The nonprofit Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association plans to undertake major renovations to the Canal Shores golf course, and the public will have an opportunity to weigh in on their nascent project at a meeting scheduled for Friday evening.
Tomy Tully, the superintendent and general manager for the golf course, said the association has a preliminary plan, but “we haven’t approved any of it yet.”
The plan revolves around a “four course concept,” he said. The drawing calls for a dedicated space for children’s golf, a six-hole short course south of Lincoln Street, which could be rented out to schools and double as a performance area, a 12-hole course north of Central Street—similar to what is in place today—and a 26,000 square-foot putting course replete with 18 holes, Tully said.
The proposed plan more than doubles the amount of greens currently located on the course to over 3 acres, he said. The renovation project would provide “more versatility” and access for the beginner to average player, he said.
He said the association also plans to “add pockets of parks” in areas not conducive to golfing.
“Dog walkers and bikers and joggers are welcome and will still be welcome but we’ll put a trail in,” he said. “The idea is there will be areas to go out and walk your dog, but they’ll be pushed back from the areas where golf is played.”
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The redesign project was the brain child of a Canal Shores Board of Directors member, Jason Way, Tully said. He said Way has connections within the “golf architecture community” and invited members of the field to take a look at the course with an eye toward making changes to improve it. The association late last year received a $6,000 grant from the U.S. Golf Association, and golf course architect Dave Zinkand was tasked with creating the current preliminary plan, he said.
Some neighbors are concerned about what the association has planned for the course.
“Landscape design, irrigation, construction, traffic, noise, litter, parking and potential habitat destruction, among other issues, affect all of us,” said Evanston resident Pamela Ferdinand. “Our input is critical, and the process needs to be transparent and inclusive going forward.”
Ferdinand is encouraging neighboring residents and others with a vested interest in the course and the area in general to attend both the Friday night information session for community members and a board of directors meeting scheduled for Thursday evening.
“We understand it’s a golf course and want them to do well,” she said. “But at the same time it’s a popular gathering space with open land and wildlife habitat.”
Tully said the association is “committed to being stewards of this land” and has already taken steps to mitigate the presence of invasive plant species and restore native vegetation to the area.
“As far as the economic sustainability goes, as a small nonprofit, it’s been a challenge over the years,” he said. “There has been some ebs and flows in the property and we hope this redesign will make it financially stable for the next 20, 30 or 50 years.”
The community meeting is set to begin at 6:30 p.m., Friday at the American Legion Hall, 1030 Central St.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.