Midlothian Country Club is a historic golf course in Midlothian, Illinois. It is located southwest of Chicago and built on of land. It was designed by Herbert J. Tweedie and opened in 1898. In 2003 the course was updated by the Ken Killian, Richard P. Nugent and architect Bob Lohmann of Lohmann Golf Designs. In 2021-2022 the course was renovated by architect, Raymond Hearn to enhance 82 bunkers, lengthen tee boxes and many other enhancements which returned Midlothian Country Club to its championship caliber. History The Golf Phase In the United States The first golf club to open in the Chicago area was actually open for business a year before the World's Fair. On July 18, 1893, a charter was granted to the Chicago Golf Club, now located in Wheaton, Illinois. The Chicago Golf Club would remain under the leadership of Charles B. Macdonald until the Chicago Golf Club moved from its Belmont location to its current Wheaton location. Although golf courses have sprouted up in the United States on rare occasion since the nation's birth, it wasn't until the game of golf was put on display for the world to see at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago that the sport began gathering a strong following of athletes and fans alike. Plans For A Private Golf Course close to Chicago In 1898, a group of wealthy industrialists, bankers and merchants decided to construct the Midlothian Country Club in the southwest outskirts of the City of Chicago. The designer for the course was Herbert James Tweedie, who would go on to form the Belmont Golf Club in 1899 and take over the previous location of the Chicago Golf Club. The property purchased for such a course was farmland and fairly close to the Rexford Crossing whistle stop of the Rock Island Railroad. Although it was not typically a walkable venture to the country club, the club in the early years chose to shuttle its guests from the station via wagon and horse. The Midlothian Country Club became an 18-hole golf course and is quite unique in that every hole has a name. Quickly Outgrowing Its Initial Plans According to the introduction published in the 100 Year Anniversary book published by the Midlothian Country Club, it suggests the initial members did not want their location to become known, or in essence hiding the existence of the country club from individuals