Sportsman's classic layout is the product of Edward B. Dearie, a protégé of the legendary golf course architect Donald Ross. Dearie worked for Ross as a golf course construction crew chief in Pennsylvania and Illinois, and Ross's influences can be seen in Dearie's own course designs, including Sportsman's. A noted greens keeper at a number of prestigious Chicago-area country clubs, Dearie also was a charter member of the Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America.

Dearie also designed such Chicago-area courses as St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago, Rob Roy in Prospect Heights, and the Fort Sheridan Golf Course. He died in Evanston in 1952 at age 64.

Many Ross influences can be found at Sportsman's, most notably the strategically designed bunkering that deftly routes play, as well as the gently contoured putting surfaces. Sportsman's classic push-up greens are a delight to play, and reward fine shot making. With the ever changing local winds, the holes can play quite differently from day to day, and the Dearie design accommodates the changing wind direction easily.

Sportsman's classic roots continue with the new redesign by Jacobson Golf Course Design of Libertyville.  Owner Rick Jacobson and lead designer Doug Myslinski followed the groundwork laid by Dearie, and carefully re-worked Sportsman's green surfaces, bunkers, and fairway contours to modernize the course for todays game while paying homage to the classic roots of this fine golf course.  Recently nominated by Golf, Inc. as one of the top five course renovations nationwide, it's clear the formula worked!  Don't miss your chance to visit in 2008 and see what all the fuss is about.  We promise - it will be worth it!

“We tried to recapture the original Donald Ross look and feel of Sportsman's while addressing some of the facility's deferred maintenance issues,” Jacobson said. “We aimed to improve the aesthetics, playability and strategy of the golf course while addressing issues such as drainage and golfer circulation.”

Jacobson has many outstanding course designs to his credit, and has renovated courses designed by Donald Ross, Pete Dye, Tom Bendelow, and the team of H.S. Colt and C.H. Alison. The firm's recent renovation of North Shore Country Club in Glenview, a perennial top-100 golf course, was awarded a runner-up finish in the 2004 Private Course Renovation of the Year awards from Golf Inc.

In addition to reshaping Sportsman's bunkers in more of a Donald Ross style, Jacobson has relocated or eliminated various bunkers that had become obsolete as a result of high-tech clubs and long-flying golf balls.

“Some of the bunkers were realigned and repositioned to accommodate today's golfers,” Jacobson said. “Our goal was to balance the functionality of the golf course with the strategic value hole-by-hole.” With the solid foundation from Dearie and the facelift from Jacobson, Sportsman's will be a treasure for years to come.

Invite a foursome of friends to come out and enjoy this golfing treasure! Click here to reserve a tee time online, or call (847) 291-2350 now!