In this episode of C+RB’s video series, we chat with golf pros from four Cleveland-area clubs—Lakewood CC, Chagrin Valley CC, Canterbury GC, and Kirtland CC—that were all founded in 1921 and have planned an annual competition, starting this year, to celebrate their mutual centennial anniversaries. The 1921 Cup, which will become an annual event rotating among the four sites, will bring together 25 golfers from each club to compete for a traveling trophy, pro shop credits and area bragging rights.

“The Road Back” video series from Club + Resort Business provides fresh insights into how club and resort properties are meeting the challenges posed by the pandemic and finding new and innovative ways to boost business levels as they return to full operation.

In this episode, we chat with golf professionals from four Cleveland-area clubs that were all founded in 1921 about how they have planned an annual competition, starting this year, to celebrate their clubs’ mutual centennial anniversaries.

Tom Waitrovich, Director of Golf at Lakewood Country Club; Mike Heisterkamp, General Manager/Director of Golf at Chagrin Valley Country Club; Bill McKinley, Head Golf Professional at Canterbury Golf Club, and Mark Bixler, Head Golf Professional at Kirtland Country Club have created the 1921 Cup—a daylong event that will culminate with the victorious team taking home a traveling trophy and securing bragging rights for the year.

The plan is to have 100 golfers—23 members and two professionals from each club—compete in a Stableford points format. With all four clubs represented in each foursome, there will also be a competition within each group for pro shop credits.

A seed for the idea was planted several years ago, Waitrovich said.

“Mike [Heisterkamp] and I started an interclub [competition] with [other area clubs] that kind of went away,” he says. “I didn’t even know until maybe midsummer [of 2020] that all of us were 1921 clubs. So we met and came up with this [idea] where we can all celebrate our centennials and then also keep this thing going as the 1921 Cup going forward.”

In addition to the competition, McKinley adds, the 1921 Cup is another opportunity for members from each club to meet new people and enjoy the camaraderie and social aspect of golf.

(Viewing time: 13 minutes)

Previous episodes of “The Road Back” can be viewed at https://clubandresortbusiness.com/category/the-road-back/

Upcoming episodes will highlight a how one club is taking on-course food-and-beverage delivery to another level with the introduction of drones and automated lockers, and another club’s “beyond outrageous” mini-golf course that it has constructed in idle clubhouse event space.

If you have a great idea or success story you’d like to see featured on a future episode of “The Road Back,” contact [email protected].