Woodmar offers affordable country club life 30 minutes south of Lincoln Park
by Ronald C. Roenigk
Publisher
Father's Day and golf have been linked for years with good reason. Whether it's a bright new shirt, plaid shorts, a goofy hat or dozen golf balls, a father appreciates any excuse that provides him a day with his regular foursome at their favorite course.
Golf has generally proved difficult to enjoy here in the City with only a few public courses available and play slowed during peak times. While Chicago offers two fine 9-hole courses — Sidney Marovitz in Lincoln Park and Robert Black at Warren Park — for under $20, the region's top area courses now charge upwards of $70 to $150 for premium tee times, and a country club lifestyle has escaped major urban areas like Chicago due to high real estate costs and lack of open space.
Except for Harborside Golf Course on 110th St. and I-94 on the South Side, most of the desirable 18-hole courses are a long drive from Lincoln Park. Therefore treating dad to a day of golf does indeed require a full day when travel time is included. Chances are that Pops will also be leaving the family behind at home for his day on the links, missing his dinner if a card game follows his round.
Now, when affordable options for golf and a country club lifestyle north of Madison St. are as rare as a Republican in Bridgeport, comes news from South Side legend Woodmar Country Club that they have opened up membership for their 93-acre club in Hammond's Woodmar Historic District — where memberships start at $150, with annual dues and spending requirements of only $2,000. So, for the price of dad's spring golf trip to Myrtle Beach, the entire family can enjoy the privileges of membership at this 80-year-old course that is located 25 miles south of North Ave.
"I'd been playing at a number of courses all over Chicagoland before I discovered Woodmar," said Charles "Deno" Jeffries of Lincoln Park. "Now my wife and I are thinking of getting a condo near [Woodmar] since we enjoy coming here so much." Jeffries estimates that nearly 10 percent of the club's membership now comes from the North Side, "the refugees of five-hour rounds and one-hour commutes down the Edens," he said.
The club now has approximately 245 golfing members and is targeting a maximum of 350.
Most people who have driven the Borman Expressway in Northwest Indiana have seen the Tudor Revival-style clubhouse from their cars: it's located between the Calumet and Indianapolis street exits. It's a mere chip shot from I-80/94, the mighty road that was built long after Woodmar cut its own track through the wilderness on the south side of Hammond in 1925.
Built to host the titans of industry from US Steel, Inland Steel, Standard Oil, as well as area doctors, lawyers and politicians, Woodmar Country Club was the center of social and cultural activity and kept the joy of golfing alive for the emerging area.
"We cater to every member of the family with a swimming pool with diving board and swim instruction, a popular junior golf program, fine dining and a slew of special events throughout the season," said Peter Lanman, club president and a third generation member.
At the heart of Woodmar and the hub of social activity is The Great Hall, the beautiful clubhouse that is home to the newly renovated 19th Hole mixed grill and adjacent outdoor patio. An elegant dining room overlooks the course and has been host to weddings, birthdays and even funerals of up to 200 people.
But let's be serious - Dad's real gift here is the golf. The par 72, 6,515-yard course was designed by Ken Killian and Dick Nugent and is a great walking course. While carts are available, so too are caddies. The club has a well-established Evans Scholar Caddy program that has sent nearly 40 local youths off to college. Woodmar is heavily wooded, well-bunkered and sprinkled with hidden ponds. The Little Calumet River runs through it gobbling up golf balls that miss the small greens and narrow fairways that will challenge any game and require accurate shot making.
Rounds of golf under four hours are the norm, not the exception. Well-appointed locker rooms greet members and their guests. In addition, the club offers a full driving range and practice facility with lessons available from a
PGA professional.
For more information on Woodmar Country Club, call (219) 844-0330 or visit
www.woodmarcc.com. |
