Ellis Golf Course Clubhouse, 1401 Zika Avenue NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405, USA

The photo was taken at the **Ellis Golf Course** in **Cedar Rapids, Iowa**, looking across a pond towards the newly constructed **Ellis Clubhouse & Event Center**.

Primary guess

Primary guess: Ellis Golf Course Clubhouse, 1401 Zika Avenue NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405, USA

Confidence

• Level: High
• Why:
- The building architecture (modern, single-slope roof, mass timber construction) perfectly matches the award-winning Ellis Golf Course Clubhouse designed by OPN Architects.
- The presence of an extensive rooftop solar array is a key feature of this specific net-zero facility, which replaced a clubhouse destroyed by the 2020 Iowa derecho.
- The landscape features (hilly terrain, a specific pond shape on the 18th hole) align with the site layout.
- The vegetation state (budding deciduous trees) and climate cues are consistent with a Midwestern spring.

Visual evidence

• **Architecture**: The building has a distinctive single-slope roof and a dark gray corrugated metal facade, which is typical of the OPN Architects design for this site.
• **Solar Panels**: A large array of photovoltaic panels is visible on the roof, consistent with the building's net-zero design goal.
• **Pond**: The small, man-made pond in the foreground is situated directly in front of the clubhouse, reflecting the 18th-hole green area and the building itself.
• **Vegetation**: The background shows a mix of rolling hills and deciduous trees that are just beginning to leaf out, typical of the Upper Midwest (Iowa) in late April or early May.
• **Ground surface**: A gravel cart path or walking trail is visible in the immediate foreground, characteristic of golf course infrastructure.
• **Sky**: The clear, deep blue sky is consistent with stable high-pressure systems common in the Midwestern spring.

Reasoning

The combination of a modern, sustainable building with solar panels on a golf course narrowed the search to recent clubhouse projects focused on green energy. The **Ellis Golf Course Clubhouse** in Cedar Rapids is a high-profile example of this, as it received multiple architectural awards (e.g., 2023 WoodWorks Regional Excellence Award) after being rebuilt following the devastating **August 2020 Iowa derecho**. News articles and architectural portfolios specifically mention that the building was designed to "capitalize on views of the beautiful 18th hole and pond" and features "rooftop solar panels." The view in the photograph is taken from the south/southeast side of the pond on the 18th hole, looking north towards the clubhouse, which places the solar panels in an ideal south-facing position as seen.

Verification

• **OPN Architects Portfolio**: Photos of the clubhouse show the same charcoal gray metal siding, wooden overhangs, and rooftop solar layout (OPN Architects - Ellis Golf Course Clubhouse).
• **News Reports**: Articles from *The Gazette* and *Metal Architecture* describe the new clubhouse's design and its orientation towards the 18th hole pond (Metal Architecture - A Clubhouse With a View).
• **Google Maps**: Satellite imagery shows the exact configuration of the pond and the new building at 1401 Zika Ave NW (Google Maps).

Links

• Google Maps
• Official Tourism Page
• OPN Architects Project Page

Coordinates

41.9953, -91.6975 (Camera position overlooking the pond towards the clubhouse).