Southland Golf: Comparing Olympia Fields' North Course With Some of the Greatest

It’s no wonder Olympia Fields Country Club’s North Course always rates as one of the top 100 golf courses in America.

Ever since the club first opened in 1915, the course has been synonymous with championship golf. Olympia Fields played host to U.S. Open in 1928 and 2003 and the U.S. Senior Open in 1997. Olympia Fields next will play host to the 2015 U.S. Amateur.

Every famous golfer from Tiger Woods to Bobby Jones has played the North Course, and it’s home to some of the most famous holes in the country, including the third and the 14^{th holes.}

 “We’ve been a participant in championship golf from basically the very beginning of the club’s existence,” Grounds Director Sam MacKenzie said. “So, it’s just part of our mantra, part of our makeup.”

This spring more rankings were released and the North Course ranked 46^th on Golfweek’s list of Classic Courses and 60^th on Golf Digest’s list of greatest courses.

The South Course at Olympia Fields also has been making noise in the rankings. In Golfweek’s list, it ranked 125^th.  According to MacKenzie, the course underwent a renovation in 2007, the first significant overhaul since it opened for play in 1916.

Just how does the North Course stack up to some of the greatest courses around the country? Check out the video where Patch caught up with a few club members who offer their opinions and share their insights.

(Note: Olympia Fields Country Club is a private club. Here is the club’s web site.)

Coming Friday on Patch: A video demonstration of how play Olympia Fields' toughest hole, the par-4 third hole on the North Course.

Download the movie