One of the five founding clubs of the United States Golf Association in 1894 Chicago was also the site of the nation s first 18 hole course and the first to host the U S Open outside of the northeast With only 107 members and a steeplechase worth of hurdles to clear in order to get in it s one of the most exclusive clubs in the world so it s no wonder that little has changed there in 100 years Driving up to the colonnaded white clubhouse you half expect to see a horse buggy come round the bend The club s founder and designer Charles Blair MacDonald won the first official U S Amateur Championship in 1895 The old links style course features wide fairways and large greens The terrain is fairly hilly so uneven lies are common Joe Lloyd won the 1897 U S Open at Chicago Harry Vardon in 1900 and John McDermott in 1911 It s a regular in GOLF Magazine s list of the Top 100 Courses in the U S