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BENSENVILLE – With snow on the ground, winter is hardly the time of year for area golfers to play a round while they enjoy the lovely weather.
Luckily for them, the White Pines Golf Dome in Bensenville opened for business Nov. 1.
Purchased in September by KemperSports, the dome had a grand opening celebration Saturday that allowed golfers – new and experienced – to check out what it has to offer.
The 300-foot-wide, 300-foot-long and 100-foot-high dome features 48 hitting stations on two levels. It sits on the driving range of the Bensenville Park District’s White Pines Golf Course.
KemperSports, which owns and manages many other athletic venues, purchased the dome from longtime owner and operator Mike Munro.
“The prior owner ran a very, very successful business,” said Andrew Fleming, KemperSports senior vice president for strategy and business affairs. “We don’t try to fix something that’s not broken.”
However, golfers can expect to see some new features at the dome this winter.
KemperSports has installed new hitting mats, new targets and a state-of-the-art point of sale and check-in process.
The owner also introduced the Yeti Club Rewards Card, a points-based loyalty program that provides benefits and discounts to return customers.
“We’ve seen that there are a number of loyal golfers who want to keep their game sharp during the winter,” Fleming said.
In addition to allowing golfers to practice on their own, the dome also offers private lessons and group classes may be available in the future.
Fleming said golf can sometimes get a bad rap as being unaccommodating for those who are new to the sport, but he said White Pines is not like that.
“We really feel strongly that the White Pines Golf Dome is a great entry point for new golfers,” he said.
As the new owner of the dome, KemperSports has a lease agreement with the Bensenville Park District to use its land for the dome.
So far, that partnership has been a positive one.
“They’ve been very supportive of us, really high-quality folks to work with, “ Fleming said.
The two groups plan to do some joint marketing to promote the dome and the golf course’s new 37 Bar & Grill, which is open for its first winter season, said Geri Johnson, the Bensenville Park District’s director of marketing and communications.
There are plans to offer exclusive deals to golfers who visit the dome and the restaurant, Johnson said.
The recent grand opening celebration also helped KemperSports to build bridges with others in the Bensenville community, including the Bensenville Fire Protection District.
The event raised more than $500 for the district by offering golfers the chance to purchase a special golf ball for $5 to try to hit it into a barrel on the indoor driving range. Unfortunately, although many attempted, no one made it in, but that didn’t change the positive impact the contest had on the fire district.
“It was a nice way for us to let everyone know we were running the operation now,” Fleming said.
The dome will stay open through the end of April, helping to provide a place for golf-hungry Chicagoans to go.
The site is KemperSports’ first indoor golfing facility, and it was a way for the company to reach out in the Chicago area and diversify its offerings, Fleming said.
“We look forward to continuing to make improvements at the golf dome to make it the winter golf destination in the Chicago area,” he said.
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About White Pines Golf Dome
Where: 500 W. Jefferson St., Bensenville
Hours: 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily
Info: whitepinesgolfdome.com