What’s that in Kalamazoo? Mounds of dirt transform into new golf course, clubhouse
KALAMAZOO, MI — The Kalamazoo Country Club has planned on expanding for several years. Now, construction crews are making headway on a new clubhouse and golf course at the private club.
Building foundations are starting to go up at 3919 and 3921 Oakland Drive, as well as 3903 Ruthin Road and 1823 Hazel Ave.
Lakeside Academy used to occupy the space until the facility closed in 2020 and its buildings were demolished in 2022.
“After that parcel became available, then it became a question of ‘OK, we have an opportunity here, why are we doing this?’” Project Manager JJ Henn said.
The current clubhouse wasn’t “special” enough for Kalamazoo, Henn said.
Henn said renovating the clubhouse at its current location “won’t be what Kalamazoo deserves.” But the new one will be something “someone who lives in Kalamazoo can be proud of.”
The current clubhouse is down the street at 1609 Whites Road.
The new facility will have a variety of amenities including dining rooms, a tennis court, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, lounges and a two-story parking deck. The parking deck will have the majority of parking on the first floor while the second floor will have room for tree planters between parking spaces.
There’s not a set date for construction to wrap up, Henn said. But the goal is to finish the project by fall 2025.
The new location will also feature an 11-hole golf teaching course. It will have shorter holes that will be easier to train golfers on. The training course would open roughly four to five months after the new clubhouse opens, so the grass on the course has time to grow.
Once the new clubhouse opens, the current clubhouse will be shutdown and replaced with green space.
“It’s weird to think about because it’s hard to imagine nothing being there, but it’ll be very pretty,” Henn said.
When the 11-hole course opens, the 18-hole-course will be temporarily shutdown while a new irrigation system is installed and other improvements are made.
Most of the club’s 500 members have contributed financially to the renovation, but the charge is being led by Catalyst Development Company, Henn said. The company is owned by Bill Johnston, who is known for his philanthropic contributions to various initiatives in Kalamazoo.
“It is a special aspect of this one family stepping up and saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to take the burden of a new facility off of you and then … it’s your club and take care of it,’” Henn said.
Henn said he couldn’t yet give an estimate on the project cost.
A large expansion is uncommon for country clubs. Henn said clubs similar to the Kalamazoo Country Club have been struggling since the 1990s, and many end up closing.
“They’re usually underfunded and then they ask their members for a lot of money and then the members leave and then it becomes harder to pay your bills and they go under,” Henn said.
The Kalamazoo Country Club has several membership tiers, but membership costs aren’t publicly available.
The Kalamazoo Country Club has been around for roughly 150 years and the new owners want its legacy to continue, Henn said.
“They’re trying to create an amenity that families and businesses can feel proud of and excited about and just something that will be a testament for a long time,” Henn said.
