Invitation & Access · Chicago
Beverly Country ClubChicago
Donald Ross championship golf on Chicago's South Side, routed across the rim of prehistoric Lake Chicago.
Par
71
Yardage
7,063
Rating · Slope
74.4 · 141
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Beverly Country Club
About 10 miles from the Loop, Beverly is a private, golf-focused club for members and their guests. Its Donald Ross course stretches past 7,000 yards over ground far livelier than the city blocks around it: the front nine drops into the basin of an ancient lake and the back nine rolls over old sand dunes. Caddies are required whenever available, and a short par-3 course and a Himalayan putting green sit beside the main course.
History
Beverly Country Club — History
Founded in 1908, Beverly credits its first layout to George O'Neil, the club's first professional, reportedly helped by Tom Bendelow. Donald Ross later drew the master plan behind today's course. Ron Prichard led a restoration in 2002, then returned with Tyler Rae for work that ran from August 2019 to June 2020. Beverly hosted Western Opens in 1910, 1963, 1967 and 1970, the 1931 U.S. Amateur, the 2009 U.S. Senior Amateur and the 2014 Western Amateur.
Design
Beverly Country Club — Design
The club calls the routing Ross's genius: no two consecutive holes run the same direction, inside a rectangle bounded by three streets and a railroad line. Ross worked a ridge that was once the southern shore of prehistoric Lake Chicago, running from behind the 5th green east to a promontory above the 2nd fairway. Golf Club Atlas points to elevated green sites, false fronts and back knobs, which make staying below the hole the steady theme of a round.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Beverly Country Club
Francis Ouimet won the 1931 U.S. Amateur here and Jack Nicklaus the 1967 Western Open, and the club says more of its caddies have received Evans Scholarships than at any other club in the country.
The Round
The Journey at Beverly Country Club
I.
The Opening
After a 356-yard opener, the 590-yard 2nd plays about 40 feet downhill from the old lakeshore rim into the basin and carries more bunkers than any other hole. The 3rd is a 245-yard par 3, and the 400-yard 4th is one of only three doglegs on the course, bending left. The 415-yard 5th climbs to the day's most uphill approach, and the 196-yard 6th plays from a tee on the rim to a push-up green ringed by bunkers.
II.
The Middle
Out of the basin, the 574-yard 7th climbs starkly uphill; it is the No. 1 handicap, and the view from its tee is known as Heartbreak Hill. The 453-yard 8th has a green about 65 yards deep, enlarged for the 1963 Western Open, and the 9th was altered to make room for 87th Street, which splits the nines. After the 198-yard 10th, the 604-yard 11th rolls to a green that falls more than seven feet from a back-left knob, and the 145-yard 12th sits beside a pond.
III.
The Finish
A blind drive over an abrupt hill about 80 yards out opens the 385-yard 13th, and the 333-yard 14th plays downhill to a steeply pitched green. The 477-yard 15th, the longest par 4, tumbles over small dunes to a green with a false front. The 441-yard 16th climbs past two fronting bunkers, the 229-yard 17th has a hog-backed green pitched back to front, and the 609-yard 18th doglegs right to one of the most severe greens on the course.
How to Play It
Beverly Country Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
From the 7,063-yard championship tees the course rates 74.4 with a 141 slope, so a guest on a first visit belongs on a shorter set. Lean on the caddie for the blind drive at the 13th, and aim for the middle of greens rather than flags near their edges, especially where a false front waits.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Stay below the hole, above all at the uphill 5th and the hog-backed 17th, where a chip from short is easier than a putt from above. On the 4th, a hybrid to the outside of the dogleg sets up a clean approach to a built-up green. Take the 6th seriously: it has played among the hardest holes relative to par in events.
Advanced / Low Handicap
At the 2nd, carrying the string of fairway bunkers opens the back-right hole locations on one of the best greens on the course. The 8th green rewards precision, with front-left and back-right pins among the most vexing, and a central fairway hazard there sits about 40 paces short of the green, so the approach plays longer than it looks.
Signature Holes
Beverly Country Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Beverly Country Club Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 35 | 71 |
| Yards | 356 | 590 | 245 | 400 | 415 | 196 | 574 | 453 | 413 | 3,642 | 198 | 604 | 145 | 385 | 333 | 477 | 441 | 229 | 609 | 3,421 | 7,063 |
| Handicap | 13 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 11 | — | 16 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 4 | — | — |
Good to Know
Beverly Country Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Beverly Country Club?
- Beverly Country Club is a private club — play is reserved for members and their guests. The only way on is a membership or a member's invitation; there is no public tee sheet.
- Who designed Beverly Country Club?
- Beverly Country Club was designed by George O'Neil and Tom Bendelow; redesigned by Donald Ross and opened in 1908.
- What is the par and yardage at Beverly Country Club?
- Beverly Country Club plays to a par of 71 over 7,063 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 74.4 and a slope of 141.
- Is Beverly Country Club public or private?
- Beverly Country Club is a private member club — not open to public play. Access is by membership or a member's invitation; there is no public tee sheet.
- Where is Beverly Country Club located?
- Beverly Country Club is located at 8700 S Western Ave, Evergreen Park, IL 60805, in the Chicago area of Chicagoland.
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How to Play It
How to Play Beverly Country Club.
Beverly Country Club is a private club — play is reserved for members and their guests, with no public tee sheet. The only way on is a membership or a member's invitation.
Golf in CHI is an independent guide — we don’t sell tee times or mark them up. We map the exact way on.
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