The HISTORY
Few golf courses in Chicago have a history as rich as Sunset Valley. Fondly nicknamed the “Bumps” in the early days because
of its hard fairway conditions. Generations of Highland Park residents and Chicagoans learned to play and have enjoyed
rounds at Sunset Valley for more than 95 years.
EARLY IN 1919 , commissioners of the
Highland Park East Park District (the Park
District of Highland Park we know today) saw
the need of a golf course and acquired 80 acres
of farmland belonging to the Mooney family for
the fi rst 9-hole public golf course in Highland
Park. As times became prosperous in the 1920s,
golf also prospered. The Park Board, seeing the
need for additional expansion of their existing
program, enlarged the golf course to a full 18
holes with the purchase of an additional 48
acres of the farm as well as the old Mooney
farmhouse. The farmhouse was converted to
serve as a clubhouse. The course was then
offi cially named, “Sunset Valley.”
By 1928, Sunset Valley quickly established a
special niche hosting the North Shore Open, an
annual tournament that attracted top golfers
of its era and is still held today. PGA Champions
and World Golf Hall of Famers including Walter
Hagen, Tommy Armour, Jock Hutchinson, Harry
Cooper, Archie Compston, and Horton Smith,
even the amateur great Chick Evans played in
the Open. In 1930, the British Ryders Cup team
made their way around the North Shore area
playing courses and played at the North Shore
Tournament at Sunset Valley.
The tournament took a hiatus until 1955, when
the Sunset Valley Tee Club launched the North
Shore Amateur. The tournament is open to all
amateur golfers and remains one of the most
prestigious amateur competitions in the area.
In 2016, the amateur tournament celebrated
its 50th anniversary with 120 players. The
tournament was put on a short hiatus in 2017
and 2018 for the Park District to complete the
current major renovation of the course.
Sunset Valley is believed to be one of the fi rst
public courses to install an automatic sprinkler
system covering the tees and greens in 1948.
Prior to that time, the course crew used an old
tanker truck equipped with a long hose. And, it
was one of the fi rst public courses to be a
member of the Chicago District Golf Association.
Over the past 98 years, there have been many
changes to Sunset Valley. Construction of the
maintenance garage and an irrigation system
was part of a $66,000 bond issue approved in
1945. In 1962, a practice golf driving facility was
built on what is now the east parking lot.
In September 1963, golf course revenue bonds
were issued in the amount of $125,000 for the
construction, installation and maintenance of
a new underground irrigation system. In May
of 1977, a $250,000 bond issue was approved
to fi nance major improvements at the course
including construction of new tees and greens
and renovation to the clubhouse.
Open for Play
LATE SUMMER 2018
For more information visit
SunsetValleyGolfClub.org
1390 Sunset Rd. | 847.432.7140