The Urbana Country Club Scene | No. 2 by The Urbana Country Club

Contents FALL 2018

Departments MEMBERSHIP

Member Spotlight: Dick Cogdal PAGE 56

In the Scene: Event Photos PAGE 60

Business Success

Features On the Cover: 20 From Farm to Table Learn about how the UCC kitchen is sourcing the freshest food possible for their dishes.

PAGE 64 SPORTS

A History: Tom Bendelow PAGE 18

Golfing with the Pros PAGE 14

COMMUNITY

Haunted Tour of Urbana

The Exposed "Athlete"

Champaign's Jewel

The Retreat at UCC

What is it like to go from a top athlete in one sport to a complete rookie in another?

Over a century later, M. J. Reed Jewelers is still a staple in the community for fine jewelery.

PAGE 10 STYLE

Golf Style Through the Ages

From weathered and dingy to modern and extravagent, the UCC poolhouse is getting a makeover.

PAGE 8

Picture Perfect Weddings PAGE 58 T R AV E L

Traveling in Style PAGE 6

Winter Travel Destinations PAGE 12

Rockin' The Club

The Lawn Roomba

UCC is bringing the music to you! Find out more about the bands featured at the Club.

New technology in lawn care is making mowing the lawn, at home or on the course, much easier.

FALL 2018 | WWW.UCC1922.COM URBANA COUNTRY CLUB | URBANA, ILL.

Manager’s Welcome

GENERAL MANAGER Scott Szymoniak

The clubs that are ahead of the curve have a strong and aggressive vision for the future...

scott.szymoniak@ucc1922.com

HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL Kevin R. Hildebrand kevin.hildebrand@ucc1922.com

EXECUTIVE CHEF Noe Rodriguez noe.rodriguez@ucc1922.com

SERVICE MANAGER Amber Talbott amber.talbott@ucc1922.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/MEMBERSHIP Tyler J. White tyler.white@ucc1922.com

BAR MANAGER Lesley Lustig lesley.lustig@ucc1922.com

GROUNDS SUPERINTENDENT Scott White scott.white@ucc1922.com

TENNIS PROFESSIONAL Dave Fauble dave.fauble@ucc1922.com

CLUB ACCOUNTANT Thomas Riley thomas.riley@ucc1922.com

DESIGN GROUP Robb Springfield Jose Galue Isaac Mitchell Lily Stanicek

he country club environment has and continues to evolve to meet the demands of today’s member. Clubs that have taken a proactive approach to remaining relevant, whether it be through new programming or amenities, are thriving. There are very few places that can rest on their traditions and remain healthy and vibrant. Even a club like Augusta National Golf Club is continually reinventing itself, while at the same time honoring its storied past. So, what does a club on the cutting edge look like? There are several components that play into it, such as clean and updated facilities, smiling and attentive staff, robust programming and well-attended functions. The clubs that are ahead of the curve have a strong and aggressive vision for the future and have the resources to execute that vision. I am very excited to share images of the new Poolside Retreat in this issue of the Scene. Instead of simply replacing a tired, dated pool house, we are going to take this opportunity to again add more value to your Club membership. This forward-thinking vision will ultimately take UCC to another level. This beautiful structure will house a new wellness center, fitness facility, spa, eight guest suites, a new bar as well as a game room complete with indoor sports simulators. It will be the perfect complement to an already beautiful clubhouse and golf course. This addition will not only make an immediate impact but will sustain UCC for years to come. I promise we will maintain a high value on your membership by always striving to be a club on the cutting edge.

Office: 217-344-8670 Golf Shop: 217-344-8673 Dining Room: 217-367-8449

SCOTT SZYMONIAK GENERAL MANAGER

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A D M I N I S T R A T I V E O F F I C E H O U R S Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

C L U B H O U S E

H O U R S

Monday Club Facilities Closed Golf Course Available for Walking After 12 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday Lunch 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday Dinner 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday Breakfast 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Limited Menu 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.

G O L F

S H O P

6 Tuesday – Sunday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

2018 Fall Hours U CC1 9 2 2 . CO M I FA LL 2 0 1 8

Activities Calendar S E P T E M B E R

O C T O B E R

Sunday 2nd & Monday 3 rd TUMS

Saturday 6th Tailgate Party

Saturday 8th Music on the Patio (Nickels & Dimes)

Sunday 14th Jazz Brunch

D E C E M B E R

Tuesday 11th Patriot Golf Day

Tuesday 23 rd Wine Dinner

Sunday 9th Breakfast with Santa

Saturday 22nd Music on the Patio (Mike Ingram)

Saturday 27th Halloween Party

Saturday 15th Holiday Party

Monday 24th & Tuesday 25th Greens Aerification (Course Closed) Friday 28th No-Shadows Night Golf

N O V E M B E R Thursday 15th Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Party

Friday 23 rd Black Friday Golf & Bingo Sunday 25th Home for the Holiday Brunch

Monday 24th – Wednesday 26th Christmas—Club Closed Monday 31st New Years Dinner

Thursday 22nd Thanksgiving—Club Closed

t he u r b ana c ou n t ry c lu b pr e s e n t s

Satu r d ay, D e c e m b e r 1 5 t h R es ervat i o n s r e qu i r e d

TRAVEL

Traveling in Style H O W O U T O F R E A C H I S P R I VA T E F L I G H T, R E A L L Y ? F I N D O U T A B O U T T H E H O M E T O W N C O M PA N Y T H AT I S M A K I N G I T M U C H M O R E AFFORDABLE THAN YOU THINK.

Sick of battling the security lines or paying ludicrous amounts for fees, changes and last minute cancellations at a commercial airline? Have you ever considered traveling utilizing private aviation instead? Most people don’t consider private aviation an option because of the thought of how expensive it must be. But it’s not as far off as one might think!

Flightstar, the private aviation operation at ChampaignUrbana’s Willard Airport, manages and maintains corporate jet aircrafts for private owners. Part of that business includes other individuals chartering the private aircrafts when the owners are not using them. Depending on the size of the plane and amount of people traveling, Flightstar manages a total of 11 planes that seat anywhere from three to 16 passengers. They can also take care of the entire travel component for a trip, making the planning and coordination of a trip effortless. UCC’s owner, Shad Khan, himself uses private aviation frequently, and it has played a key role in both growing his businesses as well as taking the needed time to relax and

unwind. For a businessman like Khan, by chartering a flight, he could do in one day what would take three days with normal travel. His relationship with Flightstar has progressed over the years from simply using their services to charter flights, to owning and maintaining his own planes there, to becoming a part-owner. “In the more than 35 years since we have been flying Shad and Flex-N-Gate personnel, we have become an integral part of the company and their use of air travel by private jet has been instrumental in the growth and expansion of both FlexN-Gate and Shad’s other business interests,” said president of Flightstar, Bill Giannetti. “And with Shad’s backing, Flightstar

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A flight from Champaign to Jacksonville, Fla. to watch the Jaguars play would cost around $1,300/person.

trip, the cheaper the charter price. A flight from Champaign to Jacksonville, Fla. to watch the Jaguars play would cost around $1,300 per person, roundtrip. But let’s add some perspective to that price. For the sake of comparison, that flight would have to be compared to flying first-class commercially, which is going to cost up to $1,000 or more for a similar ticket. That price goes up with last minute reservations and other fees associated with commercial airlines. Now comes the intangibles. With private travel, there is no check-in or security lines you have to spend hours going through. You drive your car right next to the plane and walk on to the aircraft. And if you are running behind schedule, the plane will not leave without you. On top of that, you don’t have to worry about which airlines fly into which airports. You are able to get as close to your end destination as possible and at the time you choose. has grown from a small flight school and charter operation to a world-class FBO, private aviation terminal, aircraft maintenance facility and flight operation.” So, whether you’re looking to travel for business or just to get away, how expensive is private air travel, really? When planes are chartered, the trip is quoted at the estimate for the hours that the aircraft will fly along with airport fees added in. A Learjet, holding up to nine people, goes for about $3,000 per hour. For a flight no longer than three hours, round trip, you have a total of $18,000. Splitting that between nine people, you are looking at $2,000 per person. And the shorter the

So, whether it is worth it, that is the question. Flying private allows you to maximize the time in your day and completely customize your travel schedule. Most people tend to leave in the morning allowing them the whole day at their destination, spending the least amount of time traveling. Everyone wants to maximize their time at work, with their family or on vacation, and if a trip is going to cost $1,000 per person in travel, plus the time and hassle, it may be a worthy investment for the ease and peace of mind.

STYLE

Golf Style Through the Ages Fashion and the game of golf are an unlikely pair, yet they go hand in hand for many players. From its early days as a royal pastime and an elaborate way of determining wealth and status, to its transformation into a competitive sport, golfers' fashion has transformed with the times as well.

1800’S (TRADITIONAL GARB)

In the dreary Scottish highlands, golfers had to bear down against bitter winds and the water blowing off the course. Their knickerbockers (short pants), heavy tweed jackets and caps, starched collars and neckties helped them weather the rain while also maintaining that air of status and wealth.

J E R O M E T R AV E R S

1920S The Roaring 20s ushered in a new fashion revolution that seeped into all corners of culture, and golf was no exception. In a Vanity Fair Magazine issue in the early 1900s, it was stated that a well-dressed golfer could wear a "single breasted jacket with a waist coat, knickers, cotton long ‘puttees’ or stocking, golf cap and golf shoes". Golfers began to leave the heavy tweed at home and opt for more comfortable cardigans and v-neck sweaters to guard against chilly mornings.

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1950S Amid the rise of the great Arnold Palmer, the influence of comfort and performance began to take hold of the golfing world. Attire became less formal as pants were untucked from stockings and the shortsleeve polo, championed by Mr. Palmer himself, became a popular choice. Women wore long shorts and collared shirts, a trend that would continue for years to come.

A R N O L D PA L M E R

1960’S + 70’S During the 60s and 70s was when synthetic fabrics truly entered the game. Continuing from the 50s, golfers' outfits were awash with color—purple, magenta, kelly green, brown, orange—and patterns, and sometimes all worn at the same time.

SAM SNEAD

JACK NICKLAUS TIGER WOODS THE MODERN GOLFER By the 1990s, Nike, Callaway, Tommy Hilfiger and other companies had taken control of the golf attire market. Golfer’s toned down the bright colors and outrageous patterns and opted for more subdued polo shirts, slim pants and baseball caps. As we move into the present day, the blend of performance and style is paramount. You won’t get too many golfers wearing uncomfortably stiff shoes or shirts, no matter how stylish they may be. Technological innovations in clothing like breathability, sun-blocking fabrics, stretch panels and moisture proofing materials, have given fashionable clothing the ability to be performance driven as well.

COMMUNITY

Haunted Tour of Urbana TA K E A T R I P T H R O U G H T H E S P O O K Y UNDERGROUND LURKING IN THE VERY TOWN, AND CLUB, YOU LIVE IN.

Whether they are true or simply urban legend, Urbana has its fair share of ghost stories and haunted places. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take a trip around the town and visit all the spooky places Urbana has to offer. 12

We start this tour on the corner of Race Street and 1 University Avenue. This unassuming acreage used to be called Old Urbana Cemetery. The land, now known as Leal Park, has a small walking trail and is the home of the oldest tree in Urbana, The Bicentennial Tree, which has stood on this site since 1787. The cemetery that used to reside there was the resting place for early settlers, Native Americans, slaves, soldiers and travelers. In 1903, the cemetery was said to be haunted by a ghostly figure roaming the surrounding area. In that same year, the city of Urbana took over the land and gave the living relatives an option: either to move the graves or have the markers put on top of the graves and buried over. To this day graves are still located on this property and whispers of hauntings continue. Our next stop is the Urbana High School, also located on Race Street. There are sounds and sightings of two different ghosts, usually located in the tower on the fourth floor. The first ghost is rumored to be named Portia. The legend goes that she had an affair with one of her students, and, when she got caught, she killed herself by hanging from the inside fire escape. The second ghost is a young boy that also committed suicide on the fourth floor. During a recent renovation of the tower, the workers claimed to hear tapping coming from behind a locked door. Teachers also claim that the locked door became mysteriously unlocked and that an unusual stain on the west wall mysteriously came back every time they tried to cover it up with paint.

The third stop on the haunted trail is located right next to the Urbana Country Club. The legend of the Blue Man started in 1841. The story is that a man was found hanging from a tree along the road. It is not certain whether his death was the result of suicide or murder. The name Blue Man was given by people who claimed to see a ghost with a blue lantern appearing at night with a full moon, close to midnight, haunting the cemetery, the roads and the grounds around it.

The fourth and final stop is our very own Urbana Country Club. For decades now there have been stories about U of I coach, Ray Eliot, dying in the locker room in 1980. Many staff members over the years have had ghostly encounters with Coach Eliot. The coach has fun with flushing toilets, faucets running and doors opening and closing on their own.

With that said, 20 years ago it was decided that, with all of the ghostly activities so close by, why not put on a haunted house every October? And the seed was planted. Every Saturday before Halloween we do a haunted house that will hopefully rival the ghostly spirits of Urbana.

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Urbana

URBANA COUNT RY CLUB

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BUSEY WOODS

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CRYSTAL LAKE

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LEAL PARK

URBANA HIGH SCHOOL

TRAVEL

Winter Travel Destinations T A K E A D VA N T A G E O F U C C ’ S R E L A T I O N S H I P W I T H C L U B C O R P W H E N Y O U T R AV E L T H I S W I N T E R A N D C A T C H S O M E R AY S S O M E W H E R E A L I T T L E B I T W A R M E R .

While there’s no place like home, sometimes you just need to get away. Urbana Country Club members automatically receive benefits, worldwide, by virtue of your membership to UCC. That means, when you travel, you receive access to hundreds of private golf and country clubs, private business clubs, the ability to take guests to these private clubs and access to preferred rates at hotels and resorts, entertainment venues, lifestyle services and more. 14

If you’re traveling someplace a little warmer this upcoming winter season, make sure to look into these four amazing clubs for that homey feeling even when you’re far away.

MISSION HILLS COUNTRY CLUB PA L M S P R I N G S Unparalleled golf, tennis, croquet, fitness and spa create firstclass facilities for a truly world-class country club experience. As one of the most prestigious clubs in the Coachella Valley and a true year-round club, Mission Hills Country Club continues to enhance the service and amenities offered. With three championship golf courses, including the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, home of the ANA Inspiration (formerly known as Kraft Nabisco Championship), croquet courts and villas for rent, Mission Hills is a can’t miss this winter.

ANTHEM GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE Anthem provides a private world of unparalleled beauty, recreation and fun. The Sonoran Desert, saguaro cacti and beautiful foothills provide a lush backdrop for the 36 holes of golf that Anthem offers and is a perfect match for your passion for golf. The two clubhouses offer many amenities to satisfy all tastes.

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TOWER CLUB FORT LAUDERDALE FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA The national award-winning Tower Club offers a progressive take on private club tradition. Ideal for business, networking and socializing, the Club offers elegant interiors, privacy and a sense of style. World-class cuisine, superb personalized service and a gracious environment for entertaining are enhanced by breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Fort Lauderdale skyline.

MONARCH COUNTRY CLUB PA L M C I T Y, F L O R I D A With an atmosphere of unhurried tranquility and pristine beauty, this classically understated refuge offers an inviting backdrop to a charming way of life. In the great tradition of southern golf courses, Arnold Palmer was given free reign to create the ideal course. Enhancing the natural beauty of Monarch is its ideal location, exceptional amenities and gracious service.

OCT 14th

SPORTS

Tips from the Tour WORDS OF WISDOM FROM SOME OF THE T O P P G A T O U R P L AY E R S O N T H E C I R C U I T .

ZACH CANFIELD ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL

It is said that more professional golfers make their home at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club than any other club in the world. Having been employed as a teaching professional there for the past three years, I was provided the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experiences from some of the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest minds. The following will detail some of their most insightful tips, as well as some entertaining stories that I picked up during my time at Lake Nona.

LAKE NONA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

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Henrik Stenson

COURTE SY OF IAN WALTON GE T T Y I M AGE S EUROPE

You would be hard pressed to find a more interesting character than Henrik Stenson. During my time at Lake Nona, I was lucky enough to play two rounds of golf with the Iceman. During the eight hours we spent riding in a cart together, Stenson spoke a total of two times to me, each statement more valuable than any golf lesson I ever had. It took three holes before Stenson first spoke to me. After missing the first three fairways, the first three greens and throwing in a couple of three-putts, Stenson asked, “What are you feeling today?” I said, “Right now I’m feeling a bit angry and pretty embarrassed.” He said, “You should be, but I asked what you are feeling, not how you are feeling.” I figured he was referring to my golf swing and I broke into a detailed explanation about how I had been working on holding less angle into impact to attempt to control my release patterns better. He shook his head and replied, “Nobody has ever been successful on the course by focusing on making a golf swing. Golf is not about making a swing, golf is about making a shot. As soon as you commit to making a swing, you have guaranteed the failure of your intended shot.” Much like Stenson’s golf swing, our first conversation wasted very little time and energy getting to the point.

HENRIK STENSON

- HENRIK

STENSON

Graeme McDowell Graeme McDowell was practicing on the range late one afternoon, gearing up for the Arnold Palmer Invitational which was set to begin the following day. I approached Graeme and asked him if he was feeling good enough to win. Expecting a standard response like, “Definitely, my game feels great!”, Graeme caught me completely off guard by saying, “No.” He went on to say, “Realistically, there are only a handful of courses on the current rotation I feel I can contend at. The rest of the tournaments are played to stay sharp and possibly collect a paycheck.” Graeme was not admitting defeat by

COURTE SY OF WWW.CB S SPORT S.COM

GOLF IS NOT ABOUT MAKING A SWING, GOLF IS ABOUT MAKING A S H O T.

GRAEME MCDOWELL

any means, he was simply saying that the current game he was developing was not a great fit for Bay Hill. The greatest golfers know that there are many uncontrollable variables in golf. But their success is based solely on how well they manage the controllable variables such as range practice, fitness and mental preparation. It is essential to set attainable goals, recognize limitations and carry realistic expectations based on the effort you put in to managing these controllable variables in your own golf game.

Pete Cowen

PETE COWEN uncomfortable, a fact that I told Pete the next time I saw him. His response was game changing. Pete said, “Well, clearly what is comfortable to you has not been working very well. Maybe it’s time you give feeling uncomfortable a shot.” He then walked away as quiet and as calm as always. In golf, much as in life, if we always did what was comfortable, we would never experience new things and, therefore, grow and improve.

Ian Poulter

COURTE SY OF WWW.GOLFD IGE ST.COM

The last major lesson I took away from my time at Lake Nona came from Ian Poulter. Ian taught me the importance of celebrating your successes in golf with as much enthusiasm as you curse your failures. Ian takes it to an extreme, as is apparent in his previous Ryder Cup performances, but his successes were a direct result of maintaining a constant supply of positive energy. If you only ever dwell on the negative, then negativity will be only thing your golf game delivers.

IAN POULTER

From the professionals at Lake Nona: visualize the shot you want to hit, not the swing you want to make, set and maintain realistic expectations, welcome the uncomfortable and do not forget to celebrate your successes.

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COURTE SY OF WWW.GOLFCHANNE L.COM

Pete Cowen is not exactly a household name to your average golf fan, but he is currently one of the hottest coaches on the PGA Tour. He was kind enough to pass along a bit of his priceless wisdom. The driver has always been a fairly unpredictable club for me, but there was a month during the summer last year where things hit an all-time low. I could not keep my tee shots on the planet let alone the fairway. Pete must have recognized the look of complete defeat I had one afternoon on the driving range and silently made his way over to me, leaving the short-game lesson he was giving to Graeme. In his calm, quiet manor, Pete told me simply that I should start hitting a fade with my driver. He said it would be easier to control and help to limit some bad tendencies I have with the driver. So, I played a full round hitting nothing but fades from the tee box. Overall, the improvement was instant and significant. I hit more fairways and was able to eliminate my big miss. But it felt extremely

CHILI I

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TAILGATE starts at 10:00 Am

S AT U R DAY - O C T. 6

Football Themed Games and Prizes | Tailgate Buffet | El Guapo Band $20 per person

SPORTS

Tom Bendelow A HISTORY

Get to know the man behind the course Urbana Country Club golfers play every day. When discussing pioneers of golf course design and architecture, some of the more common names that come to mind are Donald Ross, Pete Dye and Tom Fazio, to name a few. One of the more forgotten names, and one to be considered the Dean of American Golf Architecture, was Tom Bendelow.

Bendelow was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1868, one of nine children. His father, a pie shop owner, is credited with teaching Bendelow the game of golf. However, due to there being no career in golf or golf course design at that time, he was trained as a typesetter. After moving to the United States in 1892 and working at the New York Herald as a typesetter, he answered an ad to teach golf to the Pratt family, prominent stockholders of the Standard Oil Company. It was soon after that the Pratts commissioned Bendelow to construct a private six-hole course on their Long Island estate. It was through the Pratt family that Bendelow was introduced to A.G. Spalding, the sporting goods manufacturer. It was also at this time that Bendelow would redesign and manage the Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course, America’s first 18-hole municipal course. After Spalding passed away in 1915, Bendelow moved to Chicago and partnered with Wilson Sporting Goods in 1917. For the next 16 years, he would travel throughout the United States and Canada laying out courses, providing construction advice, encouraging players’ associations and promoting the growth of the game. Bendelow would help enhance the “golf boom” in the early 20th century by creating courses that new players could enjoy and promote participation among the general public.

times, course marshals, public player associations, public golf instruction and training for caddies. When discussing the most prominent and well-known golf courses laid out by Tom Bendelow, the three courses at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois are at the top of the list. Medinah Country Club’s course number three is widely considered not only one of the best courses in Illinois, but one of the finest golf courses in the United States. The course would go on to host numerous PGA events including three U.S. Opens (1949, 1975, 1990), two PGA Championships (1999, 2006) and one Ryder Cup (2012). Some of Bendelow’s other prominent designs around the country include East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Algonquin Golf Club, St. Louis’ oldest private country club, and Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, Mich., site of the 1953 PGA Championship. Bendelow passed away at his home in River Forest, Ill. in 1936 at the age of 67. It is believed that throughout his life, he was responsible for the layout and design of over 700 golf courses. After being all but forgotten by the golfing community due to his simplistic approach to golf course design—which was not an uncommon design approach in Bendelow’s day—he was finally recognized for his work and inducted into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.

Today, Tom Bendelow is seen as one of the most prolific golf course designers and promoters of the game to the general public. It is said that, “More people have learned to play golf on a Tom Bendelow designed course than that of any other golf Some of Bendelow’s innovations to the game course architect.” itself included the use of reserve play (tee) U CC1 9 2 2 . CO M I FA LL 2 0 1 8

GATHER YOUR TEAM & SUPPORT FOLDS OF HONOR! Join Flightstar as we support Folds of Honor at the 2018 Flightstar Charity Golf Outing. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event will be held on Tuesday, September 11th at the stunning Urbana Country Club and will feature a four-person scramble with a shotgun start at 9:00 am. We are extremely proud to be partnering with Folds of Honor this year. They provide educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled service members. This awesome charity organization does exceptional things for the families of those who have sacrificed so much and we are honored to be supporting them! F E E S:

T H E D ETA I L S:

Single / Foursome: $150/$600

Urbana Country Club, Urbana Illinois Tuesday, September 11th, 2018 Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. (CST) until 08:45 Shotgun start at 9:00 a.m. Lunch provided Drink tickets provided Sign-up and payment due no later than August 31st

Hole Sponsorship: $500 Hole Sponsorship with included foursome: $1,000

S P O N S O R S H I P D ETAI L S :

$500 sponsorship receives tee box signage, digital add space on the scoring app. Ability to have representation at the tee box with table and lunch for two representatives. $1,000 sponsorship includes everything in the $500 sponsorship bracket plus, commemorative pin flag, premium digital ad space, and four golfers.

Get more information, sign up, or sponsor a hole by contacting, Amy Bumgarner abumgarner@Flightstar.com (217) 273-4456

Colleen Melton cmelton@Flightstar.com (217) 351-7700

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here’s nothing quite like the feeling of heading out early in the morning, the dew still thick on the ground, to your local farmers market. There’s an energy, everyone vying for the freshest produce, the most delicious looking food. The leafy greens overflow on the tables, the carrots and potatoes still sport flecks of the earth they were grown in and the tomatoes shine in the sunlight. There is something special about browsing the aisles, looking for a specific item or finding inspiration in the unexpected discoveries. It’s a feeling that’s lost in the aisles of a standard grocery store. But whether you’re a home cook looking to reincorporate fresh, locally grown food into your dishes, or the kitchen staff here at the Urbana Country Club, you don’t have to look too far to find that feeling again.

THE FARM TO TABLE MOVEMENT Farm-to-table practices have been taking the restaurant industry by storm in the last decade or so. It’s the well-known concept of the home cook’s use of their local farmers market, but scaled up to accommodate the needs of a full service restaurant. Some restaurant owners have taken it as far as to own the entire supply chain, purchasing farmland and cultivating every fruit, veggie and livestock animal that they feature on their menu. But many restaurants keep it simple and look to local farms to replace the food they would otherwise order from large distributors. Frequently, it’s the difference between ripe, juicy and glistening red tomatoes, picked off the vine yesterday, or ones that are generally small, dull, wilted and may have spent a week frozen or in a crate. And the difference, in flavor and quality, is striking. “[In produce from a distributor] the flavor often doesn’t develop fully because it’s not in the soil or attached to the vine for the optimum time,” said Chef Noe. “When it’s shipped from far away, picked before it’s ripe, and you don’t know how it’s being treated throughout the process, ultimately it doesn’t develop the flavor or the consistency you’re looking for as a chef.” This farm-to-table attitude has led to a system that is mutually beneficial; farms are receiving a whole new influx of income and restaurants are able to get fresher and healthier product to use in their dishes. The economies of towns and cities are growing as a result, and buying local produce funnels the needed income into the same community diners and chefs live in. The real beneficiary though, is the diner.

“The difference between the heirloom tomatoes we get from California during the winter months and the ones grown during the peak season at the farms down the road is dramatic,” said Chef Noe. “The tomatoes from local farmers have a wholly developed flavor, with the natural sweetness of the fruit coming out full force. That’s the flavor we want to serve to our members.” In the UCC kitchens, quality is always at the forefront of the staff’s minds. Dishes are developed and handpicked for members in order to provide the greatest flavor and health benefits. Locally grown food has been proven to provide more nutrients and better flavor than their grocery store counterparts. Vital nutrients are lost in the long transportation process grocery store produce goes through and food is picked before it is ripe, hindering the flavor development and making produce bland and tasteless. Those same nutrients are preserved in locally grown food, and produce is picked and sold at optimum times for flavor and freshness. Products like cheese, eggs and other livestock products are handcrafted for the best flavor and direct relationships with the handlers and processors are sustained in order to keep quality control at a high level.

Top: Maple duck featuring fresh

“Everything affects the flavor: the weather, the environment, the amount of watering, the temperature. Knowing exactly the environment a product is grown in, talking to the farmers and learning details, it all helps us pick the flavors we want and develop them in the dishes accordingly,” said Chef Noe.

FARMERS: THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE Like the home cook whose stale, worn-out recipes are revitalized by the diversity of produce at a farmers market, so too is a restaurant’s menu. While buying local does have the restriction of using only

veggies sourced from Riverbend and other local farms. Above: Chef Noe and Chef Obdulio visit Willow Creek Farm in Urbana to source fresh produce for the UCC kitchen.

in-season food, it also widens a chef’s opportunities. For instance, a farmer that grows the tomatoes you’ve been using in a salad the past year is now growing a particular type of squash, and suddenly you have an idea for a brand new dish. A menu can become stronger, bolder and more diverse than before because of the use of fresh, local food.

we’re looking for in our dishes,” said Chef Noe. “It’s an investment that Chef Obdulio and I put into researching where we can get the freshest produce. It’s work, but the flavor and quality difference make it all worth it.” At UCC, Chef Noe and the kitchen staff know that the farmers are essential to delivering delicious and fresh food to the members. By buying local food as much as possible to incorporate into the dishes, they are both giving credit to the amazing growers in the area as well as gaining valuable insight into the food they’re using to create each and every dish at the Club.

“I talk to farmers frequently, asking them what they have coming up so I can start developing recipes with those products in mind,” said Chef Noe. “Sometimes they’ll tell me a vegetable I’ve never used before and I’ll ask them to send me some just so I can try it. The minute they mention a new item, I think what can I make with that. Right FROM THE FARM TO YOUR PLATE away I start developing dishes and flavors around those fresh products.” If you sit down for lunch or dinner in the dining And local growers, whose livelihoods depend on the room at UCC and order a caprese salad, there’s much more than simply lettuce, cheese and tomatoes situse of local food, aren’t just providing the ingrediting on your plate. The lettuce, you’ll notice, is ents that feature on our plates every night, they’re crisp, bright and an appealing array of green hues also a gold mine of valuable information. It’s a overlap across the plate. The tomatoes are glistening resource Chef Noe and the rest of the kitchen staff red and the cheese is light, fluffy and rich. use frequently. “It takes time and work to build relationships with farmers and to maintain the level of quality that

And all of these products hold with them the countless hours of labor and care by real local farmers from the central Illinois area. It’s an intangible

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Above: Willow Creek Farm is full of fresh veggies, fruits and other produce from their herd of sheep and coops of chickens.

addition to the added nutrients and flavor, but one that gives the entire dish an elevated feel and an undeniable flavor. The tomatoes you’ll find featured in the salad come from a small farm an hour south of Urbana called Riverbend Farm. They’re regulars of the Urbana Farmers Market, but they also supply businesses in the area, including UCC. Their fields and greenhouses are filled with everything from asparagus to squash to the tomatoes and green beans you’ll find in UCC dishes. The leafy greens in the salad come from a farm just north of Urbana called Blue Moon Farm. They are dedicated to using organic growing methods to produce the most beautiful and delicious produce possible. The cheese used in many of the burgers and the cheese curds featured on the appetizer menu come from Ropp Jersey Cheese, a family farm in Normal, Ill. Over five generations of Ropps have developed the farm from a small plot of land owned by Christian Ropp in 1837, to what it is today; a cornerstone in the local farm-to-table movement. According to their website, their philosophy involves their “products moving from the field to the fork with the smallest amount of non-natural

intervention”. Ropp Farm supports over a hundred head of dairy cows, and produces over 25 different kinds of cheeses. They also raise and process livestock for beef, pork and poultry. Not only are these local farms producing high quality products, they’re using sustainable production practices as well. Ropp Farm, for example, has found a clever way of reusing the leftover whey from producing cheese: supplementing the grain they feed the hogs that will become pork. This practice results in, “better tolerance and growth than grain-fed piglet(s) and a more tender meat, completely suffused with a delicate taste,” according to their website. And if you’re wondering if there’s anyone doing this a little bit closer to home, a fellow member, Traci Lipps, owns Willow Creek Farm in north Urbana, a sustainable venue that provides event space and food that quite literally goes straight from the farm to your table. Chef Noe and his kitchen staff had the opportunity to visit the farm and to talk to Lipps about the unique relationship with UCC. “[We] provide a number of products to Urbana Country Club. We value Chef Noe and UCC

greatly and look forward to continuing our relationship in the future,” said Lipps.

Cheese Curds, featured on the appetizer menu, use cheese from Ropp Farm.

Willow Creek provides UCC with tomatoes, leafy greens, squash, zucchini, herbs and sometimes the occasional freshly processed lamb. When the call for fresh lamb comes in, even on his day off, Chef Noe doesn’t hesitate to head over to the farm to pick it up. And that direct relationship with Willow Creek also allows him to hand select produce that fits with a particular dish he has in mind back at the Club. “It is always a great experience to visit and learn about her farm,” said Chef Noe. “We are looking forward to using her produce and developing new healthy and delicious dishes with them to serve to the members.”

A COMMUNITY PHILOSOPHY Their dedication to using locally grown food, whether from Willow Creek Farm, Ropp Farm or another farm in the area, speaks to the UCC kitchen staff’s commitment to serving their members the highest quality food possible, with a sustainable and communitydriven philosophy.

“I do believe it’s a chain and we’re all connected. We need local farmers and everytime we support them they’re able to cultivate next year. Therefore, our members are supporting those farmers as well,” said Chef Noe. “I always try to support local because we are in this town, so we have to support what’s in this community. Because it benefits us all. It is chain and we have to continue the connection.” At UCC, it’s important to make sure that members know where their food is coming from, that it is the highest quality and that eating at their Club is supporting their community. And all of this with delicious food at the end of their fork. Chef Obdulio picks fresh veggies from the Willow Creek garden to use in UCC dishes.

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HOW A FORMER UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FOOTBALL PLAYER TRANSITIONS TO THE GAME OF GOLF.

fter searching through the rough for my second lost ball of the round, I began to wonder, Why can’t I keep a stationary golf ball inside a hundred yards of fairway…I mean come on! A hundred yards seems like an eternity when you’re on offense and trying to score a touchdown, so why can’t I hit a ball between the rough? This thought came into my head the other day as I stood on the 5th tee box wondering why it was so hard to transition my so called “athletic” abilities to the game of golf. There are many similarities between the sport of football and the sport of golf, but along with those similarities comes just as many differences; differences that can make an “athlete” that plays football look like a true N.A.R.P*. Golf can turn some of the best athletes into fools on the course. But at the same time, the similarities between the two sports show why there is still hope for us “athletes” to learn the game of golf. *see next page for definition

NERVES

INTENSITY

OPPOSING TEAM

After winning the National Championship in front of 75,000 fans, Deshaun Watson, former University of Clemson quarterback, described his game-time feelings: “Like I said before, I just quiet everything. I couldn’t hear the crowd. I couldn’t really – I was just in my zone. I just felt at peace…Don’t panic, it’s gonna be special, it’s gonna be great. We’re built for times like this, so let’s go finish it.”

Sometimes I wonder if golf should change its name to The Head Game. Because the real sport is battling the endless mental challenges for 18 holes straight. The most challenging part for me is the ability to harness negative energy and transform it into the next big play. On the football field, getting knocked on my rear end created anger, which I would then use as intensity in order to knock the next guy on his butt. I feel that same anger I used to when I miss a two foot putt. But trying to clobber my next drive doesn’t create the same positive outcome as it once did on the football field. The mental challenge is to figure out how to transform that intensity into something a club and a golf ball can understand.

Although my transition to golf from football has been difficult, football still has its difficulties that don’t factor into the game of golf. The main difference is having to battle directly against an opponent and counter their every move. It’s a challenge that a golfer never has to contend with. And it’s something that football players cannot fully prepare for, no matter how much a team practices verse blocking dummies, replicates game day at half speeds and watches game film. Golf, on the other hand, can practice the same course and same shots, and not have to worry about a competitor bringing an unexpected play, speed or technique to the match. It’s arguably impossible to replicate in practice the exact game time experience, but football brings another element with the unpredictability of an opposing team directly affecting an athlete's performance.

I personally have no idea what it feels like to play in a national championship game, but I know what it is like to play in front of 110,000 fans in the big house. It’s one of the greatest experiences ever, but surprisingly not the most nerve racking. The same feelings that Watson is describing above were felt by me when I lined up for the first time across from Joey Bosa, defensive end for Ohio State and now for the San Diego Chargers, in 2015.

BACKUP

Pro athletes, whether football or golf, are not always making “The Big Play”, but are doing everything they can to miniWhat is crazy is that 80,000 people can mize the bad plays. The major difference disappear once your hand touches the between the mistakes that are made in turf, but three people watching me tee off from the tee box can seem like a mil- golf and the mistakes made in football is that, in football, there are 10 teammates lion. It is much harder to control your thoughts and concentration in front of a covering your back when you mess up. golf ball versus when you are lined up in I may have missed my assignment and let the defensive end run free towards a three point stance against a 6’8”, 300 the quarterback, but luckily it was a run pound man, or breaking out of a corner route to run past an All-American safety. play to the other direction and the 300 pounder couldn’t keep up with the I never noticed the fans at any moment after the quarterback started his cadence, running back. but I notice every single person when ap- This is not the same case on the golf proaching a six foot putt. In football, we course, though. On a par four, when I am called this zoning in. I’m not sure if the laying 60 yards out on my third shot and PGA Tour players have a different name muff the ball 10 feet, there isn’t somefor it, but they have that special talent one to hit another ball for me and make that allows them to continuously zone sure I still have a chance at par. Instead, out distractions and make great plays I would have to hit it from 50 yards and time after time. hope for a miracle or a chance at bogie. Standing on my own, facing the expanse of the golf course with no teammates to back me up is an experience I’m completely unfamiliar with. U CC1 9 2 2 . CO M I FA LL 2 0 1 8

N.A.R.P (NARP) pronounced NARH·PUH noun · slang · acronym DEFINITION

1. A proper acronym used by the student population at the University of Illinois to identify a “Non-Athletic Regular Person(s)” EXAMPLE

1. Did you see Tyler shank that ball on the fourth? He is a total NARP.

THE BIG MISCONCEPTION Practice. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the biggest difference between amateurs and professionals, the amount of practice they put in. The everyday player tends to go out and play every so often, but never spends time on the range or putting green. They may even play every single day of the week, but that is not entirely the same as deliberate practice. They play everyday and wonder why they are not getting any better.

That was the same as some of my football teammates. They would only go to mandatory lifts and practices and wonder why they sat the bench. Well, one of the biggest reasons was the athletes that were getting a lot of playing time were also the ones that were putting extra time in the weight room and extra time in the indoor practice facility mastering their techniques.

I mentioned the mental challenges that a ball player can turn a bad play into angolfer must overcome in order to hit their ger then intensity then a good next play. It makes football look easy and golf look next shot well, and how easily a foot-

This is the same as golf, and golf as a sport, not as simply a recreational activity. It takes practice and time to master the game of golf. I can not just go out on the course every day and expect to get better. I need to practice my swing and the proper techniques in hopes that one day I can become a master at the sport. The misconception that golf is a recreational activity and not a sport may be the biggest difference of them all.

tough, but that is not entirely the case. The two sports have more in common then you might think.

CONCENTRATION This same concentration that I mentioned being the hardest part of the golf game, can also be one of the trickiest challenges to overcome in a wide receivers game. Isolated 15 yards from the offensive line, just the receiver and cornerback, the only two things they can be focusing on is to get open and catch the ball. Both sports involve intense precision and focus. Squaring your clubface and hitting the ball directly in the sweet spot can be one of the most precise things an athlete can do. But in similar way, making sure your hands are in the exact location and the tip of your two pointer and thumb fingers are touching, creating a perfect diamond, to catch a bulleted ball from the quarterback, can take the same amount of precision and concentration as hitting a golf ball. That level of concentration is what separates the amateurs from the professionals, and its something that someone picking up either game can work on to improve.

the most ideal playing condition. If it is too hot, athletes sweat and lose energy quicker. And being too cold can cause many problems in both sports. In football, the last thing you want to The most common misconception of a college football player do is hit someone is freezing cold weather. And in golf, the ball is that they are big, strong and stiff. Two out of three are correct, however. And just as flexibility is one of the most import- will fly only half as far. ant things in a consistent golf swing, it is just as important in In both sports, movement is hindered immediately with the a football playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; capabilities on the field. inability to warm up muscles. Thinking about cold weather brings me back to freshmen year on November 23rd at Purdue A football player needs to be able to bend in and out of pass University. There was three inches of snow on the ground and routes, lower himself in a block and lengthen strides in order more still coming down from the sky. I was in the worst posito outrun opponents. We used to work out five days a week, tion of them all, starting on all four of the special teams but sometimes six, for three hours a day. And half of those hours not playing at all on offense or defense. This meant I would were spent working on flexibility. Not lifting weights or runrun down the field for one play, then stand on the sidelines ning, but working on our ability to move in a more flexible for 30, never having the opportunity to warm up for the next way on the field. Once I started playing at the collegiate level, play. Conditions like this are never good for any game, I quickly learned that the best players are not the strongest, golf or football. but the ones that had both the best technique and were the

FLEXIBILITY

most flexible. This concept is also true in the game of golf. The best players in the world do not drive the ball the furthest, but they consistently hit the ball where it needs to go. This is done through their core strength and overall flexibility.

ENVIRONMENT 32

Golf may never be my strong suit. But I will continue to practice because, just like football, it is an amazing sport and one that has a history worthy of being a part of. This sport takes time to learn and can be one of the trickiest sports there is. But one day, hopefully I will be able to call myself an athlete again.

As unexpected as it is, the biggest similarity between the ability to perform well in both sports is good weather. The majority of the time, a cool day, between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, is

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12.31.18 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAY

brunch

November 25th

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J. Reed Jewelers is a modest shop, on the outside. The storefront sits in between a Chinese restaurant and a Sport Clips in the Old Farm Shops on the corner of Kirby and Prospect. But the store is bright, welcoming, with mirrors on the wall reflecting the outside sun and light glinting off the rings and necklaces featured in the cases. The pieces are exquisite. Rings, necklaces, bracelets range from simple to complex, arrays of diamonds surrounding unique stones and delicate strings of jewels. And the business itself is a hidden gem, a piece of history tucked away in the heart of Champaign. At the helm is John Milton Reed, a perfect example of the legacy a family can create in business. In 1940, Milton John Reed, Reedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, a graduate of the Wharton School of Business and an experienced silversmith, purchased a small jewelry store right on Main Street, on the central strip of downtown Champaign. It was a business that had been in operation since 1897, and it stood, strong and unwavering in the old stone building, weathering the changing times, the progression of the railroad as it reached its tendrils into Champaign and a rotation of owners over the years.

The jewelry store, first named A.E. Wuesteman Jewelers and then Wuesteman & Wallace when Buck Wallace joined the fray, was finally named M.J. Reed Jewelers in 1949, after M. J. Reed purchased the store and Wuesteman retired. It’s stayed in the Reed family since then, eventually passing to John Reed after his father passed in 1961. “When Wuesteman started we were a timing station for the Illinois Central Railroad. The employees, lovingly called “Railheads”, all came in our store to have their watch inspected every month,” said John Reed. “So our business was built on watches, but today we don’t carry them. And our business is better for it.”

Right: John Reed, his wife, Maureen, and their dog, Molly.

Below: The original location of Wuesteman Jewelers on Main St. in Champaign.

In Reed’s office, an energetically chaotic smattering of history and memories line the shelves and cover the walls. Framed photos of his beloved pets that have passed, family members and the original storefront of A. E. Wuesteman Jewelers on Main St. in Champaign hang on the walls. His wife and daughter feature prominently on the frames sitting on his desk, and he smiles fondly at the memory of meeting his wife, Maureen, for the first time on a flight in 1971. “It was between New York City and San Juan, on my way to my store in the Virgin Islands and she was my flight attendant...She had switched with her coworkers to be in my section and we talked the whole time,” said Reed. “At one point she told me to move over so she could sit in the empty seat next to me. Eventually, and it was like an out of body

experience, my mouth just went and said, ‘Would you like to have dinner with me?’ She said yes and we were married a year and a half later. It's now been 45 years.” Since Reed took over, the business has both expanded and contracted under his leadership. He opened the store in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands and even bought a diamond mine in Venezuela. In 1975, a new store opened in Champaign in the then brand-new Marketplace Mall. Soon after, a store on Green St. near the University of Illinois and another in Carbondale were opened. At one time, Reed owned and managed a total of five stores with over 60 employees. But as time passed, the business consolidated its locations and efforts into the storefront on Kirby and an office in Chicago, a much more manageable operation for Reed. His focus now is on uniqueness and the type of quality you can’t get from machine manufactured jewelry you’d find at Tiffany’s or other commercial jewelers. “The biggest changes I’ve seen in the last 45-50 years is our ability as an industry to personalize things and make them more the way you want. We can do the manufacturing to please the customer,” said Reed. “I think people are enjoying the ability to be able to put their own personal stamp on what's being made for them.” Technology has been a big driver towards that ability to completely customize a piece of jewelry for customers, according to Reed. “Today we use the iPad to draw up sketches, import materials and parts,” said Reed. “The computer age has made a difference. We can take images from Pinterest, from anywhere that a

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Left: M. J. Jewelers now uses iPads to design their custom pieces. Bottom: Custom rings are created first as wax models and then built using precious metals and gems.

customer finds, and I can have my shop in Chicago build out wax model of the custom piece. So a customer can look at a wax model of their ring and say, ‘I want the halo bigger' or 'I want it octagonal', or whatever they want.” Reed talks about his work with a youthful enthusiasm and aged wisdom. Bits and pieces of the places he’s been, the people he’s talked to and made deals with are lain throughout his office. And boxes and boxes of various jewels are stacked on every surface. Reed’s education includes a degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and The Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, a nonprofit institute dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. He has the lessons of his father, the stability of a higher education and decades of his own experience to inform every piece he creates and sells today. This is what has helped M. J. Reed Jewelers to serve so many people in the area and to have thrived for so long.

“I regularly get people who come in, where we’re serving, in some families, the 5th or 6th generation,” said Reed. Reed’s expertise is not only used for buying and selling jewels, he is also called on frequently by local law enforcement and government officials to provide everything from appraisals for bankruptcy trustees to identification for stolen jewels. His experience allows him to identify the individual differences in a particular gem, including the carat, weight, cut, color and clarity of the stone. “Everytime I look at a diamond, they’re all different. Just like people, they’re all different,” said Reed. One instance of identifying a stone for a customer stands out in particular for Reed. A woman had come in with a diamond looking for it to be appraised. Reed examined the piece and gave her an estimated price and sent her on her way. A couple weeks later, seemingly unconnected, a man

came in looking to sell a diamond and Reed noticed the man looked like he may be on drugs. He declined to purchase the diamond and the man left. “Ten days later, a couple of my detective friends come in with an evidence bag and say, ‘Can you identify this?’,” said Reed. “And I go ‘What am I looking for, what do you think this is? Well, apparently, a woman had advertised a diamond in the local paper, and a guy shows up to see it. With a gun. Well, she gave him the stone, of course.” After hearing this, Reed remembered the man who came in trying to sell a diamond and described the man to the detectives. “I said, ‘Does that sound like somebody you might think for this?’ The detectives said, ‘Oh we’ll be back within the hour,’” said Reed. “So they come back an hour later with a photo array of mugshots. They asked, ‘Do you see that individual here?’ and I said, ‘Yeah that’s the guy right there.’” “A week later I get a call to go to the county jail to look at a lineup. I went over there and there’s the young lady I did the initial appraisal for,” said Reed. “I picked the same guy from the photos out of the lineup. I had to go and testify in that case, and he ended up getting twenty years with no parole for armed robbery.”

But while the appraisals, IRS, bankruptcy work and even police investigations are a fascinating part of the job, the jewelry business has also led Reed to many interesting people, both business associates and friends. Two of those people are Shad and Ann Khan, who in addition to being dear friends are the reason for Reed’s longtime membership to the Urbana Country Club. “I’ve known the Khans for years and I was at a cocktail party in LA when I ran into them," said Reed. "He had just bought the Club and when I asked him what he was going to do with the property he said he was going to turn it into the finest country club in downstate Illinois, if not in the Chicago area. They insisted I join and I couldn’t say no after that.” When asked what his favorite part of the Country Club is, Reed’s immediate response was: “The people, the staff. The food is always good, of course. But if Chef Noe wasn’t good, then food wouldn’t be good. So I’d have to say the staff is the most important characteristic.” “I’m extremely grateful for the Khans, and I thank them when I see them, for investing the money in something that is so great for the community.”

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Above: Reed examines diamonds to use in custom jewelery.

THE AT

UCC

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The ultimate in rest, relaxation and wellness, right in your own backyard. UCC is taking the opportunity to turn a dated pool house into a spectacular retreat for its membership.

ver the last 18 months, the Urbana Country Club has gone through a revitalization. New staff, a clear vision and a continual focus on service and execution has pushed the Club into the forefront of lifestyle brands. To continue the renaissance that began with a $5.5 million clubhouse renovation, UCC turns their attention to a dated pool facility and the opportunity to add greater value around health and wellness. Successful country clubs in today’s environment are focusing on a broader range of amenities to attract new markets, while, at the same time, improving the value proposition to solidify the current membership base. With few exceptions, clubs that survived the recession have undertaken sweeping makeovers, often pitting long-held traditions against the need to attract the next generation of members. Improvements often include state-ofthe-art fitness or business centers, children’s programs, gourmet dining and even relaxed rules. “The debate is playing out at every single club,” says Steve Graves, founder of the consultancy Creative Golf Marketing, in an online article from Reuters. “More seasoned members inevitably resist change, but the clubs flourishing today are more casual, more family-friendly and more women-friendly.”

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Most private clubs can afford to relax a little. Lifting bans on blue jeans, mobile phones and children in dining facilities can go a long way to attracting new members. Potential members are looking for updated facilities where they can spend weekends with family and friends. As Graves puts it, “Clubs are really offering members more for their money than ever before.” Today, vying for attention in hectic, two-income households, clubs must appeal to the whole family. Frank Vain, president of the golf consultancy McMahon Group, suggests that spending on capital improvements is often the best way to attract these people. “Clubs have to feel like a 52-week vacation getaway less than 20 minutes from home,” said Vain. Working with Ratio Architects, the Urbana Country Club has been able to come up with a multitude of programming in a very specific, defined space. The lack of luxury hotel offerings with accompanying wellness facilities in the C-U area provides an opportunity for the Club. And the Club’s owner, business mogul Shad Khan, is the perfect trailblazer to fill this need. “We have seen great growth and energy at the Club over the past 15 months, but it needs to be sustainable for the long-term. Health and wellness is something very important in order to recharge and be successful, and I want the members and guests of UCC to see tremendous value in what they pay for,” said Khan.

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I want the members and guests of UCC to see tremendous value in what they pay for. - Shad Khan “The success we have had with the Four Seasons Toronto has been unprecedented," said Khan. “And I believe, even though UCC is on a much smaller scale, it will see the same success.” Planned for this new facility is a 35,000 square foot building that will house eight guest rooms, a bar with quick-service dining, fitness facility, spa and game room which will include two indoor sports simulators. Once the building is constructed, the adjacent pool will be updated to provide a resort-like experience. Principal for Ratio Architects, Ed Scopel, is thrilled with the opportunity to be a part of creating such an oasis.

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“It is energizing to work on this project for the Khan’s,” said Scopel. “The level of excellence they expect is something Ratio strives to achieve, and we feel that we are positioned to deliver exactly what they are envisioning for the members of UCC.” To ensure the wellness experience exceeds expectations, UCC has engaged with WTS International, one of the leading spa consultants in the world, to help with the design, opening and ongoing management of the spa and fitness facility. Gary Henkin, President of WTS, is no stranger to providing high-end wellness experiences and knows what is needed from the standpoint of facilities and programming. “We are proud to have been in business over forty years, and currently have numerous spas with the five-star distinction. We can take best practices from across the world to create a customized wellness experience for UCC. We could not be more excited to partner with UCC and execute the Khan’s vision,” said Henkin. Ground-breaking is planned for this fall, with occupancy of the building being taken late spring to early summer, 2019. “We are going to make every effort to minimize the disruption of the club experience to the members, but with a project of this magnitude the normal day-to-day operations can sometimes be

compromised,” said UCC General Manager, Scott Szymoniak. “The new building is actually going to be bigger than the current clubhouse, and the site is wedged between the current pool and the 9th green. Most of the construction staging will take up the back-parking lot, putting a cramp on our already limited parking situation. Every day can be an adventure. That said, we will get creative to make sure the membership can share in our excitement while at the Club during this time. The finished product will be nothing short of spectacular.” Even though UCC is approaching this project with intent focus, it does not diminish their commitment to providing a championship golf experience. “During the previous 12 months, over a quarter of a million dollars has been spent on equipment, irrigation and tee box work. We still have capital dollars planned for course improvements to happen while the building is being constructed,” said Szymoniak. “The golf course is our greatest asset. For the new resort to be successful, the golf course must continue to improve and be maintained at a high standard every day. Our goal is that every amenity at UCC can stand on its own as a premium offering. These offerings, combined, is what will make the Urbana Country Club one of distinction, not only in Central Illinois, but in the whole country.” 45 45

UCC IS BRINGING THE MUSIC TO YOU. GET T O K N O W S O M E O F T H E AW E S O M E B A N D S F E AT U R E D T H I S Y E A R A N D D O N â&#x20AC;&#x2122; T M I S S A L L T H E A M A Z I N G O N E S C O M I N G U P. 46

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hether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tapping your foot to an acoustic cover of one of your favorite songs at an open mic night or going out to a packed amphitheater to see a band on their latest tour, music has the potential to turn an ordinary night out into the highlight of your summer or to turn your dinner into an experience. This summer, we decided to bring that experience to the Urbana Country Club.

We have an incredible lineup of local artists that have visited the club and even more who are set to do so in the future. Few people want to see the same thing over and over again. So what we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do was stack our concert series with the same type of musician. Moods change, and so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tailored our lineup to service every kind of taste and every mood; a lineup as unique as our membership.

This band was recommended highly by many of our staff members and is Central Illinois’ #1 voted party band five years running. And though 90s Daughter got rained out at the Independence Day celebration, the songs they were able to perform did not disappoint. This ensemble isn’t your run of the mill patio band; this a full scale rock band, through and through. It’s an entirely different feel that gets everyone on their feet, including kids and adults alike. If you missed them at the Club, check out their website for upcoming shows. We have the best venue in town, so 90s Daughter are sure to be back!

MANK & SASS

CALEB COOK BAND

90’S DAUGHTER

HEY JIMMY

Next up, we had The Caleb Cook Band. With an homage to the good ol’ down south chicken pickin’ artists of the 70s, these guys brought out the country in all of us. Walking around the UCC patio that evening you had everything from Jeff Kurtz donning a cowboy hat just to see the band, to Mark Howard admitting that, even though he doesn’t like country music, these guys were, “pretty damn good!”. Proof that it’s all about the experience.

Listening to a song on the radio, you never really pick up the instrumental fill-ins and nuances that really bring a piece of music together. But when you can see a man with a fat grin across his face picking at a steel lap guitar you really get to see how it all connects. It’s like seeing Chef Noe cook your meal right in front of you; you finally know what that seasoning is that you tasted but could never quite put your finger on.

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Mank & Sass got us off to a running start this summer. Sara Siders and Jared Manker delivered cool, funky renditions of famous songs in a way that perfectly complemented an evening of great food and cold drinks. When a group can creatively start a song like Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, having everyone guessing what’s coming and make it their own, you know you have something special. Interestingly enough, Sara Siders, though her father was a member of Champaign’s very own R.E.O. Speedwagon, never intended on getting into the music industry. She had a full ride softball scholarship to Purdue but a series of unfortunate knee injuries cut her sports career short. She never picked up a guitar until, while sitting at their apartment one day, her musically inclined roommate offered her a free guitar lesson. He taught her a few chords and a specific back-

ground melody to practice over the next few days. Little did she know that the melody she was perfecting was the rhythm guitar part to one of his songs that he would force her to perform with him at an open mic night that weekend. As an accomplished athlete she had no fear of the spotlight and fell in love with performance. Siders, the roommate and Manker later formed a group together called Upshot which would progress into the duo Mank & Sass. Their new album has been released on iTunes, Spotify and you can sample the songs on YouTube. We are very much looking forward to having Mank & Sass out again.

Finally, a group that unfortunately couldn’t make our summer concert series, but has performed at the Club three times now—a personal favorite of Mrs. Khan’s—Chicago’s very own, Hey Jimmy. Coming on the scene back in 2008, the band has been a staple in the Illinois community for over a decade. Calling Chicago their home, but touring all over the country, from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, to Boston, Austin, Kansas City, Dallas, Denver and Orlando, they have cemented themselves as a premier party band. You may have had the pleasure of seeing them most recently at last year’s Holiday Party. With a range of covers from Sweet Caroline to The Harlem Shake, Whitney Houston to Elvis Presley, they had the banquet room absolutely pulsing with energy, and the dance floor was packed the entire night with members, guests and staff alike. It’s rare you find a band that can perform hits from every decade and genre so fluidly and keep everyone interested. They’ve been the life of the party here at UCC a few times now, with many more to come. With the success of this summer’s concert series we can guarantee years of live entertainment to follow. By bringing music to the Club we can elevate our service to provide an escape, an experience. A real home away from home.

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Robotically controlled lawn mowers are creeping into the home lawn care world, but what does the future look like for autonomous mowers on golf courses?

ired of mowing your lawn at home? Need to free up a little more time for golf? If so, you’ll like the future of lawn care and where it is headed. Just as the revolution of home cleaning involved automating vacuum cleaners, so too does the lawn care reinvention. This has led us to the veritable Roomba for your lawn: autonomous mowers. These autonomous mowers are robotically controlled mowers which you can program to maintain your home lawn. This small mower will continually mow your lawn throughout the week in a random pattern and your lawn will never look shaggy. It can even mow at night and recharge itself. Autonomous mowers for home use are finally becoming a reality and this technology has already started spilling over into the golf market as well, making it an attractive asset for country clubs.

battery-powered unit that can mow an area of up to about 19,300 square feet, just shy of a half-acre. Set-up is easy with a boundary established by a pre-installed wire, all you have to do is switch on the automated mower and watch as it travels around in a random pattern, cutting your entire lawn. You also need not worry about your prized flowers getting the chop, as the Tango 5 can be programmed to avoid predetermined areas such as flowerbeds. Recharging your autonomous mower also isn’t a concern as when the mower detects that its battery is low, it drives itself back to its charging station. Once fully charged, it returns to its previous task from its docking station which is adjacent to your home. If theft is a concern, these units are programmed and use GPS software to only work at your home. While all of these features sound wonderful, the drawback is that these autonomous mowers do not contain a bag to collect the clippings. If your lawn is really long, once the job is done, grass cuttings will be everywhere. In this case, this iteration of the automatic mower is really only ideal for those who like to keep their lawn neat and tidy at all times, a feat which is completely doable with the mower’s automatic deployment. Unfortunately, John Deere Tango E5 is only available in Europe, specifically Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway and Switzerland. But with the US being the home of the John Deere Corporation, it is surely only a matter of time before we see the John Deere model state-side. The industry is so close to completely accepting autonomous home lawn mowers, and developing reliable and top of the line technology. But how does this technology look for affecting golf course maintenance in in the future?

The John Deere Tango E5 mower is all electric, waterproof and easy to control.

COURTESY OF JOHNDEERE.COM

The Cub Cadet RG3 mower

The autonomous mower movement has already started to emerge in Europe. The John Deere Tango E5 is an electric U CC1 9 2 2 . CO M I FA LL 2 0 1 8

can cut greens while leaving staff free to do other tasks.

COURTESY OF CUB CADET

The technological path to get to this point has been a long one, though. Back in 1969, when the first robotic mower called MowBot, was patented and introduced, modern suburbia’s home lawn care had become more and more important. Although the MowBot was groundbreaking, the technology was lacking and the mass production of the product wasn’t a reality at the time. Fast forward to the modern era in the US and the lawn and garden market has transformed into a 10 billion dollar industry. When you combine today’s improved technology with an affordable price point, it’s safe to say autonomous mowers will impact the market in a large way very soon. The modern transition to more time-crunched homeowners, who have to juggle work with kids, drives the need as well.

In the fall of 2017, UCC made a large equipment purchase with Toro which included four new walking greens mowers.

In the fall of 2017, UCC made a large equipment purchase with Toro which included four new walking greens mowers. These new Flex 21 units are considered to be the top of line in the golf market with the latest and greatest technology, including free floating reel heads which contour to the green. The improved cut and operator friendly controls made the decision fairly easy in purchasing the units. But while these mowers are the latest technology in walking mowers, they are behind the times when discussing autonomous technology. Before the purchase of the current mowers, UCC researched purchasing RG3 autonomous greens mowers from Cub Cadet. The backstory of this technology involved a company called Precise Path Robotic, originally started in the early 2000’s by a group of Purdue engineers. They were trying to develop a mower and technology with the idea that it would be strictly for the golf industry, with the possibility to move it to the home lawn market. After years of development, the original prototype hadn’t changed much because the financial backing was running out. In February of 2015, MTD/Cub Cadet purchased the company and has been able to give the mower the financial boost it needed to get the product, now called the RG3, off the ground and into the golf course industry. We looked into purchasing three to four RG3 units, but the unit cost plus installation cost of a guidance wire was cost prohibitive. There was also some room for improvement and once it went into the market there would inevitably be flaws and hiccups to iron out. As the technology improves and other key distributors like Toro, John Deere and Jacobsen launch projects it will only drive the market toward robotic mowers. Autonomous mowers will give superintendents another option to maintain their golf course at a higher level while saving labor dollars.

Autonomous mowers eliminate scalped collars, curving lines while freeing up labor to do other things. One single operator will be able to handle 2 units while raking bunkers, changing cups or other small tasks. While it doesn’t eliminate labor totally, it definitely can trim substantial labor dollars out of the budget or reallocate those funds to other areas or improvements to the golf course. There is currently an autonomous fairway unit developed in Portugal. This unit can be brought out to the first hole selected, mow whatever is programmed and return home after completing the selected fairways as well. Once autonomous mowers are switched over to a GPS guided system, they will certainly take over the golf market. GPS technology has improved to the point where it works within a small fraction of an inch which is needed to make autonomous mowers operate correctly. It’s only a matter of time before the big players of Toro and John Deere drive the future of the autonomous market both in golf and home lawn care. Although we have new greens mowers for the start of the 2018 season, there is a very good chance they will be the last units which will require a human operator while cutting. Perhaps in the future golf courses will have teams of autonomous mowers leave the maintenance shop in evenings and mornings maintaining 90 percent of the mowed playing surfaces. Crews of 15-20 employees could be be trimmed in half and the focus would be on detail work, bunkers, cup changing and pesticide applications. It’s exciting to see the new direction of golf course maintenance, because as demands and course conditioning are elevated to new levels, superintendents will need to rely on technology to help control rising maintenance costs.

Fall Drink R E C I P E

BAILEYS PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE 1 oz Pumpkin Spice Baileys Fill with freshly brewed coffee to the top Top with whipped cream and orange sprinkles Serve hot or cold U CC1 9 2 2 . CO M I FA LL 2 0 1 8

Urbana Country Club

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EUCHRE NIGHTS

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First Thursday of the Month | 6:30 pm October 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April 2019

MEMBERSHIP

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S P O T L I G H T

Dick Cogdal

Dick Cogdal and his girlfriend, Nancy, at the Club.

You may have seen him sitting at the UCC bar, drinking a Makers Mark or a Singapore Sling. You may have even sat down and asked to hear about the adventures he’s been on or the things he’s seen throughout his life. Richard (Dick) Cogdal is 101 years old and finally put his clubs away just two years ago. Well, except for the occasional putt on the green on his good days.

Golf only cost two dollars a day back then, a fact that Cogdal took advantage of. One day, he and a buddy, Bob Moore, went out on the course early and played a whopping 54 holes.

When he was young, he spent five summers at the National Music Camp at Interlochen, through which he performed with the camp’s concert band at the 1939 World’s Fair. In 1935, Cogdal received a full band scholarship to attend the University of Illinois. At U of I, he played percussion, Cogdal has been a member of the Urbana Country Club since he was a child, making him the Club’s oldest and longest mem- mainly bass drum, but, to this day, his main passion is the ber. Throughout his time here, he’s been witness to the fire that piano. If you are lucky you may get to see him play at the Club sometime. destroyed the clubhouse, a flood of the creek that soaked the golf course and an elm tree disease that ravaged the beautiful trees lining the property. But he’s not only seen the bad times, When he left college he went to serve in the Navy in WWII where he spent two years in Washington and two years out at he’s also gotten to enjoy the beauty of the game of golf and sea. During his time in the military, Cogdal earned the rankgrow and develop his passion. ing of Lieutenant Commander and served on the ship USS Makassar Strait, an escort carrier battling at Iwo Jima and Cogdal started playing golf at the young age of eight back Okinawa in Japan. An interesting story about his time on the in 1925. His father, Frank Cogdal, was a member and secretary for the Club from 1926 to 1945. Back then, the Club was a carrier was that he served with Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr., nine-hole course with a dirt road leading to the clubhouse, and the son of President Roosevelt, in the Pacific. During his contact with Roosevelt, he was privy to the letter Roosevelt the caddies were paid with a Sunday dinner and silver dollar.

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received from his mother, Eleanor Roosevelt, about the death of his father and the president of the United States in April 1945. When Cogdal returned from war he moved to Chicago to work for the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Company. Then, in 1948, he finally returned to Urbana to work with his father in the family insurance and real estate firm, now named Cogdal and Hobbs. Cogdal has lived a long, vibrant life. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spent his days doing everything from traveling to Austria in 1959 to work in a refugee camp building houses, to being honored by the Marching Illini for his service and reaching the age of 100. And all with the Urbana Country Club to come home to for relaxation and friendly faces.

Cogdal, a few years ago, playing golf on the course.

Cogdal in 1965 at a Rotary Club event.

STYLE

Picture Perfect

WHAT WOULD YOUR PERFECT WEDDING DAY BE LIKE? AT UCC, YOUR WEDDING DAY COULD LOOK LIKE THISâ&#x20AC;¦

COURTESY OF CHRISTI CHAMBERS PHOTOGRAPHY

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Imagine waking up in a five star suite, grabbing your monogrammed silk bathrobe and heading downstairs to meet your bridesmaids for brunch. You are served mimosas, rimmed with a strawberry, and your favorite brunch entrée. After brunch, you take your bridesmaids to be pampered at the spa with massages, pedicures and manicures, all finished off with your wedding day hair and makeup. In the warm and inviting dressing rooms, you finally don your wedding dress while your bridesmaids all slip on theirs.

you put together your entire look. From start to finish they provide an elevated experience, helping you pick out a dress, accessories, tuxedos and more. Here at UCC, we always want to be there for you through the whole process of your dream wedding to make sure it is perfect. So that’s why we handle everything for you and partner with amazing businesses like Michelle’s Bridal.

But just as everyone is getting ready to hop in golf carts for stunning pictures on the golf course, disaster strikes. As you take your first step into the golf cart, a seam in your dress rips! You panic for a split second, but then you remember where you got your dress from. You call up your stylist at Champaign-Urbana’s own, Michelle’s Bridal, and she has a specialist hurry over who is able to save the day before anything is delayed. Michelle’s Bridal, a premiere wedding outfitter in Champaign-Urbana, is a dedicated partner with UCC to bring the utmost professionalism and commitment to our wedding guests. Dress tears, and any other attire issue that arises on a bride and groom’s wedding day is addressed immediately by Michelle and the team at Michelle’s Bridal. No matter what, they are there to provide the best experience for you, just as we are, in any way they can. And that commitment starts at the very beginning. When you make an appointment to find your perfect dress at Michelle’s Bridal you will receive the elevated experience you deserve. They build relationships with their brides before they even come in for their appointment. When you choose to shop at Michelle’s Bridal you will fill out a bridal questionnaire ahead of time with information about your wedding. Your pre-assigned stylist will then have a closet set up with dress selections when you arrive for your appointment. But the relationship doesn’t stop with the purchase of your bridal gown. They will stay in touch with you throughout the whole process, and help

Imagine your flawless ceremony ending and everyone heading to the banquet hall for a cocktail hour. Handcrafted dinner entrées created by our world-class culinary team are served, cake is cut and you spend the rest of the time dancing the night away. When it is time to turn in, we will have your five-star suite ready for you and your other half to enjoy. Having a good team who knows what you want and what they’re doing is very important to make sure you have the wedding of your dreams. The wedding amenities and processes have been updated and elevated here at the Club, and things are only improving from here. Soon enough UCC will be able to provide that same experience described for all of our brides, and we couldn’t be more excited. Brides and grooms who decide to have their wedding at UCC will have the elevated, elegant experience they want and deserve.

Michelle Schweighart, the owner of Michelle's Bridal and a member at UCC, has been in the wedding business for over 35 years.

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THANKS FOR ALL THE MEMORIES!

Business Success THREE TIPS FROM VAN PRESIDENT AND CEO OF

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE TEAM There is no substitute for assembling a talented, highly engaged team. Whether in business or any other of life’s endeavors, a talented team working together is a key to success.

PERSISTENT OPTIMISM Persistence is often underrated in its importance to success. Business leaders face ups and downs in their business. Leaders must stay positive— while still facing the brutal facts—and unwavering in their pursuit of solving the issues that we all face from time to time in business.

HUMILITY Hubris is probably the number one failing of mankind and certainly sustained business success. Time and time again businesses—and individuals—fall prey to hubris and arrogance. Sustained business success requires humble leaders and teams that are constantly trying to improve their business.

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The Urbana Country Club Scene | No. 2

Articles inside

Business Success: Van Dukeman

From Farm to Table

The Exposed "Athlete"

Champaign's Jewel

The Retreat at UCC

Rockin' the Club

The Roomba for your Lawn