Shoreacres

Shoreacres sits above Lake Michigan's bluffs in Lake Bluff, Illinois, and stands as one of Seth Raynor's most admired designs. The club was founded in 1916, but with construction delayed by World War I, Raynor did not complete the course until the early 1920s. Working across gently rolling terrain cut by dramatic wooded ravines, Raynor applied his signature template holes drawn from the great courses of the British Isles, including the Redan, Biarritz, Eden and Road Hole, framed by bold, geometric green complexes. The ravines give the routing much of its drama, forcing carries and shaping strategy in ways rare for the Chicago region. In the early 2000s, Tom Doak's Renaissance Design team, working with the club, restored greens and reclaimed lost features, returning the course closer to Raynor's intent. Shoreacres is consistently ranked among the finest classic courses in America.