The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced that The Atkins Group (TAG) has donated more than 300 acres of real estate in southeast Urbana, highlighted by Stone Creek Golf Club and its associated buildings and equipment, to the University of Illinois and the University of Illinois Foundation. The DIA will own and operate the golf club, which will remain closed for the 2020 season while undergoing improvements, as a championship-caliber public course and the home of the Fighting Illini Division I men's and women's golf programs. The total value of the gift exceeds $15 million. In recognition of TAG's generosity, the golf course will be renamed The Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois, pending Board of Trustees approval.
"We are so grateful to Susie, Spencer, Todd, Suzette, and the entire Atkins family for their continued generosity to the University of Illinois and Fighting Illini Athletics," said Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. "Working with them to develop the full breadth of this remarkable gift has been a true pleasure. We are excited about the future of the golf course and the benefits it will have for our varsity golf programs and, of equal importance, our entire community. We believe such a broad-based, visible presence from the University will help generate great value and stability to the homeowners and businesses in southeast Urbana."
Stone Creek Golf Club is an 18-hole public golf course located on approximately 190 acres. TAG, owner of Stone Creek since its opening in 2000, closed the course in January of this year. In March of 2020, the DIA publicly announced plans to explore opportunities with TAG to continue its operation. Following the gift's closing, the DIA intends to hire a golf course management company and develop plans to reopen the restaurant and dining facilities, the pro shop and other banquet and hospitality spaces. The newly formulated Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois is expected to open for public play in the spring of 2021.
To read more, visit https://fightingillini.com/news/2020/6/30/general-the-atkins-group-gifts-stone-creek-golf-club-to-illinois-athletics.aspx