'The Garage' coming to Idle Creek

Aug. 26—Florida, as well as parts of Tennessee, provided inspiration for a new outdoor/indoor addition at Idle Creek Golf Course, slated to open in September.

The 4,500-square-foot addition, likely to be named The Garage, features a unique 7-foot by 12-foot viewing wall comprised of nine 55-inch televisions, plus seven other TVs throughout the space at the golf community south of Terre Haute.

"What we wanted to do was to offer something that wasn't offered in Terre Haute," said developer Rick Jenkins. "We have to compete with taxpayer dollars going to the convention center, to Indiana State University [venue and events] and also compete with a [new] casino [slated to open in late 2023]," Jenkins said.

"The big screen TV is an idea from one of our employees to do something different so we could watch The Masters. It originally was going to be a selfie wall, but the big screen TV won out," Jenkins said.

A bar area with a 40-foot-long bar will offer beer, wine and mixed drinks and will feature concrete countertops and a special wood siding.

Large glass garage doors open to create a covered outdoor venue, but the area also can be closed and heated for use in winter months. Garage doors also open into what had been a screened porch, which was an extension of the Dawgleg Restaurant. Now, it's part of The Garage space.

"This is a completely self-contained space, so it has its own restrooms. And there is a future kitchen area, so we can do a basic golf menu," Jenkins said.

The exterior space can accommodate 200 people and has both seated and standing tables. Exterior furniture is made from recycled milk cartons and manufactured by Polywood in Syracuse, Indiana, Jenkins said.

The wood along the bar front "is walnut that came from the golf course in 1995, when we were making the golf course," Jenkins said. "We cut the wood and I have had it in a warehouse. I wanted something that tied together to the golf course. The pro shop has oak that also came from the golf course."

The ceiling of an exterior patio to be furnished is made from yellow poplar.

Jenkins said he got inspirational ideas for the space during trips to North Port, Florida and as other cities, including Nashville, Tennessee.

"A restaurant that I go to four or five times every year in Florida has garage doors, but I never noticed them because they were up," he said.

Another inspiration include "the standing seam roof and the wood for the bar that I saw in a bar in Fort Myers (Florida), and concrete countertops are very prevalent in Florida and getting more prevalent here," he said.

The space also has large ceiling fans that drop the temperature 3 to 5 degrees, and it uses all LED lighting as well.

Additionally, there is a new concrete section to park golf carts adjacent to The Garage.

"Next year when we have golf outings, golfers will eat here — so they can take off on the course and have bag drops here, too," he said.

Work began on the space in April and is slated to be complete in September.

The first function will be Labor Day week, with a private event for 75 people that will serve as a trial run.

The first public event will be held on the first 2022 NFL game on Thursday, Sept. 8, featuring the Los Angeles Rams vs. Buffalo Bills.

Idle Creek Golf Course opened to the public in 1996.

Idle Creek is Terre Haute's only true "golf community." The original 250 acre development has a par-71, 6,090-yard, 18-hole golf course surrounded by a 300-lot subdivision. It was designed by Jenkins and Jack Keidel.

Jenkins' company — Richard Jenkins Construction — has developed several residential communities including Idle Creek, Richland Manor, Ole Erie, Dutch Acres, Hidden Court South, Ellenwoods, Fruitridge Park and North Pointe Subdivision.

Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached 812-231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com. Follow on Twitter@TribStarHoward.