Dan Evans finally checked Chicago Golf Club off the bucket list.
After years of being asked whether he had ever played one of the most exclusive courses in America, Dan finally got the invitation and experienced Chicago Golf Club firsthand.
He breaks down what makes the course so difficult, from thick rough and deceptive bunkering to brutal green complexes and championship-speed putting surfaces. Dan also reveals what he shot and explains why, in the conditions he played it, Chicago Golf Club felt harder than Augusta National.
The show also dives into what makes Chicago Golf Club so historically important. Dan talks about the club’s role as one of the founding clubs of the USGA, the story behind the out-of-bounds rule, the no-electronics tradition, the historic clubhouse, and the dedicated train car that once brought golfers directly from Chicago to the club.
Plus, the crew gets into Margaret Abbott’s incredible Olympic story, the club’s old equipment history, the Genesis experience that got Dan on property, and why playing Chicago Golf Club felt like stepping back into another era of golf.
Chapters/Timestamps0:00 Dan finally played Chicago Golf Club0:42 How hard is it to get on?1:39 Entering a different golf world2:23 The clubhouse fire before the U.
S. Open3:21 Why membership is so limited3:46 How Dan got the invitation4:31 Having the course almost completely to themselves4:52 Playing a Presidents Cup-style match7:05 The full Chicago Golf Club experience8:36 Meeting a longtime caddie10:20 What the atmosphere actually feels like11:50 Dan immediately breaks a clubhouse rule13:41 Why the rough was so brutal15:29 The green complexes are unforgiving17:41 Dan’s only birdie of the day18:52 Guessing Dan’s final score19:46 Was Chicago Golf Club harder than Augusta?20:24 Dan reveals his score21:23 Why the course looks easier than it is23:31 Dan immediately three-putts24:49 Chicago Golf Club’s no-electronics rule25:17 No rangefinders allowed26:43 The historic clubhouse tour28:26 Chicago Golf Club helped shape American golf28:58 The origin of the out-of-bounds rule29:47 The green Dan still could not figure out31:15 The best advice from his caddie35:33 Margaret Abbott’s unbelievable Olympic story36:44 She died without knowing she won gold37:45 Abraham Lincoln’s son and Chicago Golf Club37:52 The club pro who helped shape golf equipment43:34 America’s first 18-hole course43:57 Chicago Golf Club’s private train car44:24 The club had its own train stop47:25 Final thoughts on the experience47:48 The Genesis GV90 at Medinah
