The Evans at Canal Shores

The Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association and KemperSports have announced the rebranding of Canal Shores to The Evans at Canal Shores. This new name and logo mark the beginning of a new era for the historic 100-year-old course, aiming to provide exceptional and memorable experiences for golfers in the Chicagoland area.

Under the guidance of KemperSports and the Canal Shores Board, this non-profit course is being revitalized through the collaboration of several golf industry leaders, including the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation, First Tee – Greater Chicago, Wadsworth Golf Charities, the Chicago District Golf Association, Quitno Golf Designs, and private contributions. The revamped course is set to reopen in 2025, featuring an upgraded par-60, 18-hole golf course, a youth development training center, and the Western Golf Association Caddie Academy.

“Canal Shores has served a special place in the community for more than 100 years,” said Board President Matt Rooney. “The Evans at Canal Shores continues the legacy of Canal Shores while putting added focus on the youth development and youth caddie training opportunities that will come from the renovated golf course.”

The renovation, which began in 2022, is spearheaded by architect Todd Quitno. The project aims to modernize and reimagine the urban golf course. Situated alongside the North Shore Canal, which flows into the Chicago River, The Evans at Canal Shores will become a hub for youth golf development and caddie training, thanks to partnerships with First Tee – Greater Chicago and the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation.

The new name honors Chick Evans, one of the greatest amateur golfers of all time, who attended high school in Evanston. Rather than turning professional, Evans collaborated with the Western Golf Association to use his golf career earnings to establish the Evans Scholars Foundation in 1930.

Since then, the Foundation has awarded full tuition and college scholarships to over 13,000 youth caddies, including the 1,130 Evans Scholars enrolled in 24 leading universities across the nation this year. The Evans at Canal Shores is located less than a mile from the first Evans Scholarship House, established in 1940 on Northwestern University’s campus.

The course’s new logo features an owl perched atop a golf club, symbolizing the course’s dedication to being a responsible community member and its mission to educate the local youth through golf.