Case Study

The Glen Club:

From Runways to World Class Fairways

Opportunity

When the Village of Glenview, located in the northern suburbs of Chicago, made plans for the redevelopment of the former Glenview Naval Air Station, the goal was lofty:  Create a mixed-use master planned community that included residential, retail, and recreational facilities.  At the heart of the 1,200-acre redevelopment was a vision for a world class golf course that would attract both out-of-town visitors and residents.  The Village chose KemperSports as its partner for design, development, construction and management of the 18-hole championship golf course and clubhouse facility, which included lodging and full-scale banquet space.

Action

Through a nationwide search, KemperSports assembled an accomplished team of professionals to develop the property, including the clubhouse architect, the residential housing partner and golf course designer Tom Fazio.  KemperSports lead the development of a comprehensive golf course and clubhouse design, its integration with the residential community plan and a highly detailed project plan, all of which were pivotal in gaining approval for the master plan from the city.  Turning concrete runways into rolling hills suitable for championship golf required KemperSports’ visionary leadership, design expertise, engineering and planning, and precise execution.  KemperSports overcame environmental and engineering challenges which resulted in a natural setting that looked like it had been there for centuries.

Results

Not only was The Glen Club completed on time and on budget, but the former site of runways, roads, and demolished buildings was also transformed into dynamic golf terrain with rolling hills, stunning vistas and naturally harmonious transitions.  After KemperSports moved more than two million cubic yards of dirt and planted in excess of 4,000 trees, The Glen Club's championship course is praised for its routing and aesthetically pleasing landscape.  The Glen Redevelopment Project, of which the golf club is a significant component, won the Urban Land Institute 2005 Award for Excellence—widely recognized as the most prestigious award in the real estate development industry.

The Glen Club's development and construction success has been recognized with sold-out corporate memberships and national rankings from leading golf industry publications, including being the only course to be included in the "Top 10 Best New Golf Courses" lists in GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest, and Sports Illustrated when it opened in 2001.  Most recently, The Glen Club was named to GOLF Magazine’s “Top 100 Courses You Can Play” in the nation.  The course has hosted the Bank of America Open, The Illinois Open, and the Big Ten/Pac Ten Challenge and serves as the home base of the  Illinois Golf Hall of Fame.  The lodging and club house are praised for their charming design and personal feel, and the banquet space is consistently booked to host weddings, parties, and corporate events.  Importantly, financial goals and golfer standards continue to be met and The Glen Club continues to be the premier golf course in the Chicago area.

 

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