What is Belmont Golf Club in Downers Grove, IL? Belmont Golf Club is a public 9-hole golf course at 2420 Haddow Avenue in Downers Grove, operated by the Downers Grove Park District. It is one of the most historically significant golf courses in the United States, built in 1892 on the site where Charles Blair Macdonald designed the first golf course west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Most people drive past Belmont Golf Club without knowing what it is. This quiet 9-hole course tucked into north Downers Grove sits on ground where American golf was essentially invented. For locals, it's a great walk, a fair price, and one of the best community assets the Downers Grove Park District has to offer. For golf history fans, it's something closer to a pilgrimage site.
A Course That Started Everything
In 1892, Charles Blair Macdonald persuaded thirty of his Chicago Club colleagues to contribute ten dollars each to design and construct a nine-hole golf course on a sixty-acre stock farm owned by A. Haddow Smith. He used a hired man, a shovel, a rake, a wheelbarrow, and tin cups as holes because regulation cups were not available.
When the inaugural season ended, Macdonald convinced Chicago Golf Club members to add nine more holes. In 1893, the first 18-hole golf course in the United States was established on this site. The club was one of the five founding clubs of the United States Golf Association in 1894.
By 1895, the Chicago Golf Club had relocated to a larger property in Wheaton, where it operates as a private club today. The Downers Grove Park District purchased the course in 1968, renaming it the Downers Grove Golf Club. In 2023, the historic name Belmont Golf Club was restored. That same year, the Downers Grove Historical Society named it Historic Site of the Year.
The Course Today
Belmont plays as a regulation 9-hole, par-36 course stretching 3,280 yards from the back tees. Six of the nine holes, known as the Original Six, retain their essential 19th-century routing from Macdonald's design. These are holes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, and 9. Water is in play on seven of the nine holes, including a winding creek that threatens tee shots on holes 1, 2, and 3.
The course features mature trees, natural areas, meaningful elevation change, and native plantings throughout the property. Belmont holds a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary designation, reflecting its commitment to environmental stewardship.
The course is not a pushover. Three of the four toughest holes come in the opening stretch, and the combination of trees, water, and terrain rewards course management over raw distance.
Green Fees and Family Pricing
Belmont is priced as a community course should be. For 2026, resident green fees run $26 on weekdays and $28 on weekends, with junior and senior rates starting at $23 on weekdays. Non-resident rates are $31 on weekdays and $33 on weekends. Motorized carts are $12 and pull carts are $5.
The family rate is worth knowing. Every day from 6:00 p.m. to close, one parent or guardian pays the $23 twilight rate and up to three kids age 17 and under play free. That's hard to beat for a summer evening in the western suburbs.
The Belmont Golf Academy
The Belmont Golf Academy has been operating since 1993. The practice facility includes a 300-yard driving range with 24 hitting stations, a practice putting green, sand trap, and chipping area, with a 10-station covered shelter. A dedicated lesson tee with a movable canopy rounds out the instruction area.
Lesson options include private, semi-private, group, and parent-child formats. Junior programs include Start Smart Golf for ages 3 and 4, Little Linkers for ages 5 through 7, Junior Aces for ages 8 through 14, and a High School Prep Camp for ages 12 through 18. Many junior programs continue indoors at the Park District Recreation Center through fall and winter, giving Downers Grove kids a year-round path into the game.
Leagues, Tournaments, and Community
Belmont runs men's, women's, co-ed, and junior leagues throughout the season. The Pine Hollow Open, co-hosted with the Downers Grove Historical Society, is one of the course's signature events. The course also hosts the Downers Grove Open in late September and regularly accommodates corporate and group outings. The renovated clubhouse and expanded patio, which hosts rotating local food trucks, make Belmont a social destination as much as a golf one.
The course logged a record 44,717 rounds in the 2022 season, which for a 9-hole public course in DuPage County speaks for itself.
Why It Matters for Downers Grove
Belmont is the kind of amenity that rarely shows up in a real estate listing but absolutely shows up in quality of life. A walkable, affordable, historically significant golf course operated as a community asset, with junior programming, family rates, and an evening atmosphere that draws neighbors together all summer. For anyone considering a move to Downers Grove, evenings at Belmont are worth factoring into the picture.
Frequently Asked Questions About Belmont Golf Club
Is Belmont Golf Club open to the public? Yes. Belmont Golf Club is a public course owned and operated by the Downers Grove Park District. No membership is required. Tee times can be booked online at belmontgc.teesnap.net or by calling the clubhouse at (630) 963-1306.
What are the green fees at Belmont Golf Club in 2026? Resident rates are $26 on weekdays and $28 on weekends. Non-resident rates are $31 on weekdays and $33 on weekends. Junior and senior resident rates start at $23 on weekdays. Every evening from 6:00 p.m. to close, one adult pays the $23 twilight rate and up to three kids age 17 and under play free.
Does Belmont Golf Club offer junior golf programs? Yes. The Belmont Golf Academy runs junior programs for ages 3 through 18, including Start Smart Golf, Little Linkers, Junior Aces, and a High School Prep Camp. Many programs continue indoors through fall and winter at the Park District Recreation Center.
Why is Belmont Golf Club historically significant? Belmont is the site of the first golf course built west of the Allegheny Mountains, established in 1892 by Charles Blair Macdonald. In 1893, it became the first 18-hole golf course in the United States. The Chicago Golf Club, which was founded here, was one of the five original founding clubs of the United States Golf Association in 1894. The Downers Grove Historical Society named it Historic Site of the Year in 2023.
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Call or text Rob Brannigan at 847.609.0570 to learn more about living in Downers Grove and the western suburbs. Rob is a REALTOR® with @properties | Christie's International Real Estate and a lifelong Downers Grove resident.
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Written by Rob Brannigan (IL License #475.164040), RENE + SRS. Lifelong Downers Grove resident. Data-driven guidance for buyers and sellers in Downers Grove and surrounding communities.
