THE WISCONSIN GOLF TRIP

THE WISCONSIN

GOLF TRIP

By Corey Roberson, Director of Golf

After the pandemic stalled our 2020 Wisconsin Golf Trip plans, we were able to reschedule for this August and the trip booked in record time. It’s no wonder. We had the opportunity to play six of the Top 100 golf courses. This trip started out as 7.5 rounds of golf over six days and we managed to turn it into 9.5 rounds of golf!

On SATURDAY, July 30, I accompanied seven members from the Club on a flight from San Antonio to Chicago. One of the guys on the trip, Jack Dempsey, is a member at a really cool club in the Chicago area called Bob-O-Link Golf Club, so we thought it would be a good idea to start off there. We played 18-holes on Saturday afternoon and then went out for an emergency nine (E9) — this was the first of a few extensions. The E9 was interesting as all eight of us played together in one group and we played a four-on-four scramble. We stayed at Bob-O-Link that night and visited a local restaurant. On SUNDAY, we played another 18-holes at Bob-O-Link and felt the need for another extension, which turned into 18-holes. For this round, we also played in an 8-ball with the same format as the previous day. The best part is that we played in under four hours! To top off a long day, we enjoyed some authentic Chicago deep dish pizza.

On MONDAY, we loaded up in a couple of SUVs and headed to Wisconsin, the home of Whistling Straits® and Blackwolf Run® . We played the new short course called the Baths at Blackwolf Run before playing the very difficult River course. The Baths is an awesome 10-hole short course with severe slopes, and the longest shot was 160 yards. A few of our caddies said many guests think the River course is the most difficult of the four main golf courses in Kohler. We ate dinner that night at the Blackwolf Run clubhouse and hit the hay at the Inn on Woodlake. At this point, we’ve played five rounds of golf in three days!

TUESDAY was a big day — we started off with an early round at the Irish course at Whistling Straits and followed it up with the highly acclaimed Straits course. The Irish was really cool — another Pete Dye design with large dunes and plenty of bunkers. The nice part was we got to ride in carts as the Straits course is walking only. After a quick lunch at the clubhouse, we pegged it on the Straits course. This was my favorite course of the trip and easily in the top five of my favorite courses of all time. You see the water on almost every hole as you are basically meandering on a cliff above Lake Michigan. On top of that, I had one of the best loopers I’ve ever had, played well and the weather was perfect. That night, we had dinner at the Whistling Straits clubhouse and headed back to the Inn on Woodlake. Round count update — seven rounds of golf in four days…you could say we were some tired puppies!

On WEDNESDAY, we loaded up and headed to Erin Hills, the home of the 2017 U.S. Open. Even-though this was the hardest walk (by a wide margin), it was also the favorite course by many in our group. There are lots of sweeping hills and our caddies made the joke, “Just find the tallest hill and start climbing, there’s probably a tee box up there.” We got a little unlucky with the weather as a rain storm blew in and delayed us a couple of hours, but we were able to get out and ended up with a nice afternoon. That evening, we drove 30 minutes down the road to Ocomonowoc where we had some really good Mexican food. None of us were expecting good Mexican food in Wisconsin, but we were pleasantly surprised.

On THURSDAY, we were all gassed — we’d played eight rounds of golf in five days with one more to go. Our final (or so we thought) round was at Lac La Belle. This is a unique spot as it originally opened in 1892. The golf course that stands today is totally different after the owners of the Prestwick Golf Group completely renovated the golf course and built all new structures. The greens there are super tricked up, which made for an interesting test. After the round, the group decided we needed to play more golf, but instead of hanging out at the putting course at Lac La Belle or playing another nine there, we headed back down to Chicago for an E9 at Bob-O-Link. We had so much fun playing in those 8-balls, we saw it fitting to end the trip where it started!

All great golf trips must have a good lineup of courses — we checked that box. What can really take it to the next level is a great group of guys and we checked that box too! Thanks to Jack Dempsey, Barry Harkness, Bob Curtis, Kurt Talbot, Marc MacAluso, Mark Anderson and Chris Watts for making this trip so special.

After playing six of the top courses in the U.S., we headed home. Through The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch Signature Vacations, we curated a trip with the same level of accommodations and attention that our members expect while living on the Ranch or traveling with us on a variety of exclusive and well-appointed trips. Our vacation packages are scheduled year-round and designed to appeal to the many interests of Club members. Stay tuned for more experiences through the Clubs. Corey Roberson is the Director of Golf at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. He can be reached at croberson@cordilleraranch.com and 830.336.4653.

SUPREME COURTS

THE NEW TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL COURTS ARE OPEN FOR PLAY!

By Joe De Luna, Director of Tennis

The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch Tennis and Pickleball Club just got a major face lift! The Clubs have added two new tennis courts and six new dedicated pickleball courts.

It was certainly not an easy task to get this project completed. There were many challenges along the way. Even before construction began, we had a rainy season, which delayed the site work needed for the new courts. We also had some supply chain issues with materials for our new retaining walls.

Once contractors got to work, it continued to be a long process. With the explosion of pickleball popularity, crews were spread thin and it seemed at times that the completion of the project was so far away. There was great dedication and patience from our management team, which allowed this amazing facility to come to life.

We still have work to do on the areas around the courts, but the courts themselves are playable and look beautiful. We have permanent nets, return fencing in between courts to cut down on ball traffic and LED lighting for superior night play and energy conservation.

In addition to the new courts, we have also added a new water and ice station behind the Tennis Pro Shop. This includes an ice and water dispenser for your convenience, a drinking water fountain and a place to fill up water bottles and water jugs. This will greatly reduce our plastic water bottle usage. I encourage all members and their guests to bring a refillable water bottle, tumbler or jug when visiting the Tennis and Pickleball Club.

Our membership has provided overwhelmingly positive feedback and they are enjoying this beautiful facility that is one-of-a-kind in the private club industry in the San Antonio and Hill County area. There is so much excitement for the future of our tennis and pickleball programs, as existing and new members continue to flood the courts with activity despite the extreme temperatures this summer.

On Saturday, August 27, we were finally able to celebrate the Grand Opening of the new courts with a 9:00am ribbon cutting, breakfast snacks, music and, of course, lots of pickleball and tennis.

See you on the courts!

Joe De Luna is the Director of Tennis at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. He can be reached at jdeluna@cordilleraranch.com and 210.363.9004.

CR NO LIMITS MomFit

BOOT CAMP

By Tamra Christiansen, Fitness and Wellness Director

Burpees. Push-Ups. Tire flips. That is what the phrase “boot camp” is associated with, right? Well, we are reframing this term to an all-level, friendly and camaraderie-geared set of classes. Get ready to work toward your personal goals, learn a balance in your nutrition habits and gain insight of who you are. We are taking a wellness and self-care approach to our new mommy and young members’ boot camp classes.

So, let’s talk about this wholebeing wellness spectrum. Here is the typical pattern that often happens in the fitness world. A member/client comes in ready to start a plan. They are sporadic with workouts or they are starting fresh from years of being off. This person arrives at the gym, which, by the way, can be very intimidating! Joining a new group exercise class can be just as intimidating (nonetheless, possible!). They start strength training, not knowing what order to go in, what muscles to start with, how many days they should work out per week, etc. And let’s say they get past the initial discomfort. Maybe they are working out so hard that injury happens and all along they don’t lose weight. Pieces are missing. This is the importance of having a wellness spectrum: Nutrition – Sleep – Strength Training – Flexibility – Emotional Wellness. All of these integrate, making each one important and all of them connected.

That is where CR MomFit comes in! Donna Buie Early is one of our amazing new instructors and she will be leading these energetic, creative and fat-burning workouts. Donna has been training and teaching for more than 30 years and has worked for places like the River Oaks Country Club (Houston), Lakeside Country Club, VIM & Inversion at Jackson Hole, MS, Atlanta Australian Body Works, Equinox and Lifetime Fitness.

Donna has done triathlons and marathons, her favorite distance being a 70.3IM. She is accredited by NASM (National Academy of Sports Training), holding both the CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) and the FNS (Functional Nutritional Specialist) certifications. She has taught Barre Fusion, Mat Pilates and Pilates Reformer, Barbell Strength, Cardio Kickboxing, Cycle, Boot Camps and many more.

Motivation is one of Donna’s many gifts, and she loves working with members to attain their goals. She will blend core work, strength training, kickboxing and boot camp styles to her classes. Her classes will be held at the Fitness Center or at the Outfitter Center on Tuesdays mid-morning and we will expand classes to Thursdays as interest grows with our younger members. Get ready to get fit, have fun and reach your goals this year and going into 2023!

Tamra Christiansen is the Fitness and Wellness Director at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. She can be reached at tchristiansen@cordilleraranch.com and 830.336.9184.