Early in its history, Olympia Fields had four golf courses. Today the country club, located in the quiet suburbs south of Chicago (downtown members used to take a train to the courses, as the line lies right along the property line), boasts two layouts, the North and the South. The North is well-established as a major tournament course as the host of two PGA Championships, two U.S. Opens, a U.S. Amateur and several Western Opens. The South, originally designed by Tom Bendelow, serves as a wonderful everyday alternative. It's been many things over the years, having undergone several remodels. Steve Smyers tapped into its early 20th-century heritage during a 2007 renovation, creating chocolate-drop mounds and other sharp features, and Andy Staples recently completed another revision that included rebuilding greens and revamping the bunker strategies. How the recent work impacts its ranking both nationally (it's currently ranked 13th in Illinois and made our Second 100 Greatest from 2013 through 2018) and regionally remains to be seen.
Less