Businessman Tom Weickardt is spending millions of his own money to renovate the Mequon Country Club.

"I’m taking something that’s broken and trying to make it work in a broken industry, a broken time on a broken piece of property." With those less than encouraging words, Tom Weickardt sums up his daunting task of transforming the Mequon Country Club into the River Club of Mequon.

But the 65-year-old Whitefish Bay resident, who has defied convention before, taking up auto racing on the Le Mans circuit when he was in his early 50s, still walks around smiling these days when talking about the massive project he has created.

Weickardt, a Milwaukee Custer High graduate, left Wisconsin 40 years ago to start a manufacturing business in North Carolina. After selling the company for a multimillion dollar profit, he returned to his home state 15 years ago.

Last fall, he purchased 155 acres of land owned by Mequon Country Club, seeking to develop 19 of those acres. He purchased the club for $1.5 million, originally hoping to make a profit from a quick resale. Some local homeowners fought the development and Concordia University, the top prospect to buy the land, could not finalize the purchase in the immediate future.

That’s when Weickardt, despite the economy and a steady decline in the numbers of people playing golf, decided to go all-in on a total remake of the club.

"People were embarrassed to be members here," Weickardt says. "The facilities were getting so dilapidated. You wouldn’t have brought business clients here because you would have had to apologize for the environment you were bringing them to."

An army of workers now buzzes around the grounds. A new roof has been installed along with a new electric panel, heating system and kitchen.

Weickardt added two tennis courts and refurbished the four existing courts, completely renovated the pool and added "thousands of feet" to the pool deck for a kids’ splash park.

There will be brand new men’s and women’s locker rooms, a new clubhouse and pro shop, restaurant, "Nines," and a gastro pub, both of which will be open to the public.

Weickardt hired Marty Peck, a local lighting specialist whose clients include the Mitchell Park Domes, to install a state-of-the-art LED lighting system in the 450-seat expanded banquet facility, and commissioned a local artist to produce everything from wall art to the countertops at the club bar.

Off of the banquet area there is a special bride’s room and a 4,000-square-foot outdoor deck. There is a game room, with two golf simulators and other interactive games, a room where parents can leave their kids while golfing or dining — and given iPads in the restaurant to monitor their activities on closed circuit cameras.

"We are going to be the place to be to have an event in Milwaukee," Weickardt says.

Four additional groundskeepers have been hired to maintain the club’s 27 holes and Josh Pius, a highly respected assistant professional in suburban Chicago, has been brought in as the head pro.

A project on this scale usually takes months of planning, bids and blueprints, but Weickardt (who is also resurfacing the streets surrounding the club) dove in at full speed and is targeting Aug. 1 as a finishing date.

"All that means is it costs more money," says Weickardt who says he is spending "many, many millions."

The club has attracted 150 new members and now has a total of 350. Weickardt says his goal is 375 golf and 150 pool memberships and adds "we could be at capacity next year."

By opening the restaurant and banquet facilities to the public, Weickardt hopes to generate outside revenue to keep member dues "at a level acceptable to a lot of young families."

With his massive initial investment, Weickardt expects to lose money in 2012 but hopes to be in the black by next year.

"This is a casually elegant private club committed to personal service. I need a wow factor. I didn’t want something that wasn’t well thought of. I want to give people a club they can be proud of. "