Traditions at Chevy Chase Country Club

Traditions at Chevy Chase occupies land in Wheeling, a northwest suburb of Chicago, where the original Chevy Chase Country Club operated for decades before closing. Tom Bendelow, the prolific Scottish-born architect who laid out hundreds of courses across the American Midwest in the early twentieth century, designed the original routing. Bendelow's work typically featured straightforward layouts suited to the flat or gently rolling terrain common to the region, and his influence remains evident in the bones of the property. Bob Lohmann, a Chicago-area architect active in course design and renovation work from the 1960s onward, later contributed to the layout, likely modernizing features and adjusting to contemporary standards. The course sits within the suburban fabric of the northwest Chicago corridor, where residential development and commercial activity frame most golf properties. The terrain reflects the glacial plains characteristic of northern Illinois—modest elevation changes, mature tree corridors, and water features that provide both strategic interest and drainage function. The layout offers a straightforward test for daily-fee and member play, with holes routed through tree-lined fairways and around ponds and creeks. Traditions at Chevy Chase serves a regional membership and public audience, providing accessible golf in a market dense with courses of varying pedigree. The club maintains the traditional Midwestern country club model, emphasizing playability and social atmosphere over championship ambition. Dining and event facilities support the membership experience, typical of suburban clubs that balance golf with family and corporate functions.