ILLINOIS GOLF CLUB REDISCOVERED AT GREEN ACRES

The long missing Tillinghast golf course designed for the Illinois Country Club lives. Through some good detective work we have confirmed that this great Tillinghast design has been owned and operated by Green Acres Country Club for over fifty years.

In the early 1920's, A.W. Tillinghast designed an 18-hole course for the Illinois Country Club. Joe Roseman was the construction superintendent and carried out Tillie's design to the smallest detail. Illinois Country Club had aspirations of becoming one of the elite country clubs in the Nation. Building the high end Tillinghast golf course was the Club's first objective, to be followed by a stately modern clubhouse. One of Spanish design was erected, which with furnishings cost $265,000. The next step was the installation of a fairway watering system, which was designed by Paul Green. It was the second to be installed in the Chicago district, the Chicago Golf club being the first. At the time the membership fee at Illinois CC was one of the most expensive in the area. However, the depression took its toll on Illinois CC and it did not survive World War II. Shortly after the War, Green Acres Country Club was formed and purchased the Tillinghast designed golf course from the Illinois Country Club. Shortly thereafter the legacy of theTillinghast golf course at Green Acres became lost in time.

Fast forwarding to the year 2001, Ken Stofer and Rick Wolffe placed an article in the Golf Collectors Bulletin searching for missing Tillie courses. Fellow Tillie member Richard Pinto read the article and noted that the missing Tillie golf course once known as the Illinois Country Club would have been near or adjacent to the present Green Acres Country Club. Following this lead, Ken Stofer reached out to Green Acres through Robb Schultze and Larry Oberman. Larry took the ball and researched the history and the transfer of the course from Illinois Country Club to Green Acres in 1945. Larry has continued to research his club's history and has provided the following aerial photo, which clearly shows the classic routing and design of this Tillinghast classic.