PEORIA — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker led an all-hands golf trip Tuesday at the Peoria Park District Golf Learning Center.
Pritzker helped park district officials, state politicians, the project’s contractors and others cut the formal ribbon on the $6.5 million project, which has been years in the making.
Ultimately, Peoria was put on the map as a year-round entertainment, recreation and dining destination at 7815 N. Radnor Road. It is expected to draw golfers, tourists and customers from around central Illinois.
“This is another significant investment that will be anchored in this community for many years to come,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker thanked a long list of contributors to the project, including Peoria Park District Executive Director Emily Cahill, Park Board President Robert Johnson, his fellow board members, Peoria Mayor Rita Ali, and state Reps. Ryan Spain (R-73rd District) and Jehan Gordon Booth (D-92nd District).
“Golf has long been an important part of Illinois’ identity, as the mainstay of the U.S. Open, home to the nation’s first 18-hole golf course, and one of the most beautiful clubs in the world,” Pritzker said. “Projects like this are about more than just golf. With these renovations, we hope to breathe new life into the future of this area, attracting new visitors and new major investment.”
“The impact that comes from that is going to come back to this community. Our kids are going to benefit from the work we’ve done here, not only in terms of the golf course, but also in making Peoria an even more attractive community…”
Gov. JB Pritzker and other state and local officials cut the ribbon for the official opening of the Golf Learning Center, located at 7815 N. Radnor Road in Peoria. The $6.5 million project was partially funded by a $4.75 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, with the remainder covered by the Peoria Park District.
The $6.5 million project was partially funded by a $4.75 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, with the remainder provided by the park district.
The idea came from Spain and Gordon Booth, who saw a Top Golf facility in another city a few years ago and wondered if he could build a better facility for Peoria.
“Actually, we were at a junket and we were doing something else. I won’t go into details, but while we were doing what we were doing, we came to a place — and it couldn’t be this nicer — and I said to Ryan, ‘We need one of these in Peoria,'” Gordon Booth said. “He was like, ‘Oh, yeah.’
“(To Emily Cahill and the Peoria Park District) You took a vision and made it a reality. This wouldn’t have happened without you…This is not just about golf. If you think about the name, it’s a learning center…That’s an important word. It suggests that every child, every family has an opportunity to come out here and get a shot.”
“They can try something they’re not really good at, like I did, or they can find and realize that there’s a real passion and path that they can get into.”
Mr. Johnson, DCEO Director Kristin Richards, and Mr. Cahill also gave remarks at the ceremony.
Governor JB Pritzker chats with golf learning center developer Matt Rixner and his wife, Courtney, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Peoria.
Mayor Ali then sat down at the on-site restaurant, Fairways, and enjoyed lunch.
“This is phenomenal and an opportunity for families to come together, not just the kids,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a huge draw, not just for Peoria, but for the entire region. Leadership matters, commitment matters, and in this case, we have both. We saw a vision. Communication happened between elected officials and park management, and that kind of lit a fire. Then the opportunity came along with a grant through DCEO.”
“The stars aligned, and I think it’s great that it happened in Peoria.”
The complex includes a two-story, state-of-the-art, technologically interactive driving range called The Bays.
There is an indoor golf simulator and a putting green. There is a traditional driving range and short course, the Range & Loop. And Fairways, a Southern restaurant and bar, completes the package.
“This facility reflects how the Peoria Park District continues to evolve with the needs of the region by creating flexible, year-round spaces that bring people together, expand recreational opportunities, and support an improved quality of life in central Illinois,” Cahill said.
Dave Eminian is a senior writer and sports columnist for the Journal Star, covering Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the sports column “Cleve In The Eve” for pjstar.com. Please contact deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him at X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared in the Journal Star: Pritzker leads ribbon-cutting ceremony for renovated facility in Peoria
