Tim Troy recalls one of his first formal golf events being a CDGA-conducted junior tournament at the age of 10 in the 1960s.
It’s only fitting that, more than six decades later, another collaboration with the organization may be one of his last.
Troy is the head golf professional at Zigfield Troy in Woodridge, a nine-hole par-3 complex with an expansive driving range. His father, an Illinois Golf Hall of Famer and the course’s namesake, opened the facility in 1976.
“I grew up the son of a driving range pro inside the city limits of Chicago,” Troy explained. “We didn’t have a golf course there. When my dad came out here in the late 1970s, one thing he always wanted to do was have a golf course. And we did.”
Zigfield Troy’s 50th year of operation is likely to be its last, however. The family recently sold the land to developers, who are expected to redevelop the golf course and driving range (the adjacent mini golf course will remain) pending Village of Woodridge approval.
“This is a bittersweet time in our family’s life,” Troy admitted.
Lessening the sting is the fact that the facility’s community impact will continue to endure well beyond when the grass is razed.
Zigfield Troy availed itself to various charitable endeavors over the years, including the CDGA Foundation’s Better Through Birdies Par-3 Challenge. The annual fundraising event, conducted earlier this year on May 16, has raised more than $1.4 million in 17 years for the CDGA’s Sunshine Programs that benefit individuals with disabilities, veterans and youth.
Other organizations supported include Almost Home Kids, the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance, the DuPage African Methodist Episcopal Church and countless local high schools.
“Golf has been our life,” Troy explained during the Better Through Birdies event in May. “Like a farmer grows up on a farm and he just thinks about farming all the time, we’re just thinking about golf all the time. We love seeing people enjoy the game. This is just helping more people enjoy the game.”
Additionally, the approachable nature of the Zigfield Troy course and staff made it a beginner’s paradise. Thousands of golfers first touched a club on Zigfield Troy grass over the years, leaving an impressive impact on the game’s overall growth and trajectory.
“Through the years, away from here, I’ll meet people at a golf tournament, another pro, who will say, ‘You know, I played my first round of golf on your par 3,’” Troy fondly recalled. “It’s kind of shocking. For a driving range pro to be credited with helping a kid learn how to play golf on a course, it affects me in a tender way.” —Casey Richards
CDGA Member Spotlight articles are a partnership between the CDGA and Wintrust to highlight an individual, group or program making their underrepresented community Better Through Golf. Individuals with CDGA Member Spotlight ideas should reach out to magazine@cdga.org.
