Scottsdale, Ariz. – Troon®, the leader in club management, development, and marketing, is pleased to announce it has been selected to manage Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois. Troon Golf, the resort and daily-fee club operations division of Troon, will oversee all operations, including golf, agronomy and sales and marketing.
“We are excited to partner with Troon for the management of the golf course operation at Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois,” said Jackie Szymoniak, Assistant Athletic Director, University of Illinois Athletics. “Troon is recognized as a leader in golf management and particularly for delivering premium golf course conditions and exceptional customer service, which is pivotal as we renovate and enhance the Atkins Golf Club. As progress continues with the golf course and clubhouse renovations, we feel confident that Troon will ensure our vision is upheld and that the club is an asset to the Fighting Illini golf teams and the overall community.”
Atkins Golf Club, located in Urbana, Ill., is an 18-hole public golf course located on approximately 190 acres. Formerly known as Stone Creek and designed by Tim and Dick Nugent, the course has served as the home course of the Fighting Illini men’s and women’s golf programs for many years. In June of 2020, The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics announced that The Atkins Group donated more than 300 acres of real estate in southeast Urbana, highlighted by Stone Creek Golf Club and its associated buildings and equipment, to the University of Illinois and the University of Illinois Foundation. In recognition of The Atkins Group’s generosity, the golf course was renamed The Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois.
The U of I’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics owns the golf club, which was closed during the 2020 season while undergoing improvements. The new Atkins Golf Club is expected to reopen for public play this fall with a newly renovated golf course.
In November of 2020, golf course architect J Drew Rogers was selected to help transform the course into a nationally recognized collegiate facility, while also providing the local community with a first-class golf experience. During the course refinement project, which is expected to take five to six months to complete, Rogers will add length to the course with new tees, while creatingenhanced playing strategies through turf reduction and fairway realignments as well as improved presentation of the bunkering.
“The University of Illinois’ golf program has a tradition of excellence, and its home course should be representative of that,” said Phillip Martin, Troon’s Senior Vice President and Head of Operations for the company’s new Chicago office. “Troon is excited to be on board at Atkins Golf Club and look forward to enhancing the club, the university and the local Champaign-Urbana community.”
For more information on the Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois, visit https://fightingillini.com/facilities/atkins-golf-club/39.
About Troon
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf management company providing services at 585-plus locations around the globe, including managing 630-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. Troon’s award-winning food and beverage division operates and manages more than 620-plus food and beverage operations located at golf resorts, private clubs, daily fee golf courses and recreational facilities. With properties located in 45-plus states and 30-plus countries, Troon’s family of brands includes Troon Golf, Troon Privé, Troon International, Honours Golf, OB Sports, Indigo Golf Partners, CADDIEMASTER, True Club Solutions, Cliff Drysdale Tennis and RealFood Hospitality, Strategy and Design. Troon-affiliated properties include Princeville Makai Golf Club on Kauai; Champion Hills in Hendersonville, North Carolina; Ocean Club in Paradise Island, Bahamas; and Vattanac Golf Resort in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com.
Media Contact:
Rob Myers
Troon
480.477.0506
rmyers@troon.com
