John Moran – “The Prairie Raynor” and Chicago Golf Club’s Historic Transformation

Our guest this episode of The Chicago Golf Report podcast is author and Chicago Golf Club historian John Moran. “The Prairie Raynor” by John Moran and Rand Jerris has been selected as the recipient of the USGA’s Herbert Warren Wind Award, recognizing the book as an outstanding work of golf literature.

“The Prairie Raynor” details Chicago Golf Club’s historic transformation – from its status as one of the USGA’s five founding clubs and host of eight national championships, its existential crisis in the wake of World War I, and its subsequent renaissance under Raynor’s masterful eye to its ultimate legacy as one of the nation’s most celebrated designs.

Moran has been a part of the club’s story for nearly 50 years, starting as a caddie in 1977 and becoming a member in 1986. After retiring in 2021 from a successful career in both for-profit and non-profit management, he now serves on the board of the Chicago Golf Club, where he remains dedicated to preserving its rich legacy.

Highlights from our discussion:

• The Early Days of Golf Early golf courses were rudimentary, designed to penalize poor play, especially the inability to get the ball airborne [00:25].
• Strategic Golf Architecture Around 1901, the concept of strategic golf architecture emerged, emphasizing options and challenges for players based on their skill level and shot choices [01:32].
• CB McDonald’s Vision Charles Blair (CB) McDonald aimed to create a golf course with 18 great holes, leading to the establishment of the National Golf Links of America, the first strategic golf course in the United States [02:35].
• Seth Raynor’s Role McDonald mentored Seth Raynor, a civil engineer, in golf course design. Raynor physically built many of McDonald’s courses and later took over the business, becoming a prominent figure in golf course architecture [03:21].
• Chicago Golf Club’s Transformation In 1917, McDonald recommended Raynor to redesign Chicago Golf Club, recognizing its course needed improvement. Raynor’s design adapted to the rolling prairie site, creating a top-ranked course [05:15].
• Course Design Elements The Chicago Golf Club’s design emphasizes strategic options and the natural landscape, with limited water hazards to maintain the prairie aesthetic. The greens and their surroundings are key to the course’s challenge and appeal [09:21].
• Book Creation The creation of “The Prairie Raynor” involved collaboration with golf historians, photographers, and artists to tell the club’s unique story. The book aimed to document the course’s history and evolution [11:18].
• The Foulis Brothers The Foulis brothers, with connections to Old Tom Morris, played a crucial role in the early days of Chicago Golf Club, with Jim and David Foulis contributing significantly to the course’s development [22:32].
• Chick Evans’s Involvement Chick Evans, a prominent golfer, was a member of Chicago Golf Club from 1916 to 1923 and actively participated in the club’s community [23:17].
• Future Events Chicago Golf Club is set to host the 2033 U.S. Women’s Open, marking a significant event in the club’s history and providing an opportunity to showcase the course to a broader audience [24:34].

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