About the Club
The concept for Black Sheep Golf Club was developed by a small group of golfers in the fall of 1999. The intention was to build an outstanding golf course where serious golfer can play with a prompt pace and enjoy the camaraderie of friends and fellow members in an unpretentious and casual atmosphere.
Located west of downtown Chicago near the intersection of Interstate 88 and Route 47, Black Sheep is a 27-hole facility laid out across a former 285-acre farmstead. A former Ohio State golfer who played professionally for a brief time, David Esler designed the layout in keeping with such classic inland links as Shinnecock Hills, Prairie Dunes and Sand Hills.
In addition to the three nines – each of which is a par 36 and measures from 3,300 to 3,800 yards – Esler included a world class practice facility that includes a short game practice area and an exceptionally large two-acre putting green.
Strategic design along with the shear breadth of the property enabled Esler to design golf holes that have unusually wide fairways that give players of varying abilities several risk/reward options off the tee. In essence, the more a player risks in terms of hitting his tee shot in the direction of a primary hazard (water, prairie grass, fescue, wetlands, bunkers, etc.), the greater his reward – i.e., a second shot that provides a better angle of approach to the green, better visibility of the next shot, and/or a shorter approach to the green.
Black Sheep’s naturally rolling prairie provides for significant elevation changes and a feeling of movement throughout the golf course. The land’s undulating terrain along with a muscular bunkering style and the varied color palette of the property’s native prairie grasses give character and definition to the course. Moreover, the lack of tree protection means the notorious Chicago winds are a factor during most every round at Black Sheep. A bit of Scotland perhaps!
Black Sheep represents golf in its purest state – the way it was when the game was founded in Scotland hundreds of years ago. No condos. No hotel. No tour events (though the course may certainly be a challenge to the game’s elite players). No swimming pool. No tennis courts. No dining room. Just a golf course, a saloon and members who relish the game. There is a small lodge onsite where up to eight members or guests can stay overnight.
After only four seasons the links style course has been ranked #53 by Golfweek in their 2006 list of America’s Best Modern Courses.
Chicago Course Rankings Top 100