What Should Become of Highland Park Country Club’s Course

It will be too expensive for the Park District of Highland Park to operate two courses — Sunset Valley and Highland Park Country Club — when it takes over the country club course next year, according to a consulting firm working on the district’s long-term vision.

So, what should happen with the country club course? When Patch wrote about the recommendation last week, lots of readers jumped in with ideas, advocating to both keep it as open space and try to develop it. Here’s a sampling of their responses.

What do you think should be done with the land? Share your opinion in the comments below.

Meshephelous wrote: “I support it remaining a golf course, even if it's not income generating, even if it's losing money. The benefit of having open space is underappreciated.”

David Greenberg wrote: “Let the property return to nature. After a few years, you'll see the trails that hikers and bikers have formed. When that happens, install some trash cans, and charge $10/year for a permit to ride bikes back there - use the funds to cover the costs of mowing the trails and dumping the trash. We don't need to spend any more taxpayer money on that course.”

forest barbieri wrote: “It is indeed an exciting opportunity for the community as we see so many beautiful facilities in the western suburbs created because of their open space and clean slate in terms of creating community use areas. HP unfortunately has not had the open space to explore some of those possibilities, until this opportunity.

Neighbor wrote: “I have no idea if such would be feasible, but my vote would be to build a new high school on the country club property, demolish the existing HPHS buildings and use that more desirable property for something else.”

Walter (Tripp) Hainsfurther wrote: “The vast majority of the country club property is not developable. That means it can't be much other than open space. It doesn't mean it needs to be a golf course, it just means it can't support buildings. Perhaps Sunset could be developed.”

Samantha Stolberg wrote: “What about an open lands use ala Independence Grove in [Libertyville]? If they could rid the area of golf course chemicals, there could be a large water feature/pond with paddleboats. An outbuilding that caters and rents out for garden parties? Natural trails? Catch & release fishing?”

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