Glow-in-the-dark golf coming to Hawthorn
A new golf course could open soon in Vernon Hills, but it's not the traditional layout.
Glowgolf of Wichita, Kansas, is seeking a special use permit to allow it to operate a glow-in-the-dark miniature golf facility at Westfield Hawthorn mall.
As proposed, the combination sales/entertainment facility would occupy the former Sam Goodies store, an area of the mall outside Sears with four adjacent vacant spaces.
The company sells the system and its components, and uses mall locations to display the product. Patrons can play golf for a fee, which is used to pay mall rent and operating costs, according to the company.
Nearly all traffic is from players rather than those interested in buying the system, so it is regarded more as an activity generator than sales tax source.
The facility is illuminated completely with black light ultraviolet lamps.
"It'll bring more walk-in traffic to the mall," said John Kalmar, assistant village manager. "It's looking to enhance activity levels in the mall."
Hawthorn continues to be a big retail gun in Vernon Hills, where village leaders are concerned about dropping sales tax revenues, but it appears to be holding its own.
"Like all malls at the moment, they're being squeezed because of declining revenues," said John Melaniphy, a Chicago retail consultant who has worked with the village.
"It's doing OK given the fact that almost all the malls have experienced a decline," he added.
Glowgolf operates at 43 malls in eight states, including Stratford Square in Bloomingdale. The company intends to lease 11,000 square feet, initially for one year beginning in August.
Company representative Reginald Booth, in a recent presentation to the village's planning and zoning commission, described the operation as "much more of a blue collar operation" compared with the Putting Edge miniature golf facility in Lincolnshire.
Commissioners voted 6-0 to recommend approval.
The Vernon Hills village board will discuss the request during a work session today following its regular meeting at 7 p.m. at village, 290 Evergreen Drive.