Dupage Policy Journal

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s The Preserve at Oak Meadows has continued to garner recognition within the golf community. Recently, Jamie Nieto, the facility's golf services supervisor and PGA head golf professional, was honored with the Deacon Palmer Award by the PGA of America. This award acknowledges a PGA professional who demonstrates exceptional integrity, character, and leadership in overcoming significant personal challenges. Nieto is one of 13 recipients for 2023.

Nieto sustained life-threatening burns on more than half of his body on his 20th birthday in 2003. Following four years of intensive treatment and rehabilitation, he not only returned to playing golf but also achieved PGA membership in 2012. He now volunteers his time counseling other burn patients and sharing his experiences through the lens of golf.

In addition to individual accolades, The Preserve itself has received several awards. Its clubhouse, which opened at the end of the 2021 season, was recognized in Golf Inc. Magazine's 2022 Best New Clubhouse competition under the new public clubhouse category. This international competition saw The Preserve's clubhouse standing alongside entries from North Carolina, Greece, and Scotland. Designed in a reinterpretation of midcentury modern style with features such as angled roofs and expansive windows offering views of the course, it previously won Golf Inc.'s "Renovation of the Year" award for public golf courses in 2018.

The Greenway Tap restaurant at The Preserve continues to build its reputation among local diners. Chef Mike Riley, an alumnus of both Culinary Institute of America and Roosevelt University Chicago, offers a menu that includes entrees, salads, healthy options, and seasonal dishes. OpenTable recently awarded Greenway Tap its Diner’s Choice award for top-rated restaurants in West Suburbs and Chicago/Illinois based on consistently high reviews from diners.

Ed Stevenson, executive advisor for the Forest Preserve District and head of golf operations said: “We’re excited to see that the restaurant is much more than a grab-and-golf dining option but really offers an experience in and of itself."

Winter hours for Greenway Tap include lunch and dinner on Thursdays through Saturdays with reservations recommended.

The Forest Preserve District has been fostering connections between people and nature for over a century. With more than 6.2 million annual visitors across its numerous preserves and educational centers, it remains committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion while providing accessible facilities free from discrimination or harassment.