A meeting to discuss the master plan and hole-by-hole breakdown for the $4.2 million renovation drew a crowd of more than 100 people. The main points of the plan involve replacing almost all grass and turf, grading the fairways and greens, planting eco-friendly native plant species, and creating a continuous path throughout the entire course.
More than 100 people met with golf course designers and park district staff to hear plans and offer suggestions for the Glenview (Ill.) Park Golf Club’s estimated $4.2 million renovation, the Chicago Tribune reported.
C&RB reported on the scheduling of the project last week (“Glenview (Ill.) Park GC Schedules $4.2M Stormwater Project”).
Representatives from government and the Libertyville-based Jacobson Golf Course Design guided attendees through dozens of slides that explained both the master plan for the renovation as well as a hole-by-hole breakdown. Those in the audience were encouraged to voice their concerns, suggestions and questions, the Tribune reported.
Doug Myslinski, a senior architect with Jacobson, outlined the main points: replacing almost all grass and turf, grading the fairways and greens to create slopes to both enhance play and provide drainage, planting eco-friendly native plant species in rough areas, and creating a continuous golf path throughout the entire course. Golfers were overwhelmingly happy with the firm’s decision to remove and trim many trees that have begun to interfere with play, the Tribune reported.
After the overview, Jacobson president Rick Jacobson, a Glenview native who grew up playing on the course, walked through exact changes planned for each hole. More than once, audience members gasped and murmured their approval after Jacobson flipped between slides that offered “before” and “after” shots, the Tribune reported.
Jacobson responded to suggestions and questions, most of which were about basic play elements, such as positions and sizes of bunkers and other hazards. Two major points that came up were the positions of the red golf tees, which offer the shortest yardage on the course and are usually used by women and seniors, and what some saw as the cramped spacing between tees and greens, the Tribune reported.
Myslinski agreed with golfers’ concerns about the red tees on the current course and said he had experienced their awkward placing when he watched his daughter play the current course, the Tribune reported.
“I can’t believe people didn’t have a revolt,” Myslinski said.
The cramped space proved a more difficult problem to address. The course sits on 110 acres, while most golf courses average about 130 to 150 acres. As it is completely surrounded by houses, the possibility of expansion is virtually impossible, the Tribune reported.
“We were hoping to add yardage off tee boxes, but won’t be able to do it,” said Bill Moore, a member of the Glenview Mens’ Golf Club in the audience.
There was a respectful exchange of ideas with Jacobson saying he was impressed with golfers’ minute familiarity with the course and “surprised by the quality of questions and inherent knowledge the golfers have.”
In turn, golfer Steven Brickman said of Jacobson: “He addressed every single one of the comments—that’s impressive. They’re taking (our) suggestions and working them into what is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the golf course.”
According to the park district, the design plans are about 75 percent finished. Now, the designers will complete them and begin working on construction documents. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District will review the plans, which will finally be submitted to both the Village of Glenview and the Park Board for approval in March. Construction is scheduled to begin next summer, with the current course expected to be open through July 4, the Tribune reported.
“Obviously, this golf course has people who are really passionate,” said Myslinski. “There’s nobody that knows the course better than these people sitting in the room.”
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