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Cardinal Creek GC making upgrades

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jake Eckhardt
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  In celebration of 64 years in business, the Cardinal Creek Golf Course has recently completed a program and course renovation.

The golf course has lowered prices on golf and memberships, implemented a foot-golf course, begun new leagues, hosted golf outing management, started event catering, and created lessons for adults and children.

James McCormick, Cardinal Creek general manager and Professional Golfer's Association member, said, "The most important piece is the prices. Our prices have dropped about 30 percent, and they remain the same any day of the week."

Eighteen holes of golf is $20, and a cart rental is just $14. Nine holes of golf is $14, and a cart rental is $8. E1 through E4 play for free, but cart rental fee still applies if they decide to use one. Kids play free with a paid adult any day or the week for golf and foot-golf.

Foot-golf has now been installed on the course and is a big hit. The golf-soccer hybrid is less expensive than golf and takes less time, about two hours for 18 holes of foot-golf. Foot-golf can be played any day of the week after 11 a.m.

There are now 11 membership options available to meet the needs of every type of player. A new member gets a $100 discount off of their membership, and foot-golf is also free with every membership. If an active duty service member signs up for a membership, his or her family can be added for free.

"We are trying to add some private club atmosphere, but with attention to the family," McCormick said.

Three new leagues have also been added, for a total of five. They are: Monday Morning Retiree League, Tuesday Morning Nine and 18 Hole Women's Golf Leagues, Two-man Wednesday Evening League, Thursday Evening Ladies Only League, and Intramural Golf.

The golf course has also improved their golf outing experience with save-the-date postcards, personalized event web pages, online registration, player pairings, event details, leaderboard technology, on-course food and beverage service, and dining and catering.

Ten banquet options also are available to fit a variety of settings. Those 10 tantalizing options include the signature buffet option; which includes roast prime rib of beef in au jus, marinated grilled chicken breast, and fried cod loin; or the tailgate buffet, which includes burgers, bratwurst, and hot dogs.

Cardinal Creek also added lessons for children and adults who want to learn or expand on the sport. 

Children's classes:
· 4 to 7 years old: Little Linksters Start Smart program, Sundays. $10;
· 8 to 15 years old: Junior Tee Level Golf program, Tuesdays/Thursdays. $125;
· 8 to 15 years old: 1/2 Day Golf Camp, Tuesday-Thursday. $250; and
· Girls, 8 to 18 years old: Girls Only Golf Camp, Tuesday-Friday for $250.

Adult classes:
· Intro to Golf class: Tuesdays/Thursdays. $125;
· Complimentary Ladies Golf Clinic: second Tuesday of every month for free;
· Wedge Specialty School: Saturdays. $125; and
· One Day Red Zone Scoring Golf School: Saturdays/one person, $200, two people, $350.

"We have developed an all-encompassing program," McCormick said. "If you need help improving your skills or setting up a golf outing, we want to be the people that you go to."

McCormick said the course has seen declining rounds played in the last few years. He joined the staff in June and in July of 2015, the golf course hired a certified golf course superintendent, Chuck Fogle, to improve on this issue.

"When I came on, the course was a bit of a jungle," Fogle said. "It was very overgrown, very dense, and austerity measures had cut into regular maintenance practices."

The superintendent said he and his team have made great improvements to the course, and he believes that the land has great potential because of its hills and how it's contoured.

"Our No. 1 priority is to give people playing conditions that are better than what they can find anywhere else," Fogle said. "All the modifications and programs that he has developed are for naught if the golf course doesn't look presentable."

Fogle said that they will soon look to increase the labor pool at the course.

The golf course is also hosting a golf demo day from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. April 30 that offers free golf clinics and custom club fitting.

For more information, please call the Cardinal Creek Golf Course at (618) 744-1400.