For you historians—Chick Evans Course/Glen View Club

[Ira Fishman]

I started playing 50+ years ago on Cook County Illinois public courses. One of them is Chick Evans named after the legendary golfer. It was and is about as bare bones as they come although the layout was pretty interesting. Green fees still are around $25 all these years later. Now, the course is right across the street from the Glen View Club which has a long and distinguished history. Tweedie, Bendelow, Colt (maybe), Ross, and Flynn all contributed to its design. It is not the most exclusive club in Chicago (the competition is high), but it certainly is a very long way from the Chick Evans course (original architect unknown?). I believe that Mr. Evans was a member of Glen View; it was the host club of the Chick Evans Scholarship program (?). There must be a story about how Cook County decided to build right across the street.


Thanks.


Ira

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Here's the story of Glen View:

https://www.glenviewclub.com/Club-History-197.html

[PCCraig]

Our own Ian Mackenzie is a member and would likely know for sure, but I believe the current "Chick Evans" golf course & its land used to be owned by GVC?


GVC is one of my favorite clubs in Chicago. Great membership and one of the best Superintendents in the business in Brian Moore. They just hired Tyler Rae to put together a full master plan.

[Mark Smolens]

According to GolfScout.net, the "Northwestern golf course" built on Forest Preserve District land near the Glen View Club was completed in 1924. In 1970 the course was renamed in honor of Chick Evans, the great amateur golfer and member at the neighboring Glen View Club.


I played a lot of golf at Chick Evans while I was in college because Ira notes, it was cheap. At the time they had concrete tees with mats and lousy rubber tees. so players used the patches of dirt around the tee boxes. When Kemper took over managing the courses for the FP District, the conditions improved and they took out the concrete tees. Almost made an ace on the 18th, a 170 yard par 3, with a putter! I guess a few beers changes one's course management thoughts.

[Adam Lawrence]

Colt and Ross, after coming together at Old Elm, worked at Glen View in May 1913, hired by club president Louis Ferguson. Here's a quote from the Chicago Tribune:

The new aspects of the course represent the work of Colt and Ross, the designers and builders of Old Elm. It was to this admirable team Mr. Ferguson turned over the ideas he had studied and pondered. He ‘caught’ Colt when the latter was in the country to design Old Elm, and the finishing touches were given by Ross, whose handicraft is to be noted now on virtually every hole.

[PCCraig]

According to GolfScout.net, the "Northwestern golf course" built on Forest Preserve District land near the Glen View Club was completed in 1924. In 1970 the course was renamed in honor of Chick Evans, the great amateur golfer and member at the neighboring Glen View Club.


I played a lot of golf at Chick Evans while I was in college because Ira notes, it was cheap. At the time they had concrete tees with mats and lousy rubber tees. so players used the patches of dirt around the tee boxes. When Kemper took over managing the courses for the FP District, the conditions improved and they took out the concrete tees. Almost made an ace on the 18th, a 170 yard par 3, with a putter! I guess a few beers changes one's course management thoughts.

Interesting - Northwestern University used to own the now Wilmette GC just up the street.

[Ian Mackenzie]

Ira, Chick Evans was the head pro at Glen View Club for years.


The public course just to the south of GVC was named in Chick Evans' honor.


"In May of 1913, a farm adjacent to the southern boundary (of GVC) was purchased from the Budde family for $18,000. Stories have been handed down that early members (of GVC) contemplated a second course. Glen View sold the Budde Farm land to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County in August of 1917. This land was incorporated into a public golf course that had opened in 1910, and eventually would be named for Chick Evans."


That's all I got...;-)...and the info is courtesy of Dr. John Connolly, GVC member, golf historian and good friend.

[Ira Fishman]

Ian,


Many thanks to you and your fellow member.


Ira

[Sven Nilsen]

"In May of 1913, a farm adjacent to the southern boundary (of GVC) was purchased from the Budde family for $18,000. Stories have been handed down that early members (of GVC) contemplated a second course. Glen View sold the Budde Farm land to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County in August of 1917. This land was incorporated into a public golf course that had opened in 1910, and eventually would be named for Chick Evans."

Curious where that 1910 date comes from.  All accounts I've seen note Northwestern Public Link (aka Northwestern GC) was built in the 1922 to 1924 time period.

- Nov. 1922 Golf Illustrated notes plans to install a course on Forest Preserve property near Evanston. 
- Dec. 1923 Golf Illustrated notes a course being constructed in Evanston on Forest Preserve land. 
- April 6, 1924 Chicago Tribune notes course located on Forest Preserve land and financed by private citizens. 
- June 27, 1924 Wilmette Life notes work progressing on 18 hole course. 
- Noted as part of the Forest Preserve Park System in a March 1926 Golf Illustrated article. 
- Feb. 1927 Golf Illustrated notes city of Evanston leased 180 acres of Forest Preserve land for the construction of the North-Western golf course.

Sven