They’re part of the social fabric of this community, and in many important ways, they’re part of its history. The founder of Exmoor Country Club, for example, was chairman of the organization that laid out the path of Sheridan Road on the North Shore. Today, country club membership remains an integral part of the North Shore lifestyle—a place for friends to gather, families to connect, and alliances to be formed. Where reservations are not required, and someone remembers that you like your martini with two olives, not one. From Lake Bluff to Evanston, Wilmette to Glenview, behold Sheridan Road’s comprehensive guide to the private clubs of the North Shore.

Lake Bluff
ShoreAcres Golf Club
shoreacres1916.com
1601 Shoreacres Road
847-234-1470
Amenities: golf and tennis with lakefront views
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: If you can manage to get past the front door of this very exclusive club (you need to know at least eight members to join), you might be surprised to find there’s no children’s programming, and nary a pool in sight. But the Seth Raynor-designed golf course, the beautiful David Adler-designed clubhouse, and the stunning views of Lake Michigan seem to be more than enough for the members of Shoreacres. While the club is all about understated elegance, beware that understated here means seersucker suits and Lilly Pulitzer dresses.

Lake Forest
Knollwood club
knollwoodclub.org
1890 Knollwood Road
847-234-1600
Amenities: 18-hole C.H. Alison-designed golf course, skeet shooting, tennis, outdoor pool, and cross-country skiing
Initiation fee: $$–$$$$, depending on the level of membership
Inside scoop: Traditional and understated, this Lake Forest club, established in 1924, is welcoming to younger families, but still offers all the country club amenities you’d expect. Once a farm, Knollwood’s 240 acres allows for winter sports like skeet shooting and cross-country skiing. Less expensive social memberships (non-golf) are an option here, and children of members who join before the age of 32 are offered a “legacy” rate.

The Lake Forest Club  
lakeforestclub.com
554 North Westmoreland Road
847-234-5316
Amenities: tennis courts, paddle tennis courts and clubhouse, two outdoor pools, new bathhouse, and outdoor sports court
Initiation fee: $
Inside scoop: Established in 1958, this family-friendly neighborhood club attracts Lake Forest residents with elementary through high school-aged children. The club offers top-notch paddle tennis and tennis courts, a youth swim team, and tennis program featuring some of the best tennis pros around. During the main season, the club offers full-service dining for lunch and dinner, and during the winter, it’s open for dinner several times a week. The club is available for private parties, and is currently offering special summer membership rates.

Deerfield
Briarwood Country Club
briarwoodcountryclub.com
355 Deerfield Road
847-945-2660
Amenities: 18-hole Colt-Allison-designed golf course, outdoor pool, and tennis courts
Initiation fee: $$–$$$, depending on the level of membership
Inside scoop: Briarwood’s roots go back to 1920, when Briergate Country Club was formed. The club closed during the Great Depression and was reopened as Briarwood in 1957. The club’s easy-to-get-to location draws members from Deerfield, Glencoe, Northbrook, and Highland Park, who come for the golf, the family atmosphere, the excellent dining, and drinks on the porch. Briarwood is known for its excellent caddie program; many of its caddies are recipients of the generous Briarwood Scholarship program. The club also offers Evans Scholarships for college-bound kids.

Ravinia Green Country Club
raviniagreen.com   
1200 Saunders Road
847-945-6200
Amenities: 18-hole golf course and driving range, three swimming pools, six tennis courts, putting green, ballroom, two smaller event rooms, and full dining 10 months out of the year
Initiation fee:  $$$
Inside scoop: Established in 1967, this club boasts 300 member families who come from all over the North Shore to enjoy some of the best dining and parties around. Every Halloween, Ravinia Green’s building engineer turns the entire first floor of the club into a haunted house worthy of a movie set, and nearly 500 people come to experience it.
 

Owentsia Club Photo By Rasa Velicka

Onwentsia club
onwentsiaclub.com
300 North Green Bay Road
847-234-0120
Amenities: 18-hole golf course, outdoor pool, tennis, paddle, and a barn
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: Members say you can literally feel the history in this vast club, established in 1895, making it the oldest club on the North Shore. So it’s no surprise that Onwentsia takes great pride in maintaining its old-school feel—lots of dark wood and floral fabrics—not to mention its old-school rules—you must have 8–10 members sponsor your application, and absolutely no “scandalous history” of any kind is allowed. Interpret as you wish.

the Winter Club
thewinterclub.com
956 N. Sheridan Road
847-234-0030
Amenities: tennis, swimming, ice skating, sledding, and summer camps
Initiation fee: $
Inside scoop: This upper crust club is also very casual and family-friendly, which is why it serves as a secondary club for many Onwentsia families. What it lacks in grandeur, The Winter Club makes up for in charm—the scene by the ice skating rink in the winter is said to feel like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. A hidden gem.

Highland Park
the Birchwood club
birchwoodclub.com
1174 Park Avenue West
847-831-2040
Amenities: outdoor pool, two paddle courts, heated paddle hut with fireplace, and 16 tennis courts
Inititation fee: $
Inside scoop: Birchwood is a club for serious tennis players—at least one member of the family is expected to be an active tennis player in order to join. This club is known for its phenomenal food and hosts numerous tennis tournaments and parties throughout the year, including a lobster night, 4th of July bash, and family-oriented dinners. The club’s paddle program has been such a hit, a new heated paddle hut was recently installed.

Bob O’Link Golf Club
1120 Crofton Avenue North
847-432-0917
Amenities: 18-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course, card rooms, and dining
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: Built in 1916 as a family club, two years later, Bob O’Link became a men’s only golf club. The course is a golfer’s dream and draws prominent businessmen from all over the North Shore and Chicago (Mike Ditka is a member) seeking a “guy’s getaway.” In fact, the club is
anti-business—members pay by personal check and no company gatherings or business meetings are permitted. Byron Nelson holds the course record at 63 (shot in the ’60s), which still stands today.

Exmoor Country Club
exmoorcountryclub.org       
700 Vine Avenue
847-432-3600
Amenities: 18-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course, swimming pools, indoor practice facility, driving range, and platform tennis
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: Founded in 1896, Exmoor is one of Illinois’ few remaining curling clubs, with a proud history of state, regional, and national championship teams. Besides curling enthusiasts, Exmoor draws families (the club offers a variety of children’s sports, all with learning opportunities and most with inter-club competition) and some serious golfers; three of its members have won the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship.

Northmoor Country Club
northmoor.org
820 Edgewood Road
847-433-5342
Amenities: 10 tennis courts, a 27-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course, two paddle courts, outdoor pool, and hot tub
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: Now entering its 93rd year, this family-driven Highland Park club boasts many second- and third-generation members. The club has grown both its paddle and tennis programs in recent years, but its mainstay has always been dining—there are several dining options available, and its very social members use the club often to entertain. Speaking of, the club is known for its huge 4th of July celebration, which draws 1,000 people and features a pool party, carnival, and over-the-top fireworks.

Old Elm Club
oldelmclub.com
800 Old Elm Road
847-432-6270
Amenities: golf only (designed by Harry Colt and Donald Ross)
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: Established in 1913, this ultra-traditional men’s only golf club prides itself on being the kind of place where time’s stood still. Its membership, a closely-guarded secret, is said to include some of the wealthiest men in the Chicago area, a number of whom also hold memberships at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
 

Michigan Shores Club Photo By Rasa Velicka

Wilmette
Michigan Shores Club
michiganshores.com
911 Michigan Avenue
847-251-4100
Amenities: indoor pool, paddle tennis courts, bowling alley, and banquet rooms
Initiation fee: $
Inside scoop: It’s undergone a couple of name changes since its inception in 1904 (Ouillmette Country Club, Shawnee Club), but one thing’s remained the same: Michigan Shores Club is a neighborhood club with a family-friendly feel and dedicated employees, some of whom have been with the club for more than 25 years. Members prize the club’s outstanding holiday brunches, children’s programming (camps, swim team, paddle tennis), monthly member birthday nights (free dinner on your birthday month), and summer dining on a deck that overlooks Gilson Park and Lake Michigan.

Westmoreland Country Club
westmorelandcc.org
2601 Old Glenview Road
847-251-4600
Amenities: 27-hole championship golf course, pro shop, banquet rooms, skeet, bar and grill, outdoor pool, tennis, children’s indoor playroom, and a men’s locker room with full bar access and menu
Initiation fee: $$–$$$, depending on the level of membership
Inside scoop: Looking like something out of The Great Gatsby, members at Westmoreland, the result of a split from Evanston Golf Club, prize the club’s beautiful grounds and facility. The service is equally impressive: Staffers know each and every member—and their children—by name. Highlights here include Sunday brunches, themed parties, and outdoor summer dining. No monthly dues.

Glencoe
Lake Shore Country Club
lakeshorecc.com           
1255 Sheridan Road
847-835-3000  
Amenities: 18-hole golf course
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: Even if you’re not familiar with Lake Shore Country Club, chances are you’ve seen it if you’ve driven along Sheridan Road in Glencoe. Perched right on the lake, the club’s enviable location, features a beautiful lakefront golf course, and old-world clubhouse with dramatic curved plaster ceilings.

Skokie Country Club
skokiecc.com
500 Washington Avenue
847-835-0600
Amenities: 18-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course, clubhouse, six tennis courts, four paddle courts, and an outdoor swimming pool
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: Founded in 1897, Skokie Country Club is not named after the town of Skokie, but rather the Native American word meaning swamp. Originally a wetland area, today Skokie Country Club is the site of one of the best golf courses on the North Shore and has hosted the U.S. Open, the Western Amateur (2010), and, over the years, some of the greatest names in golf. The club’s al fresco dining, located on a terrace that overlooks the golf course, is arguably one of the best outdoor dining spots in the area.

Winnetka
Indian Hill Club
indianhillclub.org
One Indian Hill Road
847-251-1711
Amenities: 18-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course, tennis, swimming, and racquetball
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop:  Established in 1914, this New England-style club is known as the club that launched Bill Murray (he and his brothers caddied there while students at Loyola Academy) and was said to be the inspiration for the film Caddyshack. It’s uncertain whether that Hollywood connection is appreciated at this very exclusive club, where members—who must be residents of Winnetka, Kenilworth, or Wilmette—wear jackets and ties while they dine on wasp-y staples like tomato aspic.

Northfield
Sunset Ridge Country Club
sunsetridgecc.org
2100 Sunset Ridge Road
847-446-5222
Amenities: 18-hole golf course, driving range, swimming pool, tennis courts, skeet and trap range, six platform tennis courts, and a paddle hut (boasting one of the biggest paddle programs on the North Shore)
Initiation fee: $$–$$$$, depending on the level of membership (A skeet shooting membership, for November-March, is available for $1,850 per year.)
Inside scoop: From father/son and mother/daughter events to annual pool parties with DJs, paddle and tennis margarita mixers to a summer swim team program, members say this club is a place where busy families and couples can relax and really connect. Established in 1923, the club has recently undergone extensive renovations on its pool, paddle courts, and clubhouse.

Evanston Golf Club

Skokie
Evanston Golf Club
evanstongolfclub.org
4401 Dempster Street
847-676-0300
Amenities: 18-hole golf course, outdoor fire pit, clubhouse, racquet sports, swimming pool, and gun club
Initiation fee: $$–$$$$, depending on the level of membership
Inside scoop: Founded in 1898, Evanston Golf Club was originally located inside the city limits of Evanston, hence the name. Besides its beautifully maintained Donald Ross-designed golf course and commitment to a fine caddie program, the completely renovated Evanston Golf Club is known for its highly attentive staff, spectacular events (4th of July, holidays, and elegant weddings), and locker rooms that are more like spas. Famous former members include former U.S. Vice President Charles G. Dawes, 39th Chicago Mayor Martin J. Kennelly, and White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley.

Glenview
North Shore Country Club   
north-shorecc.org
1340 Glenview Road
847-729-1200
Amenities: clubhouse, tennis and paddle tennis, swimming pool, curling, and a spectacular 18-hole golf course, which draws serious golfers from all over the North Shore
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: Besides serious golfers (North Shore will host the 109th Western Amateur this August), North Shore draws families from Catholic schools across the North Shore, including Faith, Hope & Charity, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sacred Heart, and Loyola Academy. Consequently, the club offers numerous programs for kids, including swim teams, Friday “future stars” junior golfing, tennis programs, summer camp, and various movie nights, carnivals, and family-oriented events.

Valley Lo Club
valleylo.com
2200 Tanglewood Drive
847-729-5550
Amentities: 18-hole par-3 golf course, clubhouse, boating/beach, indoor swimming pool, workout room, sauna, tennis, and paddle tennis
Initiation fee: $-$$, depending on the level of membership
Inside scoop: This family-friendly club just won a national award for its junior program, which includes tennis, golf, swimming, and sailing. The club’s newly expanded lower level, featuring a dining room with kitchen and beachfront patio dining, has made it a popular place for weddings (there’s even a bride’s room). Known for its food and wine, members are allowed to meet their monthly minimums through take-out dining and take-home wine purchases.

Glen View Country Club
glenviewclub.com   
100 Golf Road
847-729-6500
Amenities: six tennis courts, six paddle tennis courts, swimming pool, skeet shooting, skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and a spectacular golf course
Initiation fee: $$$$
Inside scoop: Founded in 1897, Glen View Country Club, which is actually located in the tiny village of Golf, caters to families from all over the North Shore, offering a variety of sports opportunities and numerous family-friendly events, including its popular parents’ nights, where parents eat dinner with friends while their children enjoy a chaperoned evening of kid-friendly food and games.

Northbrook
Green Acres Country Club
greenacrescountryclub.com
916 Dundee Road
847-291-2200
Amenities: 18-hole golf course, short game practice range and driving range, six Har-Tru tennis courts, swimming pool, and clubhouse with main dining room
Initiation fee: $
Inside scoop:  Founded in 1924, Green Acres is known for its friendliness, family-oriented programming, and, lately its renovations. While many older clubs postponed renovations during the economic slowdown, in 2006, Green Acres installed a brand-new swimming pool and pool restaurant and renovated its golf course with bent grass greens. In 2007, the entire clubhouse was renovated, with stunning results.

Key for initiation fee:
Under $20,000:        $
$20,000-$40,000:     $$
$40,000-60,000:       $$$
$60,000 and above: $$$$