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The new Elks clubhouse is a modern, single-story clubhouse featuring brick and white siding, large windows and a covered entryway.
CELINA- A local golf course and social club recently kicked off a major renovation that's designed to modernize its facilities and preserve its place as an area mainstay.
The Mercer County Elks Golf Club began the demolition of its old, two-story clubhouse last month with a plan to rebuild it into a 10,400-square-foot facility equipped with golf simulators and an indoor-outdoor patio.
The former building, estimated at over 100 years old, was on the property when the club's founders purchased the 138-acre farm in 1960, club manager Kirk Stucke told The Daily Standard.
The Elks club, located at 3242 U.S. Route 127 in Celina, has just under 550 members- which includes golf members, junior members, lodge members and their families.
In addition to housing a social club, its course is home to girls and boys high school golf teams from four schools: St. Henry, New Bremen, Coldwater and Marion Local.
"In addition to their matches, we host three golf tournaments each year," Stucke said. "The Gary Broering invite, the Nate Niekamp invite, and then, we've been fortunate to host the MAC championships."
The new Mercer County Elks Golf Club building was designed by Garmann Miller of Minster.
The ongoing renovation project was in the works for about five or six years. Stucke said he teamed up with Bruce Miller, a club member and co-founder of Minster-based engineering firm Garmann Miller, to sketch out a first draft of the new facility.
"It was a little out of our budget. So we've kind of gradually worked from there until where we got to (now), and it had to go to a vote before our membership before we started to raise funds and move forward," he said. "We did that vote last winter and started a fundraising campaign within our membership."
The final plan resulted in a modern, single-story clubhouse featuring brick and white siding, large windows looking out to the course and a covered entryway. The new facility will feature outdoor seating areas, like a nearly 3,000-square-foot patio that can be enclosed during winter months. As well, there will be three golf simulators on the north end of the clubhouse for off-the-course practice.
"That'll entice people to come out," Stucke said of the new tech. "Or we can host golf events through the winter, golf scrambles, anything. A big driver of our business is to host events for non-profit groups such as booster clubs, football teams, the hospital, chamber events, different things like that. So, hopefully we can continue to carry that forward through the winter as well."
In addition to golf events, the new Mercer County Elks clubhouse and patio will serve as a local venue or event space.
The convertible patio is something Stucke said he is very much looking forward to.
"It'll have four garage doors facing toward the golf course that we can close or open however we like," he said. "That space can be completely enclosed and then, people can reserve it for a class reunion or a birthday party, anniversary party. They can just reserve the space and we'll save it for them. I think it will become a very unique space."
Though he did not disclose the project's overall price, he said it is being funded through member pledges.
"We set up a contribution plan through our memberships. Our members have made commitments and contributions, whether it's a one lump sum payment or a payment over time," Stucke said. "We've given them benefits for the club, moving forward, like a tiered plan. It all depended on how much they gave to what the benefits they would get."
The demolition of the old Mercer County Elks Golf Club clubhouse began on Sept. 30 and has since completed.
The demolition of the old Mercer County Elks Golf Club clubhouse began on Sept. 30 and has since completed.
Prior to this clubhouse overhaul, the Mercer County Elks' last renovation was nearly 20 years ago, when they added on a patio in honor of late club manager Paul Staugler in 2009, he said.
"He passed away due to cancer in 2009. So the membership came together and donated funds to add on a patio on the outside," Stucke said. "Before, there was never any patio, it was just uncovered and we just had tables there. So we added that on, it was about a 2000-square-foot patio under a canvas. That was really the last big project we did with the building."
The project bid was awarded to Brackett Builders with design services provided by Garmann Miller. They hope to have it completed in August 2026.
"We're trying to use as many local companies as possible. We have a lot of members that are involved in the project, so, we're excited that they can help us get this thing moving forward and move forward at a quick pace."
The Elks' golf course will be unaffected throughout the project, Stucke said. The club is currently operating out of the west end of its golf cart facility with a tent, equipped with patio furniture, up in the parking lot.
"We're excited to bring this facility to southern Mercer County. It'll be more than just a golf clubhouse," he said. "It'll be a facility for anyone to come out and visit, especially with having the golf simulators. It'll be able to host events for all kinds of non-profit groups."
The new Mercer County Elks Golf Club building was designed by Garmann Miller of Minster.
