On par: Kishwaukee Country Club ready to make new memories in modern clubhouse

DeKALB – Mike Larson of DeKalb first became involved with the Kishwaukee Country Club in DeKalb 65 years ago. At age 10, he was a caddie carrying clubs for $1.25 and a quarter tip and playing golf on Monday afternoons when the course wasn’t as busy.

In high school, Larson joined the DeKalb High School golf team. After going to college and serving in the army, Larson joined the country club as a member in February 1971. He golfs there two to four times a week – playing 120 rounds in 2017. Through the years, he has taken his children and four grandsons to the club for golf lessons.

“I love golf and golfing, and the Kishwaukee Country Club has been a big part of my life,” Larson said. “We spent holidays here, had events, parties, get-togethers and meetings. Sometimes I just went over to play a round of golf and have lunch. We have a lot of good memories at the country club and in the old clubhouse.”

On Feb. 14, that old clubhouse was demolished four days after an auction of the kitchen equipment, lockers and dining room furniture. The area will be landscaped in the spring to become a retention pond.

Construction on a new clubhouse began last August and finished in December. The new clubhouse is open, but a grand opening celebration is planned for the spring.

“The new building is just lovely, and it’s such an improvement to what we had,” Larson said. “Of course, the old building had nostalgia, but it outlived its usefulness. With the new clubhouse, we can start from scratch with everything brand new.”

Kishwaukee Country Club was founded in 1901 by a group of DeKalb residents. The original 9-hole course was located in the Electric Park subdivision, behind the former Chuck’s Auto Center in Sycamore.

In August 1911, the club purchased land at its current location on Sycamore Road in DeKalb. In 1912, the club built the clubhouse that was torn down last week.

In 1968, the club expanded to an 18-hole golf course. A few years later, a swimming pool and tennis courts were added. In the 1980s, the course underwent a redesign, which included the construction of new tees and bunkers, adding contours and moving hole 17. The bunkers were restored in 2002, using original blueprints whenever possible. In cooperation with Northern Illinois University, the club added a short-game practice facility in the summer of 2009.

Country Club President Steve Irving said there had been multiple renovations and additions to the clubhouse building through the years, too. Additions included a kitchen, dining room and a lower-level basement area with lockers.

“We were constantly doing repairs and maintenance on the old building,” Irving said. “We had mechanical and heating issues and the basement flooded frequently. There were steps all over the place, the roof leaked, the electric wiring was outdated, the HVAC needed replacement, the building settled and the floors were unleveled. It came to a point that it was not worth it economically to continue operating the old clubhouse.”

Although the new clubhouse is approximately 8,000 square feet, about half the size of the old building, it features a pro shop, clubhouse and golf cart garage. All three were previously housed separately.

The new energy-efficient building features new furnaces, updated kitchen appliances and sensor-operated lighting and bathroom fixtures.

“The building is more contemporary to meet the ongoing trends in the golfing industry, which is for everything to be more casual and easily accessible,” Irving said. “The building was also designed for future additions to be made easily.”

Golf professional David Paeglow said what he loves most about the new clubhouse are the large windows, sliding glass doors and outdoor seating area, which will feature outdoor dining and fire pits.

“Before, when you looked out the windows, you saw a parking lot,” Paeglow said. “Now you see the golf course. Of course, it’s bittersweet to see the old building go, but the club is more about the members and families, the fun times and good memories, not the structure itself.

“Everyone is excited about the new building,” he said. “And we can’t wait for warm spring weather and for all the members to see the new clubhouse.”