Medinah Country Club

Early history

The club was founded in 1924 by the Medinah Shriners (named after an Arabian city) and by the late 1920s had approximately 1,500 golfing and social members. The first golf course was opened in September 1925, followed by Course No. 2 in 1926, and finally Course No. 3 in 1928. During the construction of the courses, Richard G. Schmid, a Shriner and charter member of the club, had designed the clubhouse itself The Great Depression brought severe financial hardship and many members left. 94 members paid $3,500, each for a “forever” membership for their family forever aka Perpetual, allowing the club to continue on. In addition, the club responded by waiving initiation fees, lowering dues, holding fundraising events, and (significantly) hosting professional golf tournaments. Eventually, non-Shriners were allowed to apply for membership. World War II exacerbated the club's financial woes and membership fell far below capacity. Course No. 2 was closed and members helped with upkeep on the two remaining courses. During the post war era, Medinah entered a period of gradual recovery and membership growth. The Duke of York once visited the club and remarked, "I've never seen such a place, it is quite strange, yet attractive."

Golf

Course No. 3

Medinah has three golf courses in a 54-hole complex. Many noted golf professionals have played Course No. 3, beginning with "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper at the Medinah Open in 1930. Other noted players include Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Cary Middlecoff, Billy Casper, Gary Player, Hale Irwin and Tiger Woods. Tommy Armour, winner of multiple major championships and the namesake of a well-known golfing equipment brand, was Medinah's head pro for many years. Course No. 3 hosted the Western Open three times in 1939, 1962, and 1966; it was one of the largest non-major tournaments on the early tour.

Medinah's courses were originally designed by Tom Bendelow. In the 1930 Medinah Open, Lighthorse Harry played the course with a 63 (the lowest score ever shot on the course) in the second round. The junior course record of 68 is jointly held by Russell Katz and Kenny Wittenberg. Medinah's board approved a redesign of the course, subject to the availability of funds and the return of adjacent land to the club by Medinah's four founders. The major redesign was followed by several more changes. Roger Packard's 1986 redesign in preparation for the U.S. Open brought substantial changes and was followed by Rees Jones' work in preparation for the 2006 PGA Championship, which extended Course 3 to 7561 yd, at the time, the longest golf course in major championship history. Furthermore, Medinah Country Club is noted for the three waterfront par three holes in numbers 2, 13, and 17.

Medinah's Course No. 3 hosted the BMW Championship on August 15–18, 2019. during which the course record was tied or set four different times. In round 1, both Justin Thomas and Jason Kokrak shot 65, tying the course record previously set by Skip Kendall, Mike Weir and Tiger Woods. On Friday, Hideki Matsuyama broke the record by two shots, shooting a bogey-free 63. In the third round on Saturday, after starting with five consecutive birdies, Thomas shot an 11-under 61, including two eagles, breaking the course record again by two shots.

In advance of the 2026 President's Cup, the club chose to remake the No. 3 course and turned to a design firm founded by 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy. The remake transformed the No 3. course into one in the style of Melbourne Sand Belt courses.

2012 Ryder Cup

Medinah hosted the Ryder Cup in 2012, its first time in the state of Illinois, and the first U.S. venue outside the eastern time zone since 1971. The full tournament took place between September 25–30 (including pre-match competitions, press conferences and media activities), with the main competition taking place from September 28–30 on Course No. 3.

Major tournaments hosted

All held on Course No. 3:

• Bolded years are major championships on the PGA Tour.
• (90) denotes the winning margin after a playoff of 18 holes.
• 91 Holes denotes a sudden-death playoff was used after the score was tied following the 18-hole playoff.

Scorecard

Amenities

The club offers various amenities to its members apart from the three golf courses. For example, the clubhouse features six different member dining areas. The Golf Shop is a 3000 sq. ft. building separate from the main clubhouse. The shop includes golf apparel, accessories, and equipment. The Racquet Center has a total of eight tennis courts, four of which are platform courts. The building also features indoor seating arrangements and a firepit.

References

References

1. "Medinah Country Club, Medinah, IL".
2. "Golf Courses: Course 1". Medinah Country Club.
3. "Course Rating and Slope Database™: Medinah Country Club - #1". USGA.
4. "Medinah Country Club, Medinah, IL".
5. "Golf Courses: Course 2". Medinah Country Club.
6. "Course Rating and Slope Database™: Medinah Country Club - #2". USGA.
7. Updated by [[Rees Jones]]
8. "Medinah Country Club, Medinah, IL".
9. "Golf courses: Course 3 scorecard". Medinah Country Club.
10. "Medinah #3 at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, USA {{!}} GolfPass".
11. "Course Rating and Slope Database™: Medinah Country Club - #3". USGA.
12. "Medinah Country Club History".
13. "BMW Championship | Medinah to host 2019 BMW Championship | News".
14. "Drastic times at Medinah No. 3 called for drastic measures, a former major champ and a bold path forward".
15. "Medinah Country Club Amenitites".