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Sports

Suburban Stadiums: Golf Center Des Plaines

The Park District has turned the facility into a busy summertime attraction for Chicago area golfers.

This is the first installment of Des Plaines Patch’s newest series: Suburban Stadiums. Each week will feature a different local athletic facility, from fitness centers to neighborhood parks. We’ll dive into its history, current offerings and provide a calendar of major events that it will host.

Golf Center Des Plaines

For most people in the Midwest, golf season lasts roughly six months, give or take a couple weeks on each side of spring and fall. Golf Center Des Plaines is trying to change that.

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With a heated driving range and a lighted nine-hole, par-3 course, the park district’s golf center gives residents more opportunities to golf. It has been ranked among the top 100 golf ranges in America by Golf Range Magazine and attracts thousands of golfers from around the Chicago area.

History: The original Golf Center was not owned and operated by the Park District. It was opened in October 1997 by a group of investors at a cost of $7 million.

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After only three years the Park District purchased 36.7 acres of land, including the Golf Center, in September 2000 and started making adjustments. The Park District completed some original renovations to the Golf Center, costing $600,000.

In fall 2006, the driving range turf was renovated and the automatic tee-up system on the driving range was updated. Rob Ward, former Golf Center manager, and Don Miletic, current superintendent of business and golf operations  went to Japan to research the tee-up system upgrade and write some of the software.

Current state: Although golfers are relegated to mats instead of grass in the three-tier, 80-station driving range, the automated tee-up system is a big advantage. Each station computer tracks the exact number of balls used so golfers can hit leftovers on another day.

The Golf Center’s prices for balls are comparable to other park district courses. The best deal might be the Golf Center’s short-game area. For only $6 anyone can use the practice area – which stretches 60 yards – anytime throughout the day.

The lighted par-3 course has nine holes that range from 80 to 200 yards and is open until midnight.

The Golf Center has seen a decline in traffic over the past couple of years, but a number of new initiatives are an attempt to draw people back in. A driving range special of eight cents per ball on Thursdays runs through August, and that's in addition to its ongoing promotion of six cents per ball on Mondays.

“What we’re trying to do is get a lot of new customers through new types of advertising, and stepping up our customer service here to a new level,” Brian Panek, manager of golf and facilities, said.

Since taking the manager position in March Panek has been making an effort to get more youth involved by visiting schools in the Des Plaines area and giving away free passes.

“A lot of the youth in Des Plaines are not golfers, and that’s something we want them to start early,” Panek said. “It’s something they can do for a lifetime.”

Calendar of events:

Free short-game clinics taught by club PGA pros: July 19, July 26, July 31.

Club Casa League: Thursday nights.

GolfTEC Leagues: Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Driving Range Specials:

Eight cents per ball on Thursdays through August.

Six cents per ball on Mondays.

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