Medinah Country Club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Medinah Country Club is a private country club in Medinah, Illinois with nearly 600 members and 640 acres containing three golf courses, Lake Kadijah, swimming facilities and a Byzantine-style, mosque-evoking clubhouse with Oriental, Louis XIV and Italian architectural aspects. Medinah is widely known for its Course #3, a 7,508 yard (7,385 m) golf course which has hosted three U.S. Opens (1949, 1975, 1990) and two PGA Championships (1999, 2006).
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[edit] Early history
The club was founded in 1925 by the Medinah Shriners and by the late 1920s had approximately 1,500 golfing and social members. The Great Depression brought severe financial hardship and many members left. The club responded by waiving initiation fees, lowering dues, holding fundraising events and (significantly) hosting professional golf tournaments. Eventually, non-Shriners were allowed to apply for membership. World War II exacerbated the club's financial woes and membership fell far below capacity. Course #2 was closed and members helped with upkeep on the two remaining courses. During the post war era Medinah entered a period of gradual recovery and membership growth.
[edit] Golfing
[edit] Course #3
Medinah has three golf courses in a 54-hole complex. Many noted golf professionals have played Course #3, beginning with "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper at the Medinah Open in 1930. Other noted players include Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Cary Middlecoff, Billy Casper, Gary Player, Hale Irwin and Tiger Woods. Tommy Armour, winner of multiple major championships and the namesake of a well-known golfing equipment brand, was Medina's head pro for many years.
Medinah's courses were originally designed by Tom Bendelow. After the 1930 Medinah Open, when Lighthorse Harry played the course with a 63 (the lowest score ever shot on the course) in the second round, Medinah's members approved a redesign by Bendelow which was followed by several more. Roger Packard's 1986 redesign in preparation for the 1990 U.S. Open brought substantial changes and was followed by Rees Jones' work in preparation for the 2006 PGA Championship, making Course #3 the longest golf course in major championship history.
[edit] Tiger Woods
Woods' appearances at Medinah have enhanced the club's international reputation. His first win at the course was the 1999 PGA Championship (foreshadowing his "annus mirabilis" in 2000), which brought him much media attention. In a late-afternoon match during which 19-year-old Sergio Garcia made a highly successful shot on the 16th hole, Woods reportedly maintained his focus before a raucous crowd and preserved a one-stroke lead. In 2006 Woods won by five strokes. In recognition of this achievement Woods was made a member of the club, in what has been said to be an unprecedented decision by Medinah's membership.
[edit] Ranking controversy
Course #3 has not received a high formal ranking within professional golfing circles. Medinah's geographical location in the midwest of the United States has been cited as a possible reason for this, along with Medinah's local Chicago-area-centric membership. Moreover, Medinah's history of hosting professional rather than amateur tournaments has at times reportedly conflicted with golfing's long tradition of amateurism (which in America was largely based on socio-economic class distinctions). As a result of this partial exlcusion, Medinah developed a reputation for being visited by golfers (including professional gamblers) bypassing the PGA Tour, both because of its relatively low prize amounts and previous PGA resistance to including non-WASP golfers. Accordingly, Tiger Woods' career has been described both as a victory against racism and a boon for Medinah Country Club.
