New clubhouse is ‘bright spot’ for Rock Island

The new clubhouse is open and local golfers love it. More than 75 people from the business and golfing communities gathered Friday afternoon, June 27, for a grand opening of the new clubhouse at Saukie Golf Course, located at 3108 38th St., Rock Island.  “This new clubhouse will really cement us as a landmark in […]

The new clubhouse is open and local golfers love it. More than 75 people from the business and golfing communities gathered Friday afternoon, June 27, for a grand opening of the new clubhouse at Saukie Golf Course, located at 3108 38th St., Rock Island.  “This new clubhouse will really cement us as a landmark in the Quad Cities. … This will really be a bright spot for the City of Rock Island,” Todd Winter, assistant director of Rock Island Parks and Recreation, said shortly after the new facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. The clubhouse project, which cost a little more than $1 million, was made possible through a $901,800 Park and Recreational Facility Construction (PARC) grant, as part of the Rebuild Illinois Capital Improvement Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 

Some of the clubhouse’s features include:

• A golf simulator area.The simulator allows golfers to “play” more than 100 famous courses from around the world, use a driving range mode to warm up playing the real game and allow golfers to analyze their swing through performance tracking. John Gripp, director of the city’s parks and recreation department, said the simulator will attract golfers to Saukie during the winter months. While the golf course will be closed for the winter, the clubhouse will remain open.
•  Indoor and outdoor seating areas.
• The clubhouse is decorated with historic photos of Saukie Golf Course over the years.
• Several large-screen TVs.
• A snack bar, and area to buy needed golf supplies, such as golfballs, hats and gloves.
• Estes Construction, Davenport, served as the general contractor for the project, and J’s Pro Drafting developed the building plan.

In addition to a chance to tour all the new clubhouse’s features, guests at the ceremony heard several speeches from city officials praising the many people and groups who made the project possible.  Many of those words of praise were also directed to area golfers and staff members at Saukie for their patience during the clubhouse’s construction. The project began last October with a ground-breaking ceremony, which was held shortly after Saukie’s original clubhouse – an almost 100-year-old structure – was demolished to make room for its replacement. City leaders said it was time to tear down the old clubhouse because it had outlived its usefulness.

While construction was in progress, a trailer was brought on the course grounds and used as a temporary clubhouse for the last part of the 2024 golf season. It was located in the parking lot by the old Stone House. Today, that trailer is gone and many golfers have been enjoying the new clubhouse facilities, said Mr. Winter. “This new clubhouse is a great investment in the future of Saukie Golf Course. We wanted to keep the charm and history of Saukie while adding the improvements that we hope golfers and visitors will enjoy for decades to come,” he added. Mr. Gripp is encouraging golfers to return to Saukie to enjoy the new clubhouse. “Come down here, watch some golf and have a good time in this new place,” he added.