Golf, Illinois

Golf, Illinois
County:	Cook
Township:	Niles
Incorporated:	Village, 1928
President:	Gerald Daus
ZIP code(s):	60027, 60028, 60029
Area code(s):	847 & 224
Population (2000):	598
Change from 1990:	down 0.66%
Density:	1,014.5/mi² (395.8/km²)
Area:	0.4 mi² (1.1 km²)
Per capita income:	$69,164 (median: $131,742)
Home value:	$643,065 (2000) (median: $563,900)
Website:	http://villageofgolf.us/
Demographics (2000) White Black Hispanic Asian 99.91% 0.00% 0.27% 0.39% Islander Native Other 0.00% 0.00% 0.22%

Golf is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was projected to be 449 for the year 2007.

Geography

Golf is located at 42°3′27″N 87°47′31″W (42.057562, -87.791995).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 451 people, 156 households, and 133 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,014.5 people per square mile (395.8/km²). There were 158 housing units at an average density of 355.4 per square mile (138.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.89% White, 0.89% Asian, 0.22% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.

There were 156 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.3% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.7% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the village the population was spread out with 31.5% under the age of 18, 2.4% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $131,742, and the median income for a family was $138,560. Males had a median income of $82,960 versus $76,160 for females. The per capita income for the village was $69,164. None of the families and 0.9% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Annual Highlights

Popular events held in Golf include the Golf Steak Fry, in which members of the community bring their own cuts of steak to grill at the gathering. Another prominent event is the July 4 Independence Day celebration. The day is filled with festivities, several of which include a mini-marathon for the villagers in the morning; Golf's very own parade in the streets; a potluck dinner, in which each resident has the responsibility of preparing a dish; and a full-scale fireworks display at Diedrich park, the local park of the village.

Origin of the Village's Name

The Village of Golf supposedly received its name because there was a railroad siding at that location where the private car of the president of Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Rail Road (The Milwaukee Road) would be placed so that he could play golf at the private Glen View Club, just east of the siding. That was around 1900. When associates would ask where he was, they were told he was at "Golf", thus the area and eventually the village took the name.^{[citation needed]}

Trivia

The Village of Golf is notorious for its rigid speed limits. The main street, Overlook Drive, has a speed maximum of 20 mph, and is strictly enforced by the local police department. Police officers can be found parked in their patrol cars in the side streets of Overlook Drive and other main streets, hidden by the shadows, watching for speeding cars. It is speculated that this strict enforcement is due to the police department having no other means of an income to provide for the officers' salaries.

The Village of Golf remains one of the few villages in the country which does not have a postal delivery service. Golf residents are required to go to the local post office each day and pick up their mail from individual boxes instead of it being delivered to each home individually. The Golf post office is closed Saturdays and Sundays.