Golf 2022 was an eventful year for the Naperville Park District’s golf courses. The interest and demand for golf tee times, programs and use of the driving range continued to grow. This demand was magnified in August, when the long- awaited renovation of Springbrook Golf Course began, requiring the golf course to be closed for the remainder of the season. The closing of Springbrook on August 1 resulted in Naperbrook experiencing nearly full use of tee times on a daily basis as members and patrons attempted to shift all play to one course. Our leagues and permanent tee time participants also were impacted, as many leagues were cancelled for the remainder of the season, and permanent tee times at Springbrook ended in late July. The resulting late-season rounds at Naperbrook helped overcome a slow start to the season due to a rainy and cool spring, resulting in 42,761 rounds in 2022 at Naperbrook, a slight increase when compared to 2021.
Use of the practice areas at both courses has increased significantly over the past 7 years, as expansion and improvements at both facilities have provided users better options for practicing their game. In 2022 Naperbrook opened a new and expanded practice area with an improved teeing area for the driving range and an expanded practice green. The new practice facility was well received, and Naperbrook experienced a 77% increase in driving range use. Even after the course at Springbrook closed for renovation in August, the driving range use at Springbrook dropped only slightly when compared to previous years. The surge in participation at Naperbrook’s driving range offset the reduced participation experienced at Springbrook after August 1, and helped to keep range revenues growing overall for the Naperville Park District. Golf lesson programs were also impacted by reduced availability of facilities, including the late opening of the Naperbrook practice facility, and the closing of Springbrook Golf Course. Several programs, such as 9-hole junior leagues were not scheduled due to limited availability of the golf course. Despite the reduced schedule, participation in golf
programs remained strong, and 2022 participation levels exceeded the previous 5-year average by nearly 12%. Other golf programs, such as the Brooks Links membership program, experienced continued growth, despite the closing of Springbrook in August. Brooks Links memberships reached capacity in 2022, with 70 golfers enjoying the value of the membership for the frequent player.
NAPERVILLE PARK DISTRICT 2022 ANNUAL REPORT | napervilleparks.org 7
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