Riverside Golf Club

Riverside Golf Club is a private golf club located in North Riverside, Illinois, a near west suburb of Chicago, Illinois.

History

Founded in 1893, Riverside Golf Club is one of the oldest golf clubs in the United States and was one of pioneering western clubs during the late 19th century. The original course was laid out in 1893 and the club was incorporated in 1897.[1] The golf course straddles the banks of the Des Plaines River between Cermak Road and 26th Street. Though the course has changed and expanded over the years it is still located on substantially the same plot of land as in 1893. In 1899 the club was a founding member of the Western Golf Association.[2][3][4]

Albert Seckel was Riverside's leading player during its early years, playing in numerous national tournaments. His most important win came at the 1911 Western Amateur contested at Detroit Golf Club.[5] He also finished as runner-up in this event in 1909 and 1924.

In the late 1950s the club resisted and overcame a takeover attempt by the University of Illinois at Chicago where the school sought to relocate its campus from Navy Pier to the club's property.[6]

The club was basis for the Mac Divot comic strip that was published in the 1960s and 1970s. Mac Divot was created by a member who worked for the Chicago Tribune. Many of the stories in the comic strip were based on real life characters and happenings at the club.[7][8][9]

Golf course

The original golf course consisted of 3 holes and was expanded to 5 holes later during the 1893 season. A nine-hole course was laid out by founding members William A. Havemeyer, J.S. Driver, and Thomas C. Hannah in 1894.[10][11] Between 1896 and 1897 the course was expanded and revised, but remained a nine-hole track, and became known as one of most beautiful and challenging in the west.[12][13] As of 1901, the course played to a yardage of 3,217 yards with a bogey rating of 43.[10]

In the early 1900s many clubs expanded their golf courses to 18 holes but Riverside did not follow suit. This caused the club to fall off the map a bit in terms of prestige and notoriety as it remained a 9-hole course. In the late teens the club purchased additional land adjacent to its original property, on the opposite side (east) of the Des Plaines River. The club built a new clubhouse on the river bank of the newly acquired land. In 1917-1919 William Langford designed a new 18 hole course, reshaping Riverside as one of the top courses in the area.[14][15]

During the 1980’s the club secured an additional 25 acres of land east of the Des Plaines River and south of the rail line. Four new holes were added on this newly acquired tract which were designed by Dick Nugent and Associates. After these holes were completed 3 holes east of the clubhouse were removed and replaced by a practice facility and new 18th hole. The practice area and 18th hole were designed by Bob Lohmann. The course remained relatively unchanged during the 1990s through 2015.

In 2015 Chicago based architect David Esler oversaw a renovation of the golf course. All bunkers were returned to the original Langford style with grass faces, trees were removed, tee boxes were added, and some greens were expanded.

Tournaments

The following is a partial list of various local, state, national, and qualifying tournaments hosted by the club:

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References
  1. "Golfers Green Book - 1901 - Page 242".
  2. "Golfers Green Book 1901 - Page 12".
  3. "Plan for Golf Association - Chicago Tribune April 14th, 1899 Page 4". Chicago Tribune Page 4. April 14, 1899.
  4. "Western Golf Association - Chicago Tribune April 28, 1899 Page 4". Chicago Tribune Page 4. April 28, 1899.
  5. "Seckel Supreme in Western Golf - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune - Page C1. July 30, 1911.
  6. "U of I Board Plans Park Campus - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune - Page B9. December 17, 1959.
  7. "Chicago Tribune July 15, 1983 Page WCN20". Chicago Tribune. July 15, 1983.
  8. "Golf Magazine Mac Divot Article".
  9. "In the Wake of News - Chicago Tribune - 11/30/1961". Chicago Tribune Page F1. November 30, 1961.
  10. "Golfer's Green Book - 1901 - Page 242".
  11. "After 90 years, Riverside club survives and thrives - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune - Page WCS20. July 15, 1983.
  12. "Open New Golf Links - Chicago Tribune June 28, 1896". Chicago Tribune - Page 32. June 28, 1896.
  13. "New Course at Riverside - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune - Page 4. October 11, 1897.
  14. "Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents".
  15. "Chicago Tribune November 2, 1919 Page A2". Chicago Tribune. November 2, 1919.
  16. "Riverside Club Picked for '40 District Meet". Chicago Tribune Page B4. April 21, 1940.
  17. "Entries Close Tomorrow Night for Women's Golf - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune - Page 19. July 20, 1932.
  18. "Ferrier and Barnum enter CDGA's Amateur Meet - Chicago Tribune August 17, 1940". Chicago Tribune Page 26. August 17, 1940.
  19. "70 Golfers Seek 16 Berths in U.S. Amateur - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune - Page A4. August 6, 1950.
  20. "Dates, Sites Set for Chicago District Golf - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune - Page A3. March 30, 1958.
  21. "C.D.G.A. Outlines Season's Tournament Program - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune - Page B3. March 20, 1960.
  22. "Dutch Shoots 74, Qualifies in Junior Golf". Chicago Tribune - Page B2. July 18, 1967.
  23. "Giese Scores 142, Leads Illinois Open Chicago Tribune September 18, 1968". Chicago Tribune Page C3. September 18, 1968.
  24. "Official Web site of the 2007 U.S. Open Championship | Sectional Qualifying Results". usga.usopen.com. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  25. "Chicago District Golf Association" (PDF). cdga.org. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  26. "Past Champions Western Junior Championship". westernjunior.com. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  27. "Chicago District Golf Association". cdga.org. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  28. https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2020/u-s--senior-open/articles/2020-u-s--senior-open--qualifying-sneak-peek.html
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