The Top 100 Newest GOLF Courses in the US ranking includes 11 newcomers, which we’ll introduce you to here. Meet Old Elm in Highland Park, Ill.
Patrick Koenig
GOLF recently published its latest rankings of Top 100 Courses in USA (2024-2525)a list that includes 11 arrivals. Some of them you may recognize. Others you may not. Here, in the spotlight for newcomers, we’ll introduce you to these 100 best beginner gems.
Newcomer Spotlight: Old Elm / Rank: 94
Location: Highland Park, Ill.
Business: Private
YEAR OPEN: 1913
Architect: HS Colt
What you need to know about Old Elm
Harry Colt built Old Elm in 1913, on one of his rare visits to North America. In the years that followed, Donald Ross added his own touches, representing the only significant time these two titans of design spent together. Fast forward 100 years and Superintendent Curtis James has turned this course into a short grass haven with some of the fastest and hardest playing surfaces in the country. Bruise balls fly forever, at least until they hit one of the Colt bunkers that architect David Zinkand has painstakingly restored over the past decade. Bouncy playing surfaces have also turned some of the crowning greens – such as the world-class 2nd and 5th holes – into terrifying propositions. Colt never built features that screamed; and such is the case at Old Elm, which is the kind of design you’d want to wrestle with 30 to 50 times a year. You might not miss a ball playing here, but you’ll wonder why you don’t play with a handicap.
What our reviewers say
“A marriage of HS Colt and Donald Ross with a bunker restoration that brings elements of the drylands to the suburbs of Chicago. A Golden Age classic in every respect, you can only marvel at features like the 6th and the double green 17th. Colt’s pulpit green locations and Ross’ construction know-how make this a unique addition to the US Top 100.
“The history of the club is as fascinating as its features, with the members who built it familiar with the work of Ross and Colt, and chose Colt to design and Ross to build. In contemporary terms, Ross was both a collaborator and a contractor. The results are extremely spectacular with a range of fascinating features all carved and etched into a fairly flat piece of land. The strategic decisions, visual illusions, and physical gameplay angles on the ground and in the air are outstanding.”
