Private

Idlewild Course

Idlewild Country Club

Flossmoor, IL, USA
#3333World
#3080USA
#112IL
Golfer
boomboom
Austino
Nathan
JNgolf24
+7

About this course

Idlewild Country Club sits in Flossmoor, a south suburban Chicago community established in the early twentieth century. The course reflects the work of two architects from different eras of American golf design. Tom Bendelow, a prolific early designer who laid out hundreds of courses across the Midwest in the 1910s and 1920s, created the original routing. Al Naylor, a Chicago-area architect active in the mid-twentieth century, later revised the layout. This combination of Bendelow's straightforward routing principles and Naylor's refinements gives the course its present character. The property occupies relatively flat terrain typical of the Illinois prairie landscape south of Chicago, with mature tree plantings that define holes and frame play corridors. The design follows traditional parkland principles, with tree-lined fairways and greens that reflect the strategic sensibilities of early American golf architecture. Bendelow's original work emphasized playability and efficient land use, while Naylor's contributions likely modernized bunkering, green complexes, and overall course length to meet evolving standards. Idlewild serves a membership drawn from the surrounding south suburban communities. The club maintains a quiet presence in the region's golf landscape, offering a course that balances historical design lineage with the practical needs of a suburban membership club. The layout provides a traditional round of golf shaped by two generations of Chicago-area course architecture.

Quick facts

Location
Flossmoor, IL, USA
Access
Private
Year built
1908
Holes
18
Par
72
Length
6,741 yards
Difficulty
77.5/142
Course Vaults score
6.7

Getting there

Idlewild Country Club sits in the leafy suburbs south of Chicago, accessible most directly via Chicago Midway International (MDW), a mere twenty minutes north by car, or via O'Hare International (ORD) for those arriving on major carriers - both gateways dissolving into the quiet residential landscape of Flossmoor within an hour's drive. The approach winds through the affluent South Shore neighborhoods, where tree-lined avenues and manicured estates signal arrival in one of Illinois' most established country club enclaves, a setting that has anchored the club's understated prestige since its founding in the early twentieth century. For those flying private, Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) in nearby Wheeling offers a discreet alternative, positioning members and guests mere minutes from the club's entrance. The final miles unfold through Flossmoor's serene residential corridors, where the club's classic brick clubhouse and championship grounds emerge as a sanctuary of tradition and refinement in the heart of Chicagoland.

FAQ

Common questions about Idlewild

Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.

Idlewild has a Course Vaults score of 6.7 out of 10 based on 12 logged golfers.

Idlewild was designed by Al Naylor and Tom Bendelow.

Idlewild is listed as private on Course Vaults; guest access is typically restricted.

Par at Idlewild is 72.

Idlewild plays 6,741 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.

The slope rating at Idlewild is 142.

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