Work continues on improvements to Stone Creek Miniature Golf in Geneva
As much as we enjoy vaulting into the holiday season, we do keep an eye on new things in store for families next spring and summer.
The rebuilding of the Stone Creek Miniature Golf hut in Geneva falls into that category, in part because it should be a welcome addition to the popular family recreation site and also because mini golf brings me pleasant memories. More on that in a bit.
First, folks may wonder what’s been going on at the mini golf course set in Wheeler Park, as construction has resulted in the former hut (supplies and concession area) being leveled and concrete flowing in for a new outdoor area.
“This renovation is a significant step forward in enhancing the experience for both our patrons and staff,” said Elliott Bortner, superintendent of recreation for the Geneva Park District. “It will include the addition of dedicated restrooms for both staff and guests, increased storage and air conditioning, and an improved outdoor birthday party and group-outing space.”
The hut will feature new siding and a new roof, and aspects that ensure the building meets ADA accessibility standards, Bortner noted.
The project started as soon as the mini-golf season ended in October and the park district expects it to be complete for the course’s opening in early May of 2025.
This is obviously good news for young and old alike, as Stone Creek Miniature Golf had nearly 6,000 rounds played by residents and more than 17,000 rounds total in 2024.
As for my fondness for mini golf, what’s not to like about a recreational activity that has been around since 1916 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and ultimately exploded in the 1920s with the Tom Thumb branded courses?
Personally, it was the game in which I won my first “prize” in an athletic endeavor. And it was a good one for an 11-year-old kid entering a hole-in-one tournament at the Feldott’s Plateau Arnold Palmer mini golf course in Naperville in 1964. A fellow named Bill Feldott operated this place for years, and also got its name out in the community by sponsoring some great softball teams in the late 1960s.
At this event, I was in the 11-year-old category for the 18-hole course — but you only had one shot on each hole. If you putted the ball into the hole in one shot, an adult supervisor for our foursome marked it down and we moved onto the next hole. The player with the most points, or holes-in-one, won their age group.
Remembering my exact score is a bit foggy, but I would estimate about a 7 or 8. I had a good stroke going that day, after playing many rounds with my family and friends leading up to it.
It was good enough to win the age category and go home with my prize — what was to become my beloved transistor radio for quite a few years.
You don’t need to win a radio to have better memories with your parents or friends at Stone Creek next season — with a new golf course hut to better serve patrons.
Betty hits century mark
In April of 2023, I introduced readers to 98-year-old Betty McKeown of Elgin who was walking three miles a day, mostly at the Centre of Elgin.
The surprising thing was she kept with her walking routine, even after being struck by a car pulling out of a driveway two years earlier, and also undergoing surgery to have a pacemaker planted.
So, it is good news to note that family and friends celebrated Betty’s 100th birthday Thursday at the Centre of Elgin. It was a party to acknowledge the centennial milestone, but also to continue to be amazed that she still walks a great deal at the facility.
Winery covering its bases
Geneva Winery has spread its wings to the point where the business operates in each of the Tri-Cities.
GW is well established along Third Street in Geneva with a large outdoor seating area, but it is growing its popularity in Batavia and St. Charles as well.
The winery has a location at 5 N. River St. in Batavia, and revealed last week that it is acquiring Vintage 53, the wine, cocktail and charcuterie bar in downtown St. Charles.
A social media post from the GW’s Brent Copstead indicated the upscale Vintage 53 creates “a perfect pairing of two beloved brands.”
You can translate that marketing-speak to simply realize that customers who love wine, and a cozy atmosphere for drinking it while maybe munching on cheese and other snacks, will feel right at home when Geneva Winery brings its wines to Vintage 53.
By the same token, all of the Geneva Winery locations will now offer the cheese and charcuterie of Vintage 53.
Copstead also noted that Mario Grado, owner of Vintage 53, will become a general manager for GW. Grado will work with current GW general manager Carl “CJ” Davis, a sommelier from northern Michigan.
With the holidays zooming in on us, this news from Geneva Winery couldn’t come at a better time — for the business and its customers.
Holiday events for calendar
The newspaper and social media threads are going into warp speed as far as alerting folks to holiday festivities. It’s just that time of year.
I wanted to make note of a few to help you mark calendars. It’s a short sampling, in a few paragraphs in chronological order.
The “Christmas at Corron Farm” event starts things off from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the historic farm at 76N761 Corron Road, Campton Township. This free event has all of the holiday activities you want to get the season rolling, with a holiday market, children’s activities and live caroling.
It will mark the fourth season for the event, which planner Joni Kuper said has drawn as many as 500 people — when the weather cooperated. Forecasts earlier this week indicated a good forecast for this holiday-season starter.
The St. Charles Holiday Homecoming Lighting of the Lights event takes place at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, in the First Street plaza, while the popular Electric Christmas Parade marches down Main Street the following night at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30.
Batavia holds its “Celebration of Lights” tree lighting at the Batavia Riverwalk at 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 1. The Batavia Community Band plays Christmas songs, while various other events, treats and Santa Claus are part of the fun.
Of course, we look forward to Geneva’s Christmas Walk and holiday house tour on the weekend of Dec. 6 and 7. That’s when Geneva throws on its holiday lights in addition to welcoming Santa into town and turning Third Street into a winter wonderland.
In another event with the farm theme, the Garfield Farm “Candelight at the Inn” takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at the farm museum, 3N016 Garfield Road in Campton Hills.
This open-house event will take you back to the holidays of yesteryear and give you an idea of what it would have been like to live in this area in the 1840s. Music, light refreshments and a bake sale are offered. Donations are encouraged, to aid a current campaign and help the efforts of those over the past five decades to keep this farm and buildings preserved.
And, finally, we are back to the farm. This time it’s the Winter Wonder Lights event from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Peck Farm Park in Geneva.
The courtyard illumination takes place at 5 p.m., and other activities follow, such as crafts, hot cocoa and s’mores by a firepit, cookie decorating, letters to Santa, holiday music and caroling, and even photos with Santa (fee and signup required).
A journalism mentor
Even though I studied journalism at Southern Illinois University, after graduation I had more interactions with the head of the journalism department at Northern Illinois University.
His name was Don Brod and he was instrumental in getting me to move up the ladder of the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association board until I became president of that organization for a year in the early 1990s.
Mostly, he was just a wonderful guy to be around when you were part of the industry in this part of the state. He loved journalism and journalists. After all, he taught the subject at NIU from 1969 to 1992.
He passed away at age 92 last month, and it wouldn’t be right to let it pass without saying how grateful I was to have known this gentleman at the right time in my career.
Mostly, as the media deals with heightened attacks on its mission and integrity by those who don’t like journalists probing into their business, it is good to think of Don Brod when facing those challenges. He knew what was right and what we were supposed to be doing at all times.
My first ‘owner’
When coming to St. Charles to start my journalism career in 1977, the Paschal family operated Chronicle Newspapers.
I never had to deal too closely with elder statesmen Don or John Paschal, but grew fond of the younger fellows — brothers Rob and Jim.
They supported publisher Roger Coleman’s decision to move me into the editor’s job in 1985. After the Paschals sold the newspaper, I would still run into Rob or Jim at various events and they were always friendly.
Rob passed away last Sunday at age 69. Jim passed away a few years ago and Coleman died more than a decade ago.
I spent a lot of time with all three, discussing local issues and how the newspaper would approach those topics. All of it helped shape my career.
dheun@sbcglobal.net