
I Finally Played Chicago Golf Club
Dan Evans finally checked Chicago Golf Club off the bucket list. After years of being asked whether he had ever played one of the most exclusive courses in America, Dan finally got the invitation and experienced Chicago Golf Club firsthand. He breaks down what makes the course so difficult, from thick rough and deceptive bunkering to brutal green complexes and championship-speed putting surfaces. Dan also reveals what he shot and explains why, in the conditions he played it, Chicago Golf Club felt harder than Augusta National. The show also dives into what makes Chicago Golf Club so historically important. Dan talks about the club’s role as one of the founding clubs of the USGA, the story behind the out-of-bounds rule, the no-electronics tradition, the historic clubhouse, and the dedicated train car that once brought golfers directly from Chicago to the club. Plus, the crew gets into Margaret Abbott’s incredible Olympic story, the club’s old equipment history, the Genesis experience that got Dan on property, and why playing Chicago Golf Club felt like stepping back into another era of golf. Chapters/Timestamps 0:00 Dan finally played Chicago Golf Club 0:42 How hard is it to get on? 1:39 Entering a different golf world 2:23 The clubhouse fire before the U.S. Open 3:21 Why membership is so limited 3:46 How Dan got the invitation 4:31 Having the course almost completely to themselves 4:52 Playing a Presidents Cup-style match 7:05 The full Chicago Golf Club experience 8:36 Meeting a longtime caddie 10:20 What the atmosphere actually feels like 11:50 Dan immediately breaks a clubhouse rule 13:41 Why the rough was so brutal 15:29 The green complexes are unforgiving 17:41 Dan’s only birdie of the day 18:52 Guessing Dan’s final score 19:46 Was Chicago Golf Club harder than Augusta? 20:24 Dan reveals his score 21:23 Why the course looks easier than it is 23:31 Dan immediately three-putts 24:49 Chicago Golf Club’s no-electronics rule 25:17 No rangefinders allowed 26:43 The historic clubhouse tour 28:26 Chicago Golf Club helped shape American golf 28:58 The origin of the out-of-bounds rule 29:47 The green Dan still could not figure out 31:15 The best advice from his caddie 35:33 Margaret Abbott’s unbelievable Olympic story 36:44 She died without knowing she won gold 37:45 Abraham Lincoln’s son and Chicago Golf Club 37:52 The club pro who helped shape golf equipment 43:34 America’s first 18-hole course 43:57 Chicago Golf Club’s private train car 44:24 The club had its own train stop 47:25 Final thoughts on the experience 47:48 The Genesis GV90 at Medinah