Kankakee Elks Country Club Course Lands Prestigious Futures Golf Tour
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When Dieter Jaehn answers the phone at the Kankakee Elks Country Club‚ one of the first things out of his mouth is an advertisement for the Futures Golf Tour‚ “the official development tour of the LPGA‚” scheduled at the course for June 2005.
“It will be good for the community as well as for the course‚” says Jaehn‚ the director of golf. “And it will help put Kankakee on the map.”
Jaehn conservatively estimates a crowd of 5‚000 for the Futures Tour‚ but says he is hoping for 10‚000 to 15‚000.
“If that happens‚ I would consider it a huge success‚” he says.
The Futures Tour is the developmental tour for the Ladies Professional Golf Association. At the end of the season‚ the top five money winners advance to the LPGA Tour. According to the LPGA‚ the Futures Tour is the second largest women’s golf tour in the world with approximately 300 players representing 29 nations.
Jaehn says the tour could be broadcast in some 47 million homes during Golf Central updates – and that means positive publicity for Kankakee Elks Country Club.
Although the course‚ built in 1920‚ has never hosted such a large event‚ Jaehn says there will be few changes in preparation for the tour. Golf Digest gave the course a four-star rating‚ the highest among the nine courses in the county. He credits superintendent Mike Boudreau with keeping the bluegrass fairways and elevated greens in tip-top shape year-round.
“This course could never be what it is without him and his staff‚” Jaehn says.
The greens will be the most challenging aspect of the course for the tour players‚ Jaehn says. Some are elevated six to eight feet with tiers complicating players’ putting games. That means the short game will decide the Futures Tour winner at Kankakee‚ he says.
He also cites the course’s scenery and quiet as top attributes.
Jaehn recruited the Futures Golf Tour by inquiring about hosting a golf tour event after competing in a mini tour tournament in Alabama.
“I walked into the trailer and asked what it would take to host an event like this‚” he says. After numerous conversations‚ he landed the Futures Tour.
“It kind of shocked the community because I did it on my own‚” Jaehn says.
Kankakee’s Futures Tour event is scheduled for June 3-5‚ 2005‚ with 144 golfers competing. The field will be cut to about 70 for the final day.
Jaehn says he plans to keep the course the same following the tour‚ marketing it to players as the same course that the pros played. Beyond that‚ he also predicts more player interest in the course in 2005 due to the tour’s exposure.
“It’s another event to help draw people to the community and help it grow‚” he says.
Story by Brent French
Photo by Stephen Cherry
