“A public golf course like (Wilmette, Illinois Golf Club) is a great place to change the mindset that golf is about class distinctions or bad for the environment,” ASGCA Treasurer Greg Martin told the Chicago Tribune as the course reopened after a year-long renovation project.
The newspaper profiled the $2.5 million project and Martin’s work, including, “14 new greens, 10 new tee areas, 51 new sand traps, and three expanded lakes. The new features were designed to be environmentally friendly and to improve stormwater drainage and prevent flooding.”
The course first opened in 1922.
The article continued, “Hopping aboard a golf cart to give a recent visitor a tour of the newly renovated course, Wilmette Park District Executive Director Steve Wilson pointed out a few of what he considers to be the most interesting new features of the course, such as a winding bioswale framed by native plantings including prairie grasses.
“Despite the frequent downpours during the past few weeks, Wilson noted that the rocks lining the bottom of the bioswale had done an impressive job keeping the stormwater in an adjacent pond, unlike in the past, when heavy rains could force officials to close the course for days.
“Another highlight of the course is the reconfiguring of the 12th and 13th holes, Wilson said, gesturing proudly toward a swath of close-cropped Kentucky Bluegrass on the tee box.
“‘In the interest of safety, and to reduce errant shots, we’ve relived some of the congestion on the 11th, 12th and 13th holes,’ Wilson said.”
The entire article can be found here.
Greg Martin shares additional thoughts on the project at his website.