Canal Shores Golf Course Celebrates 100 Years

Canal Shores Golf Course celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019 with a lineup of special events, concerts, golf tournaments and celebrations, in addition to what it’s always been known for: 18 holes of great golf.

“This is an important year for Canal Shores as we celebrate our centennial and focus on our mission of making golf accessible and affordable to everyone,” said Karl Leinberger, president of the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association which manages the course. “We want people to take part in these events and better yet, come out and golf this one-of-a-kind course.”

Canal Shores’ mission also emphasizes introducing kids to the great sport of golf, and improving the ecological health of its 82 acres.

The 18-hole, par 60 golf course in Evanston and Wilmette also offers fast, fun and flexible five- and 10-hole loop options. Its tight fairways wind through neighborhoods, tunnel under the L tracks, and include two signature over-the-canal shots.

The course was established in 1919 by Peter N. Jans to help beautify the North Shore Channel after it was excavated to reverse the flow of the Chicago River. Jans wanted to make golf accessible and affordable for all; he wanted others to be able to reap the benefits the sport had brought to his life. The course changed names several times, eventually becoming known as the Peter N. Jans Golf Course then changing its name to Canal Shores.

Centennial events include:

● The Garage Party April 12 celebrated the start of the season.

● The launch of Canal Shores Waggle Wit beer in partnership with Sketchbook Brewing.

● The Canal Shores Open golf tournament June 7.

● Starlight Concert at Canal Shores hosted by the City of Evanston July 9.

● Joel Murray’s Canal Shores Invitational to benefit first responders August 5.

● A celebration of the first round of golf played 100 years ago on September 22.

● A centennial celebration with the American Legion Post 42 Evanston, which also celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019. Canal Shores and the American Legion share a building at 1030 Central Street, Evanston.

10th Hole Update: Still an 18-Hole Course

In November 2018, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) board approved an easement request from the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways that would allow a roadway providing access to a landlocked parcel of land in Wilmette that a landowner wants to sell to a developer. The acre of land has been listed for sale since late fall 2018.

Canal Shores’ 18 holes are fully open, and the Canal Shores board is working to ensure that this community treasure – enjoyed by generations – remains intact for the next 100 years.

Canal Shores receives no public funding and relies solely on greens fees, event fees, and private fundraising. All donations are tax deductible.

About Canal Shores

Canal Shores Golf Course, 1030 Central St., Evanston, Ill., is managed by the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association, a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization that has promoted the combined use of the land for the community since 1919. The 18-hole, par 60 public golf course winds through Evanston and Wilmette along the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District canal from the Baha’i Temple on the north to Green Bay Road on the south. For information and to reserve tee times, visit www.canalshores.org or call 847/475-9173.