Olympia Fields Country Club: North
Olympia Fields, IL • Private
Courtesy of Gary Kellner
Overview
To prepare Olympia Fields North for the 1961 PGA Championship (won by Jerry Barber in a playoff over Don January), the club didn’t hire a golf architect. Instead, superintendent Warren Bidwell relocated 32 greenside and 13 fairway bunkers and added new tees to lengthen the course by 320 yards. Forty years later, golf architect Mark Mungeam supervised extensive changes before the North hosted the 2003 U.S. Open and made more changes again before Olympia Fields North and newly remodeled South (redone by architect Steve Smyers) co-hosted the 2015 U.S. Amateur. In 2017, Olympia Fields North was the site of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and the course hosted the 2020 and 2023 BMW Championship.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 1966.
2023-'24 ranking: No. 99.
Previous ranking: 88th
Highest ranking: No. 24, 2003-'04.
Best in State: Ranked fifth, 2013-'16. Ranked inside the top 5, 1977-'89, 1993-2009. Ranked sixth, 2011-'12, 2017-'24. Ranked inside the top 10, 1991.
2023-'24 ranking (and previously): 6th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Championship caliber test for even the best golfers. Loved the closely mown areas around the green complexes that allowed for multiple ways to get up and down. Holes 3 and 14 really stand out. A great test of golf that is Major Championship worthy. A must play if invited."
Read More2024
Review
“This Willie Park Jr. designed course, which has played host to a number of major PGA and Amateur golfing events, provides a wonderful experience to all levels of golfers. This rolling parkland designed layout demands that the golfer keep the ball on the fairway to avoid the penal rough. Balls that veer into the rough may force the golfer to play out into the fairway rather than attacking the green. The fairways are fairly ample but approaches to the green demand precision to relatively small. well protected greens that are fairly undulating. Misses will often fall into deep bunkers and shots out of the bunkers are tricky due to often small landing areas with undulations. The firm and quick greens run very true but are tricky due to the undulations and dropoffs. The golf course is fairly tree lined with Butterfield Creek winding through numerous holes on the course. Overall, the course provides a challenging experience, even to low handicap players, but is a delight play."
Read More2024
Review
“Perhaps the best conditioned golf course I've played since joining the panel. True, firm greens with bouncy and tight fairways and aprons. Both 3 and 14 are bowl-you-over holes, representing the best in the Chicago area -- and perhaps 17 can be in that category as well. The weakest category perhaps was character. Despite a great layout variety, and tons of history at this club, in terms of sense of place of the North course itself, you feel that the layout could be anywhere in the Northern part of the U.S. Nothing really distinctive made me think this (a landform, or distinctive natural feature) could only be here."
Read More2023
Review
“A stout course with a strong history, and even though it does not factor into our ratings, the clubhouse is a must-visit. It must be seen to be believed (it is so large it has several apartments, multiple ballrooms and event centers, and a locker room that would fit an army). As far as the course goes, the holes offer great interest and challenge. Beautiful and strategic bunkering. The greens run a little larger than usual, and the internal slopes are often subtle but always present. Conditioning for late July was excellent; the course was running fast and firm but still green and aesthetically pleasing."
Read More2022
Review
“From the impressive clubhouse, to the finely maintained course, OFCC is a real treat. I didn't find many shot options off the tee, but several holes did have risk and reward upon approach. The course was preparing for the Univ of Ill tournament the next day, so greens we very fast, but fair."
Read More2022
Review
“A long challenging test from the championship tees that retains its challenge from "normal" tees. Good variety of par 3 distances with some that can play long. Good yet subtle movement on most holes along with trees and well placed bunkers provide for the need to shape shots and position tee shots. great condition on the day played. Clubhouse, course feel, contribute to the atmosphere and historic feel."
Read More2022
Review
“This is a course that can be fun and testing for the recreational golfer, and then put the best players in the game to a real test. Shot selection is important, approaches to the green are critical to score. The greens roll perfectly and consistent, giving good putters a chance. The club and course is filled with tremendous history. It's a pleasure to walk the fairways and the halls of the clubhouse to see and hear about all the accomplishments from great events in years past."
Read More2022
Review
“While this course tests the best players in the world, it won’t beat up the average player. Don’t get me wrong, it has plenty of teeth but it is playable for most everyone. The clubhouse is among the largest in the country."
Read More2021
Review
“Willie Park Jr isn’t the most famous architect of all time but he's had some great successes with many of his designs such as Sunningdale Old, Maidstone, and Olympia Fields North to name a few. I think one of his great attributes is situational awareness given the landscape; meaning that his courses fit the given topography and surrounds very well and The North course at Olympia Fields shines in this regard. On the day of my visit it was 100* and windy which was a definite challenge as the club prepared for the FedEx event. The rough was about 6 inches deep and the greens were flying! The first thing that jumps out is the fact that this isn’t your normal featureless Chicagoland terrain. There’s a fair bit of steep up and downs and also a creek that comes into play on multiple holes. Most of the holes roll nice and easy but there are a few standouts that use more of the dominant terrain such as the 3rd, 12th, and 14th. The 3rd is the most highly regarded hole on the course and it features a blind tee shot (and yet most of the holes aren’t blind) which tumbles downhill. The approach moves across the creek, then back up to a perched greensite which is surrounded by attractive bunkering and the green itself sits almost sits like a volcano hole. The 12th is a layup for most off the tee and has some nice fairway movement and the green is benched back across the creek to produce a beautiful greensite. 14th the player tees off down and into a valley with that same creek down the right then bisects the fairway at about 300 or so. From there a short iron approach goes up top (very similar to the 15th at Canterbury in Cleveland) to the greensite that slopes heavily from back to front. Staying below the hole is paramount. The bunkering throughout the course is well done and well thought out and my member host told me they dumped some ancillary bunkers before the Am a few years back which is great. On the day of my visit we had three different players playing from all different tees and the fairway bunkering came into play for all of us on most holes. They are staggered well given how the tees are paced and they offer better angles into the greensites when challenged properly. "
Read More2020
Review
“The North is a tough challenge, even for the accomplished golfer. It is a treat to play a major venue with history and an iconic clubhouse tower that drapes the landscape."
Read More2019
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