Construction has started on the Glencoe Golf Club clubhouse, a project estimated to cost $18 million that will replace a clubhouse constructed in the 1920s. Glencoe voters in 2023 approved a bond sale referendum to cover most of the costs.
The new clubhouse/pro shop is set to be approximately 10,000 square feet and feature a year-round restaurant augmented by a dining room, sports bar, event space, terrace and multi-sport simulators.
On May 19, local officials welcomed various stakeholders and community members to the Golf Club for a groundbreaking symbolizing the start of the construction.
“We are taking this major step forward in the hope that the Glencoe Golf Club will remain a significant community resource not just for Glencoe, but for all of Cook County and beyond with no restrictions or barriers to access for many, many years,” Village President Howard Roin said during the ceremony.
Officials believe the building can be used for many types of occasions such as parties or weddings, with a capacity of 290 people, including 75 on the terrace.
“This will be the best place to watch the sunset in Glencoe,” Village Manager Phil Kiraly added.
Most of the construction will be funded through the proceeds of the $15 million bond sale referendum approved by Glencoe residents in April 2023.
Separately, officials envision a series of amenities on the property including a croquet court, short game practice area, event lawn, monarch butterfly sanctuary, pollinator and community gardens, winter recreation areas, a bicycle repair station and complementary nature and environmental programming.
Officials believe that phase will cost about $3 million. The Friends of the Glencoe Golf Club, a private not-for-profit organization, has raised just over $2 million, highlighted by two large donations by two local families, according to their spokeswoman Kim Swinton. She added efforts are continuing to raise the last $1 million.
Deputy Village Manager Nikki Larson said if the Friends organization is unable to raise the entire $3 million, the village would pay for the balance through Golf Club reserves.
Larson acknowledges the estimated $18 million cost figure could change due to inflation.
With the fundraising ongoing, the ceremony there was a celebration of reaching the milestone.
“Literally, we have been talking about this project for what feels like generations,” Kiraly said.
The 126-acre golf club opened in 1922, existing under an intergovernmental agreement between the Forest Preserves of Cook County and the village. That agreement remained in place until 2017 when the two sides came to terms on an updated pact where the village pays 3.6% of gross revenues, with a minimum of $62,500, to the Forest Preserve District to operate the club.
With the updated agreement in place, the village board decided to put the question of financing in front of the voters. In April 2023, about 57% of residents gave a thumbs up.
“This community has rallied behind this golf club. A place where everyone from everywhere is celebrated,” Kiraly said.
After voter approval, the village started the design work, leading to roughly $15 million in construction contracts passed by the Village Board in March.
Also, the village and the forest preserve district agreed on a second amended agreement last December in which the village paid approximately $350,000 in a tree mitigation fee as the village removed 32 trees allowing for the new building.
Stella Nanos, the Golf Club General Manager, said new trees would be planted around the clubhouse campus as part of the construction, along with other sustainability efforts.
While noting the environmental benefits, forest preserve district spokesman Carl Vogel mentioned the potential greater brand awareness for his organization.
“In the new agreement, there are provisions for sustainability features in the building, new signs and other ways to promote the forest preserves and what we offer to the public, and expansion of programs that make it more accessible to a wider range of residents,” Vogel wrote in an e-mail.
In another sign of upcoming change, The Glencoe Golf Club is not currently listed on the forest preserve district website, but Vogel said that will be updated next month.
One aspect of the agreement with the forest preserve district is that while Glencoe residents will pay for the building construction, they will not get a reduced price when they want to play a round of golf.
“We are unable to offer Glencoe specific discounts due to our agreement with the county, so it has to be open to all residents of the county at the same rate,” Nanos said.
While there will be a new clubhouse, the playing area itself will remain the same. Some neighboring communities have renovated their courses in recent years, but that is not the plan for Glencoe.
“There has been extensive work on the golf course,” Nanos said. “It is just not on a large scale all at once. We do it a little bit annually.”
While the majority of voters approved the bond sale two years ago, some opposition remains in the community.
Chris Baskin, a Glencoe resident who plays at the Golf Club, emphasized he saw the need for a new clubhouse. But he questioned the scope of the project.
“It makes no sense. It is a ridiculous expenditure and it is a waste of funds,” Baskin said. “What taxpayers are paying for (and) what they are getting back, in my opinion, is an atrocity.”
He did not believe many people will stop off and eat there.
“Nobody is going to eat at this restaurant when they can go to downtown Glencoe,” he said.
While the old clubhouse has been demolished, play will continue on the course this year, albeit with limited facilities. Nanos said they are aiming for a June 2026 opening of the new building.
For Nanos, who has worked at the golf club since 2006, the ceremony served as a triumph and she looks forward to a new era.
“We’ve waited a long time for this and I am most excited that we will have a building that will offer something for everyone,” she said. “That we can accommodate larger groups and have a business we can be proud of.”
