$14 million price tag for golf course, trails at Fort Sheridan preserve

A leading proposal to build a new golf course and public trails at the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve near Highland Park could cost $14 million, officials have revealed.

Two other plans under consideration likely would have similar price tags, Forest Preserve District Executive Director Tom Hahn said.

The estimate was developed by Lohmann Golf Designs, the consultant working with the forest district on the Fort Sheridan proposals. It was discussed Wednesday night during a meeting of the advisory committee that's been debating Fort Sheridan's future since late last year.

A nine-hole golf course could cost about $10.2 million, representatives of the firm said. Trails planned for the site could cost $3.8 million.

All three plans on the table call for a mix of golf and public-access trails. The differences lie in the proposed locations of those elements.

Committee members are still pursuing a hybrid plan, rather than one that only offers golf or trails, said committee member Ralph Pfaff, a resident of the nearby Town of Fort Sheridan development. Some would still like to see an 18-hole course, "but we're not pressing that issue," Pfaff said.

The committee - a mix of forest district leaders, area politicians and local residents - was expected to recommend one of the proposals move forward at last night's meeting but did not. Instead, members requested a report be drafted that includes the cost estimates, projected operating revenue and projected expenses, Hahn said.

They also wanted more information from the KemperSports golf management company about what its representatives said the course could cost. Although it's not working with the forest district on the Fort Sheridan plans, KemperSports said the course and trails would cost less than $14 million to build, Hahn said.

Forest district officials will comply with the request.

"We're going to look at all that and put together a compilation report," Hahn said.

The roughly 250-acre preserve overlooks Lake Michigan and belonged to the U.S. Army until the forest district acquired it in the 1990s. An 18-hole course was part of the property then, and the agreement with the Army required a course to be maintained in perpetuity.

That course was torn up in 2003 in preparation for the construction of a new high-end layout, but the plan was scrapped because of skyrocketing cost estimates.

Late last month, the forest district hosted an open house in Lake Forest that allowed interested people to view the current plans and share their opinions.

The committee is expected to recommend a golf proposal to the full forest board this fall. District officials have said the board could vote on the matter by early next year.

The committee's next meeting has not yet been scheduled.