Geography does Flossmoor Country Club few favors. The club, in Chicago’s south suburbs, sits right next door to Olympia Fields, one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the country, and host (on its North Course) to the 2003 U.S. Open. Flossmoor competes as a test of golf and golf architecture in the greater Chicago area with Donald Ross’ Beverly, Seth Raynor’s Chicago GC and Shoreacres, the Medinah complex, and a host of others.
But recent renovation work at Flossmoor, who’s founding in 1899 makes it one of the oldest clubs in the Chicago area, has improved and updated the course. Its routing, by the under-rated H.J. Tweedie, remains largely intact, and bunkering has been extensively reworked. In addition, the course has removed hundreds of trees, making for some arresting internal course views, widening playing corridors, and enhancing turf quality.
The course has hosted a number of significant tournaments and players. Chicago’s own Jock Hutchison won the PGA contested at Flossmoor in 1920, while both Bobby Jones and Francis Ouimet competed at the U.S. Amateur there in 1923 (Max Marston defeated both of the great amateurs on his way to the championship.) Jones held the course record here for more than 50 years, his 67 in 1928 finally topped in 1984 with a 66. The club has also hosted a number of Western Opens, Western Amateurs, and Women’s Western Amateurs, along with the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in 1910.
At a recent outing at Flossmoor, Michigan-based architect Ray Hearn provided details of the three-year renovation that his firm oversaw. Hearn provided an in-depth overview of the renovation, including detailed explanations of the bunker work, tree clearance, and significant adjustments to several holes. A special highlight of the outing was the presence of Jim Tweedie, great-grandson of the course designer, who is traveling throughout the country playing his great-grandfather’s work. Special thanks to Terry Lavin and Greg Ohlendorf, who helped arrange the outing and served as enthusiastic and gracious hosts throughout the day. Thanks also to Hearn for providing the author of this thread a CD containing detailed descriptions of the renovation work at Flossmoor.
The course, on a mid-August day with light winds and temperatures in the mid-80s, played wonderfully fast and firm – about as fast and firm as one might expect an Upper Midwest course to play in summer. Players were confronted with firm fairways, greens that produced 10-foot (or higher) bounces on some approach shots, and a light green sheen on the greens that in a few spots was edging toward brown -- and were stimping at 12.8. Course superintendent Bob Lively, as well as a membership that encourages such conditions, deserve commendation for the set-up and course conditions.
Course details: The course from the tips plays at 7,136 yards, with a rating of 75.5 and slope of 144. From the white tees, it’s 6,764 yds/73.7/138, and from the green tees, it’s 6,437 yds/72.2/134. The course also has a set of gold and red tees. The course has both wooded and open areas, with the front nine playing over flatter terrain than the back nine. On to the course (yardages from tips, blue, and green tees):
The back of the driving range, right next to the putting green and pro shop, done in the same distinctive red brick as the clubhouse.
No. 1 (par 5, 499/488/480)
Both of Flossmoor’s nines open and close with par 5s – a routing scheme I’ve never encountered. The 1st hole is the shortest of the four par 5s. It doglegs gently to the right over flat, slightly downhill terrain. Long hitters who avoid the fairway bunkers left and right can get home in two.
Golfers immediately encounter some of Hearn’s bunker work on the 1st hole. Hearn said he redid the bunkers at Flossmoor in the style of George Thomas, the Golden Age architect best known for his acclaimed Los Angeles trio of Riveria, Bel Air, and Los Angeles-North. (I plan to post a separate thread soon that takes an in-depth look at Hearn’s bunker work at Flossmoor.) This bunker stretches for a good 30 yards along the left side of the fairway at the 1st.
The oval green of the 1st, tilted slightly from back to front. Part of Flossmoor’s appeal is its greens – simple, often small ovals, tilted one way or another, often merely an extension of the fairway. Ever tire of the big, dramatic, multi-contoured and tiered greens so in vogue today? Come to Flossmoor, where there is much to admire in the simplicity of these greens.
No. 2 (par 3, 213/195/180)
A long, slightly uphill par 3, with flanking bunkers. On a course with its share of small greens, this is one of the larger ones.
More of Hearn’s bunker work can be seen here, left of the 2nd hole green.
No. 3 (par 4, 434/420/400)
Called ”Home,” because in the first configuration of the course, this was the final hole (the clubhouse sited near this hole burned twice, both times due to lightning strikes, so the club decided to relocate the clubhouse to its present location between the two nines). The slightly downhill par 4 forces a decision on golfers – cross the creek (260 yards from the tips), or lay up?
The bridge that crosses the creek, meant to replicate the Swilcan Bridge at The Old Course in St. Andrews. For my tastes -- a small matter, admittedly – I wish the bridge had been done in the distinctive red brick of the clubhouse and pro shop.
Two looks at the 3rd green (from the right side and behind), and the ample closely mown areas surrounding it that provide plenty of options for players should they miss the green. After playing the 3rd, I was struck by the scores posted on the club’s website from U.S. Open qualifying contested here in 2003 – this somewhat docile-looking hole played as the toughest one on the course.
No. 4 (par 4, 331/319/314)
The shortest par 4 on the course, and one with some interesting options. Hearn extensively reworked this hole, removing a small hill that obstructed the view off the tee, cutting down some trees, expanding the fairway to the right, adding fairway bunkers, and providing the player with choices off the tee. The bold player can risk woods and OB left to attack the hole by going over two fairway bunkers left and attempt to get close to the green. The more conservative play is out to the right, into a broad and gathering valley. But it leaves the player with a somewhat blind approach into the green.
The flag is visible, but not the green itself, from the low point of the valley.
The 4th green – somewhat kidney-shaped, and not terribly deep. Our foursome, including Eric Terhorst (left) and Paul Richards, wondered why this back portion of the green had been left as fringe, and thought it might serve as a neat backboard portion of the green.
No. 5 (par 4, 445/431/395)
A par 4 that gently doglegs to the left, and gets narrower the farther one travels from the tee.
Making this hole all the more difficult is the tiny target at the end – the 5th green is the smallest on the course, perhaps as small as 2,500 square feet, tilted from back to front. With trouble on both sides and a falloff in back, the green is best approached with a running shot that takes advantage of the open green in front. I can’t emphasize enough how fun it is to come upon this small green – Hearn and the club had the good sense to largely leave it alone (it was expanded a bit on the edges).
No. 6 (par 4, 434/422/366)
The fourth par 4 in a row, this plays similarly to #5, with the dogleg to the right instead. These two par 4s run alongside the eastern border of the course, and the fairway rough runs right up against the backyards of dozens of homes in the Flossmoor neighborhood.
Deep woods lurk not far from the right side of the fairway. Even with the tree clearance efforts at the club, there are still parts of Flossmoor that are heavily wooded.
The approach is over level land to another small, tear-drop shaped green.
No. 7 (par 3, 173,161/143)
A par 3 set in the woods over a pond, to a crowned greensite with some of the course’s deepest bunkers fronting the green left and right. This hole was added in 1915 by Chicago golf architect Harry Collis, the onetime pro and greenskeeper at Flossmoor, according to research by Dan Moore, who’s written about the course on the GCA Discussion Board. Not the longest par 3 at Flossmoor, but a tough hole; it played as the hardest of the course’s four par 3s during U.S. Open qualifying play in 2003.
On the walk between the 7th green and 8th tee sits this plaque; there is something special about walking the same ground as one of the game’s all-time greats.
No. 8 (par 4, 461/417/392)
A hole significantly re-designed by Hearn. The tee shot is out of a chute carved from the woods on each side to a broad fairway that bends to the right. Players need to avoid these rugged set of bunkers on the left edge of the fairway where it bends.
Aerials of the course prior to the renovation show a green located equidistant between two ponds, with bunkers on the left and right sides of the greens catching balls bound for water. Hearn thought the hole ought to have a bit more risk, and not ignore the water, so he expanded the green, moved it to the right, and expanded the fairway closer to the right-side pond. The result is an approach shot vaguely similar to the second shot of a classic cape hole, with trouble lurking for any shot pushed right. Hearn wisely left room between a fronting bunker left and the green for those choosing to stay far away from the water’s edge.
The 8th hole green. In the late-afternoon sun of our round, the green looked anything but lush – perfect for those who like their golf on the quick side.
No. 9 (par 5, 626/560/545)
A long hole over mostly level land.
Those going for the green in two have to contend with a small rise in the fairway that hides a green tucked near the woods.
Even from 200 yards away, the green remains blind. I’ve played several classic-era courses – James Foulis’ Bonnie Brook in Waukegan, IL, comes to mind – in which the architect uses subtle rises and depressions in the land to disguise and hide green sites. It’s a refreshing change of pace from modern designs, where architects often seem compelled to visually present all features of a hole to the player.
