Tom Bendelow’s original No. 3 course at @MedinahCC opened in 1928 (the prolific designer also laid out the club’s two other courses in 1925 and 1926) and was renovated by Roger Packard in the 1980s and Rees Jones in the 1990s and 2000s, prior to major championships and the 2012 Ryder Cup. Golf Digest rated it 10th in the country in 1989, but it began slipping in the course rankings around 2010, eventually falling to 93rd in 2023. By then, the club had engaged Melbourne, Australia’s @OCMGolf to find a way to reverse the decline. The @PGATour announced in December 2020 that Medinah would host the 2026 @PresidentsCup, choosing it for the size of the club’s property (640 acres) and proximity to a huge, golf-loving population, as well as the course itself. OCM was hired after the Tour’s decision, so the group almost felt like it had to impress two bosses. “It actually worked out really well,” says architect @MikeCocking of OCM. “The club was great to work with, and the Tour liked what we were doing.” That’s not surprising, really. At Medinah, it has plenty of space to work with and will get a large, enthusiastic gallery outside the ropes, but also a venue that jumped 19 places to 74th in the most recent Golf Digest rankings and one that will spark a good deal of discussion while providing plenty of entertainment. 📸: Medinah Country Club / Nick Novelli Photography ✍️: @anthonyjdear