This is a conceptual plan by Streamline Architects for a new clubhouse at Rock Island’s Saukie Golf Course. The city will complete a final design phase after an architect/contractor is selected for the $1 million project. CREDIT CITY OF ROCK ISLAND
Rock Island is preparing to replace a nearly century-old clubhouse at Saukie Golf Course thanks to the state chipping in with a grant for park and recreational facility improvements. The City of Rock Island announced last week that it was awarded $901,800 in funding from the Illinois Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act grant program to […]
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Rock Island is preparing to replace a nearly century-old clubhouse at Saukie Golf Course thanks to the state chipping in with a grant for park and recreational facility improvements. The City of Rock Island announced last week that it was awarded $901,800 in funding from the Illinois Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act grant program to build a new clubhouse at the city-owned course. The PARC grant, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, was among 13 grants totaling $28 million awarded as part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital improvement plan. The new clubhouse at Saukie Golf Course, 3101 38th St., will replace the existing facility that is 95 years old and in need of a major upgrade. The estimated $1 million building project will cater to the needs of today’s golfers and other users while preserving the historic significance of the golf course, the city said in a news release.The new capital project comes on the heels of a new clubhouse opened last summer at Rock Island’s Highland Springs Golf Course. That $2.1 million facility, which included the first permanent classroom for the youth leadership program First Tee, opened in June after a year of construction. “After completing the new clubhouse at Highland, it has become clear how much Saukie golfers and neighbors will enjoy an upgrade as well,” Todd Winter, Rock Island’s assistant parks and recreation director, said in the release announcing the PARC funding. In an email to the QCBJ, Mr. Winter said the new clubhouse still has to go through a final design phase once a contractor/architect has been selected. He added that the location of the new facility is not finalized but it will be near the existing clubhouse.
Better views, more seats
“We want to have better views of the course with outdoor seating, more secure and less congested cart parking area, and easily accessible from the parking lot,” he added. “We are trying to find a design that is practical with modern amenities but ties into the historical significance of Saukie,” Mr. Winter said. According to Mr. Winter, the PARC grant will cover about 90% of the costs of the new clubhouse “so there’s still fundraising to be done to cover the last $100,000.” He told the QCBJ the remainder will come from city capital funds and fundraising efforts which to date have raised more than $10,000 in private donations. With less than 15 projects statewide receiving PARC funds, “this is a very unique and exciting opportunity to receive this funding,” he added.The Highland Springs project, which first broke ground in June 2022, was accelerated by years, park department leaders previously told the QCBJ, thanks to the partnership with First Tee, which privately raised more than $300,000 for the clubhouse.
Old structure needs repair
Saukie’s current clubhouse is in need of significant repairs to its siding, floors, kitchen and more. It also is inefficient as far as energy use, Mr. Winter said, adding that “The current clubhouse limits our ability to host outings and events.”Built in 1927 and opened in 1928, Saukie was designed by Thomas Bendelow using teams of horses and mules. Spanning 110 acres, the executive-style course features majestic oak trees, rolling terrain with ravines, doglegs, small greens and tough par three holes.The new clubhouse plans call for meeting space, seating areas, offices, a kitchen, dining area, two golf simulators and outdoor seating. “We look forward to working with our community partner agencies, golfers and our neighborhoods to make Saukie a community icon, hub and destination for the future,” Mr. Winter said in the release. He told the QCBJ that Saukie also will work with First Tee, area high school golf teams, Augustana College and others, who will keep the indoor golf simulators busy especially during the winter months. The improvements also are expected to increase play at the course, which averages 20,000 rounds a year.“Saukie is a landmark in our community and this new facility will be a game-changer for Rock Island and the surrounding neighborhood,” Mr. Winter said in an email to the QCBJ.
Grants boost recreation
The PARC grant program provides funding to help build, renovate and improve recreational buildings used by the public or to purchase land for public access and recreational purposes. “From roads and bridges to parks and recreational buildings, my administration’s landmark Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan is leaving no part of our state’s infrastructure untouched,” Gov. Pritzker said Wednesday, Jan. 10, in a news release announcing the grant awards.“You can learn a lot about a community by the way they invest in publicly accessible recreation for residents,” Illinois State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, said in the city’s release. State Rep. Gregg Johnson, D-East Moline, added: “The tourism dollars that will come to Rock Island as a result of much-needed improvements to the Saukie Golf Course are going to make a world of difference for the local economy.” In addition to Rock Island, the other PARC grants included: City of Anna (Union County), $2.8 million; Arlington Heights Park District (Cook County), $2.8 million; Batavia Park District (Kane County), $2.8 million; Village of Crossville (White County), $324,047; Decatur Park District (Macon County), $2.8 million; Macon County Conservation District, $870,750; Glenview Park District (Cook County), $2.8 million; Park District of Highland Park (Lake County), $2.8 million; Northbrook Park District (Cook County), $2.8 million; Oak Lawn Park District (Cook County), $2.1 million; Rockford Park District (Winnebago County), $2.8 million; and City of Woodstock (McHenry County), $2.8 million. “It’s wonderful to see so many park districts and communities looking to renovate their facilities and expand access to recreational opportunities to as many users as possible,” IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said in the state’s release.
