Invitation & Access · West Suburbs
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3Medinah
Medinah's championship course, redesigned by OCM Golf in 2024 and host of the 2026 Presidents Cup.
Par
72
Yardage
7,564
Rating · Slope
76.8 · 143
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
Course No. 3 is Medinah Country Club's championship layout, at a private, member-owned club for members and their guests where membership is by invitation. OCM Golf's redesign reopened it in 2024 with fewer trees, wider fairways, about 100 bunkers and broad areas of fescue. From the Gold tees it plays 7,564 yards at par 72, rated 76.8 with a 143 slope. The club also has Courses No. 1 and No. 2 and a caddie program.
History
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 — History
Shriners from Chicago's Medinah Temple founded the club in 1924, and Tom Bendelow's Course No. 3 opened to members in 1928. It has hosted three U.S. Opens, three Western Opens, the 1999 and 2006 PGA Championships, the 2012 Ryder Cup and the 2019 BMW Championship. The course closed in October 2022 for OCM's redesign, reopened in 2024 and hosted the Presidents Cup in September 2026.
Design
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 — Design
OCM's Mike Cocking described the work as part restoration, part renovation and part redesign. Using 1920s aerials, plans and photos, the team lowered tees, greens and bunkers that had been built up above the natural ground, set rugged Golden Age-style bunkers into natural rises, and widened every fairway so the angle into each green matters. A split-rail boundary fence returned on the 5th through 7th, and the last six holes were rerouted around Lake Kadijah.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
Golf Digest named OCM's redesign a Transformation of the Year, and the 2026 Presidents Cup, with Geoff Ogilvy, whose firm did the work, captaining the International team, was the first time the world's best played the new layout.
The Round
The Journey at Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3
I.
The Opening
The 436-yard 1st runs beside the corridor of the new 18th, and the 211-yard 2nd is the first par 3. At the 430-yard 3rd and the 479-yard 4th, OCM restored a dramatic bunker arrangement seen in early ground photographs. A split-rail fence marks out of bounds left on the 505-yard 5th, a par 5 for members that the PGA Tour chose as the Presidents Cup's opening hole, set as a par 4, and the fence carries on along the 476-yard 6th.
II.
The Middle
Oak savannah and broad fescue frame the 582-yard 7th, the No. 1 handicap, and the 373-yard 8th, ground OCM returned to its original character; the fence stays in play on the 7th. The 479-yard 9th closes a par-37 front nine of 3,971 yards. The 646-yard 10th, formerly the 7th, and the 209-yard 11th, formerly the 8th, kept their basic shape with new greens and bunkers, as did the 510-yard par-4 12th.
III.
The Finish
The rerouted finish starts at the 153-yard 13th, a new par 3 along Lake Kadijah, then the shortened 455-yard 14th and the 514-yard 15th, the longest par 4. The 402-yard 16th is a Cape-style par 4 played from the old 17th tee to a green diagonally across the lake, drivable for the pros. The 217-yard 17th plays back over the water on a diagonal, and the 487-yard par-5 18th runs up the original corridor beside the 1st.
How to Play It
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Skip the 76.8-rated Gold tees on a first visit; choose a forward set and take a caddie from the club's program. The fairways are wide, but the fence on the left of the 5th through 7th marks out of bounds, so aim right of center there, and play the 16th around the lake rather than over it.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
OCM built angles into wide fairways: one side of each green is heavily defended, so the correct half of the fairway matters more than distance. On the 16th the safe play is a lay-up to a short wedge, while the 17th demands a committed carry over the water. Where contours short of a green tilt toward the hole, use them to feed the ball in.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The Gold tees make for a long round: the 10th runs 646 yards, and the 12th and 15th are par 4s over 500. Birdies come at the 5th, the 18th and the 16th. Ogilvy's advice on the 5th applies to strong players throughout: test the fence side for the best line in. On the 16th, the drive over Lake Kadijah is the risk-reward call of the round.
Signature Holes
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 — Signature Holes
The Card
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 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 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 35 | 72 |
| Yards | 436 | 211 | 430 | 479 | 505 | 476 | 582 | 373 | 479 | 3,971 | 646 | 209 | 510 | 153 | 455 | 514 | 402 | 217 | 487 | 3,593 | 7,564 |
| Handicap | 13 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 9 | — | 2 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 18 | 6 | — | — |
Good to Know
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 — questions answered
- How do I get on Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 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. 3?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 was designed by Tom Bendelow; redesigned by OCM Golf and opened in 1928.
- What is the par and yardage at Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 plays to a par of 72 over 7,564 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 76.8 and a slope of 143.
- Is Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 public or private?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 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. 3 located?
- Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 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. 3.
Medinah Country Club — Course No. 3 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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