LIV Golf to hold individual championship at public Illinois course (with an island green!)

LIV Golf has found a home for its individual championship.

The Saudi-backed league announced Tuesday that it will contest its Sept. 13-15 individual championship, the penultimate event of its season, at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook, Illinois, less than an hour southwest of Chicago.

“The passionate sports fans of Chicago have embraced the intense competition and fan-first experience that LIV Golf delivers, and this year it will be an incredible setting for a high-stakes event as players battle it out for the individual title and a roster spot for 2025,” said Greg Norman, LIV Golf’s commissioner and CEO. “We’re thrilled to return to Illinois with an event at Bolingbrook Golf Club as we celebrate the season-long race and set the stage for the 2024 finale.”

Bolingbrook, an Arthur Hills and Steve Forrest design, opened in 1992 and features an island green (par-3 15th) and 600-yard par-5 (No. 5) along with a 76,000-square-foot clubhouse. A 2009 Chicago Tribune article noted that $36 million public club was struggling financially after the housing-market crash, though at the time was charging residents around $78 per round, one of the highest price tags in the area.

These days, the public can snag an afternoon tee time on GolfNow for about $60. The booking website also rates the course a sparkling 4.7 out of 5.

The most recent reviews read like this:

Thought the greens would be better, Course was difficult due to windy conditions. But I have never played course when wasn’t windy. Those conditions take away from the course in my opinion.

Early season conditions. Tall grass immediately off fairways need a little attention…cut down a yard or two to about 6 inches to catch and find balls that are otherwise lost, and only slow play down.

Great golf course and facilities and great customer service, highly recommend.

In each of its first two seasons, LIV held its Chicago event at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, which has hosted several top amateur events, including the 2017 NCAA Championship. GolfChannel.com has learned that LIV initially intended to return to Rich Harvest Farms this year, but talks between the two sides ultimately fell through.

“It’s been decided that after two successful seasons at Rich Harvest Farms, the club’s membership will not have any disruptions to its play this year,” Rich Harvest Farms general manager Jonathan Meagher told Golfweek. “We are pleased to see that LIV Golf continues to have an event in the Chicagoland area.”

LIV has yet to announce the site of its season-ending team championship, though Sports Illustrated previously reported last November that Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, was the frontrunner to host the Sept. 20-22 finale.