Lincoln Elks at Lincoln Elks #914 Lodge and Golf Club

Lincoln Elks #914 Lodge and Golf Club occupies a modest place in the catalog of Tom Bendelow designs scattered across the American Midwest. Bendelow, a Scottish immigrant who became one of the most prolific golf architects of the early twentieth century, laid out hundreds of courses—many for small-town clubs, lodges, and municipal facilities—during his decades with the Spalding sporting goods company and later as an independent designer. His work in Illinois was extensive, and Lincoln represents the sort of straightforward, playable layout he created for fraternal organizations and communities with limited budgets. The course reflects his characteristic efficiency: routing that works with available land, greens that provide interest without excessive maintenance demands, and a design philosophy focused on accessibility rather than championship severity.

Lincoln itself is a small central Illinois city with deep ties to Abraham Lincoln, who practiced law there before his presidency. The surrounding landscape is典ically flat to gently rolling farmland, and the course sits within this agricultural context. Bendelow's routing likely takes advantage of whatever natural contour exists, with tree-lined fairways and straightforward hole corridors that suit the terrain and the club's recreational mission.

The Elks organization has maintained lodges with affiliated golf facilities across the country since the early 1900s, and Lincoln's course serves both members and the local golfing community. It remains a functional example of Bendelow's widespread influence on American golf during the game's expansion era, offering a glimpse of how golf took root in smaller Midwestern towns through practical, unpretentious design.