ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin and State Representative Gregg Johnson announced Friday that Saukie Golf Course is set to receive a state grant of $900,000 to renovate the clubhouse.

“You can learn a lot about a community by the way they invest in publicly accessible recreation for residents,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “The state is kicking in close to $1 million to upgrade the club house at Saukie, which is a significant investment for the revitalization efforts in Rock Island.”

Plans are to replace the 95-year-old clubhouse at Saukie Golf Course with a new facility to better serve golfers and all users while maintaining the golf course’s historical significance. The current clubhouse is beyond its useful life and in a state of deterioration. The new clubhouse will include meeting space, seating areas, office, kitchen and dining area, two golf simulators, and outdoor seating facing the course. It will create a more welcoming and fully accessible starting and ending point for golfers and provide year-round space for learning and enrichment activities with indoor hitting bays and simulators.

“The tourism dollars that will come to Rock Island as a result of much-needed improvements to the Saukie Golf Course are going to make a world of difference for the local economy,” said Johnson (D-East Moline). “Building a stronger future for our community starts with steady economic growth, and I am pleased to be able to secure the money for Rock Island to achieve that.”

The funding comes from the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act, or PARC, grant program, which is part of the Rebuild Illinois capital improvement program. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources administers the program.