Invitation & Access · Lake County
The Merit ClubLibertyville
A golf-only private club in Libertyville that hosted the 2000 U.S. Women's Open.
Par
72
Yardage
7,442
Rating · Slope
76.1 · 141
Holes
18
Green Fee
Members only
The Course
About The Merit Club
The Merit Club is a golf-only private club outside Libertyville, open to members and their guests. Its Bob Lohmann course spreads across a valley on a former cattle farm, with more than 100 feet of elevation change and no cart paths or roads crossing it. From the back tees it measures 7,442 yards with a 76.1 rating and 141 slope. A caddie program and a nine-acre practice area with three practice holes complete the picture.
History
The Merit Club — History
Bert and Sandy Getz bought Stonehenge Farm in 1967, and with founding president Ed Oldfield they began building the course in April 1990. Bob Lohmann steered the design, and the club opened with a July 4th weekend gala in 1992. Karrie Webb won the 2000 U.S. Women's Open there by five strokes, and the club hosted the 2016 UL International Crown. In April 2025, CDGA reported a bunker renovation about to begin.
Design
The Merit Club — Design
Getz wanted a course designed for golfers, and the club says the routing reflects it. The opening holes play away from the morning sun and the finishing holes return east to keep glare out of players' eyes. Approaches can usually be run onto the greens rather than flown over forced carries, generous spacing keeps neighboring holes out of view, and the four par 3s each face a different direction of the compass to vary the wind.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play The Merit Club
Host of the 2000 U.S. Women's Open, won by Karrie Webb, and the 2016 UL International Crown, The Merit Club is a golf-only club whose course has no cart paths crossing it.
How to Play It
The Merit Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Choose tees to suit your game: the course stretches to 7,442 yards with a 76.1 rating, and the club has added tees since the 2000 Women's Open. Use the ground, since the club notes approaches can usually be run onto the greens rather than carried over bunkers or water. With no cart paths on the course, a caddie's reads and yardages are worth having.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Expect the wind to change on every par 3, because the club routed each of the four to face a different compass direction. Club selection should also account for more than 100 feet of elevation change across the property. Where the line allows, a running approach is the safer choice than a high carry, which is how the course was designed to be played.
Advanced / Low Handicap
At a 76.1 rating and 141 slope from 7,442 yards, The Merit Club tested the best women in 2000, when only three players finished under par, and the course has grown since then. Water on the 7th cost Karrie Webb a double bogey in her final round. Commit to each club on the par 3s, where the wind shifts from one to the next, and read greens with a caddie.
Signature Holes
The Merit Club — Signature Holes
Good to Know
The Merit Club — questions answered
- How do I get on The Merit Club?
- The Merit 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 The Merit Club?
- The Merit Club was designed by Bob Lohmann and opened in 1992.
- What is the par and yardage at The Merit Club?
- The Merit Club plays to a par of 72 over 7,442 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 76.1 and a slope of 141.
- Is The Merit Club public or private?
- The Merit 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 The Merit Club located?
- The Merit Club is located at 1500 Merit Club Lane, Libertyville, IL 60048, in the Lake County area of Chicagoland.
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How to Play It
How to Play The Merit Club.
The Merit 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.
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