Invitation & Access · North Shore
Evanston Golf ClubSkokie
Donald Ross's 1919 course in Skokie, home to a private club founded in 1898.
Par
70
Yardage
6,857
Rating · Slope
72.9 · 136
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Evanston Golf Club
Members and their guests play Evanston's Donald Ross course on 150 acres in Skokie, just outside Chicago; the club is private. The course reopened in 2025 after a year-long project on irrigation, greens and bunkers. It plays to par 70 with only two par 5s, and the club runs a caddie program alongside tennis, paddle courts, simulators and a pool. Guests follow a conventional dress code: shirts tucked, no denim.
History
Evanston Golf Club — History
Before its Donald Ross course opened in July 1919, the club, founded in 1898, played three nine-hole sites in Evanston; the club says Ross laid out the course personally. Evanston was a founding member of the Western Golf Association, hosted the 1926 Chicago Open and the 1962 USGA Senior Amateur, and employed two-time major champion Johnny Revolta as head professional from 1935 to 1966. The course closed in June 2024 for a year of restoration.
Design
Evanston Golf Club — Design
The site is flat, and the club's work has aimed to restore what Ross built on it. An overhaul in the fall of 2006 extended the greens to their original Ross pads, rebuilt the bunkers and recontoured the fairways to disguise the flat ground. The 2024-25 project went further, rebuilding greens most of which had not been touched since their construction in 1918, along with bunkers and irrigation. The card leans on long par 4s and has only two par 5s.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Evanston Golf Club
The club says Ross personally laid out the course and that, unlike some clubs claiming a Ross design, it has the proof. It was also one of the 11 founding members of the Western Golf Association.
The Round
The Journey at Evanston Golf Club
I.
The Opening
Evanston opens with three long par 4s in a row, 444, 453 and 456 yards from the tees on the card, and the 2nd is the No. 1 handicap. The 202-yard 4th is the first par 3, the 324-yard 5th is the shortest par 4 on the course, and the 495-yard 6th, the No. 3 handicap, is the only par 5 on the front nine.
II.
The Middle
The shortest hole on the course, the 158-yard 7th, starts the middle stretch, and the 402-yard 8th and 437-yard 9th close a front nine of 3,371 yards at par 35. The back nine begins with the 374-yard 10th before the 463-yard 11th, the No. 2 handicap. The 192-yard 12th is rated the easiest hole on the card, a breather before the closing run.
III.
The Finish
Only one par 5 appears on the back nine: the 546-yard 13th, also the longest hole on the course. Three par 4s follow, from the 361-yard 14th to the 434-yard 16th, then the 223-yard 17th, the longest par 3. The 494-yard 18th is the longest par 4 and the No. 4 handicap, a demanding finish to a back nine of 3,486 yards at par 35.
How to Play It
Evanston Golf Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Par is 70 and the course rates 72.9 with a 136 slope from the tees on the card, so expect to give shots back early on three long par 4s. Settle in on the 5th, the shortest par 4, and the 12th, rated the easiest hole, and follow the club's dress code: shirts tucked and no denim.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
With only two par 5s, the birdie chances come at the 6th and 13th, the short 5th and the par 3s at the 7th and 12th. Bogeys tend to come on the long par 4s at the 1st through 3rd, the 11th and the 18th, so a conservative plan on those holes protects the card.
Advanced / Low Handicap
Scoring at par 70 means converting the 495-yard 6th and the 546-yard 13th and surviving an opening run of 444- to 456-yard par 4s. The 494-yard 18th, the No. 4 handicap, asks for the best drive of the day, straight after the 223-yard 17th, the longest par 3.
Signature Holes
Evanston Golf Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Evanston Golf 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 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 70 |
| Yards | 444 | 453 | 456 | 202 | 324 | 495 | 158 | 402 | 437 | 3,371 | 374 | 463 | 192 | 546 | 361 | 399 | 434 | 223 | 494 | 3,486 | 6,857 |
| Handicap | 5 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 13 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 9 | — | 12 | 2 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 4 | — | — |
Good to Know
Evanston Golf Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Evanston Golf Club?
- Evanston Golf 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 Evanston Golf Club?
- Evanston Golf Club was designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1919.
- What is the par and yardage at Evanston Golf Club?
- Evanston Golf Club plays to a par of 70 over 6,857 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 72.9 and a slope of 136.
- Is Evanston Golf Club public or private?
- Evanston Golf 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 Evanston Golf Club located?
- Evanston Golf Club is located at 4401 Dempster St, Skokie, IL 60076, in the North Shore area of Chicagoland.
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How to Play It
How to Play Evanston Golf Club.
Evanston Golf 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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