The Kemper family bought the Cuba, Ill. property last August and is planning to return the course to its original 18-hole design and lower membership rates while creating new corporate and social membership categories. Upgrades to the kitchen and restaurant facilities are also planned.
Sixty years of history and tradition are being carried on by the new owners of Wee-Ma-Tuk Country Club in Cuba, Ill., the Canton (Ill.) Daily Ledger reported.
Bill and Judy Kemper, their daughter Kara Fitzjjarald and her husband Dan purchased the club last August. They are now implementing plans to offer a social and family-friendly gathering place for members and the communities the club serves, the Daily Ledger reported.
Judy Kemper said the purchase was something the family wanted to do the minute they heard the club was on the market. Plans are to bring new opportunities to the membership with an eye to preserving everything the club has embodied over the past 60 years. Both golf and social memberships are available, the Daily Ledger reported.
“We want the community to see Wee-Ma-Tuk as a place to meet socially with friends and participate in our events,” she said.
As the only golf course in the county, the new owners are returning the course to its original 18-hole design. The par 72 golf course opened in 1965, and is currently open seven days a week from dawn until dusk. It features 6,486 yards of golf. Leagues are being formed for this season, the Daily Ledger reported.
“We want to preserve the club for Fulton County and revive the essence of the original country club,” Judy Kemper said. “We have a strong commitment to members, the community and families. Many of the members have been faithful to the club for most of those years.”
In 1956, land owned by Truax-Traer Coal Company was selected by its owners, Harold Truax and his son Glenn, to become what is now a very historic part of Fulton County—Wee-Ma-Tuk Country Club. The name translates into “Land of Many Lakes.”
At that time, the golf course had nine holes. The big lake was formed by placing a dam on Putt Creek and the other lakes were created naturally as a result of mining operations. The scenic area is home to many species of birds and animals, the Daily Ledger reported.
The new owners, all members themselves, are looking for increased support from the community. “We are lowering rates to increase membership,” said Kara Fitzjjarald, adding that many social events are planned during the upcoming year.
In an effort to bring in more professional people from area communities, corporate memberships are being offered. Social memberships will include access to fishing at the lakes as well as discounts on food and apparel at the pro shop, the Daily Ledger reported.
The pool will reopen this year, with a target date of Memorial Day. An open house is planned for the public on April 30 and May 1. Along with many improvements at the golf course, the club is creating a restaurant that will be open to the public for lunch and dinner. A long-time greens superintendent, who served the club in the past, has returned and a marketing director has been named, the Daily Ledger reported.
With a major expansion and upgrades to the restaurant kitchen, Chef Steve Etcheson’s menu will include fresh entrees built around a large selection of side dishes, salads and homemade rolls and desserts. Menu selections will include foods such as top sirloin, salmon, a special pork loin, unique pastas served with a specialty sauce and sandwiches, the Daily Ledger reported.
“Meals will be hand-prepared from fresh and artfully presented,” Etcheson said. “My goal is to make this a better value and shorter drive for quality food.”
Superintendent Barry Reed returns to Wee-Ma-Tuk from the Quad Cities. He previously served WMT for 13 years and worked at the former Canton Country Club. He is working to restore the course to its original 18-hole design by Memorial Day and is replacing equipment and making all necessary repairs to keep the course in top condition, the Daily Ledger reported.
Marketing Director BJ McCullum is making plans to upgrade the Wee-Ma-Tuk membership experience. He served as assistant dean at Blackhawk College and was athletic director and golf coach, and had the benefit of two courses to play growing up and welcomes working with the owners to make Wee-Ma-Tuk a great place, the Daily Ledger reported.
”The new ownership has made Wee-Ma-Tuk accessible and classy,” McCullum said.
He said he is impressed by the fact the Kemper and Fitzjjarald families made this investment and wants to help the new owners make the course, “the home of golf.”
McCullum is organizing a Golf Hall of Fame and has started a committee to oversee the project. The golf course will be available for fundraisers and “friendraisers,” says McCullum. “Friendraisers” are described as class or family reunions and other group events. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are being offered to businesses. June 10 will be the first Education Open, described as a “play day” for any educator in Central Illinois, the Daily Ledger reported.
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