
University Course
University Golf Club


About this course
University Golf Club occupies a site in University Park, a village in the southern suburbs of Chicago. E. Lawrence Packard designed the course, contributing to the region's collection of mid-twentieth-century layouts. Packard, a Michigan-based architect active from the 1950s through the 1980s, designed or renovated dozens of courses across the Midwest, often working with rolling terrain and incorporating strategic bunkering and green contours that reward thoughtful play. The course reflects the characteristics of suburban Chicago golf, where relatively flat to gently rolling land is shaped through earthwork and tree planting to create definition and challenge. Packard's designs typically emphasize playability for a range of skill levels while presenting enough variety in hole length and hazard placement to test better players. The routing likely takes advantage of natural drainage patterns and existing vegetation, with fairways framed by mature trees and greens protected by bunkers positioned to penalize errant approaches. University Golf Club serves its membership and the surrounding community as a traditional private club, offering a setting for regular play and social gatherings. The course provides a straightforward test of golf without dramatic elevation changes or severe hazards, consistent with Packard's philosophy of creating enjoyable, maintainable layouts. For golfers in the south suburban area, it represents a familiar style of American parkland golf shaped by the design sensibilities of the postwar era.
Quick facts
- Location
- University Park, IL, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1962
- Designer
- E. Lawrence Packard
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,701 yards
- Difficulty
- 71.4/123
Getting there
The University Golf Club sits just thirty minutes south of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), accessible via a straightforward drive through the suburban landscape of Illinois' South Shore. For those arriving by private aircraft, Midway International Airport (MDW) offers a closer alternative, though the club's proximity to the city proper makes commercial routing equally practical. The final approach winds through the quiet, tree-lined streets of University Park, a residential enclave that signals the transition from metropolitan Chicago into the more measured rhythm of the South Suburbs, before arriving at the club's understated entrance - a fitting gateway to one of the Midwest's most respected private golf communities.

FAQ
Common questions about University
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
University was designed by E. Lawrence Packard.
Yes. University is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at University is 72.
University plays 6,701 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at University is 123.
University is a 18-hole course.



