SCHAUMBURG GOLF CLUB 401 North Roselle Road-three simulators are open, and they include the indoor version of the Schaumburg Golf Club. The pro shop is filling with your golf needs for the season ahead. Book your time at SchaumburgGolf.com or call the pro shop at (847)-855-9000. Get a lesson or club fitting-try Chandlers Chophouse.
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn and Facebook.
The U.S. Flag flies over the 18th green and first tee box of Medinah’s #3 golf course, that’s started under going change once more.
ONE MORE TIME-FOR NO. 3
When the 1975 U.S. Open was played at Medinah-it took until Monday to decide a winner.
Finally Lou Graham defeated John Mahaffey by two strokes to win the title. But when the U.S. Open returned 15 years later in 1990, the golf course was different, even better said onlookers.
The only thing that stayed the same was that another Monday playoff was needed. This time it took extra holes on Monday for Hale Irwin to complete his rally to defeat golf journeyman Mike Donald.
In between the two U.S. Open’s was the 1988 U.S. Senior Open, once again it took a Monday playoff to settle the championship. Gary Player defeated Bob Charles to capture the title, take home the winners check and the trophy. To win big at Medinah, it was taking champions an extra day and extra holes to be crowned a champion. One could say that players didn’t win a championship on No.3-they earned it.
The drain pipes are piled up behind the 18th green.
But by the time the 1999 and 2006 PGA Championship’s arrived, Course No.3 had changed once more.
Rees Jones came in and tinkered with things, by 1999 and in 2006 the feeling was by most that No.3 was once more better than it was in 1990. The 18th green had been raised, surrounded by deep bunkers. The green that Irwin made his famous long putt on during Round 4 of the 1990 U.S. Open-was now gone. But the drama continued.
But before the 2012 Ryder Cup came to Medinah, Jones returned again. Jones removed more trees and created a risk-reward pond by the short par 4-15th green.
Then in 2019-the PGA arrived as the BMW Championship drove into town. Course No.3 didn’t look like it did in 2012. Because the bunkers had been redone, the sand in those bunkers and was now white-sand. Medinah 3 was prepped for a FedEx Cup Playoff event, and the top 70 players on the PGA Tour were expected to be in for a challenge. A challenge that never developed.
The 18th tee box sits alone in front of the water, while on the other banks trees are gone from around the 17th tee box.
But there were plenty of good reasons for that. Because conditions were perfect that week for low scoring, very low scoring. There was some lift-clean and place rounds, and the wind was non-existent that week. The temperatures were perfect, and the golf ball flew as the pro’s bombed away.
Current PGA Champion Justin Thomas won that week in 2019, Thomas shot 25 under par and holed an eagle shot from the fairway. Thomas seemed to make every putt he had over the four rounds. During championship week, fans and golf media wondered how long it would take Medinah to respond to a 25 under par winner on Course No.3. The answer was-not very long. A committee was formed in under 60 days after the BMW drove off, and the discussions about a new look No.3 started.
Trees have been cleaned out left and right of the landing area on the par 5, 14th hole.
The process wasn’t under way for very long, when the Covid-19 pandemic arrived. So interviews with various golf architects and their firms, ended up on Zoom links, and through electronic ways of communication.
Through the process one thing that stood out to the committee, was how the Australian firm of OCM was able to make it’s online presentation. The story goes that only the “O” in OCM, Geoff Ogilvy the 2006 U.S. Open Champion, had ever been to Medinah, and that was for the 2006 PGA Championship. 14 years before his design firm was looking for another project and one of the first projects it would do in the United States. So after many meetings and much debate-OCM landed the Medinah Course No.3 project.
The master plan submitted by OCM may look a bit radical to some outsiders, and maybe to some of the clubs membership. But if history is any record to Course No.3’s growth and evolvement over the years. One can only believe that latest round of improvements, will bring another exciting chapter to Course No.3’s championship legacy. Not mention rounds of fun for the clubs members and their guests.
The banks around Medinah’s back nine par-3 holes.
During the 2022 BMW Championship Golfers on Golf spoke with Thomas regarding the current renovation. “I hope Medinah isn’t blowing up Course No.3 because of what I shot that week,” said Thomas. “Conditions were perfect, and when you have the top players in the world playing in those conditions. They will tear apart any golf course, even Course No.3 at Medinah. Medinah is a great golf course and I’ll be anxious to see how it turns out.” Thomas added he hopes to be part of Team USA, when the team comes to Medinah for the Presidents Cup in September of 2026.
The Medinah No.3 master plan by OCM.
OCM is headed up by Ogilvy, and partners Ashley Mead and Michael Cocking. Their resume of work from around the world is growing, with some great results.
ResearcHERS Charity Golf Classic. August 21, 2023. Played on Medinah No.1. Sign up at Researchersgolfclassic.org
While work has started on Medinah No.3, it’s far from being done. Because much of it remains for the spring-summer and fall months ahead this year.
Currently the planed reopening date for golf, is late summer or early fall of 2024.
The Medinah membership overwhelmingly approved the new renovations to it’s classic, historic golf course, allowing the course to continue to evolve. When the President’s Cup arrives, it will interesting to see how Course No.3’s next chapter of history is plays out, and how more of the world’s best players think the changes have improved Medinah’s famed No.3 golf course. But here’s hoping the President’s Cup ends up with an exciting finish-on Sunday.