Bensenville, Ill.— Andrew Godfrey has been promoted to general manager of White Pines Golf Club, 500 W. Jefferson, Bensenville, after previously serving as White Pines Head PGA Golf Professional and PGA Manager.
Godfrey—a 2012 graduate of Western Illinois University, where he was a two-time Summit League Golfer of the Week and was named to the Summit League Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence—has largely been working on the golf aspects of White Pines since his arrival from Mistwood Golf Club in 2020.
“It’s something that I’ve been working hard here since 2020 just to help improve the facility as a whole,” he explains. “You know, I was brought in mainly to improve the golf side, but looking at the at the entire golf club, we really had to start from ground zero and work our way up. I think we’ve done a great job of that. Moving forward, we really want to grow this facility with banquets and weddings and everything else that comes along with it, such as special events like our Live at White Pines concerts and new veterans’ golf events.”
Over the past couple years, Godfrey has worked to put the right people in place, hiring Head PGA Golf Professional Bill Roper and Tom Eddy as assistant professional. Marline Rivera was promoted to food and beverage manager, and a new events coordinator has been hired. He says having a customer-service-first staff is the cornerstone of White Pines.
“The customer service aspect is always tops on my radar here—customer service and making sure that we have all the details down to what we need to do and stay really, really focused. The golf side’s in a good place, and we feel really good; we just want to move forward and really grow the banquet and food and beverage business,” Godfrey says. “I’m looking forward to that challenge.”
Godfrey says that White Pines is one of the gems in the Chicago area, and he looks forward to building upon the club’s excellent reputation.
“White Pines is awesome. Our banquet hall overlooks the beautiful golf course, and we have a great ceremony site area and a huge tent that we can utilize, so facility-wise, it’s a great property,” Godfrey adds. “We’re doing really well getting the name out there, making sure that everybody’s aware that we’re here, and we’re looking to move forward. I’m booking a lot of events and weddings, so we are doing a really good job in turning our service around and really making sure that everybody’s having a great time.”
One opportunity for growth, according to Godfrey, is the club’s 37 Bar and Grill: “We’re going to change the menu up a little bit this year and do a few different things, including fish fry and an Easter brunch in addition to other fun activities and specials.”
White Pines’ two 18-hole championship courses, situated on more than 260 acres, has been a favorite among Chicago area golfers since 1928. The course, owned and operated by the Bensenville Park District, is an excellent choice for players of all skill levels. Whether it’s an evening at the lighted driving range, a casual round with friends or an outing or special event, White Pines is perfect for getting “away from it all.”
“I just I’m really excited for the challenge and all that this property has to offer,” Godfrey adds. “There’s a lot of moving parts and pieces to this, and I think we can really do awesome things.”
