I have posted new images of the course at Onwentsia in the first post.
According to the 1901 Green Book the course was designed in 1895 by H.J. Whigham (two time US Amateur Champion and later C.B. MacDonald's son-in law) and Robert Foulis who was summoned from St. Andrews where he and his father worked for Old Tom Morris (father and Robert in the photo with Old Tom Morris) by his brother James who would win the 1896 US Open champion at Shinnecock Hills to help design a new course in Lake Forest. Cornish and Whitten also credit James Foulis and Hoylake's H.J. "Pops" Tweedie with the design of Onwentsia.
The 3rd photo in front of the Onwentsia clubhouse was of H. Chandler Egan whose cousin Walter was an Onwentsia member. At the time of the 1906 US open H.C. Egan held the Onwentsia course record at 70. Whigham and Egan were known for their ability to hit over the trees and land on the green in one shot at the 275 yard eighth hole called the "Boomerang." Egan finished as low amateur in the 1906 US Open and in eighth place overall with a score of 313. H.C. Egan would go on to modify Pebble Beach Golf Links a four time US Open venue.
The final shot is of Alex Smith who won the 1906 US Open at Onwentsia with a score of 295. Alex finished seven shots ahead of his brother Willie who had previously won the US Open in 1899. The Smith's hailed from Carnoustie Scotland. Their brother-in-law James Maiden finished tied for 3rd with Laurie Auchterloine of the Glen View Club.
That is some of the history of this landmark course their architectural consultant Tom Doak was referring to in the Confidential Guide.
Among the design attributes of the course in 1906 were a counter clockwise front nine around the perimeter of the property where a slice was penalized by “the tall uncut” or out of bounds fences (the exact opposite of Chicago Golf Club), the Skokie River bisecting the course, a triplicate cop bunker on the 2nd hole, the "Boomerang 8th hole," the “Isle of Woe” 11th green so named because it was surrounded by “difficulties”, the 15th green perched on a terrace and surrounded by moat-like sand pits and the 150 yard 16th called “Baby.” By the 1939 aerial the Boomerang hole has been modified, many of the cops have been removed in favor of more modern hazards and the 14th, 15th and 16th holes have been modified. Refer to the Confidential Guide for a take on the more recent modernizations shown in the google aerial.
The third Chicago area course to host the Open along with Chicago Golf Club and Glen View, Onwentsia was described at the time of the 1906 Open as “Perhaps not so hard and fast as Wheaton, judged by severe golfing standards, the links are far from monotonous ... set in one of the most charming bits of the Skokie valley, is as pretty a piece of greenery as one cares to see. With Glenview and Homewood (Flossmoor), and antedating both, Onwentsia shares the distinction of being one of the most picturesque links in the Chicago district.”