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[1]
Length	6,713 yards (6,138 m)[2]
Course rating	73.2
Slope rating	134[3]
Golf Course 2
Designed by	Tom Bendelow
Par	72[4]
Length	6,210 yards (5,678 m)[5]
Course rating	70.1
Slope rating	126[6]
Golf Course 3
Designed by	Tom Bendelow [7]
Par	72[8]
Length	7,657 yards (7,002 m)[9]
Course rating	78.3
Slope rating	152[10]
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 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 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. Noted American golf course designer A.W. Tillinghast played a major role in the design changes to Course 3 in the 1930s. 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.

Tiger Woods

Woods's appearances at Medinah have enhanced the club's international reputation. His first win at the course was the 1999 PGA Championship, which brought him much media attention. During the late afternoon of the final round, Sergio García hit a shot on the 16th hole that seemed to have at least earned the 19-year-old a playoff, 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	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

References

External links

• Official website
• PGATour.com
• Course tour at Ryder Cup

Coordinates: 41°57′58″N 88°02′53″W / 41.966°N 88.048°W / 41.966; -88.048