A new clubhouse complete with golf simulators, shop and whiskey bar is being planned for Elgin’s Wing Park Golf Course, the oldest nine-hole course in Illinois.
The city has hired FMG Architects Inc. to design a new facility that will be ADA-compliant, enhance the park’s golfing experience, create a safe shelter for patrons and generate additional revenues for Elgin, City Manager Rick Kozal told the Elgin City Council at its Wednesday night meeting.
A concept design calls for the new building to be constructed north of the existing clubhouse, with patio space between the two. The patio area will have practice bays and space for a food truck that can be accessed by players and park visitors.
Three golf simulators would be available inside the new clubhouse in addition to a shop selling golf merchandise and a whiskey bar.
The gas-powered golf carts currently being used at the course will be phased out by a fleet of electric carts that will be stored in the basement of the new building, Golf Operations Director Mike Lehman said.
The old clubhouse will remain and may be used for additional putting simulators in the future. Simulator rentals could range between $30 and $100 an hour, city officials said.
FMG Architects will be paid $120,000 to produce a design for the building under a contract unanimously approved Wednesday by the council.
No information on a projected cost for the clubhouse or construction timetable was available.
The course itself dates back to 1908. The property used was part of a 121.5-acre land donation made in 1902 for a park by the estate of William H. Wing, an attorney whose family moved to the city in 1846.
Councilman Steve Thoren, who grew up playing on the course, said the original clubhouse was built across the street in 1915. It was replaced by a new facility on the current site, but that burned down in the 1920s. The existing clubhouse opened in 1925, he said.
“What I think is great is that you are keeping the original clubhouse but adding on to it. It is a classic structure,” Thoren said.
Other than adding indoor plumbing many years ago, nothing much as been done to the clubhouse over the years, according to city documents.
“It is primitive inside … but it still has a lot of history, and I like history,” Thoren said. “I commend you for keeping the history and adding to it.”
Elgin once had an ice skating rink nearby, and the clubhouse was used as a warming shelter for skaters, Councilman John Steffen said.
“This is great. I think it’s long overdue,” he said.
Most golfers who use the Wing Park course — seniors, younger players, newcomers to the sport — do so because they don’t have a lot of time and want to play a quick round of golf, Lehman said.
That said, golf has been growing in popularity, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a National Golf Foundation report released last year, golf has added $102 billion to the current U.S. economy, an increase of 20% since 2016.
The foundation also found a record 3.4 million people played golf for the first time in 2023.
The hope is that by providing simulators for training and practice, the city can tap into that growing market, Lehman said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
