Butler National Golf Club

History

Butler National was the creation of Paul Butler, an affluent entrepreneur, philanthropist, and sportsman who was the founder of the village of Oak Brook, Illinois.

In 1972, renowned golf course architect George Fazio designed Butler on what was previously York Country Club. It was built and seeded in the relatively short span of two years, and the construction was completed under the supervision of Fazio's nephew Tom Fazio, an internationally acclaimed architect in his own right.

This club was home to the PGA Tour's Western Open from 1974-1990. The course policy of not allowing female members caused the club to lose the Western Open.

In May 2007, Golf Digest rated Butler 21st of "America's 100 Greatest Courses."

Course

Butler National is a relatively flat, tree-lined course, requiring solid golf shots to shoot a good score. The Fazio design is penal and rewards successful positioning and shot shaping. A right to left ball flight is preferable as there are more dog leg lefts than rights. Water hazards will frequently come into play as do the deep faced bunkers. There are approximately 40 sand bunkers.

The Butler (back) tees play 7,523 yards (6,879 m), with a course rating of 78.1 and slope rating of 152.

In the fall of 2004, all of the greens were converted to an A-1 Bent grass and the sand to tour grade signature. The greens are fast, but the difficulty comes in reading the greens as they are very subtle.

Butler National has the best Caddies in the Midwest. They are well known for their hard work and excellent service. Reading the Fazio green complexes is their specialty. The members of Butler National are very proud of not only the Evans Scholar program, but also the Butler Scholarships given to the caddies with the goal of enriching their lives and educations.

Tournaments

Centel Western Open

Beatrice Western Open

Western Open

Intercollegiate

Membership Policy

Butler National Golf Club is one of four all-male golf courses in the Chicago area. Butler’s lack of urgency to change their rules on female members has hindered their shot at hosting the Open. Butler has not hosted a PGA or USGA tournament in twenty years due to their admissions policy. Because Butler has not complied and changed their exclusive membership practices, the club has dropped out as hosts of national championship tournaments and tour events.

Not only are women banned from being members of the club, but they are also prohibited from being guests or even entering the clubhouse. Women are not allowed anywhere on the property.