MONROE - Jim Krieger didn't realize how much of a hidden gem he uncovered when he purchased the Windy Acres Golf Club in 1961.
Krieger, a St. Joseph, Michigan native, was intrigued by the 90 acres of farm-developed recreational land when he purchased the golf course more than five decades ago. Over the years, Windy Acres has developed into a peaceful retreat and a golfer's paradise where visitors can get lost in the course engulfed by trees and wooded areas and can spot oats overlooking farmers' fields.
"We were looking for a business that would support the family," Krieger said. "We were not looking to particularly buy a golf course. The price was within our range. It looked like it had some potential."
Krieger and his wife, Nancy, celebrated their 55th anniversary at Windy Acres on July 15.
John Eiserman, Krieger's late brother-in-law, found out that Windy Acres was for sale after seeing an ad in the Chicago Tribune after former owner Paul Wilson's death. For Eiserman, who lived in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Krieger, it seemed like an ideal investment. Both Krieger and Eiserman were intrigued by the prospects of the course surrounded by farms that is five miles southeast of Monroe and three miles from the Illinois state line.
Eiserman was an avid golfer, but Krieger still doesn't golf. Contrary to popular belief, Windy Acres didn't receive its name because it's a windy course.
"Windy Acres received its name because the first owner, Paul Wilson's nickname was Windy because I think he liked to talk a lot," said Jim Krieger, Krieger's son of the same name who serves as the general manager of Windy Acres.
Windy Acres always has been a nine-hole golf course. Many of the holes early on were cornfields and the course was set up in a forest of trees. However, early on, golf took a backseat in the elder Krieger's mind.
"It wasn't much of a golf course when we bought it," he said. "I think Wilson was using it to have people from Chicago come and milk the cows, feed the horses and pet the farm animals. He advertised a swimming pool and then playing some golf. The pool was in the city."
Krieger and Eiserman rebuilt holes No. 1 and No. 5 and added different tee boxes within the first 10 years of owning Windy Acres.
There were challenges Krieger and Eiserman faced after buying Windy Acres. They couldn't sell beer on Sundays at the time, so they worked with Jefferson Township to establish a Sunday beer-selling law. Two years after purchasing Windy Acres, Krieger and Eiserman got a liquor license.
"It was hard to serve food without a liquor license in that era," Krieger said. "It made Sundays more profitable."
Women were prohibited from most golf courses and clubs in the 1960s and 70s. Windy Acres kept an open door policy. With farmers and businessmen attracted to the peaceful setting at Windy Acres, Krieger and Eiserman opened the golf course to women, too.
"If farmers were out on the golf course and their wife wanted to spend time with them they had to be out on the golf course," Krieger said. "You didn't have to be a member. You could come out and spend $5 to try it and see if you liked it."
Jim Krieger, who goes by the nickname "Little Jim," supports his father's foresight and policy to keep the doors open to women.
"Women golfers and couples were always welcomed," he said. "If strangers come it would be just a short time before they were friends."
The Scottish-style, par-36 nine hole-course has a lot of blind shots, and one of the most unique holes is the 351-yard No. 8. The No. 8 hole requires golfers to make a trek through the woods before they can tee off with the green tucked away on a hook around a line of trees.
The Kriegers have faced some pitfalls in sustaining the Windy Acres course. "Little Jim" Krieger said Windy Acres has lost about 200 trees from tornados since owning the golf course. Lightning struck and burned down a barn that housed golf equipment and private golf carts in 1977.
The elder Krieger said the economy has always played a role in determining how often people would golf, eat and drink at the restaurant.
Windy Acres also has a 10-unit hotel that can accommodate 20 visitors for weekend golfing getaways or family reunions. It provides an opportunity for visitors to have a getaway without TVs, phones or computers.
The maintenance of the course can be one of the biggest challenges. When there is a lot of rain in the spring the course could become flooded. When it's sweltering hot, the course requires a lot of spraying to protect it. Since Windy Acres was established it takes various fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to maintain the course, Little Jim Krieger said.
The evolution in technology has made a big difference in the management of golf courses.
Krieger used a walk-behind greens mower while he was in high school and college to mow the course. Now, there are electric greens mowers that can make the job easier.
"That (greens mower) is one of our biggest expenses," the younger Krieger said. "If one of them breaks it could be anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 to fix it."
Krieger, a St. Joseph, Michigan native, was intrigued by the 90 acres of farm-developed recreational land when he purchased the golf course more than five decades ago. Over the years, Windy Acres has developed into a peaceful retreat and a golfer's paradise where visitors can get lost in the course engulfed by trees and wooded areas and can spot oats overlooking farmers' fields.
"We were looking for a business that would support the family," Krieger said. "We were not looking to particularly buy a golf course. The price was within our range. It looked like it had some potential."
Krieger and his wife, Nancy, celebrated their 55th anniversary at Windy Acres on July 15.
John Eiserman, Krieger's late brother-in-law, found out that Windy Acres was for sale after seeing an ad in the Chicago Tribune after former owner Paul Wilson's death. For Eiserman, who lived in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Krieger, it seemed like an ideal investment. Both Krieger and Eiserman were intrigued by the prospects of the course surrounded by farms that is five miles southeast of Monroe and three miles from the Illinois state line.
Eiserman was an avid golfer, but Krieger still doesn't golf. Contrary to popular belief, Windy Acres didn't receive its name because it's a windy course.
"Windy Acres received its name because the first owner, Paul Wilson's nickname was Windy because I think he liked to talk a lot," said Jim Krieger, Krieger's son of the same name who serves as the general manager of Windy Acres.
Windy Acres always has been a nine-hole golf course. Many of the holes early on were cornfields and the course was set up in a forest of trees. However, early on, golf took a backseat in the elder Krieger's mind.
"It wasn't much of a golf course when we bought it," he said. "I think Wilson was using it to have people from Chicago come and milk the cows, feed the horses and pet the farm animals. He advertised a swimming pool and then playing some golf. The pool was in the city."
Krieger and Eiserman rebuilt holes No. 1 and No. 5 and added different tee boxes within the first 10 years of owning Windy Acres.
There were challenges Krieger and Eiserman faced after buying Windy Acres. They couldn't sell beer on Sundays at the time, so they worked with Jefferson Township to establish a Sunday beer-selling law. Two years after purchasing Windy Acres, Krieger and Eiserman got a liquor license.
"It was hard to serve food without a liquor license in that era," Krieger said. "It made Sundays more profitable."
Women were prohibited from most golf courses and clubs in the 1960s and 70s. Windy Acres kept an open door policy. With farmers and businessmen attracted to the peaceful setting at Windy Acres, Krieger and Eiserman opened the golf course to women, too.
"If farmers were out on the golf course and their wife wanted to spend time with them they had to be out on the golf course," Krieger said. "You didn't have to be a member. You could come out and spend $5 to try it and see if you liked it."
Jim Krieger, who goes by the nickname "Little Jim," supports his father's foresight and policy to keep the doors open to women.
"Women golfers and couples were always welcomed," he said. "If strangers come it would be just a short time before they were friends."
The Scottish-style, par-36 nine hole-course has a lot of blind shots, and one of the most unique holes is the 351-yard No. 8. The No. 8 hole requires golfers to make a trek through the woods before they can tee off with the green tucked away on a hook around a line of trees.
The Kriegers have faced some pitfalls in sustaining the Windy Acres course. "Little Jim" Krieger said Windy Acres has lost about 200 trees from tornados since owning the golf course. Lightning struck and burned down a barn that housed golf equipment and private golf carts in 1977.
The elder Krieger said the economy has always played a role in determining how often people would golf, eat and drink at the restaurant.
Windy Acres also has a 10-unit hotel that can accommodate 20 visitors for weekend golfing getaways or family reunions. It provides an opportunity for visitors to have a getaway without TVs, phones or computers.
The maintenance of the course can be one of the biggest challenges. When there is a lot of rain in the spring the course could become flooded. When it's sweltering hot, the course requires a lot of spraying to protect it. Since Windy Acres was established it takes various fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to maintain the course, Little Jim Krieger said.
The evolution in technology has made a big difference in the management of golf courses.
Krieger used a walk-behind greens mower while he was in high school and college to mow the course. Now, there are electric greens mowers that can make the job easier.
"That (greens mower) is one of our biggest expenses," the younger Krieger said. "If one of them breaks it could be anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 to fix it."
