Chicago is a city with a long, glorious golf
tradition, and the layout currently at its vanguard is Medinah Country Club’s
No. 3 course, site of three U.S. Opens, three Western Opens and two PGA
Championships.
It’s a tree-lined monster characterized by long par 4s,
seemingly un-birdieable par 5s and three par 3s over notorious Lake Kadijah, a water hazard named in honor of
Mohammed’s wife. The sum of these 18 challenging parts will play to more than
7,500 yards.
Originally designed by prolific Scotsman Tom Bendelow, No. 3
has undergone a number of major and minor renovations over the years, most
recently prior to the 2006 PGA Championship, when Rees Jones removed hundreds of
trees, restored the bunkers and redesigned the par-3 17th hole.
While golf unquestionably is at the core of Medinah, it is
more than a golf course. Much more. Actually, it’s three golf courses. No. 1 is
one of the top courses in Illinois and suffers in fame in the shadow of
No. 3. Meanwhile, No. 2 belongs to the women, who have had their own course at
Medinah since the club’s founding in 1924, although today they can play any
course.
Medinah also is known for its unusual looking clubhouse. It’s
a mix of Byzantine, Italianate, Oriental and Louis XIV styles, a melting pot of
architectural influences derived from the imagination of its designer, Richard
G. Schmidt, who toured Europe and the Middle
East for two years for inspiration. Its domed ceiling is reminiscent
of a Roman cathedral. Its towers and spires suggest Middle Eastern minarets. Its
classical columns might be found at Versailles.
