Construction of new driving range shelter in full swing at Downers Grove Golf Club
The historic Downers Grove Golf Club is now open for the 2018 season with exciting opportunities ahead.
The course is preparing for outdoor improvements including a new driving range shelter and the dredging of ponds located on the course.
Registration for upcoming programs, lessons and events is also in full swing, offering opportunities for all ages and levels of golfers.
Owned and operated by the Downers Grove Park District, the Downers Grove Golf Club is open to the public sunrise to dusk Sunday through Saturday, weather permitting. The course is located at 2420 Haddow Ave. in Downers Grove.
Construction has begun on the new driving range shelter anticipated to open this summer. The shelter will cover 10 of the existing 22 driving range hitting stations and will feature infrared heaters, lights and ceiling fans. Garage doors on the south side of the shelter will help to block wind or allow for additional airflow.
This shelter will be open to driving range visitors on a first-come, first-serve basis for no additional fee. At the driving range, buckets of balls are available for as little as $5.
Dave Haring, director of recreation, says that the new shelter will help to provide more play time throughout the year. "The Downers Grove Golf Club could not be more thrilled to provide this new amenity to our visitors. The new shelter will provide the opportunity to offer an extended golf season, while keeping golfers more comfortable on hot or cold days."
With a commitment to preserving beautifully maintained natural areas, the Downers Grove Park District plans to contract dredging services for two channel ponds near holes 1, 2 and 3, as well as the pond located near hole 9 this fall. The dredging of these ponds will remove accumulated sediment, silt and algae to restore the ponds' depths, improve oxygen levels and maintain a healthy ecosystem.
Jeff Pozen, golf course superintendent, maintains the course and its natural areas.
"In 2017, the golf club received certification with the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses. We are proud to continue these efforts by providing improved water quality in our natural areas for the wildlife that calls our course home."
The Downers Grove Golf Club offers opportunities for golfers of all ages to experience this stunning, well-maintained course. Children as young as three years old can learn the game of golf and improve skills with golf camps all summer long.
Private, semiprivate and group lessons are led by two certified golf professionals and include parent/child, junior and adult lessons. A Ladies Scramble League and Junior League for children ages 12 to 18 are offered starting in June.
Adult couples can compete against other couples in a friendly competition featuring contests, prizes, dinner and an adult beverage at the Couples Scramble from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 14.
On Sunday, Aug. 19, play two courses in one day during a unique, 18-hole tournament. The Cross Town Classic begins at the Downers Grove Golf Club with a continental breakfast and shotgun start at 8 a.m. and nine holes of golf in the morning. In the afternoon, golfers will head to River Bend Golf Club in Lisle for the final nine holes with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. A BBQ cookout and awards presentation follow the tournament.
To learn more, view golf rates and register for programs and events, visit downersgrovegolfclub.org.
About the Downers Grove Golf Club
The historic and treasured Downers Grove Golf Club holds a significant place in U.S. history. The golf course was established on this site in 1892 as the original Chicago Golf Club, when Charles Blair MacDonald, who was, according to Golf Journal, "a true and imposing pioneer of golf in America" persuaded 30 of his Chicago Club colleagues to contribute $10 each to design and construct a nine-hole golf course. Today, the Downers Grove Golf Club offers a unique and challenging course to the community and features a driving range with 24 permanent and turf hitting stations, a large practice putting green, sand trap and chipping area.
The Downers Grove Park District is dedicated to providing a wide variety of year-round recreation programs, facilities, parks, open space and natural areas that respond to the articulated needs and desires of residents. For more information, call (630) 963-1300, or visit www.dgparks.org.