Blizzard tees off on golf dome
By Casey Toner ctoner@southtownstar.com February 3, 2011 4:20PM
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Updated: June 27, 2011 12:18AM
FRANKFORT — Where just a few days ago there stood an inflatable golf driving range, there now is what looks like a giant deflated balloon lying across desks, tables, chairs, golf equipment and more — thanks to this week’s blizzard.
The Golf Dome at Green Garden Country Club in Frankfort ripped open and collapsed in the middle of the snowstorm sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
The dome, at 9511 W. Manhattan-Monee Road, opened in October 2000 and houses an indoor driving range for all those eager to swing the clubs in the colder months.
Green Garden Country Club owner Maggie McEnery said she first heard about the dome’s collapse at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday when a neighbor called her. No one was inside the dome when it came down, and no one was injured.
McEnery said she thinks the seams that hold the dome together near the ceiling lights ripped apart, but she still is waiting for the repair company to give her the official cause.
Air pumped in from blowers placed throughout the dome keeps it upright, McEnery said. The electricity was on and the blowers still were working after the dome ripped open and collapsed.
“Once the air comes out, it’s done,” McEnery said. “It looks horrible.”
McEnery said the desks, tables, chairs, computers, telephones, a bar, a soda machine and all the golf equipment in the pro shop were intact after the dome collapsed. But all of the lights inside the dome came crashing down when it fell and were destroyed. Workers were cleaning up the site Thursday.
McEnery said she guessed the dome’s skin will be completely replaced within two weeks. She did not know the cost of the damage but said insurance will cover it.
Unfortunately, McEnery said, she will miss out on potential business during the time it takes to fix the dome.
“We were just starting to start rocking that dome,” McEnery said. “The (customers) were trying out all of their new Christmas toys.”
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