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Our Story

In 1843, President John Tyler granted, through purchase, a large tract of land to a man named Marcus Gormley. In 1897 a piece of the property was purchased by a group of Chicago businessmen who had come together to form a golf club.

The land stood atop a ridge and overlooked a broad oak savannah plain and in the distance, a wetland area. This portion, known as the “Skokie”, probably got its name from a Potawatomi Indian word for swamp or marsh. From this came “The Links of Skokie Country Club.”

  • History
    • The name ‘Skokie” is said to come from the Potawatomi tribe, meaning “swamp,” which clearly references marshlands that surround the club. Skokie Country Club’s charter dates to October 27, 1897, amidst the golf boom that was sweeping the country. Only four other courses existed at that time in the Chicago area, so Skokie was on the forefront of the development of golf in the Midwest. Ten men from Chicago business and industry joined together to create a club that was a family-oriented haven for sports and recreation. It also quickly became a social hub for the region. The club was developed in large part due to the influence of Mrs. Heaton Owsley, the wife oof a founder and the sister of Chicago’s Mayor, Carter H. Harrison. Frederick Greeley served as the club’s first president. Early members were ferried from the train station by Mr. Williams and his wife Mary, who offered meals in their “bus” which was pulled by a team of horses.

      The original golf course was planned on the Skokie marshlands land by George Leslie, and was called The Links of Skokie (although some articles have noted that the first nine was designed by Herbert Tweedie.) This was the period when the gutta percha ball was used. The layout was described as a sporty nine holes that measured over 3,000 yards at a par of 36. The course was popular enough for the club to seek additional land acquisitions with the aim of expanding the layout to 18 holes. By 1904, with the land sufficient in size, Skokie engaged Tom Bendelow to work his magic on an expanded routing.

      Bendelow was a representative of A.G. Spalding who developed a reputation as “The Johnny Appleseed of golf” for his many and widespread golf course designs. His Skokie course opened in 1905 and played at 6,125 yards and a challenging par of 75 ½. The Bendelow course boasted greens that were described as the “best in the West” and raised the stature of the club across America.

      By 1913, with advancing rubber-core golf ball and equipment technology, the club decided to once again improve the golf course. For this work they hired the best in the business, Donald Ross. A native of Dornoch, Scotland, Ross was a master at using the natural advantages of the rolling terrain to shape his golf courses. His Skokie masterpiece utilized some of the Bendelow routing, additional land acquired by the club, and reversing the direction of a few holes. The new course opened in 1915 to rave national reviews. The course played to a par 70 at 6,340 yards.

      In 1938, Once again the club looked to architect William Langford and his partner Ted Moreau to rework the Ross layout with added length from the purchase of additional surrounding lands. Many of the holes played today are Langford/Moreau designs, including 3-7, and 11-13. In the following decades, the club decided to reverse the nines (1946 – 1997). Rees Jones was also retained in the early 1980s to make some alterations to the course, particularly with bunkering and by adding a pond on hole 13.

      In 1998, Skokie looked to get back to the early elements of the golf course that were developed by Donald Ross. For this substantial work, they engaged Ron Pritchard, who had developed a national reputation for his sensitivity and intuition with restoring Ross layouts. His removal of trees, helped open up new angles to expanded green complexes. Skokie was once again a layout that looked and played like a classic from the Golden Age of golf course architecture.

      The Skokie clubhouse was developed as a modest facility that allowed early members to enjoy their time together in a happy setting that did not scream opulence. The club was always a part of the neighboring community and therefore was built to provide “a social, familiar affair, organized for the purpose of having a good time.” In the Fall of 1911, the clubhouse burned down during a dinner party at the Chicago Athletic Club. The new clubhouse was constructed mainly of concrete, steel, and brick, and was used as a summer facility. In 1966 the club was expanded by Architect Arthur Coffin. Subsequent renovations and modernizations to the clubhouse have maintained Skokie at the top of full-service clubs in America but never losing sight of its understated neighborhood roots.

      Tennis and croquet were an important part of Skokie from the earliest years. The first courts were installed in 1899. During the 1920s the club hosted many tennis exhibitions and the Skokie courts became well known for excellent play. Top-ranked American players Bill Tilden and Bill Johnston played at Skokie. At one point eight of the top ten ranked amateurs played at Skokie. During this era, William Hinchcliff served as tennis coach at Yale and spent his summer months at Skokie. In 1922, the largest tennis crowd ever in the Chicago district watched Bill Tilden, Walter Hayes, Marion Leighton, and Marion Strobel during the club’s great tennis week. Skokie hosted the 1923 and 1925 Illinois States, and 1929 Western. Har-Tru surface was installed in 1947.

      Beyond Tennis, Skokie members have enjoyed a long tradition of recreation. In the winter months, members took part in a skating club, braved a massive toboggan run, and competed at the highest levels in curling. The curling tradition is especially impressive from the start of the program in 1937. Beginning in 1970, the club developed a paddle tennis facility, which was welcomed by the many paddle enthusiasts who play during cold weather months. Swimming also developed a thriving program from 1938 when the pool was constructed, through the updated and expanded pool in 1989.

      Over the years, the club has hosted a variety of important golf championships, starting with the 1909 Western Open, won by the great Willie Anderson. The next year, the Women’s Western Amateur was won by Mrs. Thurston Harris. In 1921, the “Skokie Open” was won by Eddie Loos. In 1922, Skokie hosted perhaps its most noteworthy event, the US Open, won by Gene Sarazen. Sarazen hit driver-driver on the final hole to6make birdie and win the title. Other competitors in the 1922 Open included some of the greatest names in golf, such as Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Jim Barnes, Abe Mitchell, George Duncan, Johnny Farrell, Jock Hutchison and many others. In 1952, the Women’s Western Open was played at the club and was won by the acclaimed Betsy Rawls. The USGA returned to Skokie in 1998 for the US Senior Amateur Championship, which was won by Bill Shean, Jr. The Western Amateur Championship was contested at Skokie in 2010, attracting some of the game’s brightest stars, such as Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, and Patrick Reed. The championship was won by Stanford University Junior, David Chung.

      Equally impressive as the tournament history is Skokie’s many Exhibition matches and events. British titans of golf, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray played at Skokie on April 21, 1920 against Phil Gaudin and Chick Evans, who won 6&5. Another noteworthy WWII exhibition match featured Jim Feree, Tommy Armour and Patty Berg. In the 1960s, Skokie held the Newsweek Magazine event that included Arnold Palmer. Palmer played at the Club on many occasions – one of which he was 7-under through ten holes and stopped the round due to “a sore back” but likely did not want to break the course record which was held by the home pro, Bill Erfuth. Other guests and celebrities to play at Skokie included Michael Jordan, Mike Ditka, Stan Mikita, Ernie Banks, Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, John Barrymore, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

      Beyond his WWII exhibition, Chick Evans maintained an enduring friendship with Skokie. He was named Honorary Member on August 26, 1918. He was a regular player in the club’s Kiltie Day, where he joined Gene Sarazen in 1923. He and Skokie shared a great respect for the caddie tradition, especially though the support of the WGAESF.7Throughout its rich history, Skokie has attracted a long line of talented and noteworthy professionals, beginning with the James Wilkie Watson (1897 – 1908). Watson was succeeded by Walter Fovarque (1909 – 1916) and then John Hackbarth (1917 – 1918). Phil Gaudin, a top-10 finisher in the US Open, served from 1918 – 1930. Robert Stupple served from 1931 – 1945, followed by Jock Hutchison, Jr. who was Head Professional from 1946 – 1965. Bill Erfuth, Robert Powers, and Paul Bombaco also served with distinction in Skokie’s modern era.

      There are so many additional milestones that set the club apart from others in American club life. Skokie has enjoyed great longevity, premier championship golf, a membership of high achievers, many noteworthy visitors, a rich social tradition, a commitment to sports and recreation, and so much more. After visiting the club, it is easy to see why Skokie continues to flourish.

  • Course Accolades

When Visiting

View Helpful Golf Guest Information regarding arrival, bag handling, check-in, lockers, caddies, care of the course, pace of play, playing tips, dress code, cell phone policy, etc.

A couple of our key rules are as follows.

  • Clubhouse Dress Code
    • Dress Code is generally based on good taste and neatness.

      For men, a collared shirt, tucked in, is required unless such shirt has a straight, flat cut bottom or short length bottom designed to be worn untucked.

      Turtle neck and quarter zip sweaters are acceptable. Golf attire, including slacks, Bermuda-style shorts, women’s golf skirts, golf shirts and women’s golf blouses are appropriate. Tennis and paddle tennis attire, consistent with the general tennis and paddle tennis rules, are also permitted in the Clubhouse during the tennis and paddle tennis seasons.

      Denim may be worn only in the lower level, including the Sarazen Room, fire pits and Sarazen Room patio, Men’s Grill and Locker Room. Denim must be in good taste, neat, and does not have holes or a distressed/tattered appearance. Please use the side entrance staircase when wearing denim. Denim is not allowed anywhere else around the Clubhouse including the upper terraces, tent, behind #9 green, practice green, driving range and pool. Denim is not allowed in the golf shop or indoor practice hitting area. The exception to the above is that women are permitted to wear white denim throughout the Club.

      Other types of attire not permitted include tank tops, halters, T-shirts and other collarless shirts, short shorts, cut-offs, swimwear and warm-up and exercise attire. Gentlemen should remove golf hats and visors indoors. Bare feet are not permitted at any time in the Clubhouse. The Clubhouse dress code also applies to children.

  • Cellular Phones
    • Except in cases of medical emergencies, the “active” use of cellular telephones is strictly prohibited in all areas of the Club, other than the Club parking lots (and any other locations specifically designated by the Board). This includes, for example, the entire Clubhouse, the pool house, the pool café, the pool deck, the golf pro shop and learning center, the golf course, the golf practice areas, the tennis house, the tennis courts, the paddle house and the paddle courts. The “passive” use of cellular telephones is permitted for the sole purpose of listening to or reading messages but only so long as the devices are in a “silent” or “vibrate” mode and no “beeps” or “rings” or other sounds are emitted. Land-line telephones are available for use in various locations in the Clubhouse.

  • Private Events
    • All Private Events require the sponsorship of a Member. To book an event or for information on existing events, please contact your Member sponsor.