Course Material: A Look into the Oak Brook Golf Club
By Anna Hughes
Golf has been a staple in Oak Brook for a century. The sport, which blends precision and passion, composure and camaraderie, has been the backdrop for many a business outing, girls’ weekend, and friendly family feud in the village since the early 20th century. Its courses have stood the test of time, paving the way for an even more exciting future for both residents and visitors. One standout course, both in local history and player experience, is the Oak Brook Golf Club.
History of the Holes
In 1926, the 18-hole York Golf Club was established at 22nd Street and York Road, making it one of the oldest golf clubs in the area. Located near the present-day Oak Brook Polo Club, York Golf Club was known for its beautiful grounds, countryside views, and challenging water holes.
In 1973, York Golf Club transitioned to a private, nine-hole course known as the Executive Golf Course. The Executive Golf Course boasted a roster of elites, including Paul Butler and many of his friends. In order to expand membership, the course became semi-private in 1975. Just a few years later, the course closed for expansion; it reopened in 1980 as the Oak Brook Golf Club, an 18-hole course designed by Roger Packard and Dennis Wise.
In over 40 years of business, the Oak Brook Golf Club has served the community as a semi-private facility open to the public, offering residents a luxurious golfing experience right in their own backyard from late March through early December. Over the years, the club has undergone a myriad of changes and updates to meet the needs of the growing golf community in the area and ensure their experience is up-to-date with industry standards and guest expectations.
The Current Club
Oak Brook Golf Club is a par 72, parkland style, which maxes out at 6,541 yards and has four sets of tees to choose from.
“The course boasts a nice variety of holes, water features, well-manicured bunkers, and smooth, undulating greens,” Rob Michalak, the club’s Head Golf Professional, said.
He added that the club has a nice finishing stretch, an expansive grass tee driving range, chipping green, putting green, and a practice bunker. But no course is complete without the clubhouse itself: Oak Brook Golf Club has a golf shop stocked with the latest in apparel, golf balls, gloves, and accessories, as well as a full-service bar and restaurant, an indoor dining area, and a patio overlooking the 9th hole for daily dining and refreshments.
Michalak said the course, along with all of the aforementioned popular features, is well-known for being well-manicured.
“Our Golf Course Superintendent, Sean Creed, has a tremendous amount of experience, which has allowed him to maintain the golf course at a private Country Club level,” Michalak said. “He has been here for nearly 30 years. As much play and traffic as this golf course gets, Sean does a great job keeping this course in great shape.”
Future of the Fairways
Every year at the Oak Brook Golf Club is an opportunity for advancing guest experience—both on and off the green—and 2025 is no different.
“We are going to have GPS installed on every golf cart this Spring, which will enhance the golfer’s experience with golf course data built-in and available on the mini screen in the cart,” Michalak said.
Furthermore, the club’s team is exploring options of adding synthetic golf mats on the (currently, all-grass) driving range to help alleviate wear and tear.
“With the heavy usage on our range, the grass gets torn up quickly, the mats will give us the opportunity to close the grass tees down and give the grass a chance to rest and re-grow,” Michalak said. “This will also allow us to use the mats during the early and late months of the golf season when conditions can be a little wet and muddy out there.”
As always, the Oak Brook Golf Club will be offering a wide assortment of group or private instruction for golfers of all skill levels and ages led by Gary Pinns and Ian Grant, instructors that have been teaching at the club for over 25 years.
For more information on the Oak Brook Golf Club, as well as tee and instruction times, visit GolfOakBrook.org. For more updates on the Club, see page 51 of this issue.
Oak Brook Magazine thanks the Oak Brook Historical Society for providing insight and information into the club’s history.
2025 Tournaments at Oak Brook Golf Club
MEMBER EVENTS*:
Barile Cup Match Play
Saturday, July 12th
1st Round Matches
12:00PM Tee Times
Club Championship
August 1st & 2nd
11:00AM Tee Times
Freeman Cup
October 4th & 5th
8:30AM Tee Times
PUBLIC EVENTS:
Birdie Bonanza
Saturday, April 5th
8:30 AM Shotgun
4 Person Scramble
Chili Open
Saturday, November 8th
9:00AM Shotgun
4 Person Scramble
*Please visit
OakBrookGolfClub.com for various membership options.
