Century-Old Chicago Golf Course Kept Alive by Lumberjacks | Canal Shores

The community cares for this 100-year-old course, but the Lumberjacks do all the dirty work.

A little funky. A lot of fun. There’s no course quite like Canal Shores.

Highlighting golf’s fun, human, and humorous side. Golf is no longer just the stuffy world of middle-aged country club members. Skratch brings you golf content for a new generation.

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21 Comments

  1. Lived in Evanston. Played there many times. Maybe 40 years ago. Fun course. Very unusual. Looks quite different now. Golf carts? No way! lol

  2. As someone who ran this course for three years, I'm sad I'm missing out on the attention its getting but very happy people are starting to buy in. Canal Shores is a fantastic place.

  3. Great job Team Skratch! You really captured the quirky charm of our 104-year old "gem" and the passionate characters who keep it going.

  4. Its one of my favorite sights and feelings: being on the train with your clubs, catching someone else with their clubs heading north. You know exactly where each other are going.

  5. COOL! Im gonna have to play here this summer! I have a suggestion for another midwest gem video? Check out Sinnissippi golf course in Rockford Illinois. Its only 9 holes. No sand or water anymore. Coming in at 110 years old. She was almost closed within the past few years, but the city ended up having to close a 18 hole course instead. Like any other midwest city/town, the spring and fall are best for weather and bugs ;).

  6. Big Loss in Lemont….no more Glen Eagles….Bigger Loss came in Joliet …Loss of Joliet CC was a major 100yr old loss w major architect name attached to it….

  7. These are exactly the types of communities golf needs, and the exact types of people we should all support in our local communities. I truly hope neither county fusses when it's time to renew the lease, and I wish this golf course another 100 years. Adding it to my list for the next time I'm in Chicago

  8. This place is flat out magical. Finally started playing it a few years ago, and just played in the Arctic Open earlier this winter. Just adore this course.

  9. There may be more to the history of this course.
    The original sites of the Evanston & North Shore country clubs were very close by. Evanston was at where Ryan field is now & North Shore at Gilson pk. 6:04 Canal is located directly in between both. Both clubs vacated in 1915. Jans formed in 1917.
    There’s a chance that Jans took a few holes from each country club (& maybe added a few) to form this course!

  10. I moved to Evanston to do graduate school right before COVID happened. Canal shores helped me get through that hard time. Although I’m not from the Chicagoland area, I will always consider this my “home course” because it’s where I was able to find peace and fall in love with the game of golf.

  11. Was going for my daily walk along the course one time and this young guy literally yells at me "I JUST GOT A HOLE IN ONE AND I'M BY MYSELF AND I JUST HAVE TO TELL SOMEONE! I GOT A HOLE IN ONE!!! RIGHT THERE!!!!" lol…. so many great people and friendly faces, especially the volunteers that have transformed the space (and created those amazing paths by the water) – appreciate you and all that you do!

  12. When I was going to school at Northwestern, I would take the L up 1 stop and play here for 1$ a hole (and this was in 2018!). It was a great way to learn golf when I was a student with no money.

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