Canal Shores Golf Course in Evanston, Ill. and the Boulevard Tennis Club in Vero Beach, Fla. have brought in new management companies, while Sutton Bay in Agar, S.D., Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Neb., Tippecanoe Lake Country Club in Leesburg, Ind., and Dodge Riverside Golf Course in Council Bluffs, Iowa have signed multi-year extensions with their existing firm.
KemperSports has been selected by the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association (EWGCA), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization, to manage Canal Shores Golf Course in Evanston, Ill.
Canal Shores has been an integral part of its local community for more than 100 years. As part of the partnership, KemperSports will look to elevate every facet of the golf operation, improve playability and create new and dynamic pathways for local kids to experience and benefit from the game of golf.
“We are extremely excited to partner with KemperSports and work with its first-class management team,” said Karl Leinberger, President of the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association. “KemperSports brings proven and unrivaled management expertise combined with an appreciation and understanding of the charm of Canal Shores. With a shared commitment to the course’s core pillars of golf, youth development, ecology and community, we couldn’t have chosen a better partner to shepherd a brighter future for Canal Shores.”
Canal Shores opened in 1919 and was designed by prolific golf course architect Tom Bendelow. The 3,600-yard, par-60 layout has undeniable charm and just enough challenge. Dubbed “the gem in your backyard,” the course winds through urban and suburban neighborhoods along the North Shore branch of the Chicago River. Golfers play through a 100-year-old oak forest alongside Chicago’s “L” and Metra train tracks, traverse several road crossings and are treated to beautiful views of the Bahá’í House of Worship, which creates a golf experience unlike any other.
“Canal Shores is a 100-year-old community gem that offers a one-of-a-kind golf experience and plays an important role in making the game accessible to a wide range of junior golfers,” said Josh Lesnik, president of KemperSports. “If you love unique golf experiences and are visiting Chicago, Canal Shores is a must-play, especially as we improve the golf experience while preserving its undeniable charm. We could not be more excited to help ensure that this memorable and purpose-driven golf course thrives for the next 100 years.”
As part of its efforts to enhance operations and the overall golf experience at Canal Shores, KemperSports plans to improve course conditions, create a more comfortable social experience for both pre- and post-rounds and assist in implementing an Ecological Master Plan, which began in 2017 and has already resulted in improvements that have earned the course an award from the Friends of the Chicago River. Canal Shores has also received certification by the National Wildlife Federation as a wildlife habitat and accreditation as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf.
KemperSports and the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association are committed to a shared vision that brings opportunities to local youth through golf. Canal Shores offers free, weeklong summer camps to underserved youth throughout its communities. The program focuses on introducing the game of golf and its accompanying health and social benefits to underserved players from Evanston who are new to the game and/or want continued quality instruction.
Canal Shores will continue to operate as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit.
Landscapes Golf Management has been granted multi-year extensions to continue delivering management solutions to four Midwest golf courses and country clubs spanning South Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa.
Under the company’s leadership, each operation has realized meaningfully improved financial performance supported by impressive satisfaction, retention and acquisition of members and guests. In turn, the valuation of each asset has significantly increased.
Guided by talented on-site staff and corporate functional support, Landscapes Golf Management continues to excel at employee recruitment and training, property maintenance, marketing and sales, clubhouse operations, merchandising, food and beverage, IT and financial management.
“Contract extensions are the greatest compliment we can receive regarding the service we offer,” says Tom Everett, President of Landscapes Golf Management. “They are testament to the collaboration and alignment between our corporate team, on-site staff and clients.”
The four properties are of public, private and community variety:
- Sutton Bay in Agar, S.D. is a true inland links golf course—designed in 2003 “as one with the land” by architect Graham Marsh and constructed by Landscapes Unlimited Chairman Bill Kubly. The exclusive, private club sits above the spectacular landforms of the Missouri breaks and overlooks the massive expanse of Lake Oahe. Hunting, fishing, 18 single rooms, six king suites, eight four-bedroom cottages and exquisite buffalo steak, walleye and pheasant round out the premium offerings.
- Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Neb. was founded in 1929. The 18-hole, 6,820-yard, par-72 golf course with visually stunning established, tree-lined fairways hosted the likes of U.S. Open champion Walter Hagan as well as legends Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. The layout has withstood the test of time and is a product of expert designer William A. Smith who learned the agronomic business from his father, a groomer of the world’s most famous grass tennis courts at Wimbledon. Steeped in tradition yet creating new traditions, empty nesters and young families relish diverse amenities, including aquatics, tennis, dining and other social activities.
- Tippecanoe Lake Country Club in Leesburg, Ind. has been around for almost a century sits and equidistant from South Bend and Fort Wayne. The private club sits on a high ridge above the Tippecanoe Lake. Every activity at the club follows the thesis of honoring tradition and embracing the future.
- Dodge Riverside Golf Course in Council Bluffs, Iowa is a regional favorite characterized by subtly rolling terrain is nestled along the Missouri River. Adjacent to Harrah’s Hotel and Casino, it features views of the Omaha skyline. Dodge Riverside’s full-service clubhouse, anchored by a formal dining room accommodating 200 guests with outdoor deck seating, is popular for business meetings, weddings and parties of all sizes.
Landscapes Golf Management’s portfolio includes more than 50 properties across 20 states.
The Boulevard Tennis Club in Vero Beach, Fla. appointed Beyond The Baselines as management consultant. Beyond The Baselines will be reviewing, modifying and modernizing club materials ranging from all employee and independent contractor contracts, all relevant job descriptions and worker handbooks to new member materials including club by-laws and handbooks and marketing materials.
“We are looking to tighten up employee protocols as well as improve our communication with both current and potential memberships,” said Terri Randazzo, General Manager of the Boulevard.
The Boulevard Tennis Club, which has grown substantially since new ownership in 2017, currently boasts 370 member households with a full wait list of potential members. The Boulevard offers 13 tennis courts, full-service restaurant Counter Culture, a full fitness center offering personal training, and a swimming pool. Along with the facilities on property within the quaint gated community of the same name, the club has amassed high quality reciprocals in the Vero Beach area with regional, best-in-class golf and leisure clubs.
“As clubs move in a new direction in which they want to add only the best members to growing waiting lists, while enticing members from other clubs in a highly competitive market such as Florida, we are seeing clubs desirous of enhancing the member experience through more offerings, attentive and productive staff, and improved member services,” said Ed Shanaphy, President of Beyond The Baselines.
The appointment includes seven major administrative projects which Beyond The Baselines hopes to implement before Summer 2022.
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