Lakeside at Cantigny Golf

Lakeside at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton, Illinois, opened in 1989 as the work of architect Roger Packard. The course occupies land that was once part of the estate of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime publisher and editor of the Chicago Tribune. Cantigny is named after the site of the first major American battle in World War I, reflecting McCormick's military service. The property includes museums and formal gardens alongside its golf facilities, making it a public destination with strong ties to Chicago-area history.

Packard's design at Lakeside incorporates water features and mature tree-lined corridors typical of parkland golf in the upper Midwest. The routing takes advantage of gentle terrain and established landscaping, with several holes playing along or across ponds and wetlands that give the course its name. Lakeside is generally considered the more approachable of Cantigny's two courses, with wider fairways and less severe bunkering than its companion Woodside layout, though water remains a recurring strategic element throughout the round.

The course serves as a public facility and hosts regional amateur competitions and charity outings. Cantigny's setting within the larger estate grounds provides a sense of space and quiet uncommon for daily-fee golf in the Chicago suburbs. The clubhouse and practice areas are shared between the two courses, and the property maintains a reputation for solid conditioning and accessibility to a broad range of players.