Kemper Sports Strives for Best In Class Golf and Service

By, JOHN TORSIELLO

Kemper Sports has built a sizeable footprint of golf courses in the New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania area.

Nationally, the company manages more than 140 golf courses, private clubs, sports venues and destination resorts, including more golf properties named among the top 100 U.S. public and resort courses as rated by GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfweek than any other management company.

“The overriding philosophy of Kemper Golf and our other business units),” said Gherig Parker, Communications and Content Coordinator for KemperSports, “is creating must-have experiences around life’s passions powered by unparalleled service. As it relates to our golf properties specifically, we strive to not only share our genuine love of the game with players of all ages, demographics and skill levels, but to also use the sport as a tool to make a meaningful impact in the communities where we operate, which has been one of our chief core values for over 40 years.”

Parker said that while each property has its own unique set of needs, goals and customers that require a personalized approach, the shared commitment to delivering first-class service is what differentiates a KemperSports-managed property from other facilities.

“While we manage a variety of different sports and entertainment facilities such as public daily-fee courses, premier private clubs, world-class destination resorts and expansive multi-sport recreation sports complexes, all our properties share a passion for delivering exceptional service at every turn of the guest experience.”

As an industry leader in growing the game of golf, Kemper Sports’ management and staff feels “a great responsibility” to drive the game forward and enhance its future. Parker said, “It starts with creating an environment that is welcoming and open to all, whether it’s your first time out or a lifelong player. We want people to feel like they belong. Just as important is maintaining those high levels of guest service that’s come to be our promise to our clients and guests at our properties nationwide, and it starts from the moment you step foot on property until you get in your car to leave.”

Parker continued, “Each guest who visits one of our courses comes with their own set of expectations, whether it’s premier course conditions, a friendly and helpful golf shop attendant or a cold beverage in the clubhouse after the round. We view each of these touch points as an opportunity to positively engage our guests and create a memorable experience that will motivate them to come back. It’s one thing to get them in the door, but the real success lies in getting them to come back round after round, year after year.”

Parker said, “Delivering first-class service and one-of-kind experiences is at the core of who we are and what we do and has been for over 40 years. In that time, that focus on enhancing the overall guest experience is what’s helped elevate our golf properties into some of the most renown public venues in the sport.”

The legacy of KemperSports is also inextricably intertwined with amateur golf. “From our earliest days, said Parker, “we built courses and hosted competitions to celebrate the amateur golfer, and to this day, that tradition continues as we work with organizations like the USGA and regional governing bodies to host tournaments, championships and events that celebrate the passion of competition, camaraderie and fun.”

He added, “More importantly, we’ve been an industry leader in growing the game of golf for more than four decades and remain deeply committed to continue moving the game forward at the grassroots level and using it to create new opportunities and positively impact individuals, families and communities nationwide.”

Here are brief looks at some of the Kemper Sports golf courses in our region that you simply must sample this year.

Ash Brook Golf Course in Scotch Plains, N.J. (www.AshbrookGolfCourse.com) has seen the recent completion of both a course renovation and a clubhouse project that brings it to a new level excellence across the board.

Ash Brook’s golf course renovation project was headed up by architect Rees Jones. The scope of work included updating course drainage, tree work and bunkers, which were renovated and rebuilt to modern industry standards. The end result is a enhanced golf course that is fun to play for golfers of all skill levels.

The new Ash Brook clubhouse project resulted in a new facility that contains a golf shop, offices, men’s and women’s restrooms and The Tavern at Ash Brook, a rotisserie style family restaurant with “prohibitionstyle” cocktails and a wide array of bourbons.

Ash Brook Golf Course is 7,040 yards in distance from the longest tees with a par of 72. The course was originally designed by Alfred Tull and opened in 1953. Ash Brook is a parkland style golf course with tree lined fairways and large greens.

There are four sets of tees to accommodate golfers of all skill levels. In addition to the 18 hole facility, Ash Brook offers a pitch and putt course for players of all ages that has proven to be a family favorite.

Galopping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth, N.J. (www. GaloppingHillGolfCourse) was established in 1928 and a number of legendary architects have laid hands onto the course through the years. The end result of their work is a challenging and beautiful course that wanders over hill and dale in delightful fashion. In addition to original designer, Willard Wilkinson, Robert Trent Jones, Alfred Tull, Stephen Kay and Rees Jones have lent their own style and flair to the course.

Arriving on the scene in 2002, Heron Glen Golf Course and Restaurant in Ringoes, N.J. (www.HeronGlen.com) quickly posi-

I n t r o d u c i n g T h e N e w N a t i o n a l P r e m i e r M e m b e r s h i p w i t h O v e r n i g h t A c c o m m o d a t i o n s tioned itself as one of New Jersey ’s finest public golf facilities.

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The golf course, transformed from the famed Kuster Farm, is cut through the rolling hills of Hunterdon County and offers five sets of tee boxes that can accommodate all levels of play. The course was routed through mature woodlands and features magnificent vistas from every hole.

One of the toughest par-fours in New Jersey is the 484-yard 18th hole which has water all along the left side of the fairway and near the green and has a yardage that challenges even the best golfers.

Rock Spring Golf Club in West Orange (www.RockSpringGolf. com) features one of only two public golf courses in the United States designed by legendary architect Seth Raynor, whose highly-ranked work includes Fisher’s Island in New York, Shoreacres on Chicago’s North Shore and Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda. Twelve of Raynor’s courses are on GOLF Magazine’s list of the Top 100 in the U.S. Rock Spring’s 6,600-yard par-71 layout elements with truly unique and creative green complexes. Founded in 1925, Rock Spring Golf Club at West Orange has played host to the New Jersey State Open (1981, 1990, 2000 and 2009), the US Healthcare Classic, and many state PGA and USGA

N.J. (www.OldTappanGolf.com), is a ninehole facility that is ideal for those who don’t have the time for a full 18. The course features a pleasing variety of holes.

Since the beginning of the design process, the goal of the management of make the course a green oasis in the middle of an urban industrial area. Excellent hole separation provides an unexpected visual scale to the layout, and serves to emphasize long views and showcase the stunning Manhattan skyline.

The course features a variety of holes with an equal mix of par-three, par-four and par-five holes. Landing areas are generous and visible and most greens have collection and chipping areas to receive slightly off line approach shots.

Designed and constructed by acclaimed golf course architect George Fazio, Moselem Springs Golf Course in Fleetwood, Pa (www. MoselemGolf.com) has hosted several prestigious tournaments including the 1968 U.S. Women’s Open, the 1996 and 2011 Pennsylvania Open’s and is home to the annual Hawley Quier Memorial.

Number five here, a beautiful par-three, plays across a pond with rolling hills and farmland in the distance. Number 14, a 389-yard par-four, has a stunning view of a waterway below as you stand on the green. The hole also features a sloping fairway from left to right, and the aforementioned green is a tough target guarded by two bunkers, and slopes sharply from left to right and front to back.

Shady Rest Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J.a.(www.ShadyRestCountryClub. com) opened in 1920 as the Shady Rest Golf Club, the first African American golf and country club in the United States. The club was home to John Matthew Shippen, Jr., the first American born African American golf professional, and has hosted jazz and blues legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington.

Spring Hollow Golf Course in Spring City, Pa. (www.SpringHollowGolf.com) is located in the rolling hills of northern Chester County, Pa. and opened for play in 1994. Architect John Thompson created a layout that blends the features of a one-time dairy farm with the surrounding natural areas. The course plays slightly over 6,000 yards and has five par-threes, three par-fives and 10 par-fours. Meadows define some of the holes and wetlands, creeks and ponds coming into play on six holes. With a 110foot elevation change, there are challenging shots on approaches to the greens and some stunning views of the property.

The final hole at Spring Hollow, a parthree, is a nice way to complete a round. A hole is of modest length with a tee shot across a pond.

The Club at Twin Lakes in Allentown,

Pa. (www.TheClubAtTwinLakes.com) features elevated tees, sloping fairways, and water hazards. With its roots dating back to the late 1950s and early 1960s, this mature Lehigh Valley course is situated on the grounds of an old iron ore mine.

At Twin Lakes, you are surrounded by the serene presence of mature trees, while enjoying the modern amenities that have made conditions here always top notch. Twin Lakes management likes to believes they offer a perfect blend of tradition and innovation.

White Clay Creek C.C. in Wilmington, De. (www.WhiteClayCreek.com) was designed by Arthur Hills, features 7,007 yards of manicured greens and breathtaking views.

There are some forced carries here and conditions are excellent any time of the year. There is a pleasant mix of holes and a good example of the variety you will face is the 442-yard par-four 11th hole, which demands two stout shots to reach the green, with 12 being a short par-four measuring 301 yards. Big hitters can get onto or near the green off the tee. The two par-threes on the front side play well over 200 yards from the back markers.