Chicago Area Golf News

October 3, 2022
WGA Caddie Academy Awarded $125,000 From PGA TOUR to Support Underserved Youth
Newswire, Black Press USA

The PGA TOUR announced that the Western Golf Association (WGA) Caddie Academy is the recipient of a $125,000 award. Participants are chosen during their freshman year of high school based on showing outstanding academics, leadership and character. The average household income of participants in the Caddie Academy is $30,000, and more than 90% of the program’s participants are students of color.

October 3, 2022
Drive, Chip & Putt: A Last Chance and A Repeat Advance at Medinah CC
Tim Cronin, Drive Chip & Putt

Many players find that the pressure to qualify for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals intensifies as the opportunities wane. Alex Kim, 15, drained a curling 30-footer at Medinah Country Club to make the most of his last chance at qualifying, while Martha Kuwahara, 14, wants redemption at Augusta National.

October 3, 2022
Hidden treasures found during renovation project at Olympia Fields
Dane Placko, Fox 32

History is coming to life at the Olympia Fields Country Club in the south suburbs.

A major renovation is underway at one of the country’s biggest and oldest golf clubs — And what they are finding is amazing.

Olympia Fields Country Club Historian Bob Topel gave FOX 32 a tour of what at one time was the largest golf club in the country, a 110,000 square foot clubhouse surrounded by four golf courses, including one just for women.

Two of those courses remain to this day.

October 5, 2022
Amari Avery leads USC to Windy City Collegiate Classic title at Exmoor
Jim Young, AmateurGolf.com

Behind medalist Amari Avery, USC won its first event of the 2022-23 season on Tuesday (Oct. 4) at the Windy City Collegiate Classic at the Exmoor C.C. in Highlands Park, Ill.

The Trojans took a nine-stroke lead into Tuesday's final round at Exmoor and fired a 1-under 287 in the final round to hold off the hard-charging South Carolina Gamecocks to capture their third Windy City Classic in the last eight years.

October 5, 2022
Winnetka Golf Club Burglar Sold Stolen Items To Detectives: Prosecutor

• Learn more about Winnetka Golf Club

Jonah Meadows, Patch

An Oak Park man is accused of burglarizing the Winnetka Golf Club after he listed items stolen in the burglary on eBay and sold them to undercover detectives, authorities said.

Patrick Kennedy, 29, of the 700 block of North Oak Park Avenue, has been charged with one count of burglary in connection with a May 27 break-in at the golf course, 1300 Oak St., according to police and prosecutors.

October 6, 2022
Letter to the editor: Stop the Keefe-Cullerton driveway easement at Canal Shores

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Leslie Shad, Evanston Roundtable

Evanston resident objects to proposal that would allow construction on the Canal Shores golf course property by politically connected Joe Keefe and Former Illinois Senate President John Cullerton.

October 10, 2022
Willowbrook-based Club Champion expands to five new markets
Staff report, Daily Herald

Club Champion, a custom golf club fitter, builder and retailer, said Monday it opened five new stores in the third quarter of 2022.

With club fitting studios now open in Torrance, California; Wilmington, North Carolina; Pleasanton, California; Mandeville, Louisiana; and Ashburn, Virginia, Club Champion is on pace to surpass 115 domestic and international locations by the end of the year, the company said. There are now fitting studios in 42 U.S. states and partnered locations in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

October 12, 2022
Chicago High-Tech Mini Golf Startup Puttshack Raises $150M
Abel Rodriguez, Built In Chi

Puttshack announced it raised $150 million in a growth capital round that saw participation from BlackRock and Promethean Investments. This new capital will fuel Puttshack’s national expansion and bring high-tech mini golf to more cities and customers.

Puttshack puts a spin on traditional mini golf by bringing the game to indoor locations and infusing it with several tech features. In addition to a putter and golf ball — both of which are provided by the company — players create an account that syncs with their golf ball.

October 12, 2022
Score 18 Indoor Golf Opening Location In Bolingbrook
Andrea Earnest, Patch

Score 18 Indoor Golf will be opening soon in Bolingbrook, Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta shared on her Facebook page.

The business has applied for a certificate of occupancy at 501 S. Weber Road, Suite 109. Alexander-Basta said the business hopes to open later this month.

October 17, 2022
Heritage Oaks Golf Club is again named a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary

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Pioneer Press Staff, Northbrook Star

Northbrook Park District’s Heritage Oaks Golf Club has retained its designation as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an Audubon International program, according to a news release.
Bill Meyer, Parks Division Manager, led the effort to maintain sanctuary status on this course, the release said. Heritage Oaks Golf Club was first designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary in 2015 and is one of over 900 courses in the world to hold certification from Audubon International.

October 18, 2022
Revelation Golf lets veterans rediscover joy and purpose
Jackie Kostek, CBS Chicago

There's a therapeutic golf program named Revelation Golf that's helping military veterans rediscover joy and purpose.

Donna Strum partnered with an LPGA golf pro to start the program 17 years ago. They help veterans where they are - whether they're dealing with a physical disability or a less visible one. The goal: to give veterans an outlet, a fresh start through golf.

Their most recent event was at Cantigny.

October 20, 2022
Mistwood awarded “FairWays Foundation” grant for The Farm

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PR Release, First Call

Mistwood Golf Club is proud to announce that they have been awarded a $9,000 grant from The FairWays Foundation for their work towards The Farm – a new food production on property to grow biodynamically, meaning all organic inputs and no chemicals, IPM methods, crop rotation & companion planting. The Farm is Mistwood’s next chapter in sustainability and commitment to environmental social responsibility in golf course maintenance, food growth and food service.

Angelica Carmen, Mistwood’s sustainability specialist, worked hard to get the application prepared for submission. “It’s an honor to be one of 12 recipients in the world to receive this grant. Going forward, The Farm will also benefit Mistwood in cultural, ecological, and socioeconomic ways that only domino into Romeoville and surrounding areas. Growing healthy food biodynamically in an unused plot on the course provides a living classroom for all who venture near it or enjoy the fruits of its labor.”

October 24, 2022
Cops Investigate Refunds At White Pines Golf Club

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David Giuliani, Patch

Refunds of nearly $800,000 at the White Pines Golf Club in Bensenville are the subject of a criminal investigation, according to records.
In some cases, no explanations were given for the refunds. As an example, in 2016, a tournament outing involved a $4,774 refund, with no reason provided, according to the investigation.

October 25, 2022
Ravisloe Golf Course in Homewood first to be granted arboretum status

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CBS Chicago, CBS Chicago

Ravisloe Country Club in Homewood says it's the first golf course to be granted arboretum status. The course has over 3,000 trees of over 100 varities. They're all individually identified and labeled. The club applied to the Morton Arboretum to acquire the new status and was granted.

October 25, 2022
Rogue golf balls from Park Ridge Country Club drive residents to City Council for help
Caroline Kubzansky, Park Ridge Herald-Advocate

Park Ridge residents say golf balls from the Park Ridge Country Club's driving range land in their yards and sometimes hit their homes. Residents appeared before the City Council to discuss a solution. Neighbors had worked out that their street had seen 4,800 stray balls from the driving range year-to-date.

October 25, 2022
Glencoe residents closer to voting on $15 million dollar golf club referendum

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Daniel I. Dorfman, Pioneer Press

Glencoe residents will vote on a $15 million bond sale referendum next spring intended to pay for massive changes at the Glencoe Golf Club.
At an Oct. 18 Committee of the Whole meeting held at the Golf Club, a majority of the village trustees expressed support to put the $15 million referendum in front of voters in next April’s municipal elections. Proceeds of the bond sale would fund construction of new buildings and spaces at the Golf Club including a large new clubhouse/pro shop.

October 28, 2022
Drive Shack Inc. Announces Grand Opening of Puttery Chicago
Business Wire, Business Wire

Located in the heart of Chicago’s lively Fulton Market District and Randolph Restaurant Row, Puttery Chicago features a 23,000-square-foot venue that spans two stories with uniquely themed putting courses, stunning bars and swanky lounge spaces within a lively atmosphere to provide an unmatched immersive experience.

There are 2 nine hole putting courses: the Library and the Lodge.

Puttery Chicago is located at 932 W Randolph St.

October 31, 2022
Latest golf course redevelopment idea is a long way from the green near Homewood
David Roeder, Chicago Sun Times

Calumet Country Club, northwest of 175th Street and Dixie Highway, was founded in 1901. A revised proposal for development of the club aims to win over south suburbanites with community-friendly uses surrounding a warehouse hub.

October 31, 2022
Sugar Creek Golf Course restoration ground breaking on November 5

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Elmhurst Park District, Patch

Sugar Creek Golf Course invites the community to a ground breaking ceremony for the Sugar Creek restoration project on Saturday, November 5 at 10:30 am. The project has been in the planning stages since 2016 and the golf course is looking forward to restoring the creek, which is a natural resource that provides open space, habitat, flood storage and recreational opportunities.