Medinah Country Club
Encyclopedia
Medinah Country Club is a private country club
in Medinah, Illinois
with nearly 600 members and 640 acres (2.6 km²) containing three golf
courses, Lake Kadijah, swimming
facilities and a Byzantine
-style, mosque
-evoking clubhouse with Oriental, Louis XIV and Italian
architectural aspects. Medinah is widely known for its Course #3, a 7,508 yard (7,385 m) golf course which has hosted three U.S. Opens
(1949, 1975, 1990) and two PGA Championship
s (1999, 2006).
and by the late 1920s had approximately 1,500 golfing and social members. The Great Depression
brought severe financial hardship and many members left. 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 #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.
, 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.
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 1990 U.S. Open
brought substantial changes and was followed by Rees Jones
' work in preparation for the 2006 PGA Championship
, making Course #3, 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.
(foreshadowing his "tiger slam" in 2000), which brought him much media attention. During the late afternoon of the final round, Sergio García
hit a shot on the 16th hole that seemed to have at least gotten the 19-year-old a playoff, but Woods maintained his focus before a raucous crowd and preserved a one-stroke win. In 2006
Woods won by five strokes, becoming the first golfer to win the PGA Championship twice on the same course. In recognition of this achievement Woods was made a member of the club, in what has been said to be an unprecedented decision by Medinah's membership.
, the first time the state of Illinois will have staged the competition.
Bolded years are major championships
on the PGA Tour
.
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
in Medinah, Illinois
Medinah, Illinois
Medinah is an unincorporated community in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois and is a suburb of Chicago. Medinah, largely located in DuPage County, is situated between the villages of Roselle, Itasca, Bloomingdale, and Addison...
with nearly 600 members and 640 acres (2.6 km²) containing three golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
courses, Lake Kadijah, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
facilities and a Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
-style, mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
-evoking clubhouse with Oriental, Louis XIV and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
architectural aspects. Medinah is widely known for its Course #3, a 7,508 yard (7,385 m) golf course which has hosted three U.S. Opens
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
(1949, 1975, 1990) and two PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
s (1999, 2006).
Early history
The club was founded in 1924 by the Medinah ShrinersShriners
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is an appendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States...
and by the late 1920s had approximately 1,500 golfing and social members. The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
brought severe financial hardship and many members left. 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
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
exacerbated the club's financial woes and membership fell far below capacity. Course #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.
Golfing
Course #3
Medinah has three golf courses in a 54-hole complex. Many noted golf professionals have played Course #3, beginning with "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper at the Medinah Open in 1930. Other noted players include Gene SarazenGene Sarazen
Gene Sarazen was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s. He is one of five golfers to win all the current major championships in his career, the Career Grand Slam:U.S...
, Byron Nelson
Byron Nelson
John Byron Nelson, Jr. was an American PGA Tour golfer between 1935 and 1946.Nelson and two other well known golfers of the time, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, were born within seven months of each other in 1912...
, Cary Middlecoff
Cary Middlecoff
Emmett Cary Middlecoff was a dentist who gave up his practice to become a professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s....
, Billy Casper
Billy Casper
William Earl Casper, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.-Early years:...
, Gary Player
Gary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
, Hale Irwin
Hale Irwin
Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was...
and Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
. Tommy Armour
Tommy Armour
Thomas Dickson Armour was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He was nicknamed The Silver Scot.Armour was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and educated at Fettes College and the University of Edinburgh....
, winner of multiple major championships and the namesake of a well-known golfing equipment brand, was Medinah's head pro for many years.
Medinah's courses were originally designed by Tom Bendelow
Tom Bendelow
Tom Bendelow , nicknamed "The Johnny Appleseed of American Golf", was a prolific Scottish American golf course architect during the first half of the twentieth century. He is credited with having designed some 600 courses in a 35-year span....
. 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 1990 U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
brought substantial changes and was followed by Rees Jones
Rees Jones
Rees Jones is an American golf course architect.He was born in Montclair, New Jersey the son of legendary golf course designer Robert Trent Jones and the younger brother of golf course designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr...
' work in preparation for the 2006 PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
, making Course #3, at the time, the longest golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in major championship history. Furthermore, Medinah Country Club is noted for the three waterfront par three holes in numbers 2, 13, and 17.
Tiger Woods
Woods' appearances at Medinah have enhanced the club's international reputation. His first win at the course was the 1999 PGA Championship1999 PGA Championship
The 1999 PGA Championship was the 81st PGA Championship held from August 12–15 at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. Tiger Woods won his first PGA Championship and second overall major by one stroke over 19-year old Sergio García....
(foreshadowing his "tiger slam" in 2000), which brought him much media attention. During the late afternoon of the final round, Sergio García
Sergio García
Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings...
hit a shot on the 16th hole that seemed to have at least gotten the 19-year-old a playoff, but Woods maintained his focus before a raucous crowd and preserved a one-stroke win. In 2006
2006 PGA Championship
The 2006 PGA Championship was the 88th PGA Championship, played from August 17 to August 20 at Medinah Country Club Course No. 3. The PGA Championship returned to Medinah for the first time since 1999 when Tiger Woods captured his first PGA Championship...
Woods won by five strokes, becoming the first golfer to win the PGA Championship twice on the same course. In recognition of this achievement Woods was made a member of the club, in what has been said to be an unprecedented decision by Medinah's membership.
2012 Ryder Cup
Medinah will host the 2012 Ryder Cup2012 Ryder Cup
The 39th Ryder Cup Matches will be held September 25-30, 2012 at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. It will be the first time Illinois has staged the competition. Europe will be the defending Cup holder, having defeated the USA by 14½ points to 13½ in the 2010 competition at Celtic...
, the first time the state of Illinois will have staged the competition.
Major tournaments hosted
| Year | Tournament | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 1949 U.S. Open Golf Championship The 1949 U.S. Open Championship was a golf competition held at Medinah Country Club.Cary Middlecoff won the championship.-Final leaderboard:-External links:*... |
U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Cary Middlecoff Cary Middlecoff Emmett Cary Middlecoff was a dentist who gave up his practice to become a professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s.... |
| 1975 1975 U.S. Open Golf Championship The 1975 U.S. Open Championship was the 75th U.S. Open played June 19-23 at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. Lou Graham won the championship in an 18-hole playoff over John Mahaffey .... |
U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Lou Graham |
| 1988 | U.S. Senior Open | Gary Player Gary Player Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six... |
| 1990 1990 U.S. Open Golf Championship The 1990 United States Open Championship was the 90th U.S. Open. The event was held from June 14-18 at Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3 in Medinah, Illinois. Hale Irwin won his third U.S. Open championship with a birdie on the first sudden-death hole to defeat Mike Donald after the 18-hole... |
U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Hale Irwin Hale Irwin Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was... |
| 1999 1999 PGA Championship The 1999 PGA Championship was the 81st PGA Championship held from August 12–15 at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. Tiger Woods won his first PGA Championship and second overall major by one stroke over 19-year old Sergio García.... |
PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
| 2006 2006 PGA Championship The 2006 PGA Championship was the 88th PGA Championship, played from August 17 to August 20 at Medinah Country Club Course No. 3. The PGA Championship returned to Medinah for the first time since 1999 when Tiger Woods captured his first PGA Championship... |
PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
Bolded years are major championships
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
.