Invitation & Access · North Shore
Sunset Ridge Country ClubNorthfield
Member-owned North Shore club in Northfield with William Diddel's 1924 parkland course.
Par
71
Yardage
6,754
Rating · Slope
73.1 · 137
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About Sunset Ridge Country Club
About 650 members own Sunset Ridge, a private Northfield club where play is for members and their guests. William Diddel's par-71 course measures 6,754 yards from the Blue tees, rated 73.1 with a 137 slope, over gently rolling ground that its renovating architect calls traditional parkland. A caddie program, practice range, short-game area and indoor learning center support the golf, and the club is open February through December.
History
Sunset Ridge Country Club — History
Ten young men set out in 1922 to build the club; the land sale closed and construction began in May 1923, and on July 4, 1924, a foursome including designer William Diddel played the first round. Charles Wagstaff renovated the course soon after. Dutch elm disease killed 150 elms in 1953, and some 700 trees were planted. Rick Jacobson's renovation reopened the course on May 28, 2005.
Design
Sunset Ridge Country Club — Design
Jacobson set out to keep Diddel's classic character while adjusting the strategy for modern equipment. The landlocked site could not add length, so his 2004-05 work rebuilt all 72 bunkers, added new ones aimed at long hitters, restored the greens to their original shapes for more hole locations, recontoured fairways and removed trees that served no strategic purpose. The slope from the championship tees rose from 130 to 134 after the work.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Sunset Ridge Country Club
Sunset Ridge hosted the 1972 Western Open, the 2018 Western Amateur and the 2022 Women's Western Amateur, and Jacobson's renovation won Golf Inc. magazine's private-club Renovation of the Year award, announced in March 2006.
The Round
The Journey at Sunset Ridge Country Club
I.
The Opening
Sunset Ridge puts its hardest hole second: after the 371-yard 1st, the 417-yard 2nd is the No. 1 handicap, and the 427-yard 3rd follows straight after. The 383-yard 4th leads to the 171-yard 5th, the first par 3, and the 355-yard 6th is the shortest par 4 on the card. The front nine plays to par 35, so the opening six hold one par 3 and no par 5.
II.
The Middle
Going out, the only par 5 is the 560-yard 7th, also the longest hole. The 174-yard 8th comes before the 451-yard 9th, the longest par 4, which closes a 3,309-yard front nine. The back nine opens with par 4s of 405, 426 and 373 yards, and the 11th among them is rated fourth-hardest, so the turn brings no easing off.
III.
The Finish
The 518-yard 13th is the shorter of two back-nine par 5s, followed by the 441-yard 14th, rated second-hardest. The 191-yard 15th, rebuilt in 2005 with a new green and a rock wall along its water hazard, begins a varied finish: the 525-yard par-5 16th, the 162-yard 17th, the shortest hole, and the 404-yard 18th.
How to Play It
Sunset Ridge Country Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
At 6,754 yards from the Blues (73.1/137), most members' guests will want a shorter set. The front nine has a single par 5, so play the 560-yard 7th patiently in three, and on the 15th, with water and a rock wall in play, make the center of the green the target.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
The holes that matter are the 2nd, 14th, 9th and 11th, all par 4s over 415 yards and the four hardest by handicap. Treat par there as a bonus and score on the 355-yard 6th, the 518-yard 13th and the 162-yard 17th. Jacobson placed his newer bunkers to catch long hitters' misses, so a mid-length drive can often stay short of them.
Advanced / Low Handicap
Par 71 from 6,754 yards means the birdies have to come from the three par 5s, at 560, 518 and 525 yards, and the short par 4s at the 1st and 6th. Jacobson added bunkers specifically to challenge low handicaps, and the restored greens allow tougher hole locations, so distance control matters more than power here.
Signature Holes
Sunset Ridge Country Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Sunset Ridge 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 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 71 |
| Yards | 371 | 417 | 427 | 383 | 171 | 355 | 560 | 174 | 451 | 3,309 | 405 | 426 | 373 | 518 | 441 | 191 | 525 | 162 | 404 | 3,445 | 6,754 |
| Handicap | 11 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 15 | 3 | — | 6 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 18 | 10 | — | — |
Good to Know
Sunset Ridge Country Club — questions answered
- How do I get on Sunset Ridge Country Club?
- Sunset Ridge 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 Sunset Ridge Country Club?
- Sunset Ridge Country Club was designed by William Diddel and opened in 1924.
- What is the par and yardage at Sunset Ridge Country Club?
- Sunset Ridge Country Club plays to a par of 71 over 6,754 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 73.1 and a slope of 137.
- Is Sunset Ridge Country Club public or private?
- Sunset Ridge 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 Sunset Ridge Country Club located?
- Sunset Ridge Country Club is located at 2100 Sunset Ridge Road, Northfield, IL 60093, in the North Shore area of Chicagoland.
More in North Shore
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Tom Fazio · Glenview
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Hugh Alison (Colt, MacKenzie & Alison) · Glenview
North Shore Country Club
Hugh Alison's Glenview course for Colt, MacKenzie & Alison, host of the 1933 U.S. Open.
How to Play It
How to Play Sunset Ridge Country Club.
Sunset Ridge 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
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