Planning for the $2.3 million project at the Helena, Mont. municipal property began in December 2016, after a feasibility study showed that a new clubhouse would be a positive economic decision for the city. The golf course sees 40,000 rounds played annually and the new Sports Grill will now stay open year-round, to also accommodate those who use the property in the winter for cross-country skiing.

The newly renovated clubhouse,at Bill Roberts Golf Course in Helena, Mont. was unveiled on July 24^th, the Helena Independent Record reported.

The clubhouse’s $2.3 million renovation included a brand-new pro shop, state-of-the-art golfing simulators and a full-scale bar and restaurant, the Record reported. Parks and Recreation Director Amie Teegarden said the planning process began in December 2016, after a feasibility study showed a new clubhouse would be a positive economic decision for the city.

A colorful building with plenty of seating and a place to eat and drink before and after rounds of golf or cross-country skiing, the new home of the Muni’s Sports Grill stands out on the municipal golf course, the Record reported.

Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins kicked off the dedication ceremony with a short speech about the history of the golf course, the Record reported, and then thanked Helena’s Parks and Recreation Department, the golf course team, ex-Mayor Jim Smith and recently retired City Manager Ron Alles for their contributions to the clubhouse’s completion.

The club sits on a site that once housed the gravel dredge piles from early gold strikes in Last Chance Gulch, the Record reported.

Its original golf course opened in 1925, and Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis on the property in 1927. The full 18-hole course opened in 1976.

“We’re one of the busiest courses in the Northwest region,” Teegarden said. More than 40,000 rounds of golf are played on the course every year, the Record reported.

The kitchen in the new clubhouse will now stay open year-round instead of just during the golf season, which will allow cross-country skiers to warm up with food and drink by the fireplace, the Record reported.

The club’s golf professional, Scott Longenecker, is bullish about the opportunities that the two new simulators will offer to introduce new golfers to the sport, the Record reported.

“It’s a busy course and is not easy to get on,” Longenecker said. “Here, people can develop and get hooked into a fun family atmosphere for kids and young adults.”

Individuals and families at the bar and grill will be able to see golfers swinging in the simulators, Longenecker noted, which might help get non-golfers excited about the sport.

Helena’s local ESPN sports-talk radio station will begin taping broadcasts in the clubhouse on Monday, Longenecker noted.

The clubhouse is not fully operational just yet, the Record reported, as the Muni’s Sports Grill has yet to open. But the pro shop is stocked and people are playing, getting in some of the 40,000 rounds of golf the course will see before the snow comes and the cross-country skiers take over.