Ryan Hintze, an owner of the new Forest Grove Sports Complex, CEO of Iron Tee Golf and the owner/operator of Corn Belt Capital, is shown inside the new Forest Grove facility at 6945 Iron Tee Way, Bettendorf. That new sports complex will host its first tournament this weekend. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Hundreds of young baseball players, their coaches and parents are about to visit the Quad Cities and play games in the area’s newest sports facility. That 113,00-square-foot facility – currently called the Forest Grove Sports Complex – is about to open for business and host 47 youth baseball teams from Chicago, St. Louis and many […]
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Hundreds of young baseball players, their coaches and parents are about to visit the Quad Cities and play games in the area’s newest sports facility.That 113,00-square-foot facility – currently called the Forest Grove Sports Complex – is about to open for business and host 47 youth baseball teams from Chicago, St. Louis and many other places around the Midwest.
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The new Forest Grove Sports Complex has a large playing field with artificial turf. It’s also designed to accommodate indoor baseball tournaments, with additional line markings for lacrosse, soccer and flag football. The playing field can be used as a 11V11 soccer field, adaptable for two 9V9 or four 7V7 games. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The new Forest Grove Sports Complex has a large playing field with artificial turf. It’s also designed to accommodate indoor baseball tournaments, with additional line markings for lacrosse, soccer and flag football. The playing field can be used as a 11V11 soccer field, adaptable for two 9V9 or four 7V7 games. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The new Forest Grove Sports Complex is at 6945 Iron Tee Way, Bettendorf, next door to the new Iron Tee Golf entertainment facility and in the growing TBK Bank Sports Complex area in the northern part of the city. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
This is the home plate area at the new Forest Grove Sports Complex. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The new Forest Grove Sports Complex is at 6945 Iron Tee Way, Bettendorf, next door to the new Iron Tee Golf entertainment facility and in the growing TBK Bank Sports Complex area in the northern part of the city. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The weekend tournament, which starts Friday, Jan. 10, will be the opening sporting event for the new $14 million sports complex.It is located at 6945 Iron Tee Way, Bettendorf, next door to the new Iron Tee Golf entertainment facility and in the growing TBK Bank Sports Complex area in the northern part of the city.“It’s been a massive undertaking. … Everybody has been very impressed with this facility,” said Ryan Hintze, one of the owners of Forest Grove Sports Complex, CEO of Iron Tee Golf and the owner/operator of Corn Belt Capital.The new sports facility has actually already been used by a few young athletes. Youth league baseball players started practicing in the new Forest Grove complex on Sunday, Jan. 5, in preparation for this weekend’s first sporting event in the new facility.Mr. Hintze said the opening reviews and comments from players have been very positive for the new facility.“There are just a lot of opportunities to have many events in this place,” he said.In addition to hosting sports contests, the Forest Grove Sports Complex will greatly help the local economy. When all those athletes, their coaches and parents arrive for games, they will also be visiting local retail shops, restaurants and hotels. And they will be putting a lot of money into the Quad Cities.
Economic impact amazing
“It’s going to be amazing for the economy,” he added.The Bettendorf sports facility was still a work in progress on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Mr. Hintze said there were still a few “finishing touches” left to be completed. Several workers were busy early this week getting those jobs done, and working on the large sports playing field and several other jobs around the building.Some of the features of the new sports facility include:
The centerpiece is a large playing field with artificial turf. It’s also designed to accommodate indoor baseball tournaments, with additional line markings for lacrosse, soccer and flag football. The playing field can be used as a 11V11 soccer field, adaptable for two 9V9 or four 7V7 games.
The sports area has dugouts and is netted from ceiling to the floor.
There is a batting cage room. On Tuesday, Jan. 7, a crew of workers was putting up the netting for that area. The room is expected to be ready for batters in a few days.
There is also a concession area, seating for spectators and restrooms.
The complex has a series of cameras set up to livestream games. “You can be sitting in the Iron Tee, having a drink and watch the games being played here,” said Mr. Hintze.
The new sports facility will have about 10 to 15 employees on the job during events.
The features aren’t limited to the building. Outside the sports complex, a courtyard area will be set up next to Iron Tee. That courtyard will eventually have firepits, turf and lighting. It will be set up to host outside gatherings and entertainment. Also, the concession area of the sports facility has an outside window that will be used to serve people gathered on the courtyard.
In addition to those many features, the new facility will likely sport a new name in the coming weeks. Mr. Hintze said the building’s owners are now in the process of granting naming rights to the facility to a sponsoring company. He added there are about three companies in the running for those naming rights. The sponsoring company – and the new name of the sports facility – could be announced by the end of January.When the new name is finalized, grand-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies will be held for the facility.
