Over 50 Come Out for the Annual Chili Open Golf Tournament

On Saturday, January 11, over 50 polar bear golfers converged on the nine-hole, par-3 course at Golf Center Des Plaines, for the annual Des Plaines Park District Chili Open Golf Tournament. The artic golf challenge drew sports enthusiasts and hobbyist golfers of every age, as they attempted to battle the wind and freezing temperatures before heading into Club Casa Cafe for chili and hot chocolate. “It’s such a good time, and we have many people who have played year after year,” said Brian Panek, Manager of Golf and Facilities. “It’s nice to see them come back and bring their friends.” This is the third year the open was played at Golf Center Des Plaines. “One of the reasons we moved the event from Lake Park to the Golf Center,” said Panek, “was to give golfers an opportunity to warm up on the driving range before hitting the links. The heated bays are typically 25 degrees warmer than the outside air temperature,” he continued, “so today, it’s about 55 degrees on the range.”

The Open featured two shotgun starts, one at 9:00am, and one at noon. Golfers competed for prizes in Lowest Score and Closest to the Pin categories. At the 9:00am tee-off, Mike Fischer won the Lowest Male Score challenge with a 25, two under par, and Jessica Lang won the Lowest Female Score with a 32. John Kosnik won Closest to the Pin on the fourth hole, and Garrett Norris won Best Score for a golfer under 18 years old. Over twenty raffle winners also took home gift cards from the Golf Center, Club Casa, GolfTec, and the Dream Golf Pro Shop, as well as hats, balls, and DVDs.

Golf Center Des Plaines is located at 353 North River Road, just north of Golf Road. Through February 28, the Driving Range is open from 9:00am until 10:00pm and the nine-hole, par-3 course is open year round, depending on the course conditions. For more information about the range, monthly specials, and golf lessons, call 847-803-GOLF or visit www.GolfCenterDesPlaines.com.