The Evans at Canal Shores

The Evans at Canal Shores is a not-for-profit golf facility that is totally funded by private donations from people like you. The formerly named Canal Shores opened in 1919 and was designed by prolific golf course architect Tom Bendelow. The 3,600-yard, par-60 layout has undeniable charm and just enough challenge. Dubbed “the gem in your backyard,” the course winds through urban and suburban neighborhoods along the North Shore branch of the Chicago River. Golfers play through a 100-year-old oak forest alongside Chicago’s “L” and Metra train tracks, traverse several road crossings and are treated to beautiful views of the Bahá’í House of Worship, which creates a golf experience unlike any other.

The golf course renovation, which started in 2022 and is led by architect Todd Quitno, is the modernization and reimagination of the urban golf course. Located alongside the North Shore Canal which feeds into the Chicago River, The Evans at Canal Shores will serve as a beacon for youth golf development and a youth caddie training facility through partnerships with the First Tee – Greater Chicago and the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation.

The new name represents a deep connection to the namesake of the Evans Scholars Foundation, Chick Evans, who attended high school in Evanston and became one of the greatest amateur golfers of all time. Instead of turning professional, Evans worked with the Western Golf Association to use the earnings from his golf career to establish the Evans Scholars Foundation in 1930. To date, the Foundation has awarded full tuition and college scholarships to more than 13,000 youth caddies, including the 1,130 Evans Scholars enrolled in 24 leading universities nationwide this year. The Evans at Canal Shores is located less than a mile from the first Evans Scholarship House, established in 1940 on the campus of Northwestern University.