One thing
visible are former holes that seem to have been abandoned; a closer
look reveals as many as 20 playable holes on the property. In the
center is Lasker’s palacial 60-room manor house, 16-car garage,
greenhouses, riding stables, coach house, music hall, movie theatre, as
well as gardens and fountains.
But make no mistake – after
playing it, names like Bobby Jones, Grantland Rice and Johnny Farrell
said it was one of the best courses in America. While there were only
11 U.S. courses ahead of it on the 1939 list, Jones repeatedly claimed
he thought it was the third-best course in the country.
The
course survived less than 20 years following its 1926 opening.
Following the depression, Lasker donated the entire property to the
University of Chicago; the country manor grounds were subdivided and
sold for housing following World War II.
