Medinah Country Club

Medinah Country Club
	The clubhouse and putting green (2008)
Club information
Location	Medinah, Illinois, U.S.
Established	1924
Type	Private
Total holes	54
Tournaments hosted	Ryder Cup: (2012); PGA Championship:; (1999, 2006); U.S. Open:; (1949, 1975, 1990); U.S. Senior Open: (1988); Western Open:; (1939, 1962, 1966)
Website	www.medinahcc.org
Golf Course 1
Designed by	Tom Bendelow
Par	71
Length	6,713 yards (6,138 m)
Course rating	73.2
Slope rating	134
Golf Course 2
Designed by	Tom Bendelow
Par	72
Length	6,210 yards (5,678 m)
Course rating	70.1
Slope rating	126
Golf Course 3
Designed by	Tom Bendelow
Par	72
Length	7,657 yards (7,002 m)
Course rating	78.3
Slope rating	152
Course record	61 - Justin Thomas (2019)
	Club Logo

Medinah Country Club is a private country club in Medinah, Illinois, with nearly 600 members and 640 acres (260 ha) containing three golf courses, Lake Kadijah, swimming facilities, a golf learning center, golf shop, gun club, racket center and a Byzantine-style, mosque-evoking clubhouse with Oriental, Louis XIV and Italian architectural aspects. Medinah is widely known for its Course 3, now at 7,657 yards (7,002 m),^[9] which has hosted five major championships: three U.S. Opens (1949, 1975, 1990) and two PGA Championships (1999, 2006), as well as the Ryder Cup in 2012.

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 2 in 1926, and finally Course 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^[11] 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. The Duke of York once visited the club and remarked, "I've never seen such a place, it is quite strange, yet attractive."

Golf[]

The 2nd hole is 191 yards (175 m).

The 13th hole is 244 yards (223 m).

The 17th hole is 197 yards (180 m).

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 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 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 7,561 yards (6,914 m), 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 3 hosted the BMW Championship on August 15–18, 2019!^[12] 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.

Tiger Woods[]

Woods' appearances at Medinah have enhanced the club's international reputation. His first win at the course was the 1999 PGA Championship, his second major and first PGA Championship (and also the first PGA Championship hosted at No. 3), which brought him much media attention. In a contest of highly touted young talent, the then-23-year-old Woods held off a challenge from then-19-year-old Sergio García even after the Spaniard hit a shot on the 16th hole from the base of a tree that seemed to have at least earned him a playoff despite trailing Woods by five shots at one point during the round, but Woods maintained his focus before a raucous crowd and preserved a one-stroke win. In 2006, Woods won by five strokes and became the first to win the PGA Championship twice on the same course. In recognition of this achievement, Woods was made a member of the club.

Major tournaments hosted[]

All held on Course 3:

Year	Tournament	Winner	Margin of victory	Winner's share ($)	Par	Course length
1949	U.S. Open	Cary Middlecoff	1 stroke	2,000	71	6,981 yd (6,383 m)
1975	U.S. Open	Lou Graham	2 strokes (90)	40,000	71	7,032 yd (6,430 m)
1988	U.S. Senior Open	Gary Player	2 strokes (90)	65,000	72	6,881 yd (6,292 m)
1990	U.S. Open	Hale Irwin	1 stroke (91 holes)	220,000	72	7,195 yd (6,579 m)
1999	PGA Championship	Tiger Woods	1 stroke	630,000	72	7,401 yd (6,767 m)
2006	PGA Championship	Tiger Woods	5 strokes	1,224,000	72	7,561 yd (6,914 m)
2012	Ryder Cup	Team Europe	1 point (14½–13½)	0	72	7,657 yd (7,002 m)

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.

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 3.

Scorecard[]

Medinah Country Club - Course 3 ^[9]
Tee	Rating/Slope	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Gold	78.3 / 152	433	192	412	463	536	509	617	201	432	3795	578	440	476	245	609	390	482	193	449	3862	7657
Silver	75.3 / 147	383	172	386	432	503	454	585	177	415	3507	567	389	463	189	550	331	434	156	421	3500	7007
White	73.6 / 142	357	151	365	401	488	432	571	153	397	3315	555	374	452	151	531	308	413	132	398	3314	6629
Par		4	3	4	4	5	4	5	3	4	36	5	4	4	3	5	4	4	3	4	36	72
Handicap		13	15	11	3	9	7	1	17	5		2	12	8	16	4	14	6	18	10

Amenities[]

The club offers various amenities to its members apart from the three golf courses. As they are a part of the club, each of these are exclusive to club members, However, throughout the year, the club holds various events where guests can be invited by members to experience the club's amenities.

Member Dining areas[]

The clubhouse features six different member dining areas featuring food from Executive Chef Michael Ponzio. These include:

The club dining room, a family style restaurant which features seasonal menu changes
A member bar
East and west verandas, outdoor seating areas that overlook one of the practice putting greens
The Oasis, the most casual setting of the country club, which serves as a bar and a family restaurant
The Backyard Patio and Grill, a resting spot near the pool and backyard practice putting green

Golf Shop[]

The Golf Shop is a 3000 sq. ft. building separate from the main clubhouse. The shop included golf apparel, accessories, and equipment.

Driving Range and Practice Greens[]

Backside of Clubhouse in 2018 and poolside

The driving range includes seven target greens as well as a short game area. The club also has two practice putting greens, one located in the front of the clubhouse, and one in the backyard.

Pool and Cabana Bar[]

Located to the southeast side of the clubhouse, the pool features two diving boards, five competitive swim lanes, as well as a deck for seating. Near the poolside is the Cabana bar and a snack bar.

Golf Learning Center[]

The golf learning center has three virtual practice bays, a fitness bay, and custom club fitting. The center first opened in the winter of 2017 and is available for members to practice off of the course.

Racket Center[]

The racket center has a total of eight tennis courts, four of which are platform courts. The building also features indoor seating arrangements and a firepit.^[13]

Membership[]

Medinah Country Club offers 5 categories of membership, all of which are by invitation only.

Regular Membership[]

Includes full clubhouse access and unlimited access to all three golf courses.

Social Membership[]

Includes full clubhouse access and invitations to use the golf courses four times a year. Offered in three age groups: Over 40, 30–39, and under 30.

Associate Membership[]

Includes full clubhouse access and unlimited access to all three golf courses. Offered in four age groups: 21–25, 26–29, 30–34, 35–39.

National Membership[]

Includes full clubhouse access and full access to the golf courses twelve times a year. To be eligible for this membership category, one's place of residence must be one hundred twenty five miles or more from the club.

International Membership[]

Includes full clubhouse access and full access to the golf courses twelve times a year. To be eligible for this membership category, one's place of residence must be outside of the United States.^[14]