Invitation & Access · South Suburbs
Flossmoor Golf ClubFlossmoor
A private 1899 parkland club in Flossmoor that keeps 14 hole corridors from its first layout.
Par
72
Yardage
7,136
Rating · Slope
75.8 · 144
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Flossmoor Golf Club
Flossmoor's classic parkland course plays to 7,136 yards from the Black tees with a 75.8 rating and a 144 slope, and the club, founded in 1899 as one of the first in the Midwest, is private: members and their guests only. It runs a caddie program. A 2009 restoration returned old-style bunkers to a routing that still follows 14 of its original corridors. The course is closed on Mondays.
History
Flossmoor Golf Club — History
Herbert Tweedie is the club's original architect of record, from its founding in 1899. Fourteen of today's hole corridors date from that first layout, and several hole names recall it: the 3rd, Home, was originally the 18th, and the 4th, Widow, was the first hole. The club says Alex Smith, Jock Hutchison, Chick Evans and Francis Ouimet played here. Raymond Hearn led the renovation and restoration in 2009.
Design
Flossmoor Golf Club — Design
Tweedie wrote that the ideal green is as nature laid it out, and that a course should be set out on the land, not on paper, to use every feature the ground offers. Hearn calls himself a lay-of-the-land architect; he judged the routing good and the green complexes outstanding, and said the return to old-style bunkers brought it all together. Holes run between mature oaks, through open glades and up to hillside greens.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Flossmoor Golf Club
One of the first clubs established in the Midwest, Flossmoor gives every hole a name, from Road, after the Road Hole at St. Andrews, to Spion Kop and Tugela, a hill and river in South Africa.
The Round
The Journey at Flossmoor Golf Club
I.
The Opening
The round opens with Road, a 499-yard par 5 named for the Road Hole at St. Andrews, then Gate, a 213-yard par 3 recalling the old entrance on Western Avenue. The 434-yard 3rd, Home, was the 18th in the original design and is now the No. 1 handicap. The 331-yard 4th, Widow, was once the first hole, the 445-yard 5th is named for a spring nearby, and the 434-yard 6th, Neuk, is a dogleg.
II.
The Middle
The 173-yard 7th, Gucks, leads to Lane, a 461-yard par 4 through a narrow passage between oaks. The 626-yard 9th, Oak, is the longest hole, with a large oak grove on the left waiting for stray layups. Back-to-back par 5s follow with the 553-yard 10th, Glade, an open passage through the woods. The 187-yard 11th, Spion Kop, and the 417-yard 12th, Tugela, the No. 2 handicap, take their names from South Africa.
III.
The Finish
The 135-yard 13th kept its original name, Easy, and the 366-yard 14th, Glen, is a short par 4. Birdies are rare on the meandering 431-yard 15th, Orchard, once a grove, and the 425-yard 16th, Braeside, climbs to a demanding hillside green. The 473-yard 17th, Haugh, is the longest par 4 and the club's pick as the most challenging, before Farm, a 533-yard par 5 that leaves a closing birdie chance.
How to Play It
Flossmoor Golf Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
With a 75.8 rating and a 144 slope from the Black tees, Flossmoor asks a guest to choose a shorter set. Use the short holes to settle in: the 135-yard 13th and the 331-yard 4th. On the 9th, keep the layup away from the oak grove on the left, and treat the 473-yard 17th as a hole where bogey is fine.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Four par 5s give the scoring chances, especially the 499-yard 1st and the 533-yard 18th, which the club calls a birdie opportunity. Keep layups on the 9th right of the oaks, and on the 16th play to the safe side of the hillside green rather than at a tucked pin.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The 1st and 18th are the shortest par 5s at 499 and 533 yards from the Black tees, but par is hard to make on the long par 4s: the 3rd, the 12th and the 473-yard 17th. On the 15th, where the club says birdies are rare, a fairway and the center of the green are enough.
Signature Holes
Flossmoor Golf Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Flossmoor 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 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 499 | 213 | 434 | 331 | 445 | 434 | 173 | 461 | 626 | 3,616 | 553 | 187 | 417 | 135 | 366 | 431 | 425 | 473 | 533 | 3,520 | 7,136 |
| Handicap | 11 | 15 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 5 | 9 | — | 10 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 12 | — | — |
Good to Know
Flossmoor Golf Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Flossmoor Golf Club?
- Flossmoor 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 Flossmoor Golf Club?
- Flossmoor Golf Club was designed by Herbert Tweedie and opened in 1899.
- What is the par and yardage at Flossmoor Golf Club?
- Flossmoor Golf Club plays to a par of 72 over 7,136 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 75.8 and a slope of 144.
- Is Flossmoor Golf Club public or private?
- Flossmoor 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 Flossmoor Golf Club located?
- Flossmoor Golf Club is located at 1441 Western Ave, Flossmoor, IL 60422, in the South Suburbs area of Chicagoland.
More in South Suburbs
More golf courses in South Suburbs
Tom Bendelow · Olympia Fields
Olympia Fields Country Club — South Course
Tom Bendelow's hilly South Course at Olympia Fields, crossed by Butterfield Creek and restored in 2023.
Al Naylor · Flossmoor
Idlewild Country Club
A 1908 private parkland course in Flossmoor, crossed by Butterfield Creek, with five par 5s.
Herbert J. Tweedie · Midlothian
Midlothian Country Club
The 1914 U.S. Open host, a private Herbert Tweedie course in Chicago's southwest suburbs.
How to Play It
How to Play Flossmoor Golf Club.
Flossmoor 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.
Make a Day of It
Dining & nightlife around your round.
Pair Flossmoor Golf Club with Chicago’s best dining and table service through MyRSVP — our sister guide to Chicago dining and nightlife.
Explore MyRSVP ↗