What does a lakefront village do with a winter when the lakefront is closed? Glencoe has two answers this year, and both come from public projects that land in the same few weeks. On Tuesday, September 8, crews fenced off Glencoe Beach for a renovation that runs until an expected reopening in May 2027. Inland, the village-owned Glencoe Golf Club is finishing a new clubhouse with a full-service restaurant, a bar and two golf simulators. The Village says all of it will be open to the public year-round.
The timing is mostly an accident of construction schedules. The effect still matters. For the colder half of 2026 and early 2027, Glencoe's newest shared room sits at the golf course, and the contract behind it was written for more than golfers.
What the Fence Covers, and What It Leaves Open
The Glencoe Park District's notice is clear about what is closed. The lower ramp, the beach itself, the beach house and the playground are all off-limits until the work is done. The upper road stays open to walkers and runners outside construction hours, so a morning loop above the water is still possible.
The work will bring these changes when the beach reopens:
- Interior renovations to the beach house
- A new playground with spray features
- A new trellis and sun shelters
- New boat storage and boardwalk improvements
- Infrastructure upgrades
This is a full rebuild of the waterfront's gathering spaces, and the schedule spans fall, winter and spring. The beach house and the playground are both part of the work.
A Clubhouse Contracted to Host the Village
The old clubhouse at Glencoe Golf Club came down in May 2025. Voters had approved an $18 million project in a 2023 referendum. The club has belonged to the village since it was organized in 1921. The Village describes the new building in specific terms. It includes a year-round restaurant that seats 150 for golf outings and private events, a covered terrace facing west with seating for 74, a bar with 64 seats, two simulators for lessons, leagues and practice, and a full-service pro shop.
The restaurant is called The Westley. In August, Village trustees unanimously approved Clubhouse Group as the food-service vendor. The group also operates as Housepitality Group and runs Grill House and Cabo Grill in Northbrook and Backyard Grill in Highland Park. A Village vendor report names Nick Drivas as the group's owner. The group is not new to the course. It has run interim food service there since March so that service would continue during construction.
Stella Nanos, the golf club's general manager, described the scope at the August meeting:
"They will provide an on-site special event manager who will provide full service support for private celebrations, community gatherings and Village-sponsored events." The Record North Shore reported.
That sentence is what makes this more than a golf story. Nanos said the plan includes brunch, lunch and dinner menus, an extensive wine and cocktail list, and children's menus. The menu posted on OpenTable lists American casual dining, with starters, salads, bowls, burgers and sandwiches. Prime-beef sliders, a Cabo bowl and a turkey club are among the items.
The financial terms also tie the room to the village. Starting in 2027, Clubhouse Group pays the Village a $45,000 annual base fee plus a share of revenue: 8% of net food sales, 10% of net alcohol sales and 12% of net catering and private-event sales. All private room rental fees go directly to the Village. The contract runs five years, with options for two more five-year terms. In practice, a birthday dinner or a winter fundraiser in that room adds to Village revenue.
What Is Confirmed, and What Is Still Pending
The building ran late, and the opening date still isn't firm. On August 19, trustees approved the project's sixth change order since March 2025. It moved substantial completion to September 11 from an earlier target of August 14. Public Works Director Monica Sarna cited a very wet summer, Cook County inspection requirements for more lighting and a revised detention pond, and an unknown underground storage tank found during the work. Village President Howard Roin noted that the cost had gone up and the schedule had slipped a couple of weeks, and said he had confidence in Sarna's team.
As of early October, here is what each public source says:
| Item | Current status |
|---|---|
| The Westley opening | Club says "Fall of 2026"; OpenTable still shows "Coming Soon" |
| Reservations | OpenTable lists Saturday, October 24 as the next available date |
| Listed hours | Lunch 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., dinner 4 to 9 p.m. daily, as planned hours |
| Simulators | Club's indoor instruction page says "Coming Soon"; private lessons can be booked |
| Grand opening | Planned for 2026, with no date announced |
| Scheduled event in the building | Hard Course Chili Open, Saturday, November 7, with lunch in the new clubhouse |
The October 24 reservation date is the clearest sign of when service could start, but OpenTable doesn't call it an opening. Simulator rental rates and a winter league calendar haven't been published yet.
The Rest of the Season Is Inland Too
With the beach closed, Glencoe's fall calendar is spread across the Botanic Garden grounds, downtown, Shelton Park and Writers Theatre. In order:
- Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns, Chicago Botanic Garden, 15 evenings from October 7 to 25, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. New this year are a 20-foot illuminated Monarch Skull and about 75 pumpkins weighing up to 150 pounds each.
- Campfire Stories for Kids, Shelton Park greenhouse, October 9 at 6 p.m., $10 for residents and $15 for nonresidents.
- Lakefront task force meeting, October 14.
- Movies on the Green, Shelton Park, October 16 at 7 p.m., showing Monsters, Inc., free and open to all ages.
- Writers Theatre, with Sisters running through November 8 and The Royale from October 22 to November 29. They are the first two productions of the theater's 35th season.
- Halloween Hello, downtown on Friday, October 30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with trick-or-treating at participating businesses and Village Hall-oween. The Village recommends neighborhood trick-or-treating on Saturday, October 31, from 4 to 8 p.m.
- Hard Course Chili Open, Glencoe Golf Club, November 7.
- Lightscape, Chicago Botanic Garden at 1000 Lake Cook Road, November 13 to January 3. New installations include a walk-in snow globe and a dancing light ballerina. There's a sensory-friendly night on December 2, Jingle Jam nights on December 9 and 16, and 21-and-over nights on December 10 and January 1.
Two smaller projects affect downtown errands through the end of the year. Village Hall's south entrance is being renovated from September through year-end, so visitors use the north entrance, and the Hazel Avenue sidewalk may close at times. Bridge maintenance on Scott and Hazel avenues is scheduled through December. For dinner downtown, RDK Sushi at 317 Park Avenue and Elyon at 667 Vernon Avenue are both taking reservations.
The Lakefront Conversation Goes On While It's Closed
The beach being closed doesn't stop the planning around it. The Village and the Park District have a lakefront task force reviewing parking and pedestrian safety near the beach, and its next listed meeting is Wednesday, October 14. Its recommendations are advisory. The meeting is the public setting where decisions about how people get to the rebuilt beach next May are being shaped.
By then Glencoe will have two renovated public gathering places, one at the water and one at the golf course. The clubhouse is set to open first, and the lakefront follows in May.
A village's shared spaces shape how a home there gets used across the seasons, and that is part of how we present a property. If you're thinking about how your Glencoe home fits into the year ahead, The Kasey Group would be glad to talk it through. Refine Your Life Story: Request a Complimentary Home Valuation.
