‘Not just for golfers’: Bar and food truck offer something new at historic golf course in Elgin
The state’s oldest nine-hole municipal golf course is home to Elgin’s newest bar and food truck.
Chip Shots Golf & Whiskey Bar recently opened at Wing Park Golf Course, offering golfers and the surrounding community new amenities at the public course founded in 1908.
The bar and permanent food truck are the centerpiece of the new $4.3 million, 9,600-square-foot clubhouse at Wing Park and are being operated in partnership with the city by Alan and Breanne Moreno, owners of Plank Road Tap Room on Elgin’s west side.
“It’s been a whirlwind getting it off the ground. But this is really exciting, and the feedback has been great,” Breanne Moreno said.
The new space is also home to the course’s pro shop, three state-of-the-art golf and sport simulators, as well as outdoor hitting bays. It replaces the original building that dates back to 1936.
Longtime Elgin Director of Golf Operations Mike Lehman said they designed the space to “pay homage to the players that played before us.”
In his many years with the city, Lehman has overseen the building of both the Highlands and Bowes Creek golf courses, but he said the project at Wing Park is special to him.
“This means a lot to me because it’s where I learned to play the game growing up,” he said.
Guests are greeted with a timeline of the golf course’s history on a mural in the main hallway as they enter the brick, geothermal building.
“There really wasn’t a (readily available) history of Wing Park out there,” Breanne Moreno said. “So it took a bit of research, but it came together nicely, and it’s been great to see people taking their time and reading their way through it.”
Once inside, golfers and guests can take advantage of an indoor seating area and bar, which features numerous sophisticated takes on classic whiskey cocktails, including a bourbon bramble, a carajillo old fashioned and a Whiskey Acres gold rush using barrel-aged honey from the distillery.
“I’m not of the school where you need to light a dove on fire and shoot it out of a cannon to make an old fashioned,” Alan Moreno said. “We just want to make good drinks properly.”
They also tapped Whiskey Acres Distilling, located in DeKalb, for a special barrel pick and collaborated with a pair of local breweries for special beers honoring the course.
Riverlands Brewing Company in St. Charles created the 1908 Clubhouse lager, which celebrates the course’s history in its name and the design of its can, while Blind Corner Brewery in Naperville concocted Tiny Pencils, a hazy IPA. Both are available in cans and on tap.
Food can be ordered from the permanent outdoor food truck located just outside the clubhouse. Diners can then head inside, hit the patio or take the food to go.
Lehman said they settled on a food truck rather than building a brick-and-mortar kitchen to keep costs down and the ability to adapt to their needs as they evolve.
“I think there’s a lot of flexibility with this concept and it’s very neighborhood-oriented,” he said. “And it’s not just for golfers, this is everyone’s opportunity to come and grab something unique that tastes incredible.”
The elevated yet comfortable offerings from the food truck are made to order and served with house-made chips.
Menu choices include the “Fairway Burger,” served with roasted green chilies, avocado, Jack cheese and chipotle aioli on a toasted brioche bun. There’s also “The Angry Birdie,” a take on a Nashville hot chicken sandwich with pimento cheese, garlic aioli and hot honey.
The 29 Club section of the menu honors the three golfers in course history to have shot a 29, including Lehman. “The Mike” is a pulled pork sandwich topped with pineapple relish, BBQ sauce and crispy onions.
“There’s always an extra spot,” Lehman said. “So if somebody can shoot that number, they can have their own menu item.”
The food truck is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., while the bar at 1010 Wing St. stays open until 9 p.m.