PEORIA — Once the week of the Masters hits, golf season seems to have officially arrived.
But thanks to a mild March and even warmer April, the Peoria Park District golf courses have already been littered with patrons. In fact, Tuesday saw over 100 golfers playing at Kellogg Golf Course as temperatures hit the mid-70s.
Several projects or new events are part of the PPD golf plans for 2024. Here is a look at four of those highlights:
As announced this past October, the Golf Learning Center & Academy at 7815 N. Radnor Road in Peoria will undergo a $5 million facelift. The plan calls for adding a full restaurant and bar, a pair of golf simulators as well as installing a double-decker bay which utilizes Top Tracer technology.
Top Tracer is the exact same technology found at the popular golf driving range facility TopGolf. TopGolf owns Top Tracer, but partners with park districts and golf courses to install their signature tech.
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“I think the main thing that is on everybody’s mind is the reimagination of the Golf Learning Center,” PPD golf superintendent Greg Walker said. “… That is the big thing we’re doing this year.”
Construction is anticipated to begin in June or July with a completion date of around March 2025.
All three of the PPD courses — Kellogg, Madison and Newman — are already cranking out round after round this spring. Last year, the number of rounds played on those 18-hole tracks hit the 115,000 mark.
Golf is very strong here in central Illinois right now, according to Walker, who joined the PPD in May 2018. He’s seen more juniors, women and families playing since the pandemic hit four years ago.
“The biggest number we have had in over a decade,” Walker said.
Mother Nature, obviously, will have a hand in how many rounds are played in 2024, but right now Walker says the courses are ” in wonderful shape for this time of year,” and “have started this year extremely strong.”
One of the changes happened at Kellogg, where the PPD renumbered the holes back to the original 1972 layout. The change came about when the PPD got feedback from the public and decided to ease golfers into the course.
Good weather brings golfers, and PPD golfers are purchasing member passes. The $925 membership pass is already up 350 through the end of March compared to this time last year.
“What does that mean?” Walker said. “It means the weather was better earlier this year.”
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However, a lot of those memberships are taking advantage of the Partner 2 Play program. Partner 2 Play allows a new member (or someone who hasn’t been a member in the last two years) to purchase a pass for between $525 to $600 thanks to an invite from a current member.
This also applies to two new members coming together, leading to a reduced rate for both golfers.
“That has gone very well with our customer base here in central Illinois,” Walker said. “It has been very successful.”
Tournaments are set to begin next Saturday, April 20 with a two-player scramble at Kellogg. A week later, the Spring Classic takes place. The four-person scramble eases golfers into a steady next few months of events.
“That gets you started the year a little bit easier format,” Walker said.
Women will get a brand-new tournament on May 18 — a four-player scramble at Kellogg. Walker says he’s been approached over the years about having a women’s tourney and that has come to fruition. Eight teams have already signed up for the inaugural event.
“That was something that we were lacking in our tournament schedule,” Walker said.
The Men’s Senior City begins with its qualifying rounds on June 13-14, with match play running from June 17-21.
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The long-running Peoria Men’s City runs from July 29 to August 3 following two days of qualifying on July 26-27. Three Junior Opens are set to take place at Madison (June 11), Newman (June 25) and Kellogg (July 9).
PPD’s 2024 schedule culminates with the Turkey Shoot four-player scramble on Nov. 2 at Kellogg — one of the park district’s most popular events.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
