INSIDEtheROPES®
A KemperSports Publication
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Season’s Greetingsfrom KemperSports
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort ranked as the No. 1 Golf Resort in North America by Golf Digest
KemperSports proudly announces the addition of The Prairie Club to its portfolio
WINTER 2011
VolumE 23 NumbER 3
INsIdE ThIs IssuE
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Happy Holidays from the KemperSports Family
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort was ranked as the No. 1 Golf Resort in North America by Golf Digest Magazine
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort Tops the List for Best Golf Resort in North America by Golf Digest KemperSports-managed property Bandon Dunes Golf Resort was recently named the No. 1 golf resort in North America by Golf Digest in the publication’s November 2011 issue.
The 75 Best Golf Resorts in North America list appears every two years in Golf Digest and the rankings are compiled by surveying Golf Digest’s course-rating panelists – a group of 1,000 avid golfers throughout the United States and Canada. Golf Digest course-rating panelists rate each resort they have visited in the past three years on a 10-point scale. This rating scale focuses not only on the golf course or courses, but rather evaluates the overall experience and quality of the resort.
Matt Ginella, Senior Travel Writer for Golf Digest, shared his thoughts on what makes Bandon so special: “There aren’t any obnoxiously large clubhouses, or conference rooms that double as reception halls or wedding venues. There aren’t tee boxes that play from 8,000 yards. There aren’t signs saying: ‘No hats, No jeans, No flip-flops, No service.’ In fact, the service is exceptional, and it’s all delivered with sincere smiles.”
KemperSports congratulates owner Mike Keiser, KemperSports General Manager Hank Hickox and our terrific staff at Bandon Dunes for earning this distinguished award.
Dear Family, Friends and Staff,
As we approach the holiday season, we are reminded how much we have to be thankful for this year.
First and foremost, we are fortunate to work in a business that we love. We feel honored to share our passion for this industry with loyal clients and fellow staff. We hope our passion is evident through the execution of exciting events and campaigns and enjoyed by our members, golfers and guests through the management of our outstanding properties.
Beyond business, we are grateful for the personal relationships we enjoy with our colleagues, clients and partners. We value your support and friendship and realize that together, through our hard work and dedication, we can continue to elevate our standards and reach new heights in the future.
To show our appreciation, we feel it is important to give back to the communities in which we operate. This year, it has been a privilege to support our local communities through numerous charities, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Evans Scholars Program, Patriot Golf Day and a variety of holiday toy and food drives. We have been touched by the generous contributions from our staff and colleagues and hope to bring joy to those in need throughout the holiday season.
As each of us celebrates the holidays with family and friends, we have many exciting things to look forward to in 2012. In May, we will be hosting the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid at Harbor Shores, and later in the year we will be involved in the opening of two of the most highly anticipated golf projects of 2012 – Bandon Preserve, the fifth course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, and Cabot Links in Nova Scotia. In addition, we continue to add exciting properties to our portfolio, including most recently the esteemed Prairie Club in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska, Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Gilroy, Calif. and, closer to home, Deerpath Golf Course in Lake Forest, Ill.
On behalf of the entire KemperSports family, we wish you and your families the best for a joyous holiday and prosperous New Year!
Regards,
Steve Skinner Josh LesnikChief Executive Officer President
Jim Seeley Receives Bill Strausbaugh Award
KemperSports Executive Vice President of Operations Jim Seeley was recently awarded the 2011 Bill Strausbaugh Award from the Illinois PGA Section. The Bill Strausbaugh award is presented to a PGA member who exemplifies
distinguished efforts in mentoring fellow PGA Professionals and supporting his peers through both employment and community service.
Jim Seeley, from Lincolnshire, Ill., is a PGA Life Member and has over 40 years of experience in the golf industry. Seeley joined KemperSports in 1994, when the company managed 18 golf courses and employed 20 PGA Professionals. Today, KemperSports employs more than 130 PGA Professionals. Among his many awards, Seeley was also named to the list of 20 “Most Admired Operators” by Golf Inc. Magazine in 2008.
Jim Seely
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KemperSports Continues to Expand its Golf Course Portfolio The Prairie Club in the Nebraska Sand HillsKemperSports has been selected to manage The Prairie Club in Valentine, Neb. Located in the Sand Hills region of western Nebraska, this 46-hole resort features two 18-hole courses, The Dunes Course and The Pines Course, a 10-hole par 3 course called The Horse and a western-style Prairie Club Lodge. The Prairie Club opened in May 2010 to much acclaim and was quickly named as “One of the Top 25 Golf Resorts in the U.S.” by Golfweek magazine and both The Dunes Course and The Pines Course were listed in the “Top 10 Best New Courses” by GOLF Magazine.
The Dunes Course at The Prairie Club was designed by Tom Lehman and Chris Brands to complement the natural lay of the land in the wide open spaces of the Sand Hill region. With wind-shaped landscape, wide and firm fairways and the ever-present prairie winds forcing golfers to keep the ball low, The Dunes Course provides a true test of links golf. The Pines Course was designed by Graham Marsh and sculpted within a forest at the edge of the Snake River Canyon. The Pines Course layout begins in the prairie and meanders through a forest of pines where the prevailing prairie winds are blocked by trees and the western wall of the canyon.
KemperSports-Managed Properties Participate in Patriot Golf DayNearly 40 KemperSports-managed golf courses recently participated in the 2011 Patriot Golf Day, which took place during Labor Day Weekend. This annual event helps raise money for the Folds of Honor Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships and other assistance for the children and spouses of military men and women disabled or killed during service. In 2011, with the support of PGA Professionals and the United States Golf Association members, Patriot Golf Day events raised a record of more than $3.2 million in donations.
This year, KemperSports is proud to announce that the Course at Aberdeen, Valparaiso, Ind., raised over $30,000 for the Folds of Honor Foundation. The following five golf courses were among the top contributors for KemperSports in the 2011 Patriot Golf Day.
• The Course at Aberdeen – Valparaiso, Ind.• The Governors Club – Brentwood, Tenn.• Chambers Bay – University Place, Wash. • Cape Fear National Golf Club – Wilmington, N.C.• Vellano Country Club – Chino Hills, Calif.
“We are honored to be able to help the families of the men and women who serve our country,” said KemperSports CEO Steve Skinner. “Patriot Golf Day is a great way for all of us to give back.”
Thank you to all of our participating courses for your support of Patriot Golf Day.
The Course at Aberdeen, Valparaiso, Ind., raised over $30,000 for the Folds of Honor Foundation
Eagle Ridge Golf Club in CaliforniaShapell Homes, one of California’s homebuilding industry pioneers, recently named KemperSports to manage Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Gilroy, Calif. Positioned in the Silicon Valley, Eagle Ridge Golf Course is an 18-hole daily fee golf course supported by the residential community Creekside, built by Shapell Homes. Eagle Ridge Golf Course marks the 20th property managed by KemperSports in the state of California.
Designed by Ron Fream and David Dale, in conjunction with Johnny Miller Design, Eagle Ridge Golf Course opened in 1999 and features a rolling layout with spectacular views. Ranked as one of the Top 10 courses in the Silicon Valley, Eagle Ridge Golf Course received a “Four Star Rating” by Golf Digest and was formerly named among the Top 50 “Women Friendly Courses” by Golf for Women Magazine.
The Prairie Club, Valentine, Neb.
Eagle Ridge Golf Course, Gilroy, Calif.
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TEEtoGREEN
The Power of Community: KemperSports Celebrates the Holidays by Giving BackAs part of its ongoing mission to be a meaningful contributor to each community in which it operates, KemperSports properties are giving back to their communities this year by participating in Toys for Tots, food drives and other charitable activities from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Toys for Tots is an annual U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Program which collects new, unwrapped toys throughout the holiday season and distributes them as Christmas gifts to needy children in participating communities.
Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, Calif. is a regular participant of the Toys for Tots campaign. This year, Desert Willow Golf Resort has established a holiday promotion in its golf shop to encourage golfers to contribute to this charitable cause.
Below is a list of KemperSports-managed golf courses that will be participating in the 2011 Toys for Tots Toy campaign.
Black Gold Golf Club Celebrates 10 YearsKemperSports congratulates Black Gold Golf Club in Yorba Linda, Calif. as it celebrated its 10th anniversary in November. Black Gold Golf Club celebrated this milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception, which was attended by the Mayor of Yorba Linda and several members of City Council.
The staff at Black Gold Golf Club celebrate the club’s 10th anniversary
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500 Skokie Boulevard Suite 444Northbrook, Illinois 60062www.kempersports.com
Inside the Ropes Goes DigitalJoin us for an exciting new year in 2012 as we begin to distribute the KemperSports newsletter electronically.
Please visit www.kempersports.com/insidetheropes and submit your e-mail address to receive Inside the Ropes electronically.
Thank you.
• Crab Meadow Golf Course – Northport, N.Y.• Cypress Head Golf Club – Port Orange, Fla.• Desert Willow Golf Resort – Palm Desert,
Calif.• Goose Creek Golf Club – Leesburg, Va.• Hawthorn Woods Country Club –
Hawthorn Woods, Ill.• Hiddenbrooke Golf Club – Vallejo, Calif.• Mound Golf Club – Miamisburg, Ohio• Murder Rock Golf Club – Branson, Mo.
• Palm Harbor Golf Club – Palm Coast, Fla.• PipeStone Golf Course – Miamisburg, Ohio• Prairie View Golf Club – Carmel, Ind.• Ramblewood Country Club –
Mount Laurel, N.J.• Swenson Park Golf Course –
Stockton, Calif.• Timbers at Troy Golf Course – Elkridge, Md.• Van Buskirk Golf Course – Stockton, Calif.
Desert Willow Golf Resort is an annual participant of the Toys for Tots campaign
Other KemperSports-managed courses will be participating in similar holiday toy and food drives in conjunction with organizations such as The Salvation Army, The United Way and Foodshare.
In 2011, Black Gold Golf Club, Yorba Linda, Calif., will host a toy drive through the Salvation Army; Buckingham Athletic Club, Chicago, Ill., will host a toy drive for the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls; Heron Glen Golf Course, Ringoes, N.J., will conduct its annual Santa Open to deliver more than 800 canned goods to the local food pantry; Sand Creek Station, Newton, Kan., will host a toy drive through The Salvation Army and hold its fifth consecutive food drive to support two local charities with over 400 pounds of food; Olivas Links and Buenaventura Golf Course, Ventura, Calif., will host its second annual Holiday Food Drive for Foodshare to support local families throughout Ventura County with a goal of collecting 500 pounds of food.
KemperSports is proud to recognize and thank these generous courses for such charitable contributions this holiday season.
