
LPGA Tour major championship wins. The club hosted the
Professional Golfers' Association of America’s (PGA) 1915
Western Open
The Western Open was a professional golf tournament in the United States, for most of its history an event on the PGA Tour.
The tournament's founding in 1899 actually pre-dated the start of the Tour, which is generally dated from 1916, the ye ...
, won by
Tom McNamara. The course hosted the
Illinois PGA’s 1962
Illinois Open Championship
The Illinois Open Championship is a golf tournament that is administered by the Illinois PGA (Professional Golfers' Association). The state championship of golf is a 54-hole championship over three days to determine the finest player in the sta ...
, won by John Paul Jones.
The club participates with a caddy program where the traditional caddy carries the golf bag for the members. Golf carts are available should the member not want to walk the course. The club also participates in the Evans Caddie College Scholarship.
References
External links
Golf Advisor
{{Coord, 41.8778, -88.0431, type:landmark, display=title
Coordinates on Wikidata
Golf clubs and courses in Illinois
Sports venues in DuPage County, Illinois
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
1911 establishments in Illinois