Although there is a suburb of Chicago called Skokie, this is not where you will this private country club. Instead, it is located in a suburb of Chicago called Glencoe, Illinois, which is an inner-ring suburb close to the Lake Michigan shore. It offers many amenities, including a 7,091-yard golf course with 18 holes. It is an exclusive, well-known country club in the United States and Chicagoland.
| Name | Skokie Country Club |
| Membership Cost | $85000 |
| Phone Number | +1 (847)835-0600 |
| Website | https://www.skokiecc.com/ |
| Address | 500 Washington Ave, Glencoe, IL 60022 |
| Type | Private Club |
Skokie Country Club History
President John Tyler, in 1843, granted Marcus Gormley the right to purchase a large tract of land. In 1897, he sold a piece of the land to a group of businessmen in Chicago. Skokie County Club was founded by these men. The land stood on top of a ridge, overlooking a broad oak savannah plain. In the distance was a wetland. The country club’s name “Skokie” was inspired by the Potawatomi phrase for marsh or swamp. It was originally called The Links of Skokie Country Club.
Golf Course History
The main attraction found here is their golf course. When it opened in 1897, members George Leslie and Herbert J. Tweedle were the designers of the course. It was a nine-hole course. All that is left of the original course is the routing of the eighth hole and a little pond by the 18th hole.
It got its next golf course in 1904, created by Thomas Bendelow. He also created other country club golf courses. He was the one to design 18 holes. It was redesigned in 1938 when the land was acquired next to the southwestern corner near the former golf course.
Donald Ross was an architect, who visited the country club in 1914. He added domed greens with bunkering that was archetypical. From the Bendelow layout, Donald Ross only kept the eighth hole. There have been several firms who have had their hands in the golf course, it considers a “Donald Ross” golf course although the course is largely based on the likeness of Moreau and Langford.
When the country club acquired more land in the 1930s, Theodore Moreau and William Langford were assigned the project to redesign the golf course with some focus on Mr. Ross’s previous intentions. When the design was finished, they had retained about half of Donald Ross’s holes. In the 1980s, there were some modifications. In total, there have been four-course layouts.
Skokie Country Club Membership Cost
According to research, the estimation for the initial fee for Skokie Country Club golf membership is about $85,000. There is no exact information on the ongoing monthly fees it is estimated that they cost $500-$1,000 a month for social and golf privileges. There may just be a membership fee for social privileges but all memberships found included golf.
Amenities
In addition to the golf course, another amenity that Country Club offers is paddle tennis. In the Midwest, it is one of the best facilities to play this game. At the club are six on-premises courts. The facility for paddle tennis was an added perk for the members. The facility has an address that is different from the club but is located along the 14th fairway of the golf course. They also offer a wonderful tennis pram with eight Har-Tru clay courts.
There is also a newly opened aquatic complex with a lap swim and a family-size recreational pool. It offers an outdoor bar that is for adults only and a full-service kitchen. Skokie Country Club offers a $3.8 M beverage and food operation. They also offer individual swim lessons, swim times open to members, and a children’s swim team. At Skokie Country Club, there are many private parties and banquet options available for members.
Dress Code And Rules
To play golf as a member or guest of a member, you will need to wear the usual golf attire. This includes golf skirts for women, slacks, blouses that had a collar, and shorts in the Bermuda-style, or golf shirts. You are prohibited from wearing tank or halter tops, denim clothing, exercise attire, or swimwear. You also cannot have bare feet at any time in the Clubhouse. On the main floor, you cannot wear visors or baseball caps.
Their cell phone and pager policy strictly prohibits actively using your cell phone anywhere on the clubhouse grounds or anywhere in the clubhouse. This also includes the pool area, the golf pro shop, tennis and paddle tennis areas, and the golf course. The exception is in case of emergencies. Cell phones and pagers can be used in the Club parking lot or where designated by the board. You can check for emails, text messages, etc. but no talking on them at all. They have to be kept on vibrate or silent mode.
Trivia Facts For Skokie Country Club
1. Golf Tournament
The most notable one held there was the 1922 U. S. Open, which at the time was called The National Open. It was the first major golf tournament to charge an admission fee to watch the tournament. The fee was only a dollar. Now there are over 15,000 attendees. At that time, it was the largest crowd in Open history. The spectators were able to watch a spectacular win by 20-year-old Gene Sarazen, who was a former caddie. He won with a birdie four on the par five 18th hole.
2. Golf Course Holes
The golf course consists of one Tom Bendelow hole, which is #8. There are nine Theodore Moreau and William Langford holes, which include numbers, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 16. The other eight holes belong to Donald Ross, which are numbers 1, 2, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, and 18.
3. Membership
There are over 700 members of the country club, bringing in over $10M in operating revenue. At times, there is a waitlist to join the club.
4. Best Hole
The best hole on the golf course is the double dogleg par five 11th. It is heavily bunkered from fairway to green. It is flanked on the right by a brook.
Conclusion
Skokie Country Club is a great place to play golf but if you want to try another great golf course try Medinah Country Club in nearby Medinah, Illinois. You and your golf buddies can make it a weekend of playing golf on different courses.