Invitation & Access · North Shore
Knollwood ClubLake Forest
A private Lake Forest club whose 1925 Colt & Alison course hosted the 1956 U.S. Amateur.
Par
72
Yardage
7,094
Rating · Slope
74.5 · 138
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Knollwood Club
Knollwood is a private club in Lake Forest for members and their guests, built around a course that C.H. Alison of Colt & Alison designed on former farmland. From the back tees it plays 7,094 yards at par 72, rated 74.5 with a 138 slope. The club asks that caddies be used when available and encourages walking. Members also have dining, racquets, swimming and platform tennis, with skeet shooting and cross-country skiing in winter.
History
Knollwood Club — History
The club incorporated in April 1924 and bought the 220-acre Knollwood Farm; Captain C.H. Alison designed the course, which opened for play in 1925. Lawrence Packard's plan of 1973-75 added a lake at the 7th, rebuilt the 8th and reshaped the 9th, and mid-1980s work brought a new 13th green. Knollwood hosted the 1956 U.S. Amateur, the 1982 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the 1986 PGA Cup Matches.
Design
Knollwood Club — Design
Alison was handed a topographic sketch and asked for the best course possible regardless of cost, and the club used about 175 acres so tees, greens and fairways would not crowd one another. His style shows in the greens: elevated, angled putting surfaces with deep bunkers set below them, most sloping firmly from back to front. The club notes that most holes are straightforward, with the trouble in plain view.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Knollwood Club
The club lists Knollwood among the North American Colt & Alison designs Alison oversaw, alongside Timber Point, Milwaukee Country Club and Sea Island, and it has hosted two USGA championships, in 1956 and 1982.
The Round
The Journey at Knollwood Club
I.
The Opening
The 439-yard 1st is a stern opener, with fairway bunkers left and out of bounds right. The 350-yard 2nd tempts a drive over a bunker and tall oaks, yet its two-tier green makes it the hardest approach on the course, by the club's account. The 172-yard 4th rises to an angled green over two deep bunkers, the 423-yard 5th, the No. 1 handicap, has a false front, and the 503-yard 6th invites a bold second.
II.
The Middle
A pond guards the left of the 230-yard 7th. The 577-yard 8th, rebuilt in the 1970s, is a slight double dogleg with heavy bunkering in the landing area and an hourglass green. The 416-yard 9th, which the club calls a signature hole, needs a drive between a large pond and trees, then an approach to a hilltop green. The 594-yard 10th is a true three-shotter, and on the 170-yard 12th a pond and swirling winds make the distance hard to judge.
III.
The Finish
The 314-yard 13th has two tee options and a green with two levels. The 454-yard 14th wants a drive down the right, away from big oaks. The 396-yard 15th, originally meant to play straight up the hill, now bends slightly left to a raised green. The 526-yard 16th has a narrow, bunkered fairway, the 204-yard 17th carries a deep front bunker, and the 457-yard 18th finishes at a green framed by a large elm.
How to Play It
Knollwood Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Guests are best served by a caddie, which the club expects players to use when one is available. Play the 6th and 10th as three-shot par 5s, aim for the center of greens that mostly slope back to front, and stay below the hole; the 2nd green punishes approaches that finish long.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
From the back the rating is 74.5 and the slope 138. The club suggests a fairway wood off the tee on the 3rd for distance control, and the same club on the 13th leaves a mid or short iron. Drive down the right on the 14th for an open angle, favor the right half on the 7th, away from the pond, and check the wind on the 12th.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The scoring holes are the short par 5s, the 503-yard 6th and the 526-yard 16th, both reachable after a solid drive, and the 350-yard 2nd for a player willing to carry the left bunker and oaks. The 5th's false front, the pond on the 9th and the 17th green, which the club calls arguably the hardest putting surface on the course, are where low rounds come apart.
Signature Holes
Knollwood Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Knollwood 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 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 439 | 350 | 403 | 172 | 423 | 503 | 230 | 577 | 416 | 3,513 | 594 | 466 | 170 | 314 | 454 | 396 | 526 | 204 | 457 | 3,581 | 7,094 |
| Handicap | 5 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 7 | 3 | — | 4 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 10 | — | — |
Good to Know
Knollwood Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Knollwood Club?
- Knollwood 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 Knollwood Club?
- Knollwood Club was designed by Harry Colt and Hugh Alison and opened in 1925.
- What is the par and yardage at Knollwood Club?
- Knollwood Club plays to a par of 72 over 7,094 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 74.5 and a slope of 138.
- Is Knollwood Club public or private?
- Knollwood 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 Knollwood Club located?
- Knollwood Club is located at 1890 Knollwood Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045, in the North Shore area of Chicagoland.
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How to Play It
How to Play Knollwood Club.
Knollwood 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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