Hickory Hills renovates, expands clubhouse

Hickory Hills Country Club's 630-plus members are waiting to see the results of the club's latest project the expansion and renovation of the clubhouse.

The $6.2 million project began July 9 and should be complete by September 2003, according to Bruce Leeth, owner and president of Project Management Group in Springfield, which is overseeing the work.

The project calls for a two-story addition to be added to the north end of the clubhouse.

The first floor of the addition will contain a veranda while the second floor will contain a pub and grill. The veranda and the pub and grill will overlook the ninth and 18th greens.

A new dining room complex, which can seat up to 260 members, also will be added along with an exhibition cooking area with a bar, which will update the existing grill area that's used for casual dining.

Mahogany and cherry lockers will be installed in the men's and ladies' locker rooms, and native-stone walls with wrought-iron gates will mark the entrance to the club from Cherry Street.

"The current clubhouse was built in 1955 following a fire," said Shirley Burke, clubhouse manager.

"The clubhouse has been renovated and redecorated a number of times since then. I believe the last redecoration and renovation took place 12 years ago."

Brad Squires, president of Hickory Hills Country Club's board of directors, said the decision to redecorate and renovate the clubhouse was made following a comprehensive survey of the club's members back in 1997.

"One of the things the survey revealed was that our members were very committed to improving the club's facilities," said Squires. "Personally, I think the renovations will only add to the value and enjoyment and longevity of the club."

The clubhouse expansion and renovation project comes on the heels of a 10-year overall enhancement project at Hickory Hills.

During that period a number of changes were made, including the construction of a maintenance facility, the installation of an in-ground computerized fairway and rough irrigation system, and the construction of continuous cart paths on the course, Squires said. The project concluded last year after the ninth and 18th greens were redesigned.

"A country club, in my mind, is like a large corporation," Squires said. "You must always increase the value and equity to the members. That's what we're doing with these projects."

Squires said the board of directors selected William Zmistowski Associates LLC of Boulder, Colo., for the project because the firm specializes in the design of resort and hotel properties, golf course developments and clubhouses, and interiors for resorts, private clubs, golf courses and residential communities.

The company currently has projects under way in Las Vegas, Houston, Palm Beach and Naples, Fla., and Scottsdale and Tucson, Ariz. Flintco Inc. in Springfield is serving as the general contractor for the project.

Jason Rigdahl, of William Zmistowski Associates, is the job captain of the clubhouse expansion and renovation project.

"We tried to give it some character, but we also wanted it to feel and look like it had been there awhile," he said.

Hickory Hills golf course was built in 1926, and the country club was incorporated in the early 1930s. In addition to the 7,020-yard championship golf course, Hickory Hills offers a number of other amenities to its members, including a 25-meter swimming pool, a children's wading pool and both hard and clay tennis courts.