Invitation & Access · West Suburbs
Glen Oak Country ClubGlen Ellyn
Glen Ellyn's private Bendelow course, rebuilt by Langford and Moreau in 1922.
Par
72
Yardage
6,841
Rating · Slope
73.2 · 139
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Glen Oak Country Club
Owned by its members, Glen Oak is a private club in Glen Ellyn for members and their guests. Its par-72 course runs along mature, tree-lined fairways with strategic bunkers and fast greens, from 5,750 to 6,841 yards across five sets of tees, and the club keeps up a caddie program and a walking tradition. Beyond golf there is skeet and trap shooting at the Lodge, an aquatic center, paddle tennis and simulators.
History
Glen Oak Country Club — History
The land was a family farm before Pickwick Country Club opened a nine-hole Tom Bendelow course there in the early 1900s. When Pickwick failed, Glen Oak was formed in 1911 and brought Bendelow back to complete 18 holes. William Langford and Theodore Moreau rebuilt the course in 1922, A.W. Tillinghast (1935), David Gill (1965) and Bruce Borland made later changes, and Rick Jacobson has worked on it more recently.
Design
Glen Oak Country Club — Design
Bendelow's approach has been called a naturalist's, using a site's own features, and the club describes Langford and Moreau as fellow naturalists. The club's hole notes show the result: tight drives framed by trees and out of bounds, greens that slope severely, false fronts at the 6th and 11th, and elevated greens at the 12th and 14th. The club stresses risk and reward on tee shots and approaches alike.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Glen Oak Country Club
Glen Oak's 1930s professional, Lighthorse Harry Cooper, won 31 PGA events, and he and member Bill Dawson both played in the first Masters in 1934, and stone remnants of the club's old railroad depot still stand near the 9th tee.
The Round
The Journey at Glen Oak Country Club
I.
The Opening
Out of bounds tight right and trees left make the 432-yard 1st an accuracy test from the start. The 399-yard 2nd is well bunkered, its green pitched steeply from front to back, and the 200-yard 3rd has a green sloping hard from back left to front right. Fairway bunkers catch drives on the 409-yard 4th, the 530-yard 5th rewards a layup to wedge range, and the 157-yard 6th crosses Gerber's Pond to a green with a false front.
II.
The Middle
Slightly uphill and into the prevailing wind, the 591-yard 7th is the longest hole and the No. 1 handicap. The 303-yard 8th tempts big hitters to drive the green past deep bunkers and trees, and the 351-yard 9th, lined by bunkers and trees, finishes in view of the clubhouse. The 544-yard 10th is a birdie chance, the 129-yard 11th has a severe false front, and the 402-yard 12th doglegs right to an elevated, deeply bunkered green.
III.
The Finish
A straightforward green gives the 377-yard 13th a good birdie chance. The 419-yard 14th plays into the prevailing wind, its approach climbing a severe incline. The 380-yard 15th doglegs right and downhill, and the 245-yard 16th, the longest par 3, is safer missed short than left or right. The 530-yard 17th bends right over a hill, and the 443-yard 18th, a long uphill dogleg left, finishes beside the clubhouse.
How to Play It
Glen Oak Country Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Five sets of tees start at about 5,750 yards, against 6,841 yards and a 73.2 rating (139 slope) from the Championship tees. Play away from the out of bounds on the 1st, lay up to wedge range on the 5th as the club suggests, and on the 16th miss short rather than left or right.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Club down on the approach at the 2nd, where the green runs away from front to back, and play to the front right of the 3rd. At the 6th, ignore the pin and hit the middle of the green over Gerber's Pond. On the 8th, a layup to wedge range, kept below the hole, is the club's own birdie plan.
Advanced / Low Handicap
Long hitters can try to drive the 303-yard 8th, but deep bunkers, trees and out of bounds long make it a real gamble. The 10th and 17th can be reached in two by long hitters; on the 17th, favor the right side for a clear look at the green. The 12th needs distance and accuracy off the tee to leave a mid-iron.
Signature Holes
Glen Oak Country Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Glen Oak 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 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 432 | 399 | 200 | 409 | 530 | 157 | 591 | 303 | 351 | 3,372 | 544 | 129 | 402 | 377 | 419 | 380 | 245 | 530 | 443 | 3,469 | 6,841 |
| Handicap | 5 | 9 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 13 | 11 | — | 4 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 8 | — | — |
Good to Know
Glen Oak Country Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Glen Oak Country Club?
- Glen Oak 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 Glen Oak Country Club?
- Glen Oak Country Club was designed by Tom Bendelow; rebuilt by William Langford and Theodore Moreau and opened in 1911.
- What is the par and yardage at Glen Oak Country Club?
- Glen Oak Country Club plays to a par of 72 over 6,841 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 73.2 and a slope of 139.
- Is Glen Oak Country Club public or private?
- Glen Oak 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 Glen Oak Country Club located?
- Glen Oak Country Club is located at 21W451 Hill Ave, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, in the West Suburbs area of Chicagoland.
More in West Suburbs
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Chicago Golf Club
C.B. Macdonald's Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, rebuilt by Seth Raynor and largely unchanged since.
Greg Martin · Addison
The Preserve at Oak Meadows
DuPage County's rebuilt forest-preserve course in Addison, routed by Greg Martin along a restored Salt Creek.
How to Play It
How to Play Glen Oak Country Club.
Glen Oak 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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