Public Play · South Suburbs
Ravisloe Country ClubHomewood
Homewood's 1901 club, reshaped by Donald Ross and now open to public play.
Par
70
Yardage
6,343
Rating · Slope
71.3 · 130
Holes
18
Green Fee
Contact for pricing
The Course
About Ravisloe Country Club
For more than a century Ravisloe was a private club; since a 2009 sale it has been open to the public, and its Spanish Mission-style clubhouse has been restored. The par-70 course measures 6,343 yards from the Black tees, rated 71.3 with a 130 slope, and carries Donald Ross's imprint: deep, grass-faced bunkers, rolling ground and greens that mostly tilt hard from back to front. Water rarely comes into play, so the defense is the greens.
History
Ravisloe Country Club — History
Ravisloe opened in 1901 with a course by James Foulis, the 1896 U.S. Open champion, and Theodore Moreau. William Watson revised it in the early 1910s after the club gained more land, and Donald Ross reworked it in the late 1910s. David Esler restored the bunkers to Ross's specifications in the early 2000s, and veterinary surgeon Dr. Claude Gendreau bought the club in 2009 and reopened it to the public.
Design
Ravisloe Country Club — Design
Ross's hand shows most in the bunkers, grass-faced and flat-bottomed as Esler recreated them, some placed to hide much of a green from the fairway. Most greens slope strongly from back to front, so approaches that finish above the hole are costly. The front nine runs over flatter ground in parallel corridors, while the back nine keeps changing direction over more varied terrain; The Fried Egg singles out holes 11 through 17.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Ravisloe Country Club
The Fried Egg calls Ravisloe a rare classic course by a big-name architect that is open to all, and because it stayed private for most of its life, much of its old architecture survives.
The Round
The Journey at Ravisloe Country Club
I.
The Opening
The 395-yard 1st has a wide fairway and a bunker poking in about 250 yards out, backed by a grass bank that forces a lofted recovery. The 535-yard 2nd is the No. 1 handicap, and the 490-yard 3rd gets harder near its raised, three-tier green ringed by big bunkers. After the 193-yard 4th, grass-faced bunkers hide much of the 325-yard 5th's green, and the 135-yard 6th has bunkers short left and right of a small, rolling green.
II.
The Middle
Beyond the pond on the 203-yard 7th, the Ravisloe monogram is cut into a hedge, a holdover from the private era. The 390-yard 8th and 405-yard 9th run side by side to finish a 3,071-yard front nine. After the 395-yard 10th comes the stretch Golf Chicago Magazine rates best: the 226-yard 11th, the hardest par 3, with sand short right and left of the green, and the 400-yard 12th.
III.
The Finish
The 550-yard 13th, rated second-hardest, has crossing fairway bunkers and more sand at the green. The 410-yard 14th is the longest par 4, and the 146-yard 15th the easiest hole. The 390-yard 16th favors a faded drive and a wedge to a green that runs away, a rare fallaway green here. Grass-faced bunkering marks the 400-yard 17th, and the 355-yard 18th offers a birdie chance to a small, deeply bunkered green.
How to Play It
Ravisloe Country Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
At 6,343 yards with a 130 slope, Ravisloe rewards placement more than power, and a forward set keeps it fun. The key is staying below the hole, since most greens tilt back to front. On the 1st, a ball in the fairway bunker needs a lofted club over the grass bank, and the short 6th still punishes misses into its bunkers.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Play the 2nd and 13th, the two hardest holes, as three-shot par 5s. Five par 3s put weight on the irons, and the 226-yard 11th is the toughest of them. On the 3rd, find the right tier of the green; on the 16th a fade off the tee sets up a wedge, but the green runs away, so control distance and spin.
Advanced / Low Handicap
Scoring comes at the 490-yard 3rd, the 325-yard 5th and the 355-yard 18th, but the defense is the greens: miss above the hole on Ross's back-to-front surfaces and par gets hard. Shape the tee ball on the back nine, which keeps turning; the 16th rewards a fade, and the 13th's crossing bunkers decide whether to go for the green in two.
Signature Holes
Ravisloe Country Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Ravisloe 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 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 70 |
| Yards | 395 | 535 | 490 | 193 | 325 | 135 | 203 | 390 | 405 | 3,071 | 395 | 226 | 400 | 550 | 410 | 146 | 390 | 400 | 355 | 3,272 | 6,343 |
| Handicap | 5 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 9 | 17 | 11 | 15 | 3 | — | 10 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 14 | — | — |
Good to Know
Ravisloe Country Club — questions answered
- How do I book a tee time at Ravisloe Country Club?
- Find and book live tee times at Ravisloe Country Club through GolfNow — Golf in CHI links straight to its tee sheet on this listing.
- Who designed Ravisloe Country Club?
- Ravisloe Country Club was designed by James Foulis and Theodore Moreau; redesigned by Donald Ross and opened in 1901.
- What is the par and yardage at Ravisloe Country Club?
- Ravisloe Country Club plays to a par of 70 over 6,343 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 71.3 and a slope of 130.
- Is Ravisloe Country Club public or private?
- Ravisloe Country Club is open to public play. Tee times can be reserved in advance.
- Where is Ravisloe Country Club located?
- Ravisloe Country Club is located at 18231 South Park Avenue, Homewood, IL 60430, in the South Suburbs area of Chicagoland.
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How to Play It
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