Chicago, Illinois. (August 8, 2024) – The Chicago Park District’s Jackson Park Golf Course celebrates its 125th anniversary.th anniversary in 2024. The popular Tom Bendelow-designed municipal golf course opened on May 11, 1899, and has a history that reads like a golf encyclopedia. Named after former President Andrew Jackson, Jackson Park Golf Course was built on the site of the 1893 World’s Fair and is part of the larger Jackson Park that stretches along Lake Michigan on Chicago’s south side.
When Jackson Park Golf Course opened in 1899, it was the first public golf course west of the Allegheny Mountains, and play was free. The course has hosted the Chicago City Amateur for 119 years, an event won five times by golf legend and Evans Scholarship founder Charles “Chick” Evans. Long considered a beacon of inclusivity, Jackson Park is home to numerous African-American golfers and leagues, most notably the Bob-O-Links Junior Golf Club for children ages 8 to 17. Bob-O-Links was founded in 1954 by the Chicago Women’s Golf Club, the oldest African-American women’s golf club in the country. Additionally, the Jackson Park Golf Association (JPGA) was formed in 1989 as an anchor for the course’s longstanding minority use.
“Tiger Woods came to us in 1994 as a role model for our young people and our work will continue into the future by providing college scholarships and more opportunities. With Jackson Park as our backdrop, we live out the JPGA’s mission to provide values, resources, services, opportunities and sustainability to the community,” said Tracy Raoul, JPGA chair, president of the Ebony Ladies Golf League and director of the Chicago District Golf Association and the Illinois Junior Golf Association.
Today, the Chicago Park District continues to keep green fees at Jackson Park affordable, with an 18-hole walking fee of just $36. The course remains a staple in the Windy City and recently hosted the 119th Annual Chicago Open.th Chicago City Amateur and the 51st The Junior Amateur Championship is home to a new caddie program that helps local youth discover the life-changing benefits of caddling.
In September, Troon Golf Ambassador Cheyenne Woods will host a golf clinic for Chicago youth at the Jackson Park Driving Range on Saturday, September 7, while the 125th The summer festivities culminate with the JPGA Scholarship Invitational on Sunday, September 15.
“Chicago’s city flag has four stars that symbolize really important events in the city’s history. If there were a Chicago golf “Jackson Park would definitely be a milestone in the city’s history. It’s not just the number of years, it’s the place Jackson Park holds in people’s lives and in our Chicago community,” said Matt McIntee, senior vice president for Troon and regional general manager for Chicago Park District golf facilities.
Indigo Sports, a Troon-based company, manages the City of Chicago’s eight golf facilities, including Jackson Park, Columbus Park Golf Course, Diversey Driving Range, Douglass (Anna & Frederick) Park, Marquette Park Golf Course, Robert A. Black Golf Course, South Shore Golf Course and Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course.
For more information about Chicago Park District Golf, visit www.cpdgolf.com.
Media contact:
Rob Myers
Troon
480.477.0506
[email protected]
