TGR (Tiger Woods Design) is planning to redesign Jackson Park Golf Course and South Shore Golf Course into a single, championship caliber course with spectacular views of Chicago’s lakefront.  Jackson Park, which was opened in 1899, and South Shore, opened in 1907, both currently are under the management of the Chicago Park Golf Alliance.

As interesting as a Tiger Woods designed golf course would be, there are potential disadvantages that some observers are pointing out.

Sara Freund, editor of Curbed Chicago, a website that monitors developments in Chicago real estate,  reported in a post published on February 2, 2018, about neighborhood concerns that the course will affect the South Shore Nature Sanctuary, located on the property of South Shore Golf Course. The combined course also could affect Marquette Road, since preliminary designs appear to suggest that the city of Chicago would need to install underpasses either for the course or the road.

Despite the concerns raised by some, Mark Rolfing, founder and president of the Chicago Park Golf Alliance, is convinced that the benefits of the proposed project outweigh any concerns. As Rolfing stated on news.tigerwoods.com, “The community’s passion for the site motivates him to enhance these lakefront facilities.”

Given his international reputation in the golf world, Woods’ enthusiasm for the project is important for its success, and he agrees with Rolfing about its potential.  On his website, news.tigerwoods.com, Woods stated that he can envision many future PGA tournaments at the new golf course, and that this project “can create incredible possibilities for the community of the South Side.”