Hundreds attend Tri-County Gun Club’s annual open house

Club was founded in 1965 and is one of the largest in the state, club president says

KC Donaire, 14, of Dixon gets instruction on a Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22 from Tri-County Gun Club member Mark Coy Saturday, May 6, 2023. This range was set up specifically for younger and inexperienced shooters.

POLO – About 750 people attended Tri-County Gun Club’s 22nd annual open house Saturday and Sunday at its almost 100-acre site at 3319 Brookville Road between Polo and Milledgeville.

The club, founded in 1965 and one of the top four largest in the state, boasts about the same number of members, primarily from Lee, Ogle, Whiteside and Carroll counties, but also from farther away, said club President Dale Hayen of Sterling.

About 25% of club members hail from east of DeKalb, Hayen said, and from Mendota to Chicago.

New members always are welcome and can check out TCGC’s Facebook page and website for the calendar of competitions and other public events, which are a good time to come check out the amenities in person, Hayen said.

The club has nine multi-use ranges, two rifle ranges and three trap fields, all outdoors and open year-round, but given the size of the site, “it never really looks busy,” Hayen said.

“There’s a lot to do out there,” he said.

Gun safety and concealed carry classes also are available.

Go to tcgc.net or find the club on Facebook for information.

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Alex Paschal

Alex T. Paschal

Photojournalist/columnist for Sauk Valley Media

Kathleen Schultz

Kathleen A. Schultz

Kathleen Schultz is a Sterling native with 40 years of reporting and editing experience in Arizona, California, Montana and Illinois.