Flossmoor Golf Club

Flossmoor Golf Club, founded in 1899 originally as Homewood Country Club, is a private course situated in Bloom Township just outside Flossmoor, Illinois. Renowned as one of the first championship golf facilities established in the Midwest, the classic layout was designed by Herbert J. Tweedie—an English born architect pivotal in developing the region’s early courses. Over the decades, the course was refined by notable figures such as greenskeeper Harry Collis and later renovated under Ray Hearn, maintaining its historic character while enhancing modern playability.

Flossmoor’s prestige is rooted in its storied tournament history. The club hosted the 1920 PGA Championship, won by Jock Hutchison, and the 1923 U.S. Amateur, cementing its place in early national competition. The course also gained attention by hosting the esteemed Western Open in the early 20th century, at a time when that event rivaled the U.S. Open in stature. Flossmoor’s design, agronomy, and atmosphere attracted legendary players—including Bobby Jones, who set a long standing course record during a mid century exhibition.

Today, Flossmoor Golf Club offers a timeless parkland experience among 182 acres of rolling terrain, native prairie grasses, oak-lined fairways, and strategically placed bunkers that speak to its Golden Age roots. The club’s restoration efforts preserve the architectural intent while ensuring the course remains a memorable challenge for seasoned players. With a membership deeply committed to golf tradition, Flossmoor continues to walk in the footsteps of the game’s greats while shaping its own legacy .

Events at Flossmoor

Flossmoor Golf Club has been the site of many significant golf events featuring some of the game’s greatest players. Since the early 1900s, this storied venue in the far south suburb of Flossmoor has hosted numerous historic tournaments. Among these prestigious events is the Illinois Open, which has a rich history at Flossmoor Golf Club. 

The Illinois Open first debuted in 1950, and by 1955, the Illinois State Championship of Golf had made its way to Flossmoor Golf Club. That year, Bob Harris claimed victory in the fifth Illinois Open. Although the club has undergone many changes since then, it has consistently remained a championship-caliber course.

After a gap following the 1955 event, Flossmoor Golf Club reappeared on the Illinois Open schedule in 1984. Lance Ten Broeck emerged as the champion that year, and Nick Zambole set a new course record, breaking Bobby Jones’ previous mark with a first-round score of 66.

Charlie Nikitas of Glenview won the 2024 Illinois Open at Flossmoor. He shot a final round 71 to hole off Luke Guthrie and Matthis Besard by a single stroke.

In a dramatic finish in 2023, Vince India defeated Dylan Meyer in a playoff to secure the title, marking the first playoff in the event since 2012. India also became the 15th multi-time winner of the Illinois Open, having previously won in 2018.

The 75th Illinois Open Championship was notably different from the previous events held at Flossmoor Golf Club. The course had undergone two significant renovations, enhancing its green complexes, bunkering, and overall length.

While the course played at 6,700 yards in 1955, it will challenge players with nearly 7,200 yards in 2024. The tournament has also evolved, shifting to a two-site format in 2015 before returning to a single-site format in 2020. In 1955, the winner at Flossmoor Golf Club took home $500, while Charlie Nikitas earned $20,612 in 2024, continuing the trend of increased purses in recent years.

Flossmoor’s Legacy

Flossmoor Golf Club’s rich history of championship golf is a testament to its enduring legacy. The course, designed by Herbert Tweedie and opened in 1900, first gained national attention in 1906 when it hosted the Western Open, considered on par with the U.S. Open at the time. Alex Smith won that event, securing one of his two Western Open titles.

In 1909, the Western Golf Association returned to Flossmoor for the Western Amateur, where Chick Evans claimed his first of eight titles in the event. In 1911, then-club president Harry Collis took charge of the course’s maintenance, becoming an accomplished agronomist and developing the renowned Flossmoor Bent Grass, still popular on putting greens today. Collis’ contributions were honored with his induction into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in 2023.

During World War I, Flossmoor Golf Club hosted Red Cross Matches in 1917 and 1918, featuring stars like Robert Garner, Chick Evans, Perry Adair, and Bobby Jones. The club continued to attract prestigious events, including the third annual PGA Championship in 1920, won by Illinois native Jock Hutchison. The U.S. Amateur followed in 1923, with a field that included Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet, and eventual champion Max Marston.

The 75th Illinois Open drew upon Flossmoor’s storied past, incorporating elements from Tweedie’s original design, Collis’ green complexes, and Raymond Hearn’s 2006 bunker redesigns. The event featured a strong field, including nine of the top 10 finishers from the 2023 Illinois Open, five of the last six champions, and several current PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour players.

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