Cantigny Golf: The History of Wheaton’s Championship Public Golf Course

For more than three decades, Cantigny Golf has stood as one of the premier public golf facilities in Illinois. Located on the historic Robert R. McCormick estate in Wheaton, the 27-hole complex has earned national acclaim, hosted USGA championships, and introduced thousands of golfers to the game through its academy and youth programs.

Yet Cantigny’s story is about far more than exceptional golf.

It is the story of a philanthropic vision that transformed private estate land into a public asset—one that continues to evolve through a multi-year renovation designed to ensure the course remains among the nation’s finest public golf destinations for generations to come.

A Golf Course Born from a Legacy

The land that today houses Cantigny Golf once formed part of the sprawling estate of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the influential publisher of the Chicago Tribune and grandson of newspaper pioneer Joseph Medill.

Following McCormick’s death in 1955, his estate became the responsibility of what is now the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Rather than preserving the property exclusively for private use, the foundation embraced McCormick’s desire that Cantigny serve the public through education, recreation, and community engagement.

While the estate had already become home to Cantigny Park and the First Division Museum, foundation leaders envisioned another amenity that would complement the property while remaining accessible to everyone—a first-class public golf course.

Construction began in 1986.

Cantigny Golf – Woodside

Roger Packard’s Vision

The foundation selected noted golf course architect Roger Packard to design what would become a unique 27-hole championship facility.

Unlike many public courses of the era, Cantigny was not designed simply to accommodate weekend golfers. It was built to compete with the finest private clubs in the Chicago area while remaining open to anyone willing to book a tee time.

Wadsworth Construction Company built the course between 1986 and 1988.

Rather than creating a traditional 18-hole layout, Packard designed three distinct nine-hole courses:

• Woodside
• Lakeside
• Hillside

This approach gave golfers three different 18-hole combinations while allowing the facility to accommodate significantly more rounds than a conventional course.

The flexibility would prove invaluable as Cantigny quickly became one of the busiest public golf destinations in Illinois.

Opening to National Acclaim

Cantigny officially opened in the spring of 1989, with its dedication taking place on June 5.

The celebration included a nine-hole exhibition featuring two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North alongside several accomplished Illinois amateur golfers.

Almost immediately, the golf world took notice.

In January 1990, Golf Digest named Cantigny the Best New Public Golf Course in America, an extraordinary honor for a Midwestern daily-fee facility.

The recognition established Cantigny as one of the country’s premier public courses almost overnight.

Cantigny Golf – Lakeside

Growing with the Game

As play increased throughout the 1990s, Cantigny’s leadership continually refined the property.

Mike Nass, who was hired by the foundation in 1987 as the on-site construction manager, later explained that one of the original nines was initially intended to provide a somewhat easier playing experience.

As demand for 18-hole play and tournament golf increased, however, Cantigny strengthened the third nine so all three could function effectively as part of a championship-caliber 18-hole routing.

The interchangeable three-nine design reportedly increased the facility’s capacity for 18-hole rounds by approximately 30 percent.

Additional yardage was also added across the property during the 1990s. Approximately 500 yards were added to each of the three nines, allowing Cantigny to better accommodate major amateur tournaments and elite competitive play.

These improvements were not merely cosmetic.

They reflected the foundation’s commitment to creating a public golf course capable of standing alongside Chicago’s legendary private clubs.

Building More Than a Golf Course

One of Cantigny’s defining characteristics has always been its commitment to growing the game.

In 1999, the facility opened Cantigny Youth Links, a nine-hole short course specifically designed to introduce younger golfers to the sport.

The approximately 1,000-yard layout gave children a place to learn the fundamentals of golf in an environment scaled to their abilities rather than forcing them immediately onto a full-length championship course.

Nearly a decade later, that commitment expanded with the opening of the Cantigny Golf Academy in 2008.

Rather than simply offering occasional lessons, the academy became one of the Midwest’s premier instructional facilities, featuring year-round programming, professional instruction, club fitting, practice areas, and junior development initiatives.

In 2023, Cantigny further modernized the academy by installing TrackMan Range technology throughout its 10 climate-controlled hitting bays, bringing advanced ball-flight analysis and shot tracking to everyday golfers.

The investments underscored an important point: Cantigny was not simply maintaining its reputation. It was continuing to evolve.

Cantigny Golf – Hillside

Championship Pedigree

While countless golfers know Cantigny for its conditioning, scenery, and customer service, competitive golfers recognize it for something equally important: championship golf.

Over the past three decades, Cantigny has hosted an impressive list of prestigious tournaments, including:

• The Illinois State Amateur Championship
• The Illinois State Women’s Amateur Championship
• The CDGA Amateur Championship
• The Western Junior Amateur Championship
• The Chicago Open
• Numerous USGA qualifying events

The Illinois State Amateur has made repeated visits to Cantigny, with the course hosting the championship in 1996, 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2019.

The course also hosted the Western Junior Amateur in 2006, the CDGA Amateur in 2012, the Illinois State Women’s Amateur in 2013, and the revived Chicago Open in 2013 and 2014.

The crown jewel came in 2007, when Cantigny hosted the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

The national championship attracted more than 4,600 entrants before the field was narrowed through qualifying and brought to Wheaton.

Colt Knost defeated Cody Paladino, 6 and 4, in the championship match. Knost would later compete on the PGA Tour and establish himself as a prominent golf broadcaster and media personality.

The successful staging of a USGA championship cemented Cantigny’s reputation as one of America’s leading public tournament venues.

Unlike facilities that host one major event and then disappear from the competitive rotation, Cantigny has repeatedly welcomed elite championships over several decades.

That consistency speaks to the quality, flexibility, and enduring tournament relevance of the course.

KemperSports Takes the Helm

A significant operational milestone arrived in 2014.

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation selected KemperSports to oversee golf and hospitality operations at Cantigny.

Already recognized nationally for managing premier public and private golf facilities, KemperSports brought additional operational expertise while preserving the foundation’s public-service mission.

Importantly, ownership did not change.

Cantigny remained part of the McCormick Foundation’s legacy. KemperSports became the management partner responsible for enhancing the guest experience while continuing Cantigny’s emphasis on player development, customer service, junior golf, caddie programs, and community engagement.

Under KemperSports management, Cantigny continued earning recognition for its player-development initiatives, including a National Golf Course Owners Association Player Development Award.

Cantigny Youth Links

Preparing for the Next Generation

Although Cantigny consistently ranked among the Midwest’s finest public courses, its leadership recognized that even great facilities eventually require comprehensive modernization.

In September 2023, Cantigny announced its most ambitious golf project since the course first opened.

Rather than making isolated improvements, the foundation committed to a complete multi-year renovation led by architect Todd Quitno of Quitno Golf Designs.

Construction began in 2024, with KemperSports overseeing the redevelopment and Wadsworth Golf Construction once again involved in work at the property.

The project includes:

• Rebuilding and regrassing every green complex
• Rebuilding and regrassing tee boxes
• Redesigning and renovating bunkers
• Updating selected fairways
• Replacing aging irrigation systems
• Improving drainage and water efficiency
• Expanding the putting green into a 30,000-square-foot putting lawn
• Adding a new halfway house and event amenity

Unlike renovations focused primarily on appearance, Cantigny’s project addresses both the visible golf course and the infrastructure beneath it.

The changes are intended to improve strategy, sustainability, drainage, playability, and long-term course conditions.

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation is funding the renovation through a foundation grant as part of its continuing investment in Cantigny as a public recreational resource.

Cantigny Golf Academy

Phased Construction

Because Cantigny attracts thousands of golfers each year, closing the entire facility for several seasons was not considered practical.

Instead, the renovation is taking place one nine at a time, allowing the property to keep 18 holes available for play during much of the project.

Hillside became the first nine to undergo reconstruction, with work beginning in 2024. The renovated nine reopened in June 2025.

Changes to Hillside included upgraded irrigation, new tee locations, redesigned bunkers, updated green contours, improved drainage, reduced mounding around some greens, and family tees designed to make the course more accessible to junior and beginner golfers.

Lakeside represents the second phase of the project, while Woodside is scheduled to complete the final phase.

The full renovation is expected to conclude in 2027.

Throughout the project, golfers have been able to watch one of Illinois’ premier public golf facilities transform while continuing to experience the property.

More Than Public Golf

Today, Cantigny occupies a unique place within Chicago golf.

It is not a private club built around exclusivity.

Nor is it simply another municipal golf course.

Instead, it represents something increasingly rare in American golf: a philanthropic facility committed equally to championship golf, junior development, public access, instruction, and long-term stewardship.

Its history reflects a remarkable consistency of purpose.

Every major decision—from Roger Packard’s original design to KemperSports’ operational leadership and Todd Quitno’s renovation—has centered on making Cantigny better while remaining true to its founding mission.

That mission has never been to become the most exclusive golf course in Illinois.

It has been to create one of the finest public golf experiences possible.

Looking Ahead

When the current renovation concludes, Cantigny Golf will enter its next chapter with rebuilt greens, modern irrigation, redesigned bunkers, expanded practice amenities, and a renewed playing experience.

Yet despite all of the physical changes, its identity remains remarkably consistent.

It is still a golf course built on Colonel Robert R. McCormick’s former estate.

It is still supported by a philanthropic foundation committed to public benefit.

It is still open to every golfer.

And it remains one of the finest examples in America of what public golf can become when vision, philanthropy, championship-caliber design, and long-term stewardship come together.

For golfers throughout the Chicago region—and increasingly across the country—that legacy continues every time the first tee opens each morning.

27w270 Mack Road
Wheaton, IL
Phone 630.260.8197
http://www.cantignygolf.com