2008 marks the centennial for three CDGA member clubs: Beverly, Idlewild and Lake Shore By Tim Cronin

t first blush, Beverly, Idlewild Idlewild instead came to life in perfectly (incidentally placing the front and Lake Shore, three Homewood, some 14 miles south, as one nine in the city of Chicago, with the back country clubs celebrating of the Chicago area’s first predominantly nine and clubhouse in unincorporated centennials in 2008, appear Jewish clubs. Because of its location in Cook County), Lake Shore is bisected by connected only by the “the country,” dormitories were built, a major thoroughfare with Sheridan coincidenceA of a starting date and by a since in 1908, getting around by horse Road running between the golf course lasting love of the game. and buggy or taking a train to the city and the clubhouse. Look more closely, however, and was much more difficult than today. The most important connection there are more connections, both in Lake Shore, north of Chicago in between Beverly and Lake Shore spirit and design. the leafy suburb of Glencoe, is on is one undiscovered until a few Beverly, on the southwest edge of lakefront property, the clubhouse years ago. Donald Ross was the Chicago, sits on a pair of parcels that overlooking Lake Michigan. It also redesigner of both courses. were passed on by the founders of was founded as a predominantly Idlewild a century ago. The founders of Jewish club. Idlewild felt the land was too close to the Like Beverly, where 87th street city and wanted a site that was like a trip splits the front and back nines to the country for outings. When a group of members from three other clubs grabbed the property, Beverly, originally a Masonic club, was born. CREDIT BUZZ ORR/CDGA

The clubhouse at Lake Shore Country Club.

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Let the experts at Golfweek’s Travel Services help you plan an unforgettable golf getaway Attention Group Planners! that suits you to a tee! Receive an Adams Golf driver when booking $3,500 in travel business (for a foursome or more) or a full To start designing the personalized [set of Callaway clubs by booking $7,500 or more.] golf trip of your dreams, contact Gary Johnson at 888.897.5238 or [email protected]. At Beverly, Ross visited in the spring Prichard’s restoration of the 6,825-yard of 1918, though his plan to remodel layout. He also noted that, while Lake the original layout of George Shore dates back 100 years, it received O’Neil wasn’t implemented until the an influx of members who had been 1920s. A clubhouse fire struck Beverly a at south suburban clubs, including year prior to Ross’ visit and forced Ravisloe and Idlewild, beginning a reconstruction with brick replacing half-century ago. timber. This came before remodeling “There was a big migration to the the links. north suburbs, to Glencoe and The plans for remodeling Lake Shore Highland Park,” Hirsch said. “Lake apparently were drawn up by Ross in Shore became the club for some of the 1920s but sat forgotten in the club’s Ravisloe’s founders.” attic for decades. Only in 2003 was Ron Strictly speaking, Beverly was the Prichard, a Ross specialist who led a first of the three clubs to organize, in successful restoration of Beverly, called the fall of 1907. Nine holes opened in in to implement, with modifications, the spring of 1908. Eighty years later, what Ross had dreamed up some 80 Hirsch won the CDGA Championship years earlier. He improved upon the there, beating Tom Studer on the first original design of Frederick Law extra hole. Olmstead, the landscape genius who “Beverly is what Chicago is all BUZZ ORR/CDGA also designed New York’s Central Park. about,” Hirsch said. “It’s the nitty-gritty, “The founders really found a choice hard-working, down-to-earth feeling. piece of ground,” said Joel Hirsch, And the golf course is absolutely the eminent amateur and a Lake stunning, a testing course with a nice Joel Hirsch isn’t Lake Shore’s only Shore member since 1981. “The only history.” accomplished player. Since 1998, John other I’d rate it with in the Chicago Beverly historian Paul Richards Johnson (above) has won eight club area is Shoreacres.” exemplifies Hirsch’s comment. He grew championships (and his son, Jeff, has Hirsch had high marks not just for up on the course as a caddie, and said, won the other three). the beauty of the course, but for “It’s a thrill every time I come in the gate.”

The 15th green at Beverly Country Club.

16 WWW.CDGA.ORG The 10th hole at Idlewild Country Club.

Beverly sits at Chicago’s highest Westerns. Evans became the first amateur to point, thanks to deposits left by ancient “It’s a lovely walk in the park,” win an American professional champi- glaciers. The sand dunes the course is Idlewild historian Herb Zoloto said of onship. built on allowed O’Neil, then Ross, and the 6,608-yard layout. “The prettiest Few courses in America have a list of finally Prichard to create a course with part of the course is the back side, winners to match Beverly’s: Evans, considerable character. which runs on the perimeter of the Virginia Van Wie, , “He repositioned bunkers, remod- property.” , Susie Maxwell, Jack eled them in the Ross style, and The stagnant economy of the south Nicklaus and Luke Donald all have recaptured green space that had been suburbs convinced Idlewild’s board triumphed there. The club will lost over the years,” Richards said of long ago to open the membership welcome tournament play again in 2009 Prichard. “We also took down several completely, which, according to Zoloto when the U.S. Senior Amateur hundred trees, many of them planted means, “Idlewild is a picture of Championship comes calling; it was orig- after Dutch Elm disease came through the U.S.” But the club is proud of inally scheduled for 2008 as in the 1960s.” continuing support of the Jewish part of the club’s centennial celebration, As a result, a routing so tight some United Fund and the Anti-Defamation but then moved back to help fairways were almost completely League. conditioning after the most recent canopied by branches was opened up. “The theory is, if one could afford to renovation work. Other upcoming cham- Different angles to greens reappeared belong to a country club, one could pionships include the 2010 Illinois State on the course. And the condition of the afford to support the community Amateur, 2011 Western Jr. Amateur and greens, once again getting favorable as well,” Zoloto said. “It’s good the 2014 . morning light, also improved. fellowship.” Still, at Beverly, Evans’ legacy may be “We have a great course, a lot harder Of the three clubs, Lake Shore might the most revered of all. No club has than it looks,” said pro emeritus Dick be considered the most private in that supported the Evans Scholars Carparelli, a fixture at Beverly since it’s never served as a host club of major Foundation more fully, both in money 1946. spectator tournaments. A tight foot- raised—well over $1 million alone Idlewild, also built on rolling land, print on the crowded North Shore has just from the Evans Scholars Day, was designed by Al Naylor, an early something to do with that, but Lake co-founded by a quartet of members professional, and underwent revisions Shore is a perfect club to host USGA three years ago—and in the number of by the team of William B. Langford qualifiers and CDGA tournaments. caddies earning scholarships over the and Theodore J. Moreau in the Beverly, with the most testing course decades. Including the new class, Beverly 1920s. It opened for play in 1909 of the three, opened its doors to the boasts nearly 300 Evans Scholars. and three years later was the Western world more often, beginning in 1910, Open site. Macdonald Smith was the when the was played Tim Cronin covers golf for the winner, capturing the first of his three on the original layout and Chick SouthtownStar.

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