Invitation & Access · Northwest Indiana
Pottawattomie Country ClubMichigan City
Tom Bendelow's original nine and Bob Simmons's 1965 holes, at a private Michigan City club.
Par
72
Yardage
6,692
Rating · Slope
73.1 · 131
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Pottawattomie Country Club
Pottawattomie is a private club in Michigan City, Indiana, minutes from Lake Michigan, for members and their guests, with a membership drawn from Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. The 18-hole course covers 152 wooded acres crossed by Trail Creek, beside Friendship Gardens and Pottawattomie Park, and plays 6,692 yards at par 72 from the Blue tees (73.1 rating, 131 slope). Members need no tee times: they check in and take a cart.
History
Pottawattomie Country Club — History
Pottawattomie was established in 1909, when 125 members bought the land and broke ground for a clubhouse and nine holes by Tom Bendelow. In 1965 Bob Simmons, a prolific Indiana designer, built a new nine, now the front nine, and Bendelow's holes became the back. The current clubhouse was built in 2006, and in September 2025 the club chose Raymond Hearn to prepare a long-range restoration and renovation plan.
Design
Pottawattomie Country Club — Design
The club describes Bendelow's approach as naturalistic, using the site's own features, and lists water hazards, oaks and maples, varied elevation and Trail Creek among the course's character. Hearn has called the routing and terrain outstanding, and members describe two nines from different eras that complement each other. Recent work replaced all bunker sand, added new tees and removed trees to help the turf.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Pottawattomie Country Club
A 1909 club with a Tom Bendelow back nine and a no-tee-time policy, a few minutes from Lake Michigan in Michigan City.
The Round
The Journey at Pottawattomie Country Club
I.
The Opening
The opening holes belong to Bob Simmons's 1965 nine. The 410-yard 1st is the No. 3 handicap, a firm start, and after the 388-yard 2nd comes the 219-yard 3rd, the longest par 3. The 502-yard 4th is the first par 5, the 187-yard 5th the second par 3, and the 423-yard 6th is the hardest hole on the card.
II.
The Middle
The 398-yard 7th leads to the 568-yard 8th, the longest hole, and the 386-yard 9th closes a front nine of 3,481 yards. Bendelow's original holes begin at the 10th, a 434-yard par 4 that is the longest par 4 on the course and the No. 2 handicap. The 495-yard 11th is a par 5, and the 374-yard 12th rates fourth-hardest despite its modest length.
III.
The Finish
The back nine plays 270 yards shorter than the front. The 168-yard 13th is the easiest hole by handicap, followed by the 465-yard 14th, the shortest of the four par 5s, and the 186-yard par-3 15th. Three par 4s of 371, 356 and 362 yards close the round, so Bendelow's nine ends on a run of moderate-length two-shot holes.
How to Play It
Pottawattomie Country Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
With no tee times, choose a quiet hour and play a forward tee. The 219-yard 3rd is the longest par 3, so a hybrid or wood off that tee is no shame. The 465-yard 14th and 495-yard 11th are the shortest par 5s and good chances for par, and the 168-yard 13th is the easiest hole on the card.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
The front nine is the longer half at 3,481 yards and holds the No. 1 and No. 3 handicap holes, the 6th and 1st. Keep the ball in play there, then attack the back, where the par 5s at the 11th and 14th are both under 500 yards. The 12th, only 374 yards but the No. 4 handicap, is not a hole to force.
Advanced / Low Handicap
From the Blue tees (73.1 rating, 131 slope), the reachable par 5s are the 465-yard 14th and 495-yard 11th on Bendelow's nine, plus the 502-yard 4th. The 568-yard 8th and 434-yard 10th are where a round is held together. The club cites water hazards and Trail Creek across the property, so know where they lie before attacking pins.
Signature Holes
Pottawattomie Country Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Pottawattomie 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 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 410 | 388 | 219 | 502 | 187 | 423 | 398 | 568 | 386 | 3,481 | 434 | 495 | 374 | 168 | 465 | 186 | 371 | 356 | 362 | 3,211 | 6,692 |
| Handicap | 3 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 15 | — | 2 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 8 | — | — |
Good to Know
Pottawattomie Country Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Pottawattomie Country Club?
- Pottawattomie 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 Pottawattomie Country Club?
- Pottawattomie Country Club was designed by Tom Bendelow and Bob Simmons and opened in 1909.
- What is the par and yardage at Pottawattomie Country Club?
- Pottawattomie Country Club plays to a par of 72 over 6,692 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 73.1 and a slope of 131.
- Is Pottawattomie Country Club public or private?
- Pottawattomie 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 Pottawattomie Country Club located?
- Pottawattomie Country Club is located at 1900 Springland Avenue, Michigan City, IN 46360, in the Northwest Indiana area of Chicagoland.
More in Northwest Indiana
More golf courses in Northwest Indiana
La Porte
Legacy Hills Golf Club
A public par-72 course in La Porte, Indiana, playing 6,537 yards from the Blue tees.
Ken Killian and Dick Nugent · Chesterton
Sand Creek Country Club
Chesterton, Indiana's private 27-hole club and the home of the Northern Amateur.
William Diddel · La Porte
Beechwood Golf Course
La Porte's city-owned William Diddel course from the early 1930s, open to the public.
How to Play It
How to Play Pottawattomie Country Club.
Pottawattomie 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.
Make a Day of It
Dining & nightlife around your round.
Pair Pottawattomie Country Club with Chicago’s best dining and table service through MyRSVP — our sister guide to Chicago dining and nightlife.
Explore MyRSVP ↗