Invitation & Access · West Suburbs
Oak Park Country ClubRiver Grove
Donald Ross's 1914 course in River Grove, a private club renovated by Rick Jacobson in 2007.
Par
72
Yardage
6,855
Rating · Slope
73.3 · 139
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Oak Park Country Club
Membership at Oak Park Country Club, a private, full-service club in River Grove, is by invitation only; members and their guests play its 18-hole Donald Ross course. Rick Jacobson's 2007 renovation set out to keep its parkland character. The club also has a pool, a racquet complex, dining and winter skeet and trap shooting. Men need slacks or golf shorts with collared or mock-neck shirts tucked in, and jeans are not allowed on the course.
History
Oak Park Country Club — History
The 2007 renovation announcement calls it a Donald Ross original that opened in 1914. Edward Dearie, a Ross construction crew chief, worked on it early and was superintendent from 1931 to 1951, and William Diddel did renovation work in 1955. The course closed in July 2006 for Rick Jacobson's renovation and reopened on June 2, 2007; he worked from Ross's plans, notes Ross made on a later visit and a 1930s aerial photograph.
Design
Oak Park Country Club — Design
Jacobson aimed to keep the parkland character while reestablishing Ross's original strategy. He replaced saucer-shaped bunkers with sod-faced, Ross-style bunkers and set them where they challenge today's low handicaps while framing holes for everyone. Tees were rebuilt and forward tees added, greens were enlarged to their original size to recover hole locations, the 8th and 18th greens were moved and rebuilt, and the course gained more than 100 yards.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Oak Park Country Club
A Donald Ross design in the western suburbs whose 2007 renovation leaned on Ross's own plans and notes, giving it sod-faced, Pinehurst-style bunkering on a par-72 card just under 6,900 yards.
The Round
The Journey at Oak Park Country Club
I.
The Opening
A 516-yard par 5 starts the round, followed by the 177-yard 2nd. The 437-yard 3rd, the No. 3 handicap, comes before the 478-yard 4th, the shortest of the four par 5s. The 414-yard 5th is rated the hardest hole on the card, and the 198-yard 6th is the second of two front-nine par 3s.
II.
The Middle
Next come the 393-yard 7th and the 447-yard 8th, the longest par 4, whose green is one of two Jacobson moved and rebuilt in 2007. The 380-yard 9th closes a 3,440-yard front nine. The second nine starts with three par 4s: the 390-yard 10th, the 368-yard 11th and the 349-yard 12th, the shortest par 4 on the card yet the No. 2 handicap.
III.
The Finish
Back-to-back par 5s, the 528-yard 15th and the 575-yard 16th, the longest hole, follow the 172-yard 13th and the 381-yard 14th, the easiest hole by handicap. The 207-yard 17th is the longest par 3, and the 445-yard 18th, No. 4 handicap, finishes at the other green Jacobson moved and rebuilt. The inward nine is 3,415 yards, par 36.
How to Play It
Oak Park Country Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
From the Black tees the course is 6,855 yards, rated 73.3 with a 139 slope, and Jacobson added forward tees for beginners, juniors and seniors, so use them. The opening par 5 is a gentle way in, and the back-to-back par 5s at the 15th and 16th reward three steady shots over forcing distance.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Jacobson put fairway bunkers in today's landing areas, so on the long par 4s, especially the 5th, 8th and 18th, pick a target short of or beside the sand rather than trying to fly it. The 349-yard 12th is rated second-hardest despite its length, so treat the approach with care.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The sod-faced bunkers sit where they catch low-handicap drives, so the tee shot sets up most holes. Three of the four par 5s are under 530 yards, and the 478-yard 4th is the best chance to reach in two. Greens restored to their original size bring back more hole locations, which puts a premium on distance control.
Signature Holes
Oak Park Country Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Oak Park 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 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 516 | 177 | 437 | 478 | 414 | 198 | 393 | 447 | 380 | 3,440 | 390 | 368 | 349 | 172 | 381 | 528 | 575 | 207 | 445 | 3,415 | 6,855 |
| Handicap | 11 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 17 | — | 12 | 8 | 2 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 4 | — | — |
Good to Know
Oak Park Country Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Oak Park Country Club?
- Oak Park 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 Oak Park Country Club?
- Oak Park Country Club was designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1914.
- What is the par and yardage at Oak Park Country Club?
- Oak Park Country Club plays to a par of 72 over 6,855 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 73.3 and a slope of 139.
- Is Oak Park Country Club public or private?
- Oak Park 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 Oak Park Country Club located?
- Oak Park Country Club is located at 2001 North Thatcher Ave., River Grove, IL 60171, in the West Suburbs area of Chicagoland.
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How to Play It
How to Play Oak Park Country Club.
Oak Park 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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