Formation and Ross commission (1918–c.1921).
Northmoor was established in 1918, and the club credits Donald Ross with the original 18-hole design. Surviving public documentation does not (yet) include a published Ross plan set or construction ledger, but period references place Ross in the Chicago North Shore repeatedly in the 1910s, and Northmoor’s materials consistently identify him as the original architect. A Chicago District Golfer centennial feature references the board’s decision to hire Ross and discusses the club’s early build-up; forum researchers have pointed to 1917–1919 Chicago Tribune notices showing Ross engaged in North Shore work and checking construction the following year. While those clippings are not reproduced in the club record online, they align with the club’s 1918 origin and an early-1920s opening of the Ross 18. These dates require verification from club minutes, contracts, or early course guides, which have not been publicly posted.
Expansion to 27 holes and mid-century alterations. Northmoor grew to 27 holes with an additional nine by Larry Packard. Secondary sources place Packard’s work in 1965, and provide a hole-by-hole split indicating that on today’s routing Packard built Red 2–7 and White 4–5, leaving the Blue Nine entirely Ross and most of the White Nine Ross as well. This allocation is important when evaluating which corridors still express the original Ross routing.
Twenty-first-century renovations.
The club undertook a Hurdzan/Fry renovation (the club’s earlier scorecard lists a 2007 redesign credit) that included comprehensive bunker work; a widely cited summary notes installation of Better Billy Bunker liners and “Black Beauty” fescue edging. In 2021, the club announced a White Nine remodel under Tyler Rae with Duininck Golf as contractor, aimed at raising flood-prone ground, improving drainage, and executing strategic realignments leading to a completely revamped routing of that nine.
Unique Design Characteristics
Where to find the Ross holes today. Because Packard’s 1965 additions are concentrated on Red 2–7 and White 4–5, Ross’s work is most intact on the Blue Nine and on White 1–3 & 6–9. Golfers seeking the clearest run at Ross’s corridors typically play the Blue/White combination, which retains 16 of 18 Ross holes per published analyses. This distribution has shaped member preference and the way visiting historians tour the property.
Stonework and green-edge hazard at Blue 5 / Red 7. The current scorecard singles out a stone wall at the green that defines the penalty-area edge on Blue 5 and Red 7—a distinctive piece of ground detail that now anchors the look and strategy of those approaches. Whether the wall predates Ross or was incorporated later is not stated in public sources, but its presence produces a tight, visual cut-off at the front/side of the green and an unmistakable decision point on approach.
Scale and cadence. The three nines were set up to produce different par totals when paired: Blue (par 35) is the leanest, with one par-5 and two par-3s, while Red and White (each par 36) provide the second par-5 needed to reach par 71/72 in combination. On the Ross-heavy Blue/White, players encounter a measured progression that privileges approach placement over brute length; on Red/White, 7,025 yards from the Black tees stretches the corridors to modern distances while preserving a traditional rhythm. These characteristics are visible in the current club scorecards, which provide hole-by-hole yardages by nine.
Caveat on micro-features. Public sources do not provide authoritative, hole-specific documentation of Ross green contours, false fronts, or diagonal bunker arrays at Northmoor. Any attempt to assign such traits to individual holes would require Ross plans, early aerials (1920s–40s), or pre-renovation photography. Given the Hurdzan/Fry bunker program and Rae’s re-routing on the White Nine, careful separation of what is “Ross,” what is “Packard,” and what is 21st-century adaptation is essential and remains an open research task.
Historical Significance
Northmoor’s significance within Ross’s portfolio lies in its North Shore context and survival of a majority of original corridors within an active, multi-architect, 27-hole complex. The club’s proximity to other early North Shore venues and Ross projects makes it part of a regional narrative of 1910s–1920s Chicago-area development; a Chicago District Golfer feature written for the centennial underscores the club’s decision to engage Ross at formation. In the modern era, panel and directory writers advise that Blue/White offers the best read on Ross at Northmoor; this consensus has also framed the way raters and historians describe the course. As a host, Northmoor has accommodated Chicago District Golf Association events (e.g., the 2019 CDGA Mid-Amateur match play concluding on site) and Illinois PGA stroke-play series stops, underscoring its continuing competitive utility rather than national-championship ambitions.
Current Condition / Integrity
Routing integrity by nine. Based on the acknowledged 1965 additions, Blue appears to retain nine of nine Ross holes; White retains seven (with 4–5 as Packard), and Red retains three (with 2–7 Packard). Thus, the Blue/White pairing is the clearest window into Ross’s 18 at Northmoor.
Impacts of late-20th/early-21st-century work. The Hurdzan/Fry program (credited on the club’s scorecard as 2007) modernized bunkers and surfaces; trade and directory write-ups specifically mention Better Billy Bunker liners with fescue edging, which change maintenance performance and visual presentation around greens and landing areas. In 2021, Tyler Rae and Duininck began a White Nine rebuild that raised low ground, resolved chronic drainage, and re-aligned several playing corridors—by the contractor’s account, “a completely revamped routing.” Those changes mean the White Nine now functions as a contemporary companion to the Blue and Red, but with less Ross integrity at the corridor level than before the project.
Present-day yardage/pars and notable details. The official scorecard lists three two-nine combinations with current USGA ratings/slope and yardages; the longest is Red–White (Black) at 7,025 yards / par 72, while Blue–Red and White–Blue play to par 71 in the mid-6,900s from the back set. The card also preserves local notes—e.g., the stone wall defining the penalty edge at Blue 5/Red 7—that speak to surviving site features anchoring the course’s identity.
Documented: Club founding year and Ross attribution of the original 18; the 27-hole present with 18 Ross + 9 Packard; Packard’s year (1965) and the distribution of Packard holes by number; Hurdzan/Fry renovation (scorecard credit 2007 and bunker-liner references); Tyler Rae/Duininck 2021 project with drainage/elevation goals and White Nine re-routing; and current yardages/pars/ratings and specific local rules (stone wall at Blue 5/Red 7).
Uncertain / requires primary sources: (1) Exact opening date for the full Ross 18 (1918 is the club’s establishment; press traces suggest work across 1917–1919–1921); (2) Ross’s stated design program for the site (no public plans/letters/minutes); (3) Precise bunker and green-perimeter inventories attributable to Ross post-Hurdzan/Fry; (4) the extent of any Packard work beyond the listed holes (if any minor adjustments occurred later); (5) Pre-Rae White Nine routing versus post-Rae routing comparison.
Sources & Notes
Northmoor Country Club — “About” page. Confirms establishment 1918, 27 holes, 18 by Donald Ross, recent renovations by Hurdzan/Fry and Tyler Rae; amenities.
Top100GolfCourses — “Northmoor (Blue & White)”. Cites 27 holes with 18 Ross, extra nine by Larry Packard (1965), and identifies Packard’s holes as Red 2–7 and White 4–5; notes Hurdzan bunker work with Better Billy Bunker and Black Beauty edging. (Secondary synthesis; useful for hole allocation.)
Michigan State “Golf Course Architects” — Larry Packard chronology. Lists Northmoor CC (Highland Park, IL), 1965 among Packard’s projects. (Secondary catalog corroborating year.)
Golf Course Industry (Oct. 27, 2021) and Minnesota GCSA (Oct. 27, 2021) releases on Tyler Rae / Duininck project. Document White Nine drainage/elevation goals and “completely revamped routing” language.
Chicago District Golfer (2018 centennial feature). Provides narrative context on the club’s decision to hire Ross; corroborates early timeline
GolfClubAtlas forum thread “Reunderstanding Ross.” Aggregates citations to 1917–1919–1921 Chicago Tribune items regarding Ross’s presence and work; notes a 1930 Ross booklet listing Northmoor with 18 holes.
CDGA & BlueGolf event pages. Show CDGA Mid-Amateur (2019) hosted at Northmoor; Illinois PGA Stroke Play stop scheduled 2025 (White/Blue).