A golf entertainment center is coming to Pinecrest Golf Club in Huntley.
The center is meant to be similar to Topgolf, and its model has also been has likened to a facility in Hoffman Estates called Bridges of Poplar Creek Country Club.
The golf club is owned by the Huntley Park District, which has eyed a golf entertainment center for some time.
In 2024, Huntley Park District voters passed an $18 million bond sale. As part of that, $1.5 million was the estimated cost toward a golf entertainment center, according to the park district website. Huntley Park District Executive Director Scott Crowe told the Village Board the project was supported by the referendum.
The plan is for a 3,670-square-foot facility on the Pinecrest grounds directly east of the driving range. The building would have eight open bays for a driving range and three seasonal bays, Charlie Nordman, Huntley director of development services, said.
Each bay would have a set of seats and a high-top table in the back, like Topgolf, Crowe said. He said it would be the same technology as Topgolf.
While the plan is to be operational year-round, Crowe said there is no heated turf like Topgolf that returns the balls underground. The center may have to close temporarily if there is heavy snow that sticks for a while or a strong, cold north wind, he said.
The park district plans to offer service where people can order food and drinks from the bay that would be brought to them.
The facility would have a check-in area that could potentially also function as a check-in for the main golf course. A small pro shop for gloves and balls and other supplies would be on hand, Crowe said.
Crowe said there is nothing concrete on pricing, but those using each bay would be charged by the hour. Simulators would be a little more of a premium and be focused for things such as parties, Crowe said.
Recently, the Huntley Village Board gave its blessing to the site plan for the facility.
“Being a golfer, I’m looking forward to it. It’s very attractive, and I’m liking that you can do it in the winter,” Trustee Marilynn Berendt said.
The park district will have to come back to the village for a building permit but will not need to go back to the Village Board.
The park district has not said when construction would begin and if the project cost was still budgeted at $1.5 million.
Crowe told the Village Board that the park district hopes the golf facility will be a great addition to the community.
“The community wants this. We’re happy to build it and deliver this to the community,” Crowe said.