Golfers arriving at North Shore Country Club near Chicago next week for the 109th Western Amateur championship will be playing a course that has been the subject of a 17 year restoration project.

Architect Rick Jacobson, who grew up in nearby Glenview, has been working on the North Shore course, original built by English designer Hugh Alison in 1924, since the 1990s. Jacobson reckons the 156 Western Amateur contestants are going to have their work cut out for them.

“The course has functioned over the years as a quality family club but from the very beginning it has demonstrated a real competitive edge, hosting several major pro and amateur events,” he said. “It has length from the back tees. The greens have excellent contouring, which will provide opportunities for the WGA tournament officials to set challenging pin placements. The course features strong tree-lined par fours, but also includes several classic Colt-Alison style holes where strategy will take precedence over length. I'm looking forward to seeing how the course challenges the world's top amateurs.”