Invitation & Access · North Shore
ShoreacresLake Bluff
Seth Raynor's 1921 ravine course just inland from Lake Michigan, a private Lake Bluff club.
Par
71
Yardage
6,725
Rating · Slope
73.2 · 142
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Shoreacres
In Lake Bluff, about 30 miles north of Chicago, Shoreacres is a private club for members and their guests, with membership by invitation only. Seth Raynor routed the course along a glacier-carved system of deep ravines just inland from Lake Michigan, and the David Adler clubhouse overlooks the lake. The Fried Egg calls it one of the finest examples of Raynor's work and groups it with Chicago Golf Club and Old Elm.
History
Shoreacres — History
Stanley Field, nephew of Marshall Field, founded the club with members of Lake Forest's Onwentsia Club. After a delay for World War I, Raynor completed the course in 1921; it opened as Lakewoods and took the Shoreacres name a few weeks later. Members first used naval barracks as a clubhouse before David Adler designed the present one. Tom Doak led a restoration in the early 2000s.
Design
Shoreacres — Design
The ravines decide nearly everything: The Fried Egg counts them in play on 13 holes, acting much like ocean cliffs and forcing carries off the tee, in mid-hole and in front of greens. On the five holes without one, Raynor relied on bunkers and bold greens, including a deep cross bunker, a Leven, a Biarritz green and fairway bunkers shared by two holes. Doak's restoration focused on tree management and expanded fairways and greens.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Shoreacres
In a region The Fried Egg calls short on dramatic terrain, Shoreacres has deep glacial ravines in play on 13 holes, and the same outlet rates its 11th among the world's greatest holes.
The Round
The Journey at Shoreacres
I.
The Opening
A 480-yard par 5 with a deep cross bunker opens. The 358-yard 2nd, a Cape hole, brings the first ravine down the left; playing close to it gives the best angle, and a small creek wraps the green. The 312-yard 3rd is a Leven with a mound hiding half the green. A ravine and stream run right on the 393-yard 4th, one crosses the 487-yard 5th mid-hole, and the 214-yard 6th has a big Biarritz green.
II.
The Middle
The 487-yard 7th has a ravine on the right, and a pond sits short of the 196-yard 8th green. The 388-yard 9th shares a series of fairway bunkers with the 18th. The 467-yard 10th, a Road hole, rewards biting off the ravine on the right. On the 371-yard 11th a ravine cuts in front of the tee, follows the right side and crosses again before the green, and the 136-yard 12th drops about 30 feet to a heavily contoured green.
III.
The Finish
The 323-yard 13th climbs back out of the ravine, which wraps the left of its green, and a ravine also runs left on the 216-yard 14th. Another cuts through the middle of the 529-yard 15th, so the second shot must advance over it. The 463-yard 16th, the No. 4 handicap, and the 347-yard 17th lead to the 558-yard 18th, where bunkers shared with the 9th eat into the fairway.
How to Play It
Shoreacres — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Ravines force carries all over Shoreacres, and the 6,725-yard Black tees are rated 73.2 with a 142 slope, so guests should choose a tee that keeps those carries comfortable. On the 5th and 15th, where a ravine crosses mid-hole, lay up short of it and then carry it with a club you trust.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Play for angles rather than distance. On the 2nd, a line close to the ravine opens the green and keeps the creek out of play; on the 10th, the more of the ravine you cut off, the better the angle into a sharply angled green. On the 11th, The Fried Egg warns that missing the approach short is the one mistake you cannot make.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The Fried Egg notes that the fairways tend to give flat lies, so the test is mostly in the air: carry numbers and green contours. A drive that strays right on the 11th leaves a blind shot from about 30 feet below the green. The 5th and 7th, both 487-yard par 4s, and the 467-yard 10th are where long approaches decide the round.
Signature Holes
Shoreacres — Signature Holes
The Card
Shoreacres 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 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 71 |
| Yards | 480 | 358 | 312 | 393 | 487 | 214 | 487 | 196 | 388 | 3,315 | 467 | 371 | 136 | 323 | 216 | 529 | 463 | 347 | 558 | 3,410 | 6,725 |
| Handicap | 15 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 13 | 7 | — | 2 | 8 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 4 | 14 | 12 | — | — |
Good to Know
Shoreacres — questions answered
- How do I get on Shoreacres?
- Shoreacres 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 Shoreacres?
- Shoreacres was designed by Seth Raynor and opened in 1921.
- What is the par and yardage at Shoreacres?
- Shoreacres plays to a par of 71 over 6,725 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 73.2 and a slope of 142.
- Is Shoreacres public or private?
- Shoreacres 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 Shoreacres located?
- Shoreacres is located at 1601 Shoreacres Rd, Lake Bluff, IL 60044, in the North Shore area of Chicagoland.
More in North Shore
More golf courses in North Shore
Harry Colt and Hugh Alison · Lake Forest
Knollwood Club
A private Lake Forest club whose 1925 Colt & Alison course hosted the 1956 U.S. Amateur.
C.B. Macdonald, H.J. Whigham, Herbert Tweedie and the Foulis brothers · Lake Forest
Onwentsia Club
Private Lake Forest club that hosted the 1899 U.S. Amateur and the 1906 U.S. Open.
Tom Fazio · Lake Forest
Conway Farms Golf Club
Tom Fazio's 1991 Lake Forest course, three-time BMW Championship host, for members and their guests.
How to Play It
How to Play Shoreacres.
Shoreacres 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.
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