S PR I N G 2 0 2 0
2019 FOLDS OF HONOR Relive the event: photo recap Page 74
Here at Carle, we’re building our healthcare around you. Because improving your health means constantly striving to innovate new solutions. That’s why we provide a seamless insurance experience with Health Alliance. It’s why we’re investing in technology and research and established the Stephens Family Clinical Research Institute and Carle Illinois College of Medicine. And it’s why we’re committed to offering all levels of care when and where you need it. To optimize our healthcare. To always be at the forefront. To ensure you have exactly what you need to thrive.
Contents
SPRING 2020
07 40 Under 40
CIB Magazine awarded three UCC members the distinction of being among the top 40 Under 40 business leaders in central Illinois.
24 The Flair of Grilling
UCC Book Club PAG E 1 8
Clubs Within the Club PAG E 2 2
BNC: Black News Channel PAG E 3 2
and Smoking
Northstar: Club Software
Break out the grills and try your hand at smoking this summer. Hear from the UCC chefs on the best tips and tricks to get it right.
Let’s Get Social
36 UCC’s Best Dressed
Meet UCC’s reigning Best Dressed member and check out some of his signature styles.
44 The Wells Family
After almost a decade of being members, Daniel and Hilary Wells sit down to talk about their family, business and what they love about UCC.
52 Lesley’s 25 Years
PAG E 4 2
PAG E 4 8
Business at UCC: Power Luncheon PAG E 6 4
UGolf: Begin Clinic Series PAG E 7 2
Folds of Honor Photo Recap PAG E 7 4
In the Scene PAG E 7 6
Business Success PAG E 8 0
She knows your drink order, but do you know about her? Learn a little bit about Lesley’s past 25 years at UCC.
56 What to Make of
Golf Course Restoration
Hear from J. Drew Rogers, Golf Course Architect, on his approach to course restorations.
66 Coach Renee Slone
From UIUC Women’s Golf star during her college years to acclaimed coach, Renee Slone is dedicated to the next generation of women golfers at U of I.
Sipping Through Stemware PAG E 1 6
SPRING 2020 | WWW.UCC1922.COM URBANA COUNTRY CLUB | URBANA, ILL.
PGA GENERAL MANAGER Scott Szymoniak scott.szymoniak@ucc1922.com
HEAD PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL Zach Canfield zach.canfield@ucc1922.com
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Noe Rodriguez noe.rodriguez@ucc1922.com
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Carissa Nelson carissa.nelson@ucc1922.com
DIRECTOR OF MEMBER & GUEST SERVICES Amber Talbott amber.talbott@ucc1922.com
GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT Scott White scott.white@ucc1922.com
CLUB ACCOUNTANT Thomas Riley thomas.riley@ucc1922.com
DESIGN GROUP Robb Springfield Jose Galue Isaac Mitchell Lily Stanicek
Office: 217-344-8670 Golf Shop: 217-344-8673 Dining Room: 217-367-8449
Manager’s Welcome SOMETHING BIG IS HAPPENING… As the father of two teenage girls, staying “cool” in their eyes is a daily challenge for me. In an attempt to maintain this elite status for them, last year my wife and I surprised them with tickets to go see one of their heartthrobs, Shawn Mendes. While I was definitely in the upper tier of the age spectrum at the concert, I have to admit, Mr. Mendes put on a good show. And when he sang his hit “Something Big”, I couldn’t help but think about the future of UCC. For clubs to be successful in today’s day and age, a number of factors have to come together all at one time. If and when they do, you aggressively seize the opportunity. Mr. Khan calls it “Kismet”, an Arabic word meaning destiny; fate. As you look around UCC today, it is easy to see physically the improvements being made. More
All ar ticles in The Scene are written by UCC staff members unless otherwise noted.
importantly, you feel the energy that is being created—not just by the physical improvements, but also by the members and staff. This spring, as it starts to warm up and the sun begins to shine a bit more, I can only imagine the energy around UCC will increase even more. We publish this magazine to highlight our members and give you the opportunity to learn a little more about them. Putting two issues together takes us almost an entire year, but it is a labor of love and the result is something we are very proud of. I hope you enjoy it and share it with your friends and family. It is an example of the positive energy created at UCC every day.
S C OT T S Z Y M O N I A K
P G A G E N E R A L M A N AG E R
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2020 Spring Hours
Office Hours Sunday – Monday Closed Tuesday – Friday 9am – 5pm Saturday 10am – 4pm
Clubhouse Hours Monday Club Facilities Closed Golf Course Available for Walking After 12pm Tuesday – Saturday Lunch 11am – 3pm Tuesday – Saturday Dinner 5pm – 9pm Sunday Breakfast/Lunch 9am – 1pm Limited Menu 1pm – 7pm
Golf Shop Tuesday – Friday 7:30am – 7pm Saturday – Sunday 7am – 7pm Pool Hours Tuesday – Sunday 11am – Dusk * All new hours begin May 1st
UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
Activities Calendar M AY
J U LY
AUGUST
May 23rd Stars & Stripes Tournament
July 4th Flag Tournament
August 8th Ohoopee Match Day
May 24rd Memorial Day Party
July 5th Independence Day Celebration
August 14th Longshadows Golf August 16th Couples Club Championship August 28th TUMS Pairing Party August 29th-30th TUMS
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M
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CM
MY
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CMY
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SEPTEMBER September 7th Labor Day Party
May 25th Golf One-Day Member Guest
July 18th-19th Henry I. Green & Betsy Downs-Kimpel Club Championship
JUNE
July 24th Longshadows Golf
June 13th Lilywhites - Ladies’ Golf Invitational June 19th Longshadows Golf June 25th–27th Men’s Invitational
July 26th Twin City Tournament at UCC (golf course closed)
September 11th Wingman Classic
S E P T E M B E R 11t h 2020 Custom sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact Carissa Nelson at Carissa.nelson@ucc1922.com
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JUN 13 JUN 27 JUL 18 AUG 1 SEP 19 UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
LAST YEAR, CENTRAL ILLINOIS BUSINESS MAGAZINE CHOSE THREE UCC MEMBERS FOR THE 2019 CLASS OF 40 UNDER 40 BUSINESS PEOPLE IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS.
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FEATURING: RYAN SCHRIEFER CODY ALTERMAN CHRIS GREENWOLD
RYAN SCHRIEFER Owner of C-U Under Construction
What is your favorite event at UCC and why? Only being a member for a little over a year, I really enjoyed the Folds of Honor [Wingman Classic] event. I love that UCC is focusing on those who give us the ability to have the advantages we have, run our business the way we see fit and protect our freedom. What is one piece of advice you would give a young professional? Don't ever expect things to happen without putting in the work. Some of our largest projects have taken twice the amount of personal effort and attention than what I ever expected. What do you do in your free time?
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My family and I love to spend time boating at Lake Shelbyville.
me operating a business is much more than an eight hour day. I also learned that if you can create a friendly and family environment, work becomes much more enjoyable for everyone. What is your proudest accomplishment? Aside from becoming a father, watching my team expand and watching them grow our businesses in directions that I never imagined. Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see our businesses collaborating and growing to serve the demands of our community and beyond. I also see technology and innovation in our industry being able to connect our clients with well-trained craftsmen for all of their projects.
What is one thing members might not know about you? I grew up on a farm an hour north of here and learned much about business from my dad. This also taught
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UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
CODY ALTERMAN Director of Professional Staffing for Express Employment Professionals
What is one piece of advice you would give a young professional?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
If you want to be in that one percent, you have to be willing to sacrifice and do what 99 percent of others are not willing to.
In five years I would like to see myself in a partnership position with my organization, expanding our operation further and staying on the cutting edge of corporate recruiting.
What do you do in your free time?
What is your favorite event at UCC?
In the rare event that I have some free time, I find release on the links of the UCC course with some friends or sending some rounds down range at my local gun club.
The Folds of Honor [Wingman Classic] event that the Club hosts is hands down my favorite. As a veteran myself, this is something that I can whole-heartedly engage with. It was amazing to see the amount of money our Club and its members can raise for such a great cause. This event brings the community together to heighten the awareness of a program designed to give back to those that risk life and limb to allow us to live a life of privilege and freedom.
What is one thing members might not know about you? I was a school-trained United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper. What is your proudest accomplishment? I set a goal in 2019 to be the number one professional recruiter in my entire multi-national franchise system (over 900 locations worldwide), and this year I reached that goal!
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CHRIS GREENWOLD Financial Representative for Country Financial
What is one piece of advice you would give a young professional? Activity in the community has been my key to success. However, the goal of my activism was never professional. When it comes to community involvement, focus on your passions. Any club or organization you join needs to be carefully selected and done so for a larger reason than just to do business. Because even business partners need to know how much you care before they care how much you know. What do you do in your free time? My social hour is 5:30 a.m.–7 a.m. when you can find me at the YMCA or a local park working out and congregating with friends.
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What is your proudest accomplishment? Being a father. Only time will tell if I was worth a darn, but it is still the thing I cherish the most. Where do you see yourself in five years? Professionally, I will be right where I am today. I love my career and while we will have two more full time staff members and one to three more part time staff in five years, I will still be the one developing plans and meeting with clients on a daily basis. Because for me, professional fulfillment comes from being the one helping my clients develop a plan that gives them peace in their financial lives. Personally, I hope to be on the east corner of the pool deck, enjoying the friends and family I have gained here at UCC. What is your favorite event at UCC?
What is one thing members might not know about you? When my mother went into the doctor to deliver me, it was her first visit to the hospital for her pregnancy and she did not want to keep me. By the grace of God, the attending physician that night was Dr. Greenwold (my adopted grandfather). He called my parents then and that’s how I ended up being adopted.
The Memorial and Labor Day parties. It isn’t the holidays or middle of the school year when schedules barely allow time to breath; it’s just a relaxed time to enjoy family and friends.
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JUNIOR CAMP
Fun, Fitness & Friendship Cost: $500 per child Ages 6 & up Email zach.canfield@ucc1922.com to sign up
June 2nd through July 31st Tuesday - Friday 8:30am - Noon
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I
T’S HARD TO IMAGINE HERE IN 2020, BUT there was a point in time where drinking alcohol meant sitting at a stone bar and sipping out of a baked clay goblet. Stemware and other glasses have come a long way since the early days of the Roman Empire. As Rome grew in power, so did their methods for making and serving wine. Romans began to drink their wine from special wine cups, just like how we do today. The stemware the Romans used could be made from silver, gold, stone, clay, and terracotta (a more expensive kind of clay). As history continued, wine glass size varied from the two and a half ounce glass to the 15 ounce glass that we have today.
Over time, stem and glassware not only varied by size but by style as well. You may be asking yourself, does the choice of glass make a difference to what you are drinking? The answer is yes. Shape and size of the glass affects everything from the ratio of alcohol to mixers to the perception of the drink on all levels: sight, smell and taste. Read about a few of the most standard glass and stemware shapes and sizes, and see how they all contribute to the perfect drinking experience.
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B ASIC GUIDE
MARTINI GLASS Sleek and classy with a long stem and a “V” shaped bowl. Used for martinis, manhattans and any cocktails served straight up (chilled but with no ice).
PINT GLASS (MIXING GLASS) 16 ounces. Used for draught beer and special request for tall cocktails and sodas.
ROCKS GLASS (LOWBALL OR OLD FASHIONED GLASS) Short and stout. Used most often for whiskey or a drink with a larger amount of alcohol to mixer. For example manhattans, old fashioned or martinis on the rocks.
COLLINS GLASS Long slim design. Used for sipping iced cocktails, gin, vodka and anything requested in a tall glass.
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CABERNET GLASS
PINOT NOIR GLASS
WHITE WINE GLASS
CHAMPAGNE FLUTES
Tall glass with a broad bowl. The height of the glass creates distance between the wine and mouth. It allows more oxygen to soften the tannins (natural compounds that are in grape skins and create the dry sensation in your mouth).
Large glass with a wide bowl. The wide bowl enables the wine to come into contact with plenty of air which increases the oxidation rate that smooths out the flavor and aromas.
Tall glass with a slender “U” shaped bowl. The shape enhances and preserves the aromas and also maintains the wine’s cool temperature.
Stem glass with a slender bowl. Used for champagne, prosecco and other sparkling wines. The design is to keep the liquid at the tip of your tongue, giving you aromas upon your first sip.
Now that you have the basic knowledge of stemware you can sit at the bar with this one last tip: grip the glass by the stem; gripping the bowl will leave fingerprints on the the glass and warm the wine. Cheers!
TH E UCC BOOK C LU B F E E D YO U R I N N E R B O O K WO R M OV E R F O O D, D R I N K S A N D E XC ITI N G D I SC U S S I O N .
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BY DALE MONTANELLI UCC MEMBER
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H
AVE YOU RECENTLY READ A GOOD BOOK? DO YOU wish you had a group of friends with whom to discuss the book? Or are you looking for suggestions for a good read? For over 15 years, the UCC Book Club has been meeting each month to eat, laugh and discuss a good book. When a group of Ladies’ League golfers didn’t want the camaraderie to end with the end of league play, the Book Club was born. Meeting on the last Thursday of the month, each member takes turns recommending books and leading the discussions. Our choices of books have evolved over the 15 years, from first novels by female authors, to anything that will provoke a good discussion (except current politics and religion). We’ve been reading new fiction, biographies and history (and historical fiction). We have revisited some older books such as “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”, “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Little Prince”—seeing them anew through the perspective of age and life experience we did not have when we first read them. We’ve also dabbled in stories that have helped us understand other cultures. Reading “Lolita in Tehran” by Azar Nafsi was particularly memorable as Nafsi discussed the impact of the overthrow of the Shah (followed by the overthrow of the secular government of Iran) on the efforts to educate women and the challenges that task presented. It is as relevant today as when we first read it. While we mostly have dinner and discuss the book, we have also gone beyond the book on occasion. We read “Shakespeare Saved My Life” by Laura Bates, the story of an English professor who taught a Shakespeare class in a prison, the effect it had on the prisoners she taught and the effect her work had on her own life. After the discussion, we went to the Jaguars Room to watch a documentary about Bates’ work in the high security prison, which brought the challenge of teaching in a place where the prisoners were so dangerous that they were not let out of their cells. We read “Delicious!” by Ruth Reichl. Reichl is a food critic well known for her restaurant reviews and books on food, but “Delicious!” is her first venture into fiction. The heroine of the story is a writer for a food magazine which ceased publication. Being low on the totem pole, she is the last employee, tasked
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with closing down the old NYC brownstone which housed the magazine and answering letters from readers to honor the magazine’s guarantee of perfect recipes. Her work leads to two mysteries: one about the house itself (no spoiler here—read the book) and the other her quest to recreate a lost family recipe for gingerbread cake. Needless to say, the recipe is recreated and is included in the book. At the next meeting of the Book Club, one of our members made the cake and brought it for all of us to enjoy! Finally, for some lighter summer reading, we read “The Friday Night Knitting Club” by Kate Jacobs; a story of how women bond
together to help one another through the challenges of life. We added to the evening’s fun by taking yarn in hand and learning how to knit, relearning how to knit or just enjoying a bit of knitting. The UCC Book Club has selected books for the next few months, all of which promise to create good discussions! Our next meeting will discuss “The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters” by Sam Kashner. Suggestions for future reading are welcome. A complete list of the books we have read previously is available for anyone who wants a reading list of interesting books.
UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
GAINEY RANCH GOLF CLUB SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
CHECK OUT SOME OF THE EXCITING BENEFITS AVAILABLE IN OUR TOP DESTINATIONS! PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE
PALM SPRINGS
TAMPA
Discover this year-round vacation destination with 81 holes of golf that offer a challenge for every level of golfer at Anthem, Gainey Ranch and Seville country clubs. With spring training for baseball’s best and complimentary* golf at the three clubs, your visit will fly by.
Escape to the desert and enjoy your complimentary* golf benefits at Mission Hills and Indian Wells country clubs. With 90 holes of golf, there are plenty of options. Beyond the course, Mission Hills Country Club offers four casitas with accommodations for overnight stays. Members also receive 12% off* the best available rate at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa.
Play with complimentary* golf benefits at Countryside, East Lake Woodlands and Hunter’s Green country clubs and Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. After a great round of golf, enjoy complimentary* dining benefits at Centre Club Tampa. Overnight accommodations are available at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club.
PLUS, WHEN YOU UPGRADE TO SIGNATURE GOLD UNLIMITED ENJOY FREE* GREEN FEES AND FREE* DINING EXPERIENCES AT MORE THAN 300 PARTICIPATING CLUBS.
. *Benefits are subject to the benefit terms and conditions, which may be found on clubcorpnetwork.com. Membership application or conversion form required, and membership is contingent on successful completion of the Club’s enrollment process. All offers are subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply. See Club for details. © ClubCorp USA, Inc. All rights reserved. 47023 0120 AAF.
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UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
EUCHRE CLUB
BOOK CLUB Love reading? Join fellow UCC members for a monthly book discussion at the Club. The reading list for 2020 includes some great titles like “This Tender Land” by William Kent Kruger, “News of the World” by Paulette Giles and “The Baker’s Daughter” by Sarah McCoy. (Read UCC Book Club member, Dale Montanelli’s, review of past Book Club books on page 18.) For more information on connecting with the Book Club, email carissa. nelson@ucc1922.com.
Our monthly Euchre Nights are a great way for beginners or more experienced players to connect! Join us for cards, popcorn and fun the first Thursday of the month, October through April at 6:30 p.m. Beginners are welcome to come learn the game and guests are also welcome. Watch your weekly emails for our first date of the fall season.
WINE CLUB From the sweetest moscato to the driest merlot, the Wine Club puts the whole world of wine right at your fingertips. Learn something new and share your knowledge with our vibrant community of wine lovers at UCC. Our Wine Club is currently on a waiting list, but we hope to expand in the near future. To add your name to the list, please email carissa.nelson@ucc1922.com.
MEN’S & LADIES’ GOLF LEAGUE Enjoy fun and friendly competition each week during the golf season! From late spring until early fall, our Ladies’ and Men’s Leagues meet up weekly for 9-hole, 2-on-2 matches. Ladies’ League meets Wednesday evenings and Men’s League meets Thursday evenings. Leagues are limited to Golf Members but all skill levels are welcome in League play. Contact zach.canfield@ucc1922.com for information on how to sign up.
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THE
f lair OF
GRILLING 24
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& SMOKING
G
RILLING AND SMOKING IS A GREAT WAY TO RELAX AND ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH family and friends, especially as the days get warmer. The chefs at UCC have some tried and true tips, tricks and recipes to help make your grilling and smoking experience that much better.
SMOKING Most people have tried their hand at grilling, but smoking is a little more daunting for some. True, you need specific equipment (we’ll get to that in a minute) and it requires a bit of patience, but the process itself shouldn’t scare people off. First and foremost, the key to starting off on the right foot is to use the right equipment. The chefs at UCC use the CookShack Smokette Elite model, which features ample room for large amounts of meat, superior insulation and can reach temperatures as low as 140 degrees fahrenheit. And if they are planning to cook and smoke for a large event, they utilize a custom Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q smoker. It is a more traditional smoker that requires a chef controlling the amount of smoke and heat that we want to go into the cooking space. Its size alone definitely makes a statement. It is fun for the chefs to display their talents on this heavy-duty smoker and more fun for the members to eat the food coming out of it!
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When looking for your own smoker, keep in mind elements like capacity, ease of use, features and quality. There are many options for the heating element, from electric to the classic
charcoal to gas. All will provide a varied approach to smoking and have their advantages and disadvantages. Always keep in mind the cost relative to your necessary features. For the smoking itself, one of the keys for good smoked barbeque is maintaining temperatures throughout your cooking. Whether you’re smoking ribs, pulled pork or brisket this summer, here are a few more tips and tricks to make your smoking experience easier: • Marinate the meat the day before to infuse all of the flavor over night and seal your meat with plastic wrap. • Look for hickory, apple, cherry or oak wood. Mesquite isn’t recommended as it has a very pungent flavor, and woods like pine are off-limits as they are slightly toxic and will ruin your food. • Soak the wood in water the day before. This is a great way to get a more intense smoky flavor. • In general, keep your smoker between 220 and 250 degrees, and no higher.
GRILLING Charcoal is a great way to get the grilling party started. For steaks and burgers, it allows you to get the smoky flavor and unparalleled crust. For brats and hot dogs, it can be easier to use match light charcoal or a gas grill. There are positives and negatives to each form of outdoor cooking, depending on what, when, and for how long you will be cooking. For instance, if you’re going to be cooking for long periods of time, consider using both match light charcoal as well as normal charcoal. For steak in particular, once it is grilled, there are a couple steps you can take to ensure it is extra juicy and tender. First, let it rest for five to 10 minutes after removing it from the heat. As the temperature cools, the protein molecules are able to reabsorb moisture that moved to the center of the meat during cooking, which means the steak loses less moisture when you cut into it. Another key to tender steak is how you slice it. We recommend cutting against the grain (perpendicular to the muscle fibers), especially when cooking tough cuts like flank, skirt and hanger steak.
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GRILLING TIPS Whether you’re making a quick weeknight dinner or throwing a big family barbecue, these tips and tricks will help you with your grilling success every time: • Flip the food just once.
• Use the right grilling tools.
• Season before grilling.
• Allow the grill enough time to heat up.
• Keep the grate hot, clean and oiled.
• Preheat charcoal grills for five minutes.
• Grill your vegetables and fruit.
• Preheat gas grills for 15 minutes. Gas flames don’t produce as much radiant heat as hot coals.
• Grip with tongs, don’t stab with forks.
• Give your steak a rest and the right cut.
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GET
Creative!
GRILLING IS NOT JUST ABOUT STEAK, HOT DOGS and hamburgers. When you grill vegetables and fruit, they acquire a distinguished texture and flavor that can really elevate your cooking. Here are some tips and benefits to grilling some out-of-the-ordinary foods.
PINEAPPLE Not only is this fruit equal parts tangy and sweet, it is also high in antioxidants, vitamin C as well as the health benefiting proteolytic compound, bromelain, a powerful anti-inflammatory that is also linked to fighting cancer. Grill pineapple rounds until brown on the edges and use them to garnish beef, pork, chicken, fish and salads.
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GRAPES Frozen grapes are a perfect low calorie snack when you are craving something sweet. But they are also tasty grilled. And while all grapes are high in antioxidants, red grapes specifically contain a phytochemical called resveratrol, which protects the body from multiple chronic diseases. Throw them on the grill and use them on top of a salad.
ZUCCHINI From lowering bad cholesterol to fighting oxidative stress, zucchini is great when cut into rounds and grilled. Marinate zucchini in olive oil and garlic before tossing it on the grill.
WATERMELON Throw a thick slice on the grill to reduce its water content. Eating watermelon daily has been linked to improved blood pressure, cardiovascular and eye health.
CHICKEN THIGHS These are best prepared on charcoal and cooked long enough in the presence of smoke and indirect heat to qualify as barbeque.
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PEACHES This fruit is also loaded with dietary fiber, vitamins and antioxidants to help ward of chronic conditions. Peaches are best cut in half, pitted and grilled for a few minutes on each side. You will end up with a juicy, naturally sweet topping for meat, salad or dessert.
FISH It is important to know the difference between grilling fish and other meats. Fish has a more delicate structure so you want to cook it slowly and make sure it is well oiled. It is best to season your fish on a plate with olive oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill. One of the easiest fish to grill is swordfish. Grill on one side for five minutes, then three to five minutes on the other. For a delicious, fresh spin on grilling, try marinating swordfish in chimichurri (a savory marinade that typically includes parsley, oregano, fresh garlic, olive oil and vinegar).
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FORTUNE FISH Here at the club, one of our highest priorities is sourcing quality ingredients. Therefore, we have been and will continue to research companies that will provide us the quality we look for from all over the world. Fish is no different. Over the years we’ve had the opportunity to visit various fish providers. After visiting Fortune Fish & Gourmet in Chicago, we realized that their facility has the same priorities we do. They are one of the top purveyors in the Midwest and, because of their location right next to O’Hare Airport, they can provide the freshest fish from the east and the west coast of the country, as well as from all over the world. Fortune Fish & Gourmet is dedicated to contributing to a sustainable farm-to-table model. Using their relationships, product knowledge and logistical advantages, they have established a track record of benefiting the farmers and their customers. Fortune Farmed has a network of farmers that all maintain the highest ethical, environmental and quality standards. These are all single family farms, run by the families that live on them. Fortune’s farmer partners adhere to the origins of farming including pastured animals, natural feed and they never use hormones.
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PEACH BARBEQUE SAUCE WET INGREDIENTS
DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups
Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup
Brown Sugar
¼ cup
Molasses
1 tbsp
Dry Mustard Powder
2 cups
Grilled Peach (blended)
1 tbsp
Chili Powder
1 tbsp
Worcestershire
1 tsp
White Pepper
1 cup
Tomato Purée
1 tbsp
Garlic Powder
1 cup
Ketchup
3 tbsp
Smoked Paprika
1 tsp
Red Chili Flakes
1 tsp
Ground Cumin
1 tbsp
Salt
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DIRECTIONS: 1. Whisk wet ingredients and dry ingredients in two separate bowls. 2. Whisk both together. 3. Simmer over low heat for approximately 45 minutes. 4. End product should have a shiny consistency.
LaBOr LABOR DAY DaY PARTY PaRTy
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SEPT 7Th SePT 7th
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Five Things to Know about BNC MR. KHAN RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE WILL BE the majority investor in the Black News Channel (BNC), an independent cable news network designed to provide news and programming that will enhance and celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences of the African American audience and community.
NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. (right), who participated in the teleconference, said the NNPA’s partnership with the BNC is a profound win-win for Black America. (Also pictured are Former Republican U.S. Congressman J.C. Watts, chairman of BNC (left) and Jacksonville Jaguars owner, Shad Khan, who is a primary investor in the new network (center).
In speaking on his decision to invest, Mr. Khan explained, “I believe there is an undeniable calling for everything the Black News Channel will deliver to African American television audiences, who have historically been under-served in an era where networks have otherwise successfully targeted news to specific demographic groups and interests. My decision to invest is an easy one because we get to answer that calling.”
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HERE ARE FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE BLACK NEWS CHANNEL
1 BNC IS MINORITY OWNED AND OPERATED. The network will also recruit and train aspiring African American journalists and will focus on engaging African American viewers and providing a platform for African American newsmakers and policymakers.
BNC WILL DEBUT TO 33 MILLION CABLE TV HOUSEHOLDS.
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Originally slated for a Fall 2019 launch, the network decided to push back the launch in order to take advantage of new technologies and distribution channels. The network officially launched on February 10, 2020.
3 CURRENTLY THE ONLY CHANNEL OF ITS KIND. It will be the nation’s only provider of 24/7 cable news programming dedicated to covering the unique perspective of African American communities and will provide additional programming that will benefit women, teens and historically black colleges and universities.
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4 TH E NETWORK WAS FOUNDED BY A FORMER ATHLETE TURNED CONGRESSMAN. J.C. Watts, Jr. will serve as the Chairman of the network. Watts played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and played professionally in the Canadian Football League before serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995–2003. He joins forces with CEO Bob Brillante, a 40-year cable TV veteran. Mr. Khan plans to work closely with both executives.
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BNC IS BASED IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORI DA.
The network will work closely with the School of Journalism and Graphic Communications at Florida A&M University. They also plan to launch news bureaus in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Chicago and New Orleans.
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Learn more at blacknewschannel.com or follow along on any of the social media channels.
HOW TO TUNE IN: BNC WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING THROUGH SLING TV OR THROUGH DISH NETWORK SATELLITE SERVICE.
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S E P T E M B E R 11t h 2020 Custom sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact Carissa Nelson at Carissa.nelson@ucc1922.com
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KEITH KELLEY AND HIS WIFE, SARA, have been members of UCC since 1996. Keith is Professor Emeritus of Immunophysiology in the College of ACES and College of Medicine at the University of Illinois. Sara is retired from her position as Assistant Dean of Advancement in the College of Applied Health Sciences and is the mastermind behind many of Keith’s dapper fashion choices.
How do you choose what you wear? Are there certain brands/ designers that you prefer? Is comfort important?
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It all began in 1971. Returning from serving in the artillery in Vietnam, I wanted to pursue an advanced degree at the University of Illinois. Three days after discharge, I found myself in the men’s restroom of The Thunderbird (now Timpones), changing out of my fatigues that I had worn for 14 months into a suit and tie. It was not comfortable. But I interviewed with the head of the Department of Animal Sciences and 30 minutes later he offered me a research assistantship that began three days later. I believe my professional attire that day contributed to being offered a job so soon after returning from overseas as it showed how serious I was about starting graduate school. Like most people, what I wear depends on the activity. Comfort is important. For golf, I prefer long, lightweight slacks and a short-sleeve polo. Peter Millar is my preferred brand as the slacks are also great for travel. Several years ago, I purchased some rather unique, yet comfortable, golf shoes in Italy. We happened to walk past a shoe store in a remote town and I saw a very colorful pair of golf shoes that were calling my name. I knew I had to have them! Knowing that I like to push the boundaries, Zach recently helped design my new favorite golf shoes: a one-of-a-kind pair of Footjoys that are made with three types of leather. Let me tell you, they are cool! Style is also important to me on the tennis court. It boosts my confidence and contributes to a positive, game-winning attitude.
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Because men’s styles have become more casual in recent years, my go-to work ‘uniform’ has evolved from a routine suit and tie to a more relaxed open collar shirt and sport coat with dark jeans. However, I still like to wear suits for special occasions. And when I do, I like them to stand out, just like my shoes. Each year, I frequently travel to Asia for work and have found a good tailor for custom-made suits in Hong Kong (Lord’s Tailor). There I have purchased a summer white linen suit that I wore to Rick’s Bar in Morocco (think of the movie Casablanca). I recently bought a three-piece French blue wool suit from this tailor and it received quite the reaction. True story: within the first few minutes of wearing it to a wedding, I was stopped in the church parking lot by a young man who said that one day, he wanted my suit. Can you believe it?! The advantage of a custom suit is that you can select the fabric, color and style. And most importantly, it will fit like a glove.
Kelley dons his French blue wool suit for an extravagent night out.
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Having traveled to many places, are there particular regions of the world that have influenced your style choices more than others? In the early 1980’s, I took a one-year sabbatical leave from Washington State University to work in a research laboratory just outside of Paris. Having spent most of my life in the rural United States, it was the first time I was exposed to European fashion. Not only did both women and men dress quite stylishly, but it was the first time I noticed the emphasis was on quality of items (in terms of style, fabric and durability) instead of the quantity of items that’s common in the ‘fast fashion’ U.S. retail market. My impression was that Americans were more likely to buy large amounts of less expensive clothing with the intent of wearing it for a season or two, while the French tended to invest in timeless pieces that would last for many years. This led me to pay more attention to the quality of the items I purchased and to opt for a more tailored look.
These unique Italian golf shoes called Kelley’s name from a store window in a remote town in Italy.
What style advice would you give a young professional looking to advance their career? Always think about what you are wearing, whether at the workplace or out socially, because you never know who you will meet that might provide an opportunity for advancement. Looking good helps you feel good, which is an important part of making a memorable first impression. When interviewing for a new job, be intentional about what you wear—down to the details. And don’t be afraid to take a risk. A former student said he intentionally wears his Star Wars cufflinks on interviews as an opportunity to strike up conversation and leave an impression. Dressing professionally shows respect for the person(s) you are meeting and that you are serious about the job.
Custom shoes from Footjoy designed by UCC’s own Zach Canfield are Kelley’s current favorite for hitting the UCC course.
Is there anything you used to wear that you absolutely would never wear again?
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When I was younger, I wore gym shoes with just about everything. Over the years, I came to realize that gym shoes should be just that and stay in the gym. For style and comfort, I believe nothing beats a nice pair of leather shoes, polished and with bold laces.
Are there particular accessories that you value more than others (watches, ties, belts, pocket squares)? Fun socks are my favorite accessory. In past years, the options were mostly limited to solid dark colors that were really boring. I love the creative patterns and bold colors that are available today. My go-to brand is Ted Baker. In recent years, I have been adding to my bow tie collection, but only those that are hand tied (thanks to YouTube for refreshing my memory). I also think pocket squares are a nice touch to a sport coat or suit jacket.
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Do you believe your fashion choices have impacted your professional life?
Is there a tailor in town that you use for adjustments? When my wife and I returned to Champaign-Urbana in 1984, Bachrach’s in Marketplace Mall was where I shopped for men’s clothing and they offered tailoring services. However, my preferred tailor for many years was Sicilian-born John Buttitta, who provided superb tailoring and custom-made suites from his downtown Champaign store. Sadly, John passed away in 2017, and I have not found anyone locally who can match his expertise. But let me put in a plug for Joseph Kuhn’s men store in downtown Champaign. This store is not for stodgy old men but rather offers a great variety of stylish, quality men’s clothing.
Clothing does not make the person, and I have certainly met people who care little about their outward appearance and are highly successful. However, I believe that clothing makes a huge first impression. University professors tend to dress very casually. Throughout most of my career on campus, I wore a sport coat, tie and dress slacks to work. My colleagues would occasionally tease me, but I felt that what I wore made a statement to both colleagues and students about the pride I had in my career. Although “the times they are a-changin” as Bob Dylan once sang, and styles are growing ever-more casual. I hope today’s professionals remain conscious about their appearance and aren’t afraid to do what they feel is best to represent both themselves and their respective profession. Paying attention to what I wear and not being afraid of taking risks have served me well.
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C L U B S O F T WA R E
Northstar
UCC IS EXCITED TO LAUNCH OUR NEW SOFTWARE SYSTEM IN EARLY SPRING. IF you attended the fall Member Info Sessions, you may have heard Scott talk a little about the launch. Northstar is designed to better meet your needs, and it is a software that can truly grow with the Club and provide a seamless experience as we continue to expand our offerings. Here’s what you need to know about Northstar: Who: Northstar is the premier Community Association Management Software Solution provider covering all operational and management aspects of running not just a traditional Club, but spa, fitness and other integrated facilities as well.
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What: We’ll change from our current system to Northstar in the coming months. Northstar will allow you to book and receive instant confirmation on dining and event reservations, book tee times, manage your spa appointments and more. You will also be able to manage and pay your bill online. These are just a sampling of Northstar’s features and we’re excited to share more with you as we continue the rollout process. When: In April, we will begin integration with our computer systems and begin merging data files (your data will remain secure throughout this integration process and in our new system). In mid-May, we’ll begin app and website rollout. We’ll continue to keep you informed on what’s happening in the weekly emails and in the Member’s Group on Facebook, and we will walk you through every step of what you need to know. Where: Northstar will help us integrate all of our systems at the Club. From dining reservations, tee times, spa management, fitness facility, tennis, pool and more. Everything at the Club will be integrated into one, user-friendly system. Why: Our goal is to always meet our members’ needs and exceed your expectations. With a one-stop-shop for all things UCC, this new software will make using the Club, and everything we have to offer, easy and seamless.
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THE WELLS FAMILY HAVE BEEN MEMBERS AT UCC FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS after a few friends that were neighbors encouraged them to join. You’ll see Daniel & Hilary along with their four children Ashley, Taylor, Wyatt and Peyton on the golf course, in the dining room and at lots of UCC events. We sat down with Mr. & Mrs. Wells to learn more family Mabout E M their BER S Hand I P business: SPOTLIGHT
Daniel & Hilary Wells UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
Tell us a little more about how you started Wells & Wells Construction. DW: After I graduated from the U of I, I worked at Staley’s in Decatur. I bought some land on spec and the dean of the high school I went to called and asked if I could build him a house on it. I quit my job and started Wells & Wells in 1989. At first I worked out of my garage and out of my house and I just grew it. My dad would never give me money for the business but he would take vacation and come help me at work and that was more valuable. At Staley’s, I saw a lot of people complaining about their jobs and not seeing any way out. I knew I didn’t want to be that person. I thought, I want to give this a try and see if it works and if not, I can always come back here. If you could offer one piece of advice to yourself in 1989, what would it be? DW: Learn accounting! I knew I had a passion for what I did but I didn’t have any accounting skills in terms of being able to understand financial statements and really see what I was looking at. I ended up taking some classes, but I wish I would have understood the business side of it earlier on. I went from earning a regular paycheck working 40 hours a week at Staley’s to becoming a business owner, working 60-70 hours and earning half what I had made previously. So, essentially I doubled my hours and cut my pay in half. I ended up figuring out that I paid most of my guys more than I was making, but I took the attitude that I’d just have to get better at it and I’d have to figure that part of it out.
F AV O R I T E S AT U C C EVENT HW: Fourth of July—the adults like it and the kids like it! Even this year with the pool closed, it was one of the best Fourth of Julys.
DRINK DW: Old-Fashioned HW: Whiskey Sours made with egg whites
DISH HW: Bam Bam Shrimp Wrap DW: Probably the filet and the clam chowder
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Photo by Stacey Poole The Wells family (left to right): Peyton (1) , Hilary, Wyatt (8), Taylor (10), Daniel and Ashley (12).
Tell me about your kids. HW: Ashley is in 7th grade, Taylor is in 4th grade, Wyatt is in 2nd grade and Peyton just turned one. DW: Ashley is a basketball player, Taylor is a dancer and Wyatt just enjoys everything and has a good time in life. How do you manage a successful business and a full home life? DW: We divide and conquer. Hilary takes care of the kids’ needs, school and extracurriculars and that lets me run the business. My hours aren’t consistent and I travel a lot. I’m the youngest of five and when I was growing up, my dad worked and my mom took care of the house and that’s a system that works for us too. You have projects both in Illinois and in various other locations around the US—how did you choose where to expand to? DW: This business is relationship-oriented and 90 to 95 percent of our business is from repeat customers. So most of our projects outside Illinois are where we’ve developed relationships and those customers end up doing projects
in other parts of the nation. We’re really not out looking for different areas; we’re just trying to take good care of our customers. What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out in business? DW: It’s all about relationship building and that’s what I try to tell the younger guys especially. Call the owners up, show up face to face and deal with any issue. We build relationships by being good to work with. We don’t blame people when stuff goes wrong. Every construction project is like building a brand new car. You can’t pass off problems by blaming the architect for example. We treat it as a team project and that makes for a better project. We all screw up and make mistakes, but it’s what you do after that—we stand up to it and try to make it right.
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What’s something people might not know about the construction industry? DW: A lot of people consider it a rough industry and there are some elements of that, but it’s a very professional industry. That’s how we run our job sites. HW: There is a lot of skill in construction and it’s not something everyone can do. It takes talent to be able to visualize the finished product and work from a plan. I don’t think construction workers get enough credit for what they’re able to do. Also there isn’t as much seasonality to the business as you would think. Some projects like student housing have to be finished in the summer, but otherwise, it’s a yearround business.
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You and your kids are all golfers—any advice for starting your kids out with golfing? HW: I actually started golfing in high school because my brother worked at a course—he’s now a course superintendent out in North Carolina. I like to take the kids out for a few holes and would bring Peyton along in a stroller while we played. All the kids play—some more willing than others! DW: My tip is to just have the kids come out to play. The great thing about the UCC course is you can just play a few holes or move out of the way if you need to. What’s something people might not know about you? HW: I love to have a garden and have flowers. I also love cooking and picking a new recipe out and giving it a try. DW: I coach my daughter’s junior high girls’ basketball team. It allows me to be around my daughter and her friends and also allows me to learn the game better. I still like to play myself over at the ARC. Rosie the goldendoodle is a central part of the Wells family.
Let’s get social!
FOR A LOT OF BUSINESS OWNERS, IT’S EASY TO GET intimidated and say you don’t “know” social media. But social media is all about connecting, and while the places where we connect have changed, how and why certainly haven’t. You can absolutely learn how to push the right buttons on any social media platform, but at the end of the day, no one knows your business and how to create connections with your customers and clients better than you! Here are my top five tips for making social media easier and more effective:
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1 Plan It!
A lot of businesses feel pressured to have a presence on social media, and so they also feel pressured to post something—anything—every day to keep up that presence. Break the daily pressure cycle by getting a plan in place for at least the week and, eventually, the month. Spend some time thinking through everything that’s coming up, what and how much you’d like to post about them and how you want to cover events as they happen. Then, get everything on a calendar or into a social media scheduler. When you dedicate time to social media from a larger time perspective it helps eliminate the daily, last-minute pressure.
2 Create Value!
This is one of the hardest tips on social media and even a lot of big brands struggle with it. For every post you create, ask yourself what is the value to the viewer? If you’re creating a video, are you just saying words that could be read on a post or a flier? If so, think through what value you could add to make it more interesting for your audience. A good thing to do when you’re stuck is to just spend time browsing different hashtags to see what’s a scroll-stopper and why.
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3 Match It Up!
There are so many social networks out there and identifying which ones to focus on is a key step. Once you’ve zeroed in on the networks that match where your audience hangs out, make sure you’re also tailoring your content to match each platform. When your content matches your audience’s expectations for what’d they like to see on the platform, those pieces are always going to perform better. Maybe you’ve experienced this on your personal page with someone posting text-only football game updates every 5 minutes onto Facebook, when those kinds of updates really match the formatting and expectations of Twitter better. This might mean that not everything you post on Facebook goes on Instagram and vice versa. Or it might mean changing up a caption, shooting both a still and a video to post on different platforms or just changing up your content even in a small way.
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Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose!
Once you go through the work of creating your content, never let it be a one and done! It’s a useful tool to try to use every piece of content at least twice, but even three times or more. Now repurposing doesn’t mean re-posting the exact same piece on the exact same platform. But what this can mean is if you have an event flier for instance, could you post the event on Facebook using your flier image as the graphic and then make a video for Facebook talking about the event, then break that video out into an Instagram story. If you take the time to produce great content, always repurpose and reuse it.
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Have Fun and Just be You
This is especially true in video. There’s so much emphasis in social media right now (and rightly so!) on the power of video. A lot of times people get nervous and are concentrating on everything they want to say that the video doesn’t end up highlighting why people watched in the first place—you! So the best advice is to just be 100 percent you. Have someone hold up a poster board with your key talking points on it behind the camera (hey, it works for SNL!) so you can just relax and have fun up there. And that’s true for all social. At its best, social for business is about connecting you and your clients. So have fun with it and try to enjoy the process! If you have any questions or anything you’d like to see on UCC’s social media, I’d love to connect with you—please email me at Carissa.nelson@ucc1922.com. I’m looking forward to connecting with you on UCC social media!
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How to Follow Along with UCC FACEBOOK – www.facebook.com/urbanagolf Check here for event reminders, videos, special promotions and everything going on at UCC!
FACEBOOK MEMBER’S ONLY GROUP Each week we post “What’s Happening at UCC” for the week along with event pictures and member’s only special offerings.
INSTAGRAM - @ucc1922 Check our page and stories for event info and pictures from events!
UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
WHEN
your heart CAN’ T
WAIT
OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute boasts a team of respected specialists who have served the Champaign-Urbana area for years. They are heart and vascular experts committed to seeing you today and getting you the treatment you need with no delay.
SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT Call (217) 337-3240 or visit osfhealthcare.org/get-seen
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F AV O R I T E S AT U C C : COCKTAIL TO MAKE: Old-fashioneds | FAVORITE DRINK: Just a good beer, second favorite is a dirty martini CURRENT UCC EVENT: Easter Eggstravaganza | MENU ITEM YOU RECOMMEND THE MOST: Any fish that we offer. I think we’re the best in town for fresh fish.
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Celebrating
25
years with Lesley
B
AR MANAGER LESLEY LUSTIG HAS BEEN A REGULAR fixture at UCC for over 25 years. First joining the team in 1994, Lesley is known for her quick smile, friendly attitude and for knowing every member’s name and drink preferences. We sat down with Lesley to learn a little more about the past 25 years at UCC: How did you come to join the UCC team? I was friends with the golf pros at the time, and they came to Todd & John’s where I was working. They said they were looking for a bartender here and to come and apply. Biggest change you’ve seen at the Club over the last 25 years? Everything! Everything from two different buildings to the product—there wasn’t even flavored vodka offered back when I first started. With the membership too, our membership was really small back in 1994 and now it’s doubled. And now members’ kids are getting married, having kids and those kids are becoming members themselves. It’s fun to watch and to be involved in those weddings, graduations and birthdays. Also, our whole membership seems tighter versus smaller friend groups. Everyone is inviting and so welcoming and willing to meet new people. Most memorable event you’ve worked at UCC? Probably the first Holiday Party where we debuted the mini martinis 11 years ago. No one was expecting it. I had done them for Mrs. Khan’s Christmas party up in Chicago and she said, “We need to do these at UCC!” So that’s what started it all. Favorite thing about your job? I love my job! Interacting with all the members and employees is my favorite thing. What do you like to do in your free time? When I’m not taking care of my parents, I really like to play golf. What’s something the members might not know about you? If you know me, you know I’m kind of an open book! But people might not know that I’ve been to sommelier school in Indianapolis, so I’m always ready to talk wine.
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THE INAUGURAL
KHAN CUP LAUNCHING 2020!
Join us each year for our season-long, match play tournament. 2020 season winners will be announced in the fall.
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Travel that works on your schedule, from the ground up. Visit flightstar.com to explore how charter flights give the flexibility to make any travel possible, when and where you need it to happen.
A number of years ago, Brad Klein invited me to speak at Golfweek’s Restoration Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. So as I prepared for my talk, I thought it might be high time to explore just what we all refer to as a “restoration” and how that differs from a “renovation”—a discussion that would afford the group an opportunity to compare and contrast between the two apparently different approaches. As I discovered then, and I can further attest today though, I’m not sure that a full restoration effort, in its defined sense, is much in the best interest of anyone.
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What to Make of Golf Course Restoration Hole 9
by J. Drew Rogers, ASGCA Golf Course Architect as seen on www.jdrewrogers.com
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Restoration
(n) The act of returning something to a former owner, place or condition. 57
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O IF WE TAKE THE DEFINITION TO HEART AND APPLY it to work on golf courses, it is to say then that a restoration would return the course exactly back to its former design—or original configuration. On the surface, that all sounds worthwhile doesn’t it? Especially after many older courses have been tinkered with by club presidents, green chairmen, golf pros, other architects and even a few superintendents. Just put it all back the way it was. And since the course was originally designed by one of our “Golden Age” heroes, we ought to “restore” it the way he intended it, right? To provide a clear answer here is not as easy as it might seem. True, there are merits in recovering what used to be, what was intended to be and paying some homage to what is undeniably a very special and impacting era in golf course architecture. But here’s the rub…and maybe it is strictly my opinion, but I happen to know for a fact that our game has changed a little since the early 1900’s. How, you ask? Well, for starters, how about technology? Golf Ball Basically, we hit it a whole lot farther now! Indeed the golf ball has evolved, from the feathery (180 yards average driving distance), to the guttie (200 yards avg.), the Haskell (235 yards avg.) and the modern synthetic versions (268 yards in 1980, 280 yards in 1997 and 304 yards in 2012).
Automated irrigation Golf courses were not even irrigated when many were built in the early 20th century. Think about how that influenced the placement of cross hazards and the design of greens. Fairways acted more like running boards then and responded well to one’s ground game abilities. The costs and scarcity of water today actually begs us to consider the old trend of “less is more”, but the technology of distributing water for the purpose of maintaining quality turf was and still is a major advance. Golf Cart For better or worse, the cart is here to stay and its circulation and access, and the paths on which they must travel have had a profound effect on the design and management of courses since inception of golf cart in the 1950’s. And what about the players? Yes, today, women play golf… and so do juniors...in fact, people of all walks of life and skill level play golf. Should we not accommodate them as well? They might need to play from a different set of tees. Not everyone is an accomplished player. Let’s not forget that the courses that were built between 1900 and 1940 were largely intended for prominent, golf savvy men. This list of influences can go on and on…including turfgrass varieties, green speeds, tree plantings, drainage installations,
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various mowing applications, and the seemingly endless development of the golf equipment. Over the last 100 years, much has influenced the game and the grounds on which it is played. What we do know, as architects, is this: Some courses were indeed designed by architects who had a reputation for creating really sound, enjoyable golf courses that stood the test of time. The popularity of these courses has endured generations of golfers, changes in the game and advances in technology. The question comes about, though, to the extent in which the design of such courses remains validly intact and whether the course has wandered away from or been eroded from its original intent. We see evidence of this on a regular basis, for sure. In such cases, a club committee may entertain the notion of “restoring” a course back to original glory…capturing all the nuances that at one time served to make the course so distinctive. And this is where we meet with the popular “restoration” classification today…a desire to put it all back and recover what was once there. Open up those filled in bunkers… rebuild those old tee locations…recapture those former cupping areas, take down those trees and so on. To execute any restorative effort, there should be clear reference as to what existed before… an account, if you will, of the original design. This may come in the form of old plans, sketches, aerial photographs, still photographs, notes, letters, newspaper articles and even an occasional real-life interview. If a club is fortunate enough to possess documentation of their UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
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Hole 17
golf course history in their own archives—that is like the Holy Grail to an architect. Anything and everything is of value. Sadly, many older courses have either misplaced or lost their references to the past in tragic clubhouse fires.
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So, there you have it in a nutshell: 1) the basic rationale behind a “restoration”, as it is most commonly referred to, 2) the influencing factors, and 3) the various reference resources. And of course, you need an architect that has the ability to synthesize all the pertinent elements and execute the work with some high degree of accuracy and professional expertise. Preferably, the architect will be skilled enough to subjectively analyze what was original with what best fits now—can make reasonable judgments about the well being of the course today and for the foreseeable future. Some architects promote that their sole purpose and expertise is to resurrect or “restore” old courses—claiming their intense knowledge of another architect’s tendencies. While this is surely a solid selling tool, I’m not too sure that anyone is truly THAT skilled. The fact is, we are hardly capable of being so all-knowing in interpreting
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these early works and intentions…However, a good architect can apply what is known about the architect, his work, about other courses executed during that era, tendencies of certain assistants or foremen used on the project,—and use all the resources available to make a reasonably good judgment, case by case.
Hole 14
Now, to get back on track here, the real focus of this piece is regarding the validity of a course restoration, as it is defined. I can only speak from my experiences, and my own opinion, that the term “restoration” is one of the most overused and misplaced descriptions of work in golf course architecture—it’s potentially a slippery slope, depending on the interpretation. At the end of the day, restoring the course back to its “original condition” is not only essentially impossible to do, it also seems relatively undesirable. Why would we dare revert entirely back to something that is essentially unattainable today? Would it even be accepted under modern-day expectations or fit within the framework of how the course has necessarily evolved over time? If we’re to do ourselves any justice at all in caring for the
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older golf courses, we are best served to focus efforts on what is best for the course TODAY, not solely what it was 100 years ago. So to restore a course in the truest, most literal sense should rarely, if ever, be done—but to recapture character, reinstate characteristics or sympathetically recover lost features or strategies…that certainly has some legitimate merit, so long as the work is considered in the same context of all of the factors that have influenced the game and the course since the it was originally built. Otherwise, we are all just kidding ourselves. Even those Golden Age architects wrote about the future of golf and the enduring qualities of their designs—evolving to serve the greater good of those who use and enjoy the course the most. Any architect with a forward vision realizes that their courses will be refined, adapted or modified somewhat by a skilled hand over time in order to accommodate the very influences that we face today. So how then might we define this application if it is not truly a “restoration”? We need a good buzzword. Is it a sympathetic reinstatement? A partial architectural recovery? A historical adaptation? We need a buzzword to talk and write about… something to romanticize or criticize! If it’s not restoration, then what? Funny to now consider this:
Renovation
(n) To restore to a good state of repair.
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Maybe “renovation” was actually a more appropriate word all along! Call it what you wish, but maybe it was this little conundrum that caused Golfweek’s first Restoration Conference to be the last one as well? Too bad, because it still seems worth talking about.
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Hole 14
64 BUILDING YOUR NETWORK CAN BE ONE OF THE HARDEST things to do and often can feel very uncomfortable. Unfortunately, in many cases, networking success is unattainable due to the audience in attendance. Effective business networking starts with attending events where you know attendees are qualified and that your business can bring benefits to them. Unfortunately, knowing the audience is not always the easiest thing to do. So why not network where even though you may not have formally met before, you know everyone has similar interests, needs and they are fellow qualified business professionals like yourself. And if most people in attendance are genuinely looking to help you succeed, build relationships and strengthen their Club connections, building your network will naturally happen. Being a member of a country club is one of the easiest gateways into networking. The Urbana Country Club’s business-centric networking events can be a catalyst for growing your professional career. Given that members are referrals of friends, family and associates, making them qualified candidates, you can always ensure there is potential to grow your network in a positive manner.
Not only do these networking events provide a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people, they are designed to offer value in many other ways. For example, the recently started Power Luncheons have been designed to focus the attention on networking while also offering a 20 minute presentation from a successful businessperson, coach, leader or influential community members. In just a few of the early luncheons, presenters have ranged from motivational speakers, life coaches, and businesspeople, to one of the most recognized, winningest Illini coaches of all time. Speakers share valuable leadership, personal and business skills, and future presenters are guaranteed to bring value to your personal and professional lives. “Grow … Grow your spirit, your skills and your mind.”
-Habeeb Habeeb
Management Consultant and author of “Motivational Minutes”
“You don’t need to know all the details of a problem to know you can handle it. Because you know yourself and what you can do.”
-Mark Johnson U of I Wrestling Coach
UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
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COAC H
RENEE S LONE A U of I Women’s Golf star back in her day, Coach Slone has spent her professional career sheparding a new generation of women golfers to greatness.
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As an Illini, Slone was a three-time All-American, claiming three straight top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, including third place in 1991.
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During the winter months, Slone holds practices for the U of I women golfers at the Demirjian Indoor Golf Facility.
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OACH RENEE SLONE’S CAREER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF Illinois is unparalleled as both a player and a coach. The former Fighting Illini golfer remains the most decorated player in the history of the program. Slone’s accolades were numerous. Most notably, during her senior season in 1993, Slone held the school record of average strokes per round, claimed a schoolrecord eight medalist titles (including the Big Ten Championship), and was named the National College Player of the Year, becoming the first “northern” golfer to claim the title. Slone’s record-breaking contributions to the Fighting Illini did not end with her playing career. Entering her 14th season as Head Coach for women’s golf at U of I, Slone has brought the program to new heights, reaching the NCAA Championships for the first time ever in 2019. Along with this historic achievement, the team also had their highest regional finish in program history, and equaled their best ever finish in the Big Ten Tournament: second-place in both 2018 and 2019. Even more impressive than their performance on the course, the team also recorded the highest GPA in program history in 2019. This type of success and growth does not happen overnight, nor does it happen by chance. It begins with a vision. You have to know where you want to go before you can begin building a plan on how to get there. A vision allows you to set clearly defined expectations in the quality of your facilities, commitment of
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your coaching staff, performance of your team and, most importantly, the overall success of the program. The real challenge in executing a vision is finding people to surround yourself with that share in your vision, and, even more challenging, getting those people to commit to join your program. “Building relationships is extremely important in the recruiting process and consistent communication is vital in our efforts. We highlight the many academic, athletic and personal opportunities provided at the U of I which include receiving an education from one of the nation’s top institutions as well as utilizing a premier training facility to enable them to develop their skills in their quest to achieve excellence. We emphasize the ability to become a well-rounded player here via the various methods we employ. It is also very meaningful to be a part of a program that has made significant strides over the course of the past several years and continues to raise the bar while setting new milestones.” Coach Slone has remained committed to not only creating great golfers but, more importantly, mentoring great people. It is essential to her that every player leaves the program with “a sense of independence, a strong work ethic, confidence in their abilities to manage anything and a sense of gratitude for the opportunities they have received.”
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BEYOND
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Aside from simply f inding great golfers, Coach Slone looks for the following attributes when attempting to f ind potential Illini to f it her vision:
• A growth mindset and a hunger to improve both as a person and a player. • A strong work ethic and a willingness to do the little things day in and day out. • A positive energy that makes those around them better. • The ability to see the positives/opportunities in every situation. • An understanding of the importance of a team first mentality and culture to our success. • Alignment with team values. • A commitment to becoming their best self.
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GOLF CAN SEEM TERRIBLY COMPLICATED TO THE INEXPErienced. From the nonsensical lingo, endless rules and infinite equipment choices, it is no wonder many people find the game too intimidating to begin. There is hope. At Urbana Country Club, we offer a clinic series designed exactly for the individual that knows absolutely nothing about the game. We understand that everyone has to begin somewhere, and we know there is no better place to do it than at UCC. Let us guide you through the unknown world of golf in a fun, supportive environment that will have you ready for the course in six weeks. Here at Urbana Country Club, we truly believe that the only dumb questions are the ones you are too afraid to ask. Our Begin Clinic Series was a great success in its first year. It proved to be a comfortable environment for complete beginners to learn the game, meet new people and become further engaged in the UCC family.
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THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE TOPICS COVERED IN THE BEGIN CLINIC SERIES: •
Putting, chipping, pitching, and driving the golf ball
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Operating the golf cart
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Carrying your clubs appropriately
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Tipping guidelines
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Checking-in with the Golf Shop
If competitive golf is not for you, then just play for fun. If 18 holes takes too long, then just play three. If the holes are too long for you, then begin the hole from closer to the green. The point is, there are infinite ways to play the game and enjoy golf. Let us show you the basics so you can figure out how you like to play the game. Golf at Urbana Country Club is all about playing on your terms.
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Raking bunkers, repairing divots and ball marks
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Using golf tees and ball markers appropriately
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Choosing which club to use in different situations
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Navigating the golf course
Be sure to check the calendar for the Begin Clinic Series dates, and, new this year, the Begin Ladies’ League which will be a casual setting for beginning golfers to play with experienced members in order to meet new people and become more involved with the game.
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Choosing the right equipment for you
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Basic rules
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Most importantly, GOLF ETIQUETTE
Learning everything about golf may take some time, but learning how to play in a timely manner will make you friends out on the course in no time at all. We always tell the participants at our clinics, “Nobody will ever be frustrated with you for being a bad golfer, but they may get frustrated if you are a slow golfer.”
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SEPTEMBER 11, 2019
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IN THE
Scene THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
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THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
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Business Success F I V E T I P S F O R B U S I N E S S S U C C E S S F RO M R I C H A R D & LY N N YO E R K , P R E S I D E N T S & F R A N C H I S E O W N E R S , E X P R E S S E M P L OY M E N T P RO F E S S I O N A L S
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CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS ARE KEY TO SUCCESS We base our success on the success of our customers and continuously work at improving what we can offer in the way of support and service. We believe we are only as good as our last placement.
BE THERE WHEN YOUR CUSTOMERS NEED YOU We are the only service that is open on the weekends. We are available to our customers until 11 p.m., seven days a week, and we employ three times as many recruiters as our competitors to ensure we can provide personalized service.
WORK HARDER THAN EVERYONE ELSE Sometimes it comes down to just outworking our competitors. We have a staff that comes in early, stays late and does whatever it takes to take care of our customers.
EACH DAY IS A NEW OPPORTUNITY Every day is a new challenge, a new opportunity for growth; a blank canvas to create new ways of taking care of our customers. UCC1922.COM | SPRING 2020
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WE’RE PREPARED FOR THE JOB Finding a qualified candidate requires more than just an employment ad. After all, how do you advertise for a specialist who is also a motivated, passionate leader? An employee of that caliber is usually already in a successful, secure position, not actively searching for a new employer. That’s why once we’ve established your exact specifications and created a strategy, we get right to work.
IT’S MORE THAN JUST THE BASICS As we simultaneously review our current contact database and search for new candidates, we evaluate abilities like: • Leadership skills • Personal strengths • Background experiences
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LILYWHITES LADIES’ INVITATIONAL June 13 th