Winter 2013 - KemperSports

INSIDEtheR PES
®
A KemperSports Publication
KemperSports Named Management Company of the Year
by The BoardRoom Magazine for Second Straight Year
WINTER 2013
VOLUME 25 NUMBER 3
®
Happy Holidays from
KemperSports
Happy Holidays from KemperSports
Dear Family, Friends and Staff,
The holiday season came early for KemperSports this year. We unwrapped the
latest edition of The BoardRoom magazine with great joy as the publication revealed that
KemperSports has been named Management Company of the Year…for the second year in a row!
This award is a direct result of the incredible work of our more than 5,500 staff members around the country who
work tirelessly to deliver truly memorable experiences for our members and guests. The BoardRoom magazine award was
just the latest confirmation that we have the best team in the business. Congratulations to all!
The past year was filled with many other great moments. We added more than a dozen new properties to our portfolio and
were very fortunate to continue our strong track record of contract renewals. While the golf industry as a whole saw a decline
in revenue and rounds played, through the hard work of our marketing and management teams, our portfolio experienced
growth in both categories – outpacing the industry.
The coming year proves to be very special as well. In May, we will welcome the 75 th Senior PGA Championship presented
by KitchenAid® back to Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich. The PGA of America and KitchenAid® announced an
unprecedented extension of the relationship earlier this year that will bring the Senior PGA Championship presented by
KitchenAid® to Harbor Shores in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Later next summer, we look forward to working with the USGA to host
the final U.S. Amateur Public Links at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kan.
We also have several development projects in the works, including the renovation of the historic Quail Lodge Golf Club
in Carmel, Calif., and Galloping Hill in Kenilworth, N.J., and the construction of the 9-hole Lincoln Park West Golf Course in
Jersey City, N.J.
As we reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2014, we are reminded of the incredible clients, colleagues and friends
that we have in this business. We are grateful to work in an industry that we love and share our passion for the game with
all of you.
On behalf of the KemperSports family, we wish you a joyous holiday season and a very happy New Year!
Regards,
Steve SkinnerJosh Lesnik
Chief Executive Officer
President
KemperSports Named Club Management Company of the Year for Second
Consecutive Year by The BoardRoom Magazine
For the second year in a row, KemperSports has
been named Club Management Company of the
Year by The BoardRoom magazine. This award
was announced in the publication’s 14th annual
Excellence in Achievement awards as published
in the November/December issue. Winners
of the Excellence in Achievement awards are
selected for overall excellence in their respective
fields, innovation, vision for future growth and
continued impact on private club operations.
KemperSports first received this honor in 2012.
The company will accept the 2013 award at the
upcoming CMAA World Conference and Expo in
February 2014.
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KemperSports CEO Steve Skinner and President Josh Lesnik celebrate the 2012 Club Management Company
of the Year award with The Glen Club staff. The company received the 2013 Club Management Company of
the Year award from The BoardRoom magazine for the second year in a row.
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KemperSports Continues to Expand its Management Portfolio in 2013
Bull Valley Golf Club
Bull Valley Golf Club, a private golf club
located in Woodstock, Ill., has selected
KemperSports to manage club operations.
Built in 1988, Bull Valley is one of the great
tests of golf in the state and hosted the
2010 Chicago District Golf Association
Amateur Championship.
Designed by Dick Nugent, Bull Valley Golf
Club has garnered numerous awards from
national golf publications, including its
recent ranking as the 19 th best golf course
in the state of Illinois by Golf Digest in
the publication’s bi-annual state rankings.
Bull Valley becomes the 15 th KemperSportsmanaged facility in Illinois.
Bull Valley Golf Club, Woodstock, Ill.
The Arlington Club
KemperSports has been tapped by The
Arlington Club, a private country club in
Richmond, Ky., to manage club operations.
Located only 25 miles southeast of
Lexington, Ky., The Arlington Club is an
18-hole, par-72 golf course built on a
historic 193-acre estate, which includes
the 150-year old Arlington Mansion.
KemperSports will actively engage the
membership to improve and enhance all
aspects of the club from membership
categories and programming to course
conditioning.
The Arlington Club is home to the Eastern
Kentucky University Men’s and Women’s
Golf teams, as well as the EKU Professional
Golf Management program.
The Arlington Club, Richmond, Ky.
Lincoln Park West Golf Course
Hudson County Improvement Authority
selected KemperSports to manage
construction and operation of Lincoln
Park West Golf Course in Jersey City, N.J.
The 9-hole course, located on 130 acres
in the historic Lincoln Park borough, will
serve as the cornerstone for the landfill
reclamation project that is adjacent to the
Hackensack River.
views of the New York City skyline and cater
to golfers of all skill levels with world-class
service and amenities.
KemperSports will manage all construction
on the property throughout 2014 and will
oversee the operation of the golf course
when it opens in summer 2015. The par-36,
3,257-yard course will provide panoramic
Heard on the course... “If you want to live to be 80, play walking golf at Bandon Dunes!”
Gene Horning, guest at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
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Creekside Golf Course and Dryden
Park Golf Course
The City of Modesto, Calif., has partnered
with KemperSports for course operations
and management of its two 18-hole
municipal courses, Creekside Golf Course
and Dryden Park Golf Course. Built in
1991, Creekside Golf Course is the newer
course of the two Modesto facilities.
The 6,610-yard course routes along
the south side of Dry Creek. Known for
fast, expansive greens and contoured
bunkering, Creekside also includes a
driving range, putting green, full-service
pro shop and restaurant.
Dryden Park Golf Course was built in
1961 by William F. Bell, who also designed
both the North and South Courses at
Torrey Pines for the city of La Jolla, Calif.
The course includes mature trees, wide
fairways and strategic bunkering. The
Learning Center at Dryden Park offers a
lighted driving range and three putting
greens, making Dryden Park an ideal
location for youth or beginner golfers.
Creekside Golf Course, Modesto, Calif.
Teamwork and TrueService Produce Record-Setting Season for
The Prairie Club
After five years as The Prairie Club’s
director of agronomy, Ross Buckendahl
took the reigns as director of club
operations this season and fostered a
collaborative team environment that
paid off.
With the guidance and expertise of the
KemperSports corporate staff, The Prairie
Club team worked diligently to provide a
customer-focused service program in all
aspects of the golf experience that resulted
in year-over-year revenue growth of more
than 25 percent. All staffers embraced
KemperSports’ TrueService approach of
serving guests in a genuine, helpful and
friendly way, and as a result, the team
recorded a near perfect 10 in its 2013
overall True Review Customer
Feedback Scores.
Both courses at The Prairie Club also
received a number of accolades this
season, most recently being ranked among
Golfweek’s 100 Best Resort Courses for
2014 – The Dunes Course was ranked No.
21 and The Pines Course was rated No. 89.
Following this record-setting season, The
Prairie Club team, including staffers from
the property-level to the KemperSports
Home Office, reflected on its successful
teamwork and developed these top six
tips for engaging staff in the competitive
golf business.
1.Planning and outreach: Strategic
marketing and sales planning is key
to engaging the customer. At The
Prairie Club, our sales and marketing
team put countless hours in to raise
awareness and encourage people to
visit our remote location.
2.Engagement: Engagement and
productivity go hand-in-hand.
Encourage your team to get involved
inside and outside of work to boost
team morale.
3.Setting expectations: It’s important
to set clear expectations for all
staffers and treat them consistently
across the board. Leaders should
provide immediate on-site feedback
on a daily and weekly basis with
each staff member.
4.Coaching: Every staffer deserves
attention and coaching should be a
two-way street. Encourage two-way
communication among your team
and talk with them frequently.
5.Lead: Be decisive. Provide a clear
vision of daily activities and the
future of the resort for all staffers.
6.Reward and give thanks: Teamwork
made the difference at our club this
year. We worked together, from sales
and marketing to outside service,
reservations and housekeeping.
Everyone pitched in to deliver
exceptional experiences. And, we
made special note to thank everyone
for their hard work – rewarding the
behaviors we wanted repeated.
KemperSports CEO Steve Skinner and President Josh Lesnik Named to
Golf Inc.’s List of “Most Powerful People in Golf”
KemperSports CEO Steve Skinner and President Josh Lesnik together have been ranked No. 12 on Golf Inc. magazine’s list of “Most
Powerful People in Golf,” for 2013, up one spot from 2012. Under their leadership, KemperSports has signed more than a dozen new
management contacts in 2013 and expanded the company’s private club division, KemperCollection.
This list of industry leaders is published annually in the fall 2013 issue of Golf Inc. and is created by the editors of Golf Inc.
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KemperSports Tops Golf Inc.’s Inaugural Marketing and Advertising Contest
Golf Inc. magazine announced its inaugural Marketing and Advertising contest this summer to
recognize the best marketing and advertising efforts by both private and public golf courses.
Golf Inc. judges received more than 120 entries in eight categories in the first year of competition.
KemperSports was the biggest winner taking home first place in three of the eight categories:
direct marketing campaign for public courses, consumer magazine/publication advertisement
and radio or audio. KemperSports submitted entries for these categories on behalf of its clients.
The Prairie Club in Valentine, Neb., won the award for direct marketing campaign and consumer
magazine/publication advertisement while Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich., took home the
honor for radio or audio.
The full listing of the award winners and categories will be published in Golf Inc.’s spring issue.
Aliso Viejo Aquatic
Center Receives Award
from Parenting OC
Magazine
Parenting OC magazine released its
11th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards in
September and named Aliso Viejo Aquatic
Center the “Best Pool” in Orange County.
Readers and editors of Parenting OC
weighed in on the amenities of Aliso Viejo
Aquatic Center and the award winners were
highlighted in the September issue of the
publication. “From a mom’s perspective, the
center has everything –
a snack bar for convenient lunches and
snacks, lifeguards for added safety,
available swim lessons, and golf course
and mountain views that make you feel like
you’re on vacation just minutes from home.”
The Aliso Viejo Aquatic Center in Aliso Viejo, Calif., was named the “Best Pool” in Orange County
by Parenting OC magazine.
Crab Meadow Golf Course Hosts Charity Golf Outing for One of Its Own
On Oct. 26, the KemperSports staff from
Crab Meadow Golf Course in Northport,
N.Y., hosted one of its most meaningful
charity golf events of the year to support
fellow staffer, Joe Walsh. Walsh, the food
and beverage manager at Crab Meadow,
lost his wife, Alicia, to cancer this fall,
leaving him to care for the couple’s two
teenage children, Liam and Alana, on
his own.
To show its support for a colleague and
friend, the entire staff at Crab Meadow
volunteered their time to host a golf outing
and dinner to raise money for the Walsh
family. The event sold out immediately and
attracted a full house of 220 guests for
dinner in the Crab Meadow Golf Course
clubhouse. The entire community of
Northport rallied around the Walsh family
to make the event successful, and raised
a substantial amount of money for the
family in one day.
Joe Walsh (far left), with Don McKay (center), director
of parks and recreation for the Town of Huntington,
N.Y., and Steve Dietz (far right), KemperSports general
manager, at the Walsh family charity golf outing at
Crab Meadow Golf Course in Northport, N.Y.
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Joe and Alana Walsh at Crab Meadow Golf Course
in Northport, N.Y.
Deerpath Bucks Trend with Golf Rounds Increase
By: Linda Blaser
Published Oct. 23, 2013, Lake Forester
A snapshot of the golf industry nationwide
shows a downward trend that Deerpath Golf
Course in Lake Forest is managing to buck.
Golf rounds nationally declined 6 percent
during the past year while, regionally,
Chicago rounds dropped 11 percent,
according to KemperSports Chief Executive
Officer Steve Skinner.
KemperSports has managed the city-owned
Deerpath course for two years and the
City Council recently approved a third year
contract with the company.
Also, thanks in large part to new marketing
by KemperSports, Deerpath posted a 3
percent increase in rounds.
“Generally in the golf business, 80 percent
of your play will come within a 30-minute
drive time of your course. There are 81 golf
courses, public and private, within 30 minutes
of Deerpath,” Skinner said. “It’s a challenging
environment.”
Deerpath Golf Course in Lake Forest, Ill.
While the year’s not over yet, Deerpath is looking at a 7 percent increase in revenue year-over-year in the face of a declining golf market
nationwide, Skinner said.
“Over the two years we’ve been here, we’ve added almost 4,000 daily fee rounds, both resident and non-resident,” he said.
That momentum will continue, he predicts.
“Our view of the golf business is we’re not growing enough golfers. The Baby Boomers are playing at a lower rate than their predecessors
played, so we need to be more competitive, more aggressive in attracting more play. We’re going to continue our marketing initiatives,”
he said.
Deerpath has a foothold in junior golf, with a growing golf academy that is drawing young golfers from other area clubs, both public
and private.
“Our junior golf program has been a big success story. By building a program, we’re building our future golfers,” Skinner said.
On a recent Saturday, Thomas Knipe, 14, of Lake Forest practiced his chipping with his dad, Gary Knipe, and an out-of-state relative, having
a friendly family competition on the course chipping green.
Thomas has played golf since he was 5 or 6 years old.
“This is our home course,” Gary Knipe said.
While he thinks it’s in wonderful shape now, Knipe believes the city should continue to invest in Deerpath to make it even more competitive.
Skinner agrees that investment in the property will strengthen Deerpath’s future.
“Of the 81 properties in this market, not all of them are going to survive, and not all of them are going to succeed,” he said. “The ones that
will survive and prosper will continue to reinvest in the property. It comes down to great golf course conditions, great service and providing
good value to the customers.”
Reprinted, with permission, from Lake Forester
®
500 Skokie Boulevard
Suite 444
Northbrook, Illinois 60062
www.kempersports.com
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