Chapel Hill Country Club

Within an hour of downtown Chicago, IL. and 30 minutes from Lake Geneva Wisconsin, lies Chapel Hill Country Club. Chapel Hill was built in the 1920’s in the mature and natural setting of McHenry Illinois (click here for a brief history). Situated along the Fox River in the Fox River Valley, Chapel Hill offers the golfer a rolling landscape with beautifully manicured greens. 120 new trees are being planted every year to enhance the beauty and playability of Chapel Hill.

A Brief History of Chapel Hill

In 1843 Fredrich Schmitt built a 12′ x 17′ log chapel on what is now the grounds of Chapel Hill Country Club. He built the chapel to fulfill a vow he made when he encountered perilous weather on he ocean trip to the United States. 10 years later the “Schmitt Chapel” was encased in a brick structure which remains standing today.

The earliest reference to the existing club was found in 1899, when links were said to be “Recently located” at Hywell Hurst (Howells Vilal). Local recollection suggests that the club began as a three or four hole course at that time.

In August of 1919 Chapel Hill Country Club, a nine hole course, was the location for a Pro-am Tournament. Cartoonist Sidney Smith was one of the main participants. The club then had 30 members.

In 1920 the original club house was built. Along with Chick Evans, Sidney Smith established the “Gump Club” (named after the cartoonist’s creation Andy Gump). Their annual Gump Party was a much publicized event, taking place every August. The president of Chapel Hill and founder of the “Gump Club”, Sidney Smith was instrumental in increasing the membership to 60.

Additional land was purchased from the Schmitt family in 1927. Plans were made to improve the 9 hole course.

In 1965, more land was purchased, and an eighteen hole course was planned and completed in 1968. The existing addition, including the dining room an banquet hall was also built in 1968.

With the sale of Chapel Hill Country Club in 1990 to K.C. Bae, the existing restaurant was named after his grand daughter Jenny.