
Jackson Park Course
Jackson Park Golf Club


About this course
Jackson Park occupies a historic site on Chicago's South Side, bordered by Lake Michigan to the east and situated within the larger Jackson Park complex that once hosted the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Tom Bendelow, a prolific early American golf architect who designed hundreds of courses in the early twentieth century, laid out the original routing. The course has served as an accessible municipal facility for over a century, providing golf to Chicago's diverse communities and introducing countless players to the game on relatively affordable public grounds. The layout plays across flat to gently rolling terrain characteristic of Chicago's lakefront geography. While the course has undergone various modifications over the decades and faces the maintenance challenges common to heavily-played municipal facilities, its location near the lake provides natural breezes and views of the Chicago skyline. The property's proximity to the Museum of Science and Industry and other Jackson Park landmarks places it within one of the city's significant cultural and recreational corridors. Jackson Park has been the subject of redevelopment discussions in recent years, with proposals involving course redesign and integration with broader park improvements. The site's historical significance and its role in providing accessible golf in a major American city have made it a focal point in conversations about public golf, urban recreation, and land use. The course remains part of the Chicago Park District system, continuing its long tradition of serving local golfers.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in IL
Quick facts
- Location
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1899
- Holes
- 18
- Designer
- Tom Bendelow
- Par
- 70
- Length
- 5,508 yards
- Difficulty
- 70.4/113
- Course Vaults score
- 5.5
Getting there
Jackson Park Golf Club sits on Chicago's South Side, easily reached from both O'Hare and Midway International airports - the latter just twenty minutes northwest via the Dan Ryan Expressway. The approach along South Lake Shore Drive offers fleeting glimpses of Lake Michigan before turning inland toward the historic parkland that has anchored this neighborhood since the 1893 World's Fair. What awaits is not a gated enclave but a democratic gem woven into the urban fabric, where the city's skyline hovers in the distance and the legacy of Tom Bendelow meets the ambition of a Tiger Woods redesign still taking shape along these storied, accessible acres.

FAQ
Common questions about Jackson Park
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Jackson Park has a Course Vaults score of 5.5 out of 10 based on 42 logged golfers.
Jackson Park was designed by Tom Bendelow.
Yes. Jackson Park is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Jackson Park is 70.
Jackson Park plays 5,508 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Jackson Park is 113.




