Construction of a 9-hole domed golf course near Route 30 and Rance Road on land that is set to be annexed to Oswego could begin later this year.

Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman provided an update on the project during his Feb. 26 State of the Village address. Kauffman said he could see some construction starting in the coming months.

The project is proposed for 100 acres west of Route 30 and north of Rance Road. In September, village trustees unanimously approved the concept plans of Canada-based Megalodome Golf to construct four 270,000 square foot golf domes that would house the 9-hole golf course along with a practice facility.

An 8,000 square-foot clubhouse also is proposed. Final plans will have to be approved for the project to move forward.

The applicant’s website refers to the project as the world’s first indoor golf experience that replicates a real golf course. Megalodome Golf president and general manager Bertrand Quentin noted the trees, cactuses and grass that are part of the proposed landscape would be artificial.

“Only the sand and the ponds are natural,” he said.

The property currently is unincorporated and zoned agriculture in Will County. Plans also set aside about 34 acres for potential future development and 7.5 acres for stormwater detention.

The proposed golf domes would be 110 feet high.

“This will allow for full swing capacity for those big hitters who can hit it that high,” Carrie Hansen, Director of Planning and Government Services for Oswego-based Schoppe Design Associates, Inc., told trustees.

In addition, the domes would incorporate state-of-the-art climate control to maintain perfect playing conditions year-round regardless of the weather outside, Hansen said. The domes will be designed to withstand winds of up to 120 mph.

The course design is inspired by Arizona’s renowned golf courses.

“The design offers golfers a sense of escapism on a course that mimics one of the best in the world,” Hansen said.

The domed golf course would be built near a proposed 656-unit subdivision. Oswego Grand Development, LLC. wants to build 125 single-family houses, 243 townhouse units and 288 apartment units as part of its plan, which also includes 32.2 acres of commercial/retail space.

In August, the majority of village trustees voted in favor of the concept plans for the development. Voting “no” was village trustee Kit Kuhrt.

Kuhrt said he was concerned about the project’s density as well as its impact on traffic in the area.

Cricket stadium

During his State of the Village address, Kauffman also provided an update of the cricket stadium project proposed on the village’s west side. He said the first phase of the project is expected to begin in the spring after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined it does not have jurisdiction over the wetlands on the property.

Oswego resident Paresh Patel of Chakra360 LLC has submitted plans to build the professional cricket stadium with a clubhouse and restaurant on 33.48 acres at the northwest corner of Orchard Road and Tuscany Trail in Oswego.

In November 2023, Oswego village trustees voted 4-1 to approve a special use permit for Phase 1 of the project, which involves construction of the field and wicket and installation of underground drain tiles.

They also recommended approval of preliminary concept plans for all five phases of the project. Voting “no” was Village Trustee Tom Guist. Village Trustee Kit Kuhrt was absent from the meeting.

As part of the second phase of the project, the stadium would be open for use with a seating capacity of 2,000. Phase 3 would bring the capacity up to 6,000 and Phase 4 would increase it to about 14,000 people.

With the seating increased to 14,000, the stadium would be able to accommodate national cricket events. Future plans involve completing second- and third-level stadium seating, which would bring capacity to between 24,000 and 25,000 people.