Severson Dells to buy former Elliot Golf Course, convert it to nature preserve in Cherry Valley

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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CHERRY VALLEY — Severson Dells plans to purchase the former Elliot Golf Course and transform the property into an urban nature preserve designed to complement the work it does at its rural preserve in southwest Winnebago County.

The nonprofit education foundation will buy 168 acres of the 218-acre golf course from the Rockford Park District, with the district retaining about 50 acres of land on the west side of the property. The plan is to close on the $1.187 million purchase this fall and begin the process of restoring the land to native prairie, oak savanna and wetlands. The former clubhouse will become a nature center for education.

“The opportunity to educate about the importance of nature in a more urban setting is just too good to pass up,” said Ann Wasser, executive director of Severson Dells. “You can hear the kids from the Boys & Girls Club across the street, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to be able to work with them on a regular basis.”

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Portions of the property at 888 S. Lyford Road were leased for agricultural use last year, which Severson Dells says sets up the site for a successful restoration. Conventional agriculture helps get rid of turf grass and non-native species, and the planting of beans is an effective transitional step, Wasser said.

Restoration will span several years, but Severson Dells plans to start welcoming guests during the restoration so the people can learn about that process.

“The goal right now is each winter to be planting 50 acres of prairie,” Wasser said. “Our goal is to have the restoration process be an education tool for the public, too, and get people out here from the very early stages of it so they can see what it looks like, see what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and the time it takes.”

Severson Dells staff and board members gathered with village, Rockford Park District and state officials Tuesday afternoon to announce their plans for the property.

The purchase price was the average of three appraisals of the property, which was required by state legislation passed in 2022 that allowed for the park district to sell the property. Severson Dells won a $1 million grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation in October to help pay for the purchase. It expects restoration efforts will cost about $1 million.

The new urban nature preserve will operate in conjunction to Severson Dells Nature Center and preserve, a 369-acre property at 8786 Montague Road that was donated to the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County in 1975.

“There’s magic in the woods there,” Wasser said. “Part of it is the legacy, part of it is the Severson family and their intention when they donated the property. We’re now on three, almost four generations of families coming out there. It’s a part of the fabric of our community.”

Running both properties will allow Severson Dells to provide education about urban and rural nature preserves on opposite ends of the county.

“With Severson Dells locations on both the east and west sides we can extend our reach in nature education, showcasing the diverse natural environments in our community and emphasizing nature’s role in both urban and rural settings,” Wasser said.

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Course to conservation

The Rockford Park District closed Elliot near the end of 2020 as a way to curtail financial losses tied to golf. The course, which had operated since 1968 and is named for longtime parks director Earl F. Elliot, was then put up for sale in 2022.

The closure is part of a national trend. The U.S. has more golf courses than any other nation, and it has about three times as many as the second-ranked country, Japan. The abundance of courses has led to closures outpacing openings for 17 straight years, although the pace of closures has slowed the past four years, according to the National Golf Foundation.

Jay Sandine, executive director of the Rockford Park District, said Elliot was chosen in part to close because of the saturation of golf courses in the city and the success of other courses.

Several shuttered courses, like Elliot, have been bought by conservation groups to be converted into nature preserves and wetlands. That includes courses in Detroit, Pennsylvania, Colorado, upstate New York and California, according to a March report by the New York Times.

In Cherry Valley, former golf course features will have a place in the future restoration. For example, rather than removing the sand traps at the former 18-hole course, they’ll be converted into sand prairie habitat.

Sandine said 100% of the proceeds from the sale will be reinvested into Ingersoll Golf Course, 101 Daisyfield Road, to replace the 55-year-old antiquated irrigation system there. He said it was a win-win for Severson and the park district.

“We get to reduce our footprint, free up resources, fix up the irrigation system at Ingersoll and turn this over to an incredible organization that literally teaches thousands of kids about the environment,” Sandine said.

At the property now, you can already see piles of trees that were taken down as part of agriculture conversion. Those were non-native species that are due to be replaced in the restoration process. Other non-native species will be removed and replaced as well in an effort to provide higher-quality habitat for the animals who will call the site home.

“Long term it’s what’s best for the habitat and the animals that need those species to survive,” Wasser said.

New habitat

The changes are expected to create habitat for species of birds, butterflies and other insects that haven’t previously called the golf course home. Among them could be sandhill cranes, which are one of the oldest species of bird and can have wingspans of more than 6.5 feet. A pair of sandhill cranes have already been spotted on site.

“We’re also really excited about the opportunity to create habitat for rusty patched bumble bee, which are federally and state endangered,” Wasser said. That bee was at the center of controversy during the past two years as the Chicago-Rockford International Airport developed a cargo expansion on a prairie site the bee called home.

Severson Dells will also rewild the culvert creek that runs through the property, a change it says will supply more natural habitat while providing stormwater management.

“That piece will take a lot longer because of the engineering and permitting,” Wasser said.

Jim Claeyssen, village administrator for Cherry Valley, said the work on the creek will improve water quality before it feeds into the Kishwaukee River.

“The Kishwaukee River is a treasure of northern Illinois,” he said. “By undertaking this restoration, Severson Dells is really doing its part to keep it healthy for all of us: our residents, visitors and local wildlife.”

There are aspects of the plan that Severson Dells is still figuring out, among them what to call the new property.

It plans to work with native tribes to take into account the land’s history as it decides on a name for the future nature preserve.

It’s also developing a master plan for hiking trails, birder opportunities and ways to engage with the ponds and creeks on the property.

“Severson Dells is committed to making nature education accessible to our community, and adding this unique opportunity on the east side provides easier access to a whole new segment of our community,” said Chris Samuelson, chairman of the Severson Dells Board.

How to help

To learn more about the project or get involved, go HERE.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas