December 10, 2025
By Matthew Lipe
General Manager, Jackson Park Golf Course
Reflecting on the 2025 season has been an interesting exercise.
I assumed the General Manager role after the departure of Bo Lewis at the end of May. Transitions in leadership are always challenging, especially when they happen smack in the middle of a record-setting year: Total rounds at Jackson are up 6 percent this year to date, while revenues from instruction (up 59 percent YTD), driving range (up 18 percent YTD) and food/beverage (up 17 percent YTD) have substantially risen.
We’ve done our best as a team to make the transition as seamless as possible. Our front-of-the-house team is top-notch, and their hard work has made my job infinitely more manageable.
Bringing on Luc Birchfield as Head Golf Professional was probably the easiest decision I’ve had to make this year. He has proven himself a valuable resource not only for me on the operations side, but for the general public and our men’s club membership as well. His skills as an instructor, fitter and team leader have been invaluable.
Superintendent Jon Fulmer and his crew have done an incredible job this year with limited resources. I’m sure you’ve all noticed the improved conditions out on the course this season around the greens and approaches. When all is said and done, roughly 73,000 rounds of golf will have been played at Jackson this year, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Jon and his team.
During the off-season we have a multitude of projects needing to get done– probably too many, but that’s inevitable with the age and condition of our pro shop and restaurant. We will focus on improving aesthetics and making Jackson Park as welcoming and accessible as possible.
Here are a few of the projects, in no particular order:
- Replacement of rotting wood around the building exteriors and applying a fresh coat of paint.
- Upgrading the lighting around the general area.
- Paving the entrance and south side of the range.
- Repairing the fence along the 1st tee.
- Upgrading our security cameras in the pro shop and range.
- Adding additional seating/tables on the range.
- Expanding food and beverage offerings in the restaurant.
I would like to thank the Jackson Park Men’s Golf Club leadership for their support this season, as well as the club membership in general. Your camaraderie, passion for the game of golf and support of Jackson Park are what make us a community and not just another golf course.