Weather among reasons for Glencoe golf clubhouse delays, cost increase — but opening a putt away

The new clubhouse at the Glencoe Golf Club is getting closer to tee off.

After more than a year of construction, officials are now saying that the clubhouse is expecting to be ready by Sept. 11.

That date, which is when the clubhouse is expected to be “substantially” completed, was included as part of a change order for the project that was unanimously approved by the Glencoe Village Board on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

As previously reported by The Record, the Glencoe golf clubhouse was demolished in May 2025, following a 2023 referendum where voters approved the $18 million project. Of that money, a reported $15 million is coming from taxpayers.

The change order trustees approved on Wednesday is the sixth one since March 2025, according to a memo from Public Works Director Monica Sarna, who spoke at the meeting on why the latest $99,935 change order was necessary.

Sarna said the latest order was anticipated and included “owner-initiated changes,” such as technology infrastructure, conversion of a walk-in freezer to a refrigerator, and power supply and parking lot additions.

“But as we were working towards this change order, there were some additional items,” she said, which reportedly included an inspection from Cook County requiring additional lighting and a revised detention pond.

The change order also set the completion date for the project to Sept. 11. Previously, according to Sarna, the clubhouse was supposed to be completed on Aug. 14, and was later delayed by two weeks prior to the most recent date.

“It has been a very wet summer [especially] as far as the last month or so,” she said, which reportedly caused delays on exterior work.

Additionally, Sarna said that crews discovered an “unknown underground storage tank” during the work, and though the tank was removed with limited impact, “that did cause some ripple effects in the contractor’s scheduling.”

Sarna wrote in her memo that the latest change order increases the contract amount with W.B. Olson to $15.7 million.

“We have been working closely with W.B. Olson to understand the schedule as we close out the project,” she said. “And they do have the final inspections. They’re scheduling those with Cook County for that first week of September to allow for a week and a half to address any of those comments.”

Village President Howard Roin acknowledged the price increase but praised Sarna for how she’s navigated the project.

“Obviously nobody loves the fact that we’re paying more money and it’s getting delayed by a couple weeks,” he said. “But we have confidence in you, in your team, that you’ve been driving as hard a bargain as you can to get this done.”

Clubhouse food vendor approved

In addition to the construction update, trustees also unanimously approved a contract with Clubhouse Group to be the food service vendor for the clubhouse.

Earlier this year, Village staff recommended Clubhouse Group, operators of Grill House and Cabo Grill in Northbrook and Backyard Grill in Highland Park.

Stella Nanos, general manager of the Glencoe Golf Club, said Clubhouse Group, which also operates under the name Housepitality Group, has been providing interim food services since March “to ensure uninterrupted food services during construction.”

Since then, Nanos said golf club leadership has seen the vendor’s “practical experience with their high-quality service and vendor capabilities, proving their strong operational record.”

The contract stipulates that, starting in 2027, Clubhouse Group will pay an annual base fee of $45,000 to the Village. It also contains a percentage revenue share, with the Village receiving 8% of net food sales, 10% of net alcohol sales, and 12$ of net sales from catering and private events.

Nanos added that 100% of private room rentals will be collected and remitted directly to the Village, while Clubhouse will also handle the collection and remittance of the local food and beverage tax.

The contract is for five years, with options for two additional five-year renewals, according to Nanos.

“This partnership is designed to offer robust year-round hospitality, including our full-service restaurant and bar, which will be offering a variety of delicious brunch, lunch and dinner menus, an extensive wine and cocktail list, variety of meal options, and children’s menus,” Nanos added. “They will provide an on-site special event manager who will provide full service support for private celebrations, community gatherings and Village-sponsored events.”

She also called it “a very well-thought out and reviewed agreement.”

Roin thanked the staff for all their work in securing Clubhouse as the vendor, calling it a “big step” and “very exciting.”

“[I’m] looking forward to going there,” he said.

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