How 2 design titans built this Chicago-area gem

By: GOLF Editors

November 24, 2024

A view of Old Elm in Highland Park, Ill.

GOLF's newest Top 100 Courses in the U.S. ranking includes 11 newcomers, which we'll introduce you to here. Meet Old Elm in Highland Park, Ill.

Patrick Koenig

GOLF recently released its latest ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. (2024-25), a list that includes 11 newcomers. Some of them you might know. Others you might not. Here, in our newcomer spotlights, we’ll introduce you to these rookie Top 100 gems.

Newcomer spotlight: Old Elm / Rank: 94th

Location: Highland Park, Ill.
Type: Private
Year opened: 1913
Architect: H.S. Colt

What you need to know about Old Elm

Harry Colt built Old Elm in 1913, in one of his rare North American visits. In the ensuing years, Donald Ross added his own touches, representing the only significant time these two design titans spent together. Fast forward 100 years and superintendent Curtis James has turned this course into a haven for short grass with some of the fastest and firmest playing surfaces in the country. Tee balls scamper forever, at least until they run into one of the Colt bunkers that architect David Zinkand has meticulously restored over the past decade. The bouncy playing surfaces also have turned some of the crowned greens — like on the world-class 2nd and 5th holes — into terrifying propositions. Colt never built features that scream at you; and such is the case at Old Elm, which is the kind of design you would like to wrestle with 30 to 50 times a year. You might not lose a ball playing here but you will wonder why you don’t quite play to your handicap.

What our raters say

“A marriage of H.S. Colt and Donald Ross with a bunker restoration that brings elements of the heathlands to suburban Chicago. A Golden Age classic in every respect, one can only marvel at features like the double green 6th and 17th. Colt’s pulpit green locations and Ross’ construction savvy make this a unique addition to the U.S. Top 100.”

“The club’s history is as fascinating as its features, where the members that built it were familiar with the work of both Ross and Colt, and elected Colt to design, and Ross to build. In contemporary terms, Ross was both the associate and the contractor. The results are sublimely spectacular with a variety of fascinating features all gouged and carved into a fairly flat piece of land. The strategic decisions, visual illusions, as well as angles of physical play on both the ground and in the air are outstanding.”