Obama library could spark golf course upgrade

President Barack Obama's affinity for golf may find a new outlet in Chicago, just down the road from his planned presidential library, if a proposal pans out for a lakefront championship-caliber course stitched from the broad cloth of the Jackson Park and South Shore public links.
The long-shot vision to build an expansive 18-hole course worthy of a spot on the PGA Tour, which has been hovering on the radar, gained momentum last week with the announcement that Obama's library and museum would be built in historic Jackson Park, said Mark Rolfing, an NBC/Golf Channel analyst who is advising the Chicago Park District on the idea.
"Frankly, we were waiting for the library decision," Rolfing said. "The library is going to be a big motivating force in the rebranding and vision of this community," which includes impoverished Woodlawn to the west. The project also would include a smaller, par-3 course and a learning center.
The golf project is the first indication that the Obama library complex could boost economic growth in the area.
The combination of the Museum of Science and Industry, the Obama Presidential Center and a professional-level golf course hold the potential to create a South Side tourism cluster, said Josh Lesnik, president of Northbrook-based KemperSports, which manages 130 golf courses nationwide. "If Chicago can build a great golf course on the lake, that close to the city center, it's going to create other hospitality opportunities — restaurants, hotels."
Still, the project is an expensive, complicated proposition, possibly requiring landfill in Lake Michigan and working around local roads. As well, it will need to be designed in a way to preserve wetlands, public access to the beach and activities at the nearby South Shore Cultural Center, Rolfing said.
"The hard part of this is where the funding is going to come from," said Lesnik, who has provided advice during some planning meetings.
The project might seek private investors but that won't be easy, a number of observers said.
"I wouldn't bet on golf — there's a little bit of a decline in the industry across the board," said Allen Sanderson, a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Chicago. "For a young person, you can play tennis in an hour. Golf is five hours — it's time-intensive."
The two existing courses operate in the red, according to the Chicago Park District.
But creating a championship-level course, its backers say, could make it a destination for golfers in the region and spur interest among South Side residents — an urban push for a sport associated with country clubs and exclusivity.
The plans will most likely include youth golf programs as well as caddying opportunities that could lead to college scholarships. "I believe we could create a product that would be so valuable to the youth of this community," Rolfing said.
The redesigned course also would aim to land a spot on the PGA Tour and perhaps the occasional BMW Championship, which has rotated to the Chicago suburbs in recent years. Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest was host site in 2013 and 2015, and will be again in 2017. The championship is set for Medinah Country Club in 2019.
The Western Golf Association, which runs the BMW tournament, "is always looking for additional sites," said Vince Pellegrino, senior vice president for tournaments. "Certainly, if there is a facility in the city of Chicago, we're always interested in doing our due diligence. We'd need space for television, for vendor compounds and the ability to host thousands of people." The championship draws 125,000 to 150,000 people over the course of a week — more than the city's largest trade show.
In response to a request for details of the plan to reconfigure the 18-hole course in Jackson Park and the 9-hole course at South Shore, the Chicago Park District issued a statement:
"The Chicago Park District is always looking for ways to improve our golf courses, attract more golfers and grow the number of new golfers in Chicago, and the Obama Foundation's selection of Jackson Park as the location of the presidential library bodes for exciting possibilities in all of those regards," the statement said. "As we continue to look closely at making improvements at these courses, community input and public engagement will be an integral part of any process, going forward."
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office referred questions to the park district.
The renovated golf course could debut by 2021, the same year the Obama library and museum are set to open, Rolfing said.
The juxtaposition would be a fitting one — Obama, who built his career in Chicago, first took up golf in Jackson Park.
Obama dragged a set of used clubs to the course in Jackson Park in 1997 after his wife, Michelle Obama, became alarmed about his injuries playing pickup basketball, according to Don Van Natta Jr., the author of a book on presidents and golf.
"Why don't you take up something less dangerous? Like golf?" Van Natta quoted the future first lady as saying in a story he wrote in 2009 for Golf Digest.
Now Obama, a lefty, often hits the links on weekends at military bases around Washington and during his presidency has enjoyed golf on trips to Hawaii; Florida; Martha's Vineyard, Mass.; and Palm Springs, Calif.
He tends to play in all-male foursomes that are more apt to feature pro athletes, White House staffers and high school buddies than members of Congress. At the Vineyard last August, he golfed with NBA stars Steph Curry and Ray Allen, comedian Larry David and former President Bill Clinton, among others. He's also golfed with Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter and Alonzo Mourning.
But his enthusiasm runs counter to national trends, and some urban development specialists question whether a pro-level golf course is the best route to revitalize a poor neighborhood, boost tourism and create jobs.
"It's a plus," said Robert Weissbourd, head of RW Ventures, "but not a transformative moment."