Bob O’Link Golf Club – Membership Cost and Fees
Bob O’Link Golf Club is an exclusive private golf club with membership generally available by invitation and sponsorship. Current initiation fees and annual dues are not publicly disclosed by the club. Estimated initiation costs are approximately $75,000 to $125,000, reflecting comparable elite private clubs around Highland Park. Annual dues are estimated between $10,000 and $15,000, although actual charges depend on membership arrangements. Full golf members generally receive playing privileges without paying standard daily green fees. Members may also pay assessments, food minimums, locker fees, caddie charges, and other golf-related expenses.
Guest green fees are not publicly posted because access is generally restricted to members and their invited guests. Estimated guest golf fees could range from $100 to $200 when accompanied by a sponsoring member. Cart fees are also undisclosed, while the club’s traditional golf culture strongly supports walking and caddie use. Caddie fees and gratuities can create additional expenses for members and guests choosing traditional walking rounds. Actual membership costs may therefore substantially exceed annual dues after assessments and incidental club expenses. Prospective members should obtain current initiation, dues, guest, cart, caddie, and assessment information directly from the club.
Bob O’Link Golf Club Facilities
Bob O’Link Golf Club focuses primarily on golf rather than offering the extensive recreational amenities of traditional family country clubs. Practice facilities include a driving range, putting green, chipping area, practice bunker, and professional golf instruction. Members also have access to golf club fitting, professional services, locker rooms, changing facilities, and a golf shop. The clubhouse provides restaurant and dining facilities for members, guests, golf gatherings, and private club functions. Caddie service supports the club’s traditional walking culture and enhances the classic private-golf experience. Facilities emphasize high-quality golf, member service, practice opportunities, dining, and social interaction.
The club occupies a secluded property in Highland Park, approximately 25 miles north of downtown Chicago. Highland Park is an affluent North Shore community featuring established neighborhoods, parks, shopping, restaurants, and Lake Michigan access. Nearby communities include Deerfield, Northbrook, Glencoe, and Lake Forest, creating a concentrated private-club golf market. The surrounding area combines mature residential neighborhoods with convenient access to major roads and commuter rail transportation. Bob O’Link’s property includes mature trees and natural terrain associated with the nearby Skokie River floodplain. This North Shore location provides a quiet golf environment despite its proximity to metropolitan Chicago.
Bob O’Link Golf Club Course
Bob O’Link features a private 18-hole parkland course originally designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1916. C.H. Alison substantially redesigned the expanded property during the 1920s, establishing much of today’s strategic character. Jim Urbina later restored important architectural features while improving drainage, irrigation, bunkering, and overall playability. Bentgrass greens and fairways replaced problematic Poa surfaces, producing firm, smooth conditions and improved turf consistency. Current back tees measure approximately 7,184 yards, playing to par 71 with a 75.3 rating and 139 slope. Multiple tee combinations provide shorter options, including approximately 6,744 yards from the blue tees.
Strategically positioned bunkers, broad fairways, angled greens, and natural drainage features create numerous risk-and-reward decisions throughout the course. Exact current bunker and water-hole counts are not officially published, making reliable totals difficult to confirm. The closing holes and strategically bunkered par fours are among Bob O’Link’s most memorable and demanding challenges. Course renovations removed hundreds of trees, improving strategic angles, turf health, sightlines, and connections to Alison’s original concepts. Bob O’Link hosted the 1928 Western Amateur, won by accomplished amateur golfer Frank Dolp. Excellent conditioning and restored Golden Age architecture have strengthened Bob O’Link’s standing among Illinois’ leading private courses.
Bob O’Link Golf Club Address
1120 Crofton Avenue North, Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 432-0917
Learn more about Bob O’Link Golf Club: https://www.bobolinkgolfclub.com