Phillips Park Golf Course – Aurora IL

Description

In 1938, the WPA reconstructed and expanded this course, with possible assistance from the CCC. From the Phillips Park Golf Course website:

During the Depression in 1934, the Civilian Conservation Corps undertook improvements to the golf course as part of the “New Deal” program to combat unemployment.

A Beacon article, dated September 11th, 1938, titled, “Start 200 Men Tomorrow On Park Project”, explained how the WPA improvement project was going to spend the $189,000 allotted for the project by both the government and the city. It also noted that park employees tore down the old golf course the week prior. In a statement issued by Mayor Harry B. Warner, he indicated that approximately $44,000 would be used to rebuild the golf course, which would consist of re-grading the greens, enlarging the tees, providing clay tees at each grass tee, and rearranging traps with the idea of dividing the fairways, to make playing at the park a little safer, as well as planting trees at the back of the tees and in general to beautify the course. After the expansion, the course encompassed 100 acres that included 80 acres of fairway and 20 acres of rough, with a clubhouse.