Chicago's Historic Ravisloe Country Club Enters a New Era

The period of Ravisloe Country Club’s existence spans more than a century, 108 years to be precise. To put that into perspective, consider that one of America’s oldest 18-hole golf courses, Wheaton’s Chicago Golf Club, preceded Ravisloe by only six years.

And following the opening of Ravisloe Country Club in 1901, another six years elapsed before the Cubs won the first of back-toback World Series Championships. Obviously, some traditions weren’t supposed to reach the century mark. 

For 108 years, signs at the gates leading to Homewood’s premier property had read “Members Only,” but with new ownership and a new lease on its golf life, Ravisloe now greets its visitors with the welcoming message of “Open to the Public.”

“As a public golf course, this focal point of our Village will be even more of a magnet to draw people to the Homewood community as well as to our shops and fine restaurants,” said Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld. “And Ravisloe affords our golf-playing citizenry and residents of neighboring communities open access to a world-class, championship-caliber course.”

The 18-hole championship golf course has been renovated and revamped by a number of architects throughout its history, including the iconic Donald Ross. Ravisloe officially joined the ranks of upscale public-access layouts on April 1, 2009 under the watch of new owner and renowned veterinary surgeon Dr. Claude Gendreau and the direction of Chicago-based GolfVisions Management, Inc.

While Gendreau himself is not a golfer, purchasing Ravisloe and keeping it as a golf course appealed to him on many levels beside the property value and potential revenues.

First, he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving to chance the future of such a well-groomed parcel of open land in the middle of an urban area.

Second, keeping the golf course open and making it a public-access facility would designate Ravisloe as a gathering point for the community, while operating the club would create/sustain jobs. Gendreau estimates that 30 to 35 employees are needed to run the facility.

“It’s a jewel that needs to be preserved as long as feasible, and we hope the golf operation can sustain our goal of retaining this as open space for years to come,” Gendreau said.

“I feel more people need to have the opportunity to have access to an environment like this,” he added. “Our goal is to give public players the same experience that the country club members had.”

Tim Miles, Sr., president of GolfVisions, shares the new owner’s enthusiasm for the project.

“Ravisloe was long known as one of the finest private clubs in the Chicago area,” said Miles. “Our single purpose is to now make it one of the finest public courses in the area. With a superb layout, an amazing clubhouse and an owner committed to excellence, we think we’re off to a great start.”

Originally designed by Theodore Moreau and James Foulis, one of the 11 men who made up the field for the first U.S. Open at Newport Country Club, Ravisloe Country Club was built toward the tail end of the Gilded Age, a period of substantial population growth in the U.S. characterized by displays of wealth and extravagance by the country’s upper class.

Some of America’s most distinguished Old World golf courses were built during this time period, including Newport Country Club (1894), Shinnecock Hills (1891) and The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. (1895).

Ravisloe’s most influential architect, whose lasting imprint has been carefully preserved in the current version of the course, is Scotsman Donald Ross, who played a major role in shaping the American sports landscape in the first half of the 20th century.

Today, the venerable club on the South Side of Chicago embodies the principles consistent in Ross designs - tree-lined fairways, greens that invite run-up shots, fairway bunkers that narrow the course considerably, moguls and mounds, fescue grasses, cross bunkers, pot bunkers and fall-away slopes surrounding the green complexes to magnify mistakes.

Ravisloe is registered with the Donald Ross Society, recognizing the work the legendary architect did on the layout during a 1917-1919 renovation.

Much of the authentic character the course displays today can be attributed to the due diligence of Chicago-based architect David Esler, who seemingly channeled Ross during a restoration project in 2002 that aimed to provide Ravisloe’s members with a more challenging course by returning it to its Rossian roots.

The most notable aspects of the 6,281-yard, par-70 layout, which is said to play longer than its modest length indicates, are its hazards, which serve to make the game of golf interesting, challenging and rewarding.

“Ravisloe had the most extraordinary set of bunkers Donald Ross ever designed and we tried to restore them in a way that captured the eccentricity of his vision,” said Esler, who also designed the acclaimed Black Sheep Golf Club in Sugar Grove. “We wanted to make it appear as if it were built with a horse and wagon. We were trying to build in some of the oddities and eccentricities you don’t see very often in modern golf course construction.”

“Ravisloe is a very special place that has stood the test of time,” said Miles. “It encompasses 160 acres, which was a large tapestry for courses designed during the Gilded Age of golf. The clubhouse (completed in 1917 and designed by George Nimmons, who also served as architect for Olympia Fields’ clubhouse) provides a glimpse of a bygone era of opulence and grace.

“The 2002 restoration by David Esler pays homage to both Foulis and Ross at their best,” he added. “Ravisloe’s intriguing design embodies the true values of the game. Here, there is a premium on shot-making skill and mental strategy.”

Pricing and Proximity

Ravisloe Country Club’s credentials are quite impressive; a fabled century-old private club, with an elegant 18-hole course restored to both embody and extol the principles of the great Donald Ross, that’s now open for the public to enjoy.

Here regular folks can now walk or ride the same tree-lined fairways traversed by countless legends of golf…emphasis on walk, as Ravisloe with its relatively flat topography is eminently walkable. The 18-hole greens fee runs only $49 weekdays, $69 weekends, a tremendous value to play such a storied course; add a golf cart for $16 per person. Twilight, 9-hole, and junior and senior rates, as well as occasional Website specials, are also available to further enhance affordability and access. Various couples and individual memberships are also on sale.

Easily accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Ravisloe is 45 minutes or less by car from much of greater Chicagoland. Ravisloe is just steps away from the Homewood Metra station, which is a short-40 minute train trip from downtown Chicago for those who prefer to ride the rails.

The club welcomes visitors from outside the Chicago area, offering high-quality rental clubs for those wishing to take advantage of this truly unique golf experience.

And as you’d expect from an upper-echelon public facility steeped in the rich history of a private club, Ravisloe features a spectacular setting and attentive staff perfect for hosting all manner of events, from golf outings and tournaments to weddings and other festivities.

For more information about Ravisloe Country Club, visit www.ravisloecountryclub.com or call (708) 798-5600.

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