Midlothian Country Club

Overview: Midlothian Country Club is a historic Herbert J. Tweedie course southwest of Chicago, laid across 208 acres of rolling, wooded prairie. The private 18-hole layout plays to par 71 and reaches 6,712 yards in the directory record. Its traditional character comes from the brook through the property, the saucer-shaped land and the relationship between the original greens and the modern tee positions. Raymond Hearn's recent work renewed the course without turning it into a generic contemporary layout.

History: Midlothian was established in 1898 as the first privately owned club south of Chicago, and Herbert J. Tweedie designed the original course. Donald Ross also influenced the property before the 1914 U.S. Open, and later architects made further changes. In 2021-22 Raymond Hearn led a major renovation of all 82 bunkers, lengthened tee boxes and restored historical pin positions, blending modern playability with the course's Golden Age roots.

Did You Know? Midlothian once operated a nine-hole auxiliary course and required players to score 72 or better there before playing the main 18-hole layout. The unusual qualification tradition shows how seriously the early club treated preparation and progression.