Private Clubs & Country Clubs in Highland Park

Bob O'Link Golf Club is a storied private club founded in 1916 in Highland Park, Illinois, featuring an 18-hole Donald Ross design that remains one of the North Shore's most respected layouts. The course is distinguished by its classic Ross greens — small, undulating, and demanding precise approach play — with a routing that blends open and tree-lined fairways in the strategic tradition of early American golf architecture. A 1924 renovation by William S. Flynn refined the course while preserving the integrity of Ross's original vision.

Exmoor Country Club is a historic private club founded in the late 1890s in Highland Park, Illinois, and one of the founding members of the Western Golf Association. The 18-hole course was originally laid out by William Watson and significantly redesigned by Donald Ross in 1915, featuring the characteristic green undulations that define his work. Exmoor has hosted notable championships including the 2018 USGA Women's Amateur, cementing its place among the most accomplished private clubs in the Chicago area.

Northmoor Country Club is a historic private golf club founded in the early 20th century on Chicago's North Shore in Highland Park, Illinois. The 18-hole course was designed by Donald Ross and opened for play in 1916, featuring his hallmark push-up greens and a routing that preserves much of his original vision. The club has hosted significant championships including the 1964 U.S. Women's Amateur, and a 2004 restoration by Ross specialist Ron Prichard returned the course to its Golden Age character.

Old Elm Club is a golf-only private club founded in 1913 in Highland Park, Illinois, representing one of only two Harry S. Colt designs in North America and a rare collaboration between Colt and Donald Ross. The 18-hole, par-71 course is a walking-only layout restored in 2016-2017 by Jim Urbina, preserving its original push-up greens and links-style bunkering. Its architectural rarity and steadfast commitment to traditional golf make Old Elm one of the most historically significant private clubs in the Midwest.