When business and pleasure come together, they can create lasting friendships — as I discovered during a recent round at Medinah Country Club in the Chicago suburbs. Medinah is one of those courses every avid golfer wants to play, ranked alongside Merion, The Old Course at St. Andrews and Pine Valley. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to play many of these iconic venues while traveling for work and pleasure.
My connection to Medinah began with a chance encounter on a business trip to Portugal. Waiting in a Lisbon hotel lobby, I struck up a conversation with a fellow traveler and asked, “You look like you play golf. Want to join me today?” That friendly introduction led to a long-standing friendship with Todd Brainerd. We’ve kept in touch, played rounds together when schedules allow, and arranged calls and visits in Chicago. As a Medinah member, Todd invited me to join him for a round before my flight out of O’Hare — and I gladly accepted.
If Medinah is unfamiliar to you, it’s likely you don’t follow golf closely. The club was founded by members of the Shriners Temple in Chicago seeking a country retreat during the Roaring Twenties. Scottish architect Tom Bendelow designed all three courses: Course One opened in 1925 (redesigned by Tom Doak in 2014), Course Two in 1926, and Course Three in 1928. Course Three, originally created as the “Ladies Course,” saw major redesigns in the 1930s and was renovated by Rees Jones in 2002. Course Three is Medinah’s crown jewel, having hosted the Ryder Cup, three U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships.
Make time to see the clubhouse. Built in the mid-1920s by architect Richard G. Schmid, the structure is an eclectic mix of Byzantine, Asian and Louis XIV influences with touches of Italian style. German-born artist Gustav A. Brand painted the rotunda and the murals that adorn the interior.
We planned to play the famed Course Three, and I recommend adding Medinah to your must-play list.
HOLE 3 | 365 yards, par 4
Before heading to the tee, Todd suggested a stop at the halfway house for his signature drink, the “Brainerd.” It’s a refreshing mix of lemonade, Ketel One vodka and a splash of cranberry juice over ice — a clubhouse favorite right after Miller Lite, according to the bar staff. With Brainerds in hand, we approached the third tee, which sits behind a pretty retention pond with a welcoming fairway beyond. The clouds cleared and the sun peeked through — a fine end-of-summer moment. Our play wasn’t memorable: both of us carded double bogeys. Whether the Brainerds helped our game is debatable.
HOLE 7 | 571 yards, par 5
Hole 7 demands a careful tee shot to avoid the traps Bendelow and Jones placed along the fairway. My drive landed just short of a cluster of bunkers on the left, leaving a long fairway for a 3-wood that reached within reach of the green. From there the round unraveled: I overhit a chip and compounded errors that resulted in a double bogey. The green is slightly elevated and protected by three large bunkers, and Todd and I both walked away with the same disappointing score.
HOLE 12 | 452 yards, par 4
I was warned that a drive too far right would roll into the pond below. With advice from Todd and our caddie Mike, I positioned my tee shot left so it would trickle down to an ideal spot. Todd, trying to do the same, overcompensated and ended up farther up the hill by a lone tree. My next shot left me a pitching wedge to an only slightly elevated green, but a pull sent the ball left. A good chip got me onto the green and a bogey, matching Todd’s score on the hole. It’s fitting — this is the course’s toughest hole by handicap.
Hole 13 © FRANCIS X. GALLAGHER
HOLE 13 | 151 yards, par 3
Todd reminisced about the 2012 Ryder Cup as we waited near the green, where pros often paused on their way to the 14th. Hole 13 is striking, guarded by a canal that flows from a large reservoir. Under light pressure from the group behind us, we both managed decent tee shots. My ball landed pin-high just off the green in a puttable spot, while Todd found the forward bunker. He executed a par from the sand — a “sandy” — and we both walked away with pars, then made our way quickly to the 14th tee.
HOLE 18 | 398 yards, par 4
The 18th is a fitting finishing hole on a day that cleared into brilliant sunshine. A large American flag flies prominently behind the green, framing the final approach. I clipped a branch favoring the left side of the fairway but managed to recover enough for a bogey. Our scores weren’t spectacular, but the round was memorable. We celebrated with Brainerds in the clubhouse and enjoyed the setting and company. A chance meeting with a stranger in Portugal, a shared round and a club invitation led to a friendship and an unforgettable day at Medinah.
MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
6N001 Medinah Road
Medinah, IL 60157
tel 630 773 1700
medinahcc.org