Invitation & Access · South Suburbs
Idlewild Country ClubFlossmoor
A 1908 private parkland course in Flossmoor, crossed by Butterfield Creek, with five par 5s.
Par
72
Yardage
6,820
Rating · Slope
73.1 · 141
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Idlewild Country Club
Idlewild's par-72 parkland course crosses Butterfield Creek over gently sloping ground in Flossmoor, about 25 miles south of Chicago, at a private club for members and their guests. Its card is unusual: five par 5s and five par 3s. From the Gold tees it measures 6,820 yards, rated 73.1 with a 141 slope. The club also runs a caddie program and offers a pool, pickleball and a full event calendar.
History
Idlewild Country Club — History
Idlewild's founders hired Al Naylor in 1908 to lay out the course, keep the grounds, teach and run the shop. They passed on a site that later became Beverly Country Club as too close to the city and chose Flossmoor. William Langford worked on greens and bunkers sometime in the 1920s, though the club calls its records vague. The USGA advised on greens, drainage and trees in the early 2000s, and new irrigation was completed in 2021.
Design
Idlewild Country Club — Design
The club calls it a championship parkland course laid over gently sloping terrain and split by Butterfield Creek, which first shows on the 3rd and crosses in front of the 7th green. Much of the defense is in the greens: the hole notes describe two-tier greens on the 2nd and 18th, a ridge through the 8th and 12th, a seven-foot wall in front of the 10th, and severe slopes on the 11th, 14th and 15th.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Idlewild Country Club
In Flossmoor since 1908, Idlewild has an unusual card of five par 5s and five par 3s, with Butterfield Creek and William Langford's 1920s green and bunker work shaping a classic south-suburban private test.
The Round
The Journey at Idlewild Country Club
I.
The Opening
Slightly uphill to a generous fairway, the 389-yard 1st leads to a green with more subtlety than it shows. The 527-yard 2nd, the first of five par 5s, has a semi-blind drive and a two-tiered green. Butterfield Creek appears on the right at the 187-yard 3rd. The 548-yard 4th climbs from the tee to one of the flatter greens, the 432-yard 5th asks for a drive into a narrow fairway, and the 210-yard 6th is well bunkered.
II.
The Middle
The 569-yard 7th is the No. 1 handicap: an uphill drive between trees, a semi-blind second and a short iron over the creek to a small green. The 439-yard 8th has perhaps the largest green, split by a diagonal ridge, and the 163-yard 9th plays toward the pool and patio. The 384-yard 10th green sits behind a seven-foot wall, the 546-yard 11th climbs to a back-to-front green, and the 185-yard 12th has a ridge through its middle.
III.
The Finish
The 352-yard 13th is drivable for the longest hitters, though bunkers pinch both sides. The 419-yard 14th and the 388-yard 15th, a dogleg left the club calls possibly its toughest, both have severely sloped greens. The 170-yard 16th plays to the smallest green, the 399-yard 17th, the No. 2 handicap, carries a pond and a false front, and the 513-yard 18th is reachable in two by long hitters, with a bunker and Dixie Highway to the right.
How to Play It
Idlewild Country Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Guests should play a shorter set than the 6,820-yard Gold tees, which carry a 141 slope. Keep the ball below the hole, as the club advises on the 3rd and 15th, and treat the 7th as a three-shot hole ending with a carry over Butterfield Creek. On the 18th, aim at the center rather than bailing into the trees left.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Five par 3s and five par 5s mean the scoring swings both ways. Four of the par 5s, the 2nd, 4th, 11th and 18th, are under 550 yards from the Gold tees, so place the second shot to leave a full wedge, because greens like the 11th slope hard from back to front. On the 14th the club's advice is to approach left of the pin for an uphill putt.
Advanced / Low Handicap
Take the chances the club names, the drivable 13th and the 18th, reachable in two; a 73.1 rating on par 72 leaves room to score. Elsewhere the greens decide it: find the right side of the 8th's diagonal ridge, take the extra half club the club suggests over the pond and false front at the 17th, and remember the 10th slopes from right to left behind its wall.
Signature Holes
Idlewild Country Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Idlewild 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 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 389 | 527 | 187 | 548 | 432 | 210 | 569 | 439 | 163 | 3,464 | 384 | 546 | 185 | 352 | 419 | 388 | 170 | 399 | 513 | 3,356 | 6,820 |
| Handicap | 7 | 9 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 17 | — | 10 | 6 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 8 | — | — |
Good to Know
Idlewild Country Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Idlewild Country Club?
- Idlewild 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 Idlewild Country Club?
- Idlewild Country Club was designed by Al Naylor and opened in 1908.
- What is the par and yardage at Idlewild Country Club?
- Idlewild Country Club plays to a par of 72 over 6,820 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 73.1 and a slope of 141.
- Is Idlewild Country Club public or private?
- Idlewild 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 Idlewild Country Club located?
- Idlewild Country Club is located at 19201 Dixie Highway, Flossmoor, IL 60422, in the South Suburbs area of Chicagoland.
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Midlothian Country Club
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How to Play It
How to Play Idlewild Country Club.
Idlewild 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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