Chicago Park District hosted a community meeting on January 31st
Chicago, February 6, 2018 – The Chicago Park District hosted its 10th meeting in a series of public events for the City of Chicago’s “South Lakefront Framework Plan,” which includes both the Obama Presidential Center and golf course improvements on Wednesday Jan. 31. Tiger Woods’ TGR Design presented its initial golf routing at a kick-off event on June 21, 2017. Since that time, the design team has modified the plan and course routing based on direct feedback from local golfers and neighborhood residents. Beau Welling, Senior Design Consultant for TGR Design, presented the updates before a crowd of approximately 300 at the South Shore Cultural Center.
Welling described Tiger’s motivation to expand his legacy through this initiative, “I’ve never seen Tiger Woods so excited about a project. Tiger Woods is about meaningful projects that have impact. Tiger grew up on public golf courses, and this is very special for him.”
Mark Rolfing, founder and president of the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance, stated, “This project has progressed mightily thanks to an immediate commitment to South Side children, relentless energy of local community advocates and Tiger Woods’ vision to reach beyond the game.”
Ron Norris, president of the Jackson Park Golf Association, offered compliments from members of Jackson Park and South Shore’s golf leagues, “Tiger and his team have listened to our ideas to create our desired golf experience on the South Side. The Park District’s commitment to free greens fees for Chicago’s junior golfers and rates below $50 for city residents reflects our mission that affordability, accessibility and youth programs must be core components of this project.”
Below are links to videos and documents that were presented at the meeting, as well as a sampling of national, local and hyper-local perspectives on the project:
– Beau Welling Presentation Video describing adaptations from the June 2017 draft to the latest designs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJLz3wboOlQ
– Press Conference Video with Beau Welling, Mike Kelly and Alderman Leslie Hairston at South Shore Cultural Center on Wednesday January 31, 2018: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fkfh5Ts8WuRtln4JnJeW0taqdJfgWJKp/view
– Jackson Park Golf Association Display Board featuring history local leagues/clubs: https://chicagoparksgolfalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Jackson-Park-Golf-Association-Leagues-Clubs.pdf
Jackson Park Golf Association is a coalition of 500+ longtime Jackson Park & South Shore golfers. Representatives participated vigorously at the meeting including distributing copies of their letter of support to the Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/ct-letters-jackson-park-golf-course-20171018-story.html
– Presentation Slides from January 31, 2018 public meeting including high resolution images of both the initial and updated routings by TGR Design: https://southlakefrontplan.com/sites/southlakefrontplan.com/files/document/pdf/Meeting%201_31%20Proposed%20Golf%20Course%20Plans%20Slides%20.pdf
– Video Featuring Youth Programs and Community Golf Initiatives already underway including the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance’s partnerships with First Tee of Greater Chicago and the Western Golf Association: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdazKLws5cI&feature=youtu.be
– Dylan Dethier for Golf.com on Wed 1/31/18: Tiger’s Chicago course: With a new routing unveiled, here are the complications and goals surrounding the public project: http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/2018/01/31/exclusive-tgr-design-unveils-new-routing-chicago-course-design
– Teddy Greenstein for Chicago Tribune on 2/1/18: What’s the latest on Tiger Woods course at Jackson Park? http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/golf/ct-spt-tiger-woods-golf-course-jackson-park-20180201-story.html
– Tonia Hill for the Hyde Park Herald on 2/1/18: Chicago Park District presents updated golf design plan to the community: http://hpherald.com/2018/02/01/chicago-park-district-presents-updated-golf-design-plan-community/
>> Hill features comments from 5th Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston addressing questions about public infrastructure improvements surrounding the Obama Presidential Center and golf course, with the notion that golf could spur a long-sought change for the community.
“The underpass at 67th [and South Shore Drive] is not new,” said Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th). That is a horrible, dangerous intersection. There have been a number of people killed. It’s a safety issue. I have been asking and begging for more than a decade. It is something that is well overdue.”
Hairston said “it is not because of the golf course, if the golf course helps us get to where we need to get then so be it,” she said.
For more information on the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance, please visit www.chicagoparksgolfalliance.org.
Contact:
Sarah Mellema, KemperLesnik
312-888-2103, sarah.mellema@kemperlesnik.com
Brian Hogan, Chicago Parks Golf Alliance
312-509-5279, bhogan@chicagoparksgolfalliance.org
