Invitation & Access · Chicago
Ridgemoor Country ClubChicago
Private club on Chicago's northwest edge where Ben Hogan won the 1942 Hale America National Open.
Par
72
Yardage
6,922
Rating · Slope
74.1 · 139
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Ridgemoor Country Club
Members and their guests play Ridgemoor on land at Chicago's northwest edge that the club has occupied since 1905, and guests must play alongside a member. The member-owned club's par-72 course measures 6,922 yards from the Championship tees, rated 74.1 with a 139 slope, with tee sets down to 5,355 yards. A full-size range and a short-game area sit beside it, and the club says the course runs April through November, weather permitting. Not to be confused with Ridge Country Club in Beverly, on the South Side.
History
Ridgemoor Country Club — History
Founded in 1901 as Irving Golf Club, the club leased farmland in 1904, and Thomas O'Neil's nine opened as Irving Park Golf Club on May 30, 1905. David McIntosh's 18 opened on October 16, 1909, the year the club became Ridgemoor. William Langford remodeled it in 1921 and again with Theodore Moreau in 1927, A.W. Tillinghast designed a new 18th in 1935, and Rick Jacobson completed a renovation in 2015.
Design
Ridgemoor Country Club — Design
O'Neil built the first nine with little more than the land's natural contours on sand-based ground, using the old Union Ridge, a former Lake Michigan shoreline, as a hazard. McIntosh's job in 1909 was to fold that nine into an 18 that played as one course rather than two halves. Many architects have worked on it since, from Langford to the Packards and Bob Lohmann, who removed a quirk at the 12th in 1988, yet the club says the layout has largely stayed the same.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Ridgemoor Country Club
Ridgemoor staged the only Hale America National Open, the 1942 wartime stand-in for the U.S. Open, which Ben Hogan won at 17 under with a second-round 62. The club lists that 62 as the course record, shared with Bob Zender.
The Round
The Journey at Ridgemoor Country Club
I.
The Opening
On paper Ridgemoor opens gently: the 1st is a 313-yard par 4, the shortest two-shotter on the card. Back-to-back par 5s follow at the 2nd (506 yards) and 3rd (530), then the 159-yard 4th, the shortest par 3. The 5th (447) and 6th (445) are long par 4s, with the 5th rated third-hardest, so the early scoring chances need to be taken.
II.
The Middle
Next comes the No. 1 handicap, the 464-yard 7th, also the longest par 4 on the course. The 234-yard 8th is the longest par 3, and the 422-yard 9th closes a 3,520-yard front nine. The back nine repeats the opening pattern with consecutive par 5s at the 10th (526) and 11th (505), the 11th rated fourth-hardest, before the 379-yard 12th.
III.
The Finish
The 205-yard par-3 13th starts the run home, followed by the 350-yard 14th, the easiest hole by handicap. Three par 4s then build the pressure: the 397-yard 15th, the 445-yard 16th, rated No. 2, and the 409-yard 17th. The round ends on a 186-yard par 3, so the last full swing of the day is a tee shot to a green. The back nine totals 3,402 yards.
How to Play It
Ridgemoor Country Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
With a 74.1 rating from the back, start from one of the shorter sets the club lists, which run down to 5,355 yards. Use the 313-yard 1st and the 159-yard 4th to settle in, treat the 464-yard 7th as a three-shot hole, and on the 186-yard 18th aim for the middle of the green rather than the flag.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
The four par 5s, played in back-to-back pairs at the 2nd and 3rd and the 10th and 11th, are where a mid-handicap can bank strokes; three controlled swings should leave short irons. Accept bogey as a fair score on the 7th, 16th and 5th, the three hardest holes, and take enough club on the 234-yard 8th.
Advanced / Low Handicap
Long two-shotters guard par from the 6,922-yard tees, where the slope is 139: the 7th, 5th, 16th and 6th all run 445 yards or more. The birdie holes are the four par 5s, none longer than 530 yards, plus the 313-yard opener. Hogan's 62 is the number to chase, and with a par-3 finish a round can still turn on the final iron.
Signature Holes
Ridgemoor Country Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Ridgemoor 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 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 313 | 506 | 530 | 159 | 447 | 445 | 464 | 234 | 422 | 3,520 | 526 | 505 | 379 | 205 | 350 | 397 | 445 | 409 | 186 | 3,402 | 6,922 |
| Handicap | 15 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 11 | — | 6 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 16 | — | — |
Good to Know
Ridgemoor Country Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Ridgemoor Country Club?
- Ridgemoor 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 Ridgemoor Country Club?
- Ridgemoor Country Club was designed by Thomas O'Neil and David McIntosh; remodeled by William Langford and opened in 1905.
- What is the par and yardage at Ridgemoor Country Club?
- Ridgemoor Country Club plays to a par of 72 over 6,922 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 74.1 and a slope of 139.
- Is Ridgemoor Country Club public or private?
- Ridgemoor 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 Ridgemoor Country Club located?
- Ridgemoor Country Club is located at 6601 W. Gunnison Street, Chicago, IL 60706, in the Chicago area of Chicagoland.
More in Chicago
More golf courses in Chicago
George O'Neil and Tom Bendelow; redesigned by Donald Ross · Chicago
Beverly Country Club
Donald Ross championship golf on Chicago's South Side, routed across the rim of prehistoric Lake Chicago.
Chicago
Ridge Country Club
Beverly's 1902 private parkland club, one of the few inside Chicago's city limits.
Dick Nugent · Chicago
Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course
Dick Nugent's links-style public course on a former landfill beside Lake Calumet, inside Chicago city limits.
How to Play It
How to Play Ridgemoor Country Club.
Ridgemoor 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 Ridgemoor Country Club with Chicago’s best dining and table service through MyRSVP — our sister guide to Chicago dining and nightlife.
Explore MyRSVP ↗