Invitation & Access · West Suburbs
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1Medinah
Tom Doak's 2014 redesign of Medinah's first course, private and set on the club's lowest ground.
Par
71
Yardage
6,895
Rating · Slope
73.5 · 138
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1
Course No. 1 is the first of Medinah Country Club's three courses, redesigned by Tom Doak in 2014 and offering, in the club's words, generous fairways and challenging greens. It sits on the lowest, flattest part of the property, so water is a constant presence. Medinah is a private club for members and their guests, with a large caddie program, and No. 1 plays alongside No. 3, the club's championship course.
History
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 — History
Shriners from Chicago's Medinah Temple founded the club in 1924 and played their first round on Course No. 1 on September 5, 1925; Tom Bendelow designed all three original courses. During World War II, sheep grazed its fairways. Doak's Renaissance Golf Design began a 21-month rebuild the day after the 2012 Ryder Cup, when No. 1 had served as a parking lot, and reopened it in 2014.
Design
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 — Design
The rebuild began as a fix for flooding: Doak tripled a pond on the 15th, removed 770 trees and cut diagonally across old corridors, opening the middle of a course that had been narrow and tree-lined. With little natural movement, Doak and associate Brian Schneider built bold features, including mounds and raised greens, and The Fried Egg singles out the green contouring. Twelve holes use the old footprint, but all 18 are new in character.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1
Long overshadowed by No. 3, the club's major-championship course, No. 1 is a 2014 Tom Doak redesign that The Fried Egg places among the five best courses in Chicago's western suburbs.
The Round
The Journey at Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1
I.
The Opening
No. 1 opens with a 519-yard par 5, then the 401-yard 2nd and the 311-yard 3rd, the shortest par 4. The 482-yard 4th is the longest par 4 and the 171-yard 5th the first par 3. The 443-yard 6th, the No. 1 handicap, plays down to a low corner and bends right; The Fried Egg notes that the safer line left leaves a large mound blocking the view of the green.
II.
The Middle
The 224-yard 7th is the longest par 3, and the 461-yard 8th is another heavy par 4. At 616 yards the 9th is the longest hole and closes a 3,628-yard front nine. The back begins with three par 4s: the 367-yard 10th, the 414-yard 11th and the 444-yard 12th, the No. 6 handicap.
III.
The Finish
The 312-yard 13th is the easiest hole by handicap, followed by the 376-yard 14th. The 148-yard 15th, the shortest hole, is where Doak tripled the size of the pond. The 447-yard 16th, the No. 2 handicap, and the 565-yard 17th lead to an uncommon finish: the round ends on a par 3, the 194-yard 18th.
How to Play It
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Water is never far away on No. 1's low ground, even with generous fairways, and the 6,895-yard Gold tees are rated 73.5 with a 138 slope. Guests should favor the safe side, as The Fried Egg suggests on the 6th, and play for the middle of greens with heavy contours.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
The short par 4s, the 311-yard 3rd and 312-yard 13th, are the scoring holes along with the 519-yard opener. On the 6th, the left side is safer but hides the green behind a mound, so commit to a yardage before the blind approach. Plan the 616-yard 9th as three shots and play the 15th to the middle, away from the pond.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The aggressive line on the 6th is up the right side, which opens the green, The Fried Egg notes. Raised greens and bold contours make approach position matter more than distance, especially into the 4th, 8th and 16th, all par 4s of 447 yards or more. The round ends with a long iron to the 194-yard 18th.
Signature Holes
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 — Signature Holes
The Card
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 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 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 35 | 71 |
| Yards | 519 | 401 | 311 | 482 | 171 | 443 | 224 | 461 | 616 | 3,628 | 367 | 414 | 444 | 312 | 376 | 148 | 447 | 565 | 194 | 3,267 | 6,895 |
| Handicap | 9 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 7 | — | 12 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 10 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 14 | — | — |
Good to Know
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 — questions answered
- How do I get on Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 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 Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 was designed by Tom Bendelow; redesigned by Tom Doak and opened in 1925.
- What is the par and yardage at Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 plays to a par of 71 over 6,895 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 73.5 and a slope of 138.
- Is Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 public or private?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 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 Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 located?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 is located at 6N001 Medinah Rd, Medinah, IL 60157, in the West Suburbs area of Chicagoland.
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How to Play It
How to Play Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1.
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 1 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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