Established on the eve of Independence Day in 1893 Riverside Golf Club stands as one of America’s oldest golf clubs. Riverside Golf Club is steeped in history. Imagine Riverside Golf Club’s humble beginnings. Mr. William A. Havemeyer gathered twenty-two Riverside citizens. He formed the Riverside Golf Club.
Riverside Golf Club quickly impacted the golf community. In 1899 RGC board member A. P. Bowen suggested starting an association. It would represent golf’s ambitions in the western US. Soon after the Western Golf Association was formed. Riverside Golf Club was a founding member. As a founding member of the WGA Riverside Golf Club supported the Evans Scholars Foundation. Riverside Golf Club has awarded 121 Chick Evans Scholarships since its start.
Riverside Golf Club has hosted many significant golf events in its 127 years. These include the 1928 U.S. Open Qualifying and the 1932 Chicago Women’s District Golf Association Championship. Also hosted were the 1940 C.D.G.A. Amateur and the 1950 U.S. Amateur Qualifying. The Illinois Open also took place here in 1968. More recently Riverside Golf Club hosted the 2018 Illinois Senior Amateur. It also hosted the 2021 U.S. Senior Open Qualifier.
Riverside Golf Club is located 12 miles from the Chicago Loop. It sits on 125 acres of historic land. The land lies along the banks of the Des Plaines River. The golf course straddles the Des Plaines River between Cermak Road and 26th Street. The course has changed and expanded over the years. Yet it remains on substantially the same land.
In the late teens the club bought additional land. It was adjacent to its original property on the opposite side of the Des Plaines River. The club built a new clubhouse on the river bank of the newly acquired land. William Langford designed a new 18-hole course from 1917 to 1919. This reshaped Riverside Golf Club into one of the top courses in the area.
During the 1980s Riverside Golf Club secured 25 acres of Cook County Forest Preserve land. It was east of the Des Plaines River. Four new holes were added on this newly acquired tract. Dick Nugent and Associates designed them. After these holes were completed three holes east of the clubhouse were removed. They were replaced by a practice facility and a new 18th hole. Bob Lohmann designed the practice area and 18th hole. The course remained relatively unchanged from the 1990s through 2015.
In 2015 Chicago architect David Esler oversaw a renovation of the golf course. All bunkers were returned to the original Langford style. They had grass faces. Trees were removed. Tee boxes were added. Some greens were expanded. The current course plays to a par of 71 at 6735 yards. It has a course rating/slope of 73.4/136 from the championship tees.
Riverside Golf Club was the basis for the Mac Divot comic strip. It was published in the 1960s and 1970s. Mac Divot was created by a member who worked for the Chicago Tribune. Many of the stories in the comic strip were based on real life characters. They were also based on happenings at Riverside Golf Club.
Riverside Golf Club celebrated its Quasquicentennial in 2018. That marked its 125th anniversary. The club historian shared an oral history of the Club. He offered a toast celebrating the past and the opportunity of the next 125 years. The club also celebrated its Golf Professional Karl Bollnow. He started as a caddie and advanced to run all golf operations. It was a nearly 50-year partnership with the club. Riverside Golf Club cherishes its history and embraces the future.