Onwentsia Club

What Onwentsia Club does

Onwentsia Club is a private, member-owned country club located at 300 North Green Bay Road in Lake Forest, Illinois, occupying a 175-acre site that has been its home since 1895. The club offers a focused set of recreational amenities to its members: an 18-hole golf course with an on-site golf shop, racquet sports facilities (tennis and paddle tennis) with an associated shop, a multi-level clubhouse providing formal and informal dining, and a swimming pool. Membership is invitation-based and administered through sponsorship by existing members, with strict etiquette standards governing dress, electronic device use, and conduct across the property. The current clubhouse, designed by architect Harrie T. Lindeberg and opened on November 3, 1928, anchors the member experience.

The club was originally organized in 1892 as the Lake Forest Golf Club on Senator Charles B. Farwell's estate and reorganized under the Onwentsia name (an Iroquois term meaning 'a meeting place — in the country — of sporting braves and squaws') in 1895 with Hobart Chatfield-Taylor as its first president. Onwentsia has a documented history of hosting major sporting events, including the US Amateur Championship (1899), the US Open (1906), and the International Lawn Tennis Challenge (1914), establishing its prestige within American amateur golf and tennis.

Revenue is generated through a recurring membership dues model combined with spend on dining, golf shop, racquets shop, and ancillary club services; pricing is not publicly disclosed and prospective members are directed to contact the club directly. The club is independently owned by its membership, with no parent company, institutional investor, or PE/VC backing disclosed in available materials. Technology footprint is limited to a website and a basic member login portal; there is no mobile app, no API, and no disclosed AI or digital ecosystem.

Name

Onwentsia Club

Legal name

Onwentsia Club

Website

https://onwentsiaclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Onwentsia Club is a private, member-owned country club in Lake Forest, Illinois, founded in 1895, offering an 18-hole golf course, racquet sports, clubhouse dining, and a pool to an exclusive, invitation-based membership on a 175-acre historic site.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Country Club

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Clubs & Tournament-Host Clubs (Professional/Elite Golf Clubs) (MPAKABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tennis & Racquet Sports Clubs (Tennis, Padel, Pickleball, Squash) (MPAKABAF)

Keywords

• Private country club
• Golf club
• Racquet sports
• Clubhouse dining
• Swimming pool

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Forest

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Private country club serving as a members' home away from home, generating revenue through membership subscriptions and club services including golf, racquets, dining, and pool facilities.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Onwentsia Club is a private country club in Lake Forest, Illinois that provides its members with recreational and social amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, racquet facilities (tennis, paddle tennis, and platform tennis), a clubhouse with dining and private event spaces, and a swimming pool. Access to these amenities is provided through private club membership.

Product overview

Onwentsia Club is a private country club offering golf, racquets (tennis/paddle tennis), clubhouse dining, and pool facilities to its members. The club operates as a single unified membership organization with separate amenity areas including a golf course with shop, racquet sports facilities with shop, multi-level clubhouse with formal and informal dining options, and a swimming pool. A member login portal provides account access. Founded in 1895, the club has historical roots in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Golf An 18-hole golf course available to club members, providing private recreational golf on the club's Lake Forest campus.
• Racquets Racquet sports facilities offering tennis, paddle tennis, and platform tennis for club members and their guests.
• Clubhouse The clubhouse provides dining services and private event/function space for club members, their families, and guests.
• Swimming Pool Swimming pool facility available to club members and their families for recreational swimming.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Chicago Golf Club: One of the oldest 18-hole golf clubs in the United States, located in Wheaton, Illinois. Comparable to Onwentsia in heritage (founded 1895), elite private membership model, and major-championship hosting pedigree.
• Evanston Golf Club: Private golf club in Skokie, Illinois, with a classic 18-hole course. Comparable to Onwentsia as a historic, member-owned private club serving Chicago's affluent northern suburbs.
• Exmoor Country Club: Private country club in Highland Park, Illinois, with golf, tennis, swimming, and dining. Directly comparable multi-amenity, member-owned private club competing in the same North Shore market.
• Olympia Fields Country Club: Historic private country club in Olympia Fields, Illinois, that has hosted the US Open, PGA Championship, and US Senior Open. Directly comparable to Onwentsia as a Chicago-area club with major-championship hosting prestige.
• Medinah Country Club: Iconic private country club in Medinah, Illinois, with three 18-hole courses and major championship hosting history (multiple US Opens, PGA Championships, Ryder Cup). Comparable to Onwentsia as a high-prestige, member-owned Chicago-area private club.
• Lake Shore Country Club: Private country club on Chicago's North Shore with golf, racquets, swimming, and dining amenities. Comparable member-owned, family-oriented private club model competing for the same regional member base as Onwentsia.
• Bob O'Link Golf Club: Elite private golf club in Highland Park, Illinois. Comparable to Onwentsia as a top-tier, member-owned private club with a single-golf-focus identity and selective membership on the North Shore.
• Shoreacres: Historic private country club located in Lake Bluff, Illinois — directly adjacent to Onwentsia in Lake Forest. Offers an 18-hole golf course, racquets, dining, and similar membership structure serving the same affluent North Shore demographic.
• Old Elm Club: Highly regarded private golf club in Highland Park, Illinois, founded in 1910. Compares to Onwentsia as a fellow historic, member-owned North Shore club with a prestigious 18-hole course and clubhouse dining.
• Butterfield Country Club: Private country club in Oak Brook, Illinois, offering golf, tennis, swimming, and dining. Comparable to Onwentsia as a multi-amenity member-owned Chicago-area private club with classic country club positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onwentsia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Onwentsia Club