Brand 'new' ball game at Libertyville golf center

The shots may not translate to the course, but even in practice, getting more pop off the tee is a victory for most golfers.

Players grabbing some mat time at the Libertyville Golf Learning Center were pleasantly surprised to find some of the beaten range balls they've been hitting for three years have been upgraded.

"They're flying. Definitely a difference you can feel," said Marvin McDonald of Zion, who with two friends was happily pounding the "new" balls into the distance from the elevated tee stations.

The village-run facility was able to strike a deal with a pair of area golf courses to purchase used balls. The year-old Calloways are a marked improvement over what had been at the range, according to employees and customers.

Down the line, Augie Sierra of Gurnee was enjoying his first visit to the complex at Route 45 and Peterson Road.

"We just got lucky," he said. "They just feel firmer on the club. Straighter."

Even though the Golf Learning Center portion of the Libertyville Sports Complex is for sale, the reactions from customers are encouraging for staff, which is trying to maximize revenue at the facility.

"We lost people using our facility because of the quality of the balls," said Randy Splitt, recreation supervisor.

The last time any of the driving range ball inventory was replaced was in December 2007, when the village bought 27,000 Top Flites.

But most of the balls are even older. Some are worn nearly smooth and have passed their useful life.

So when an opportunity presented itself, the village board waived formal bids and agreed to buy 60,000 used range balls from the Pine Meadow and Cog Hill golf courses.

The deal was sealed for $12,250 - roughly half the price of new ones. The village paid an average of $2.45 a dozen compared with $3.95 to $5 per dozen for new range balls.

The range balls at the Jemsek family-run courses are replaced every year, which is not the case with all courses.

"We've got a lot of places that want our golf balls," said Dennis Johnsen, club manager and head golf pro at Pine Meadow. "Our players know as soon as we put the new ones in."

On Tuesday, Splitt took delivery of 40,000 of the balls, packed into 137 boxes.

The boxes were stacked and stuffed into a small utility room, next to the equipment that distributes range balls to the 40 automated tees.

"What this feels like is the old days of Prohibition, sneaking the booze in the back door," Johnsen joked, as he and others kept the line moving.

Splitt said newer range balls will allow players to better gauge what they might be working on.

The village budgeted $30,000 for golf balls, mats and miscellaneous equipment at the Golf Learning Center, which has been available for development for a few years without any takers.

The market isn't expected to improve soon and until it does, the village wants to attract as much interest as possible.

The replacement range balls are being touted and a grand reopening event is in the works.

"We're hoping to fix it up a little but it is a premier driving range in the Midwest," said Mayor Terry Weppler. "It's gotten a little ragged around the edges."