Like almost everything in life, golf courses must evolve in order to thrive. They aren’t paintings that you finish and walk away from. The grass grows, the trees mature and they constantly change. The very best guardians of our historic golf courses understand this and consistently take action. Fortunately, the fine folks at Glen View Club are worthy guardians.
Having hosted the US Amateur in 1902 and the US Open in 1904, Glen View has a proud and rich history. Architects like Tom Bendelow, William Flynn, Harry Colt and Donald Ross have all contributed to the course’s current state. However, it is William Flynn’s 1922 master design that the club has decided to restore in 2026. Golf course architect, Tyler Rae has been scheduled to lead the effort. With courses like Beverly CC, Wakonda Club, Lookout Mountain and many others under his belt, the results are certain to be spectacular.
In June of 2026, I arrived to capture the final photographs of the current golf course as part of a “before and after” project. I always do my best to make any golf course look spectacular and the following photographs are designed to make you ask the question. “Why are they tearing this course down, again?” My hope is that post renovation, the golf course and resulting photographs will resoundingly answer that question. Based on the plans and previous works from Tyler Rae, I would imagine that Glen View will be a completely different and nearly unrecognizable golf course. We will have to wait until the summer of 2027 for the final verdict.
Please enjoy a brief and very high level plan for the Glen View Club restoration. I feel honored to have taken the final photographs from the end of an era at Glen View Club and can’t wait to capture the photographs at the beginning of a new one.