KemperSports announced the addition of two courses in July, following two additions from earlier in the year. Colwood Golf Course, in Portland, Ore., Country Club of Bristol, in Bristol, Tenn., Dublin Ranch Golf Course, Dublin, Calif, and Apple Ridge Country Club in Mahwah, N.J. are all now under management. KemperSports now has a portfolio of a 120.5 course, just 20 courses shy from stealing ClubCorp’s spot as the 5th largest golf management company. 

KemperSports is expanding it’s clout in new areas. Colwood Golf Course is the company’s second golf course in Portland. It also manages the City of Portland’s Heron Lakes Golf Course. Dublin Ranch Golf Course, an 18-hole par 63 course located in the East San Francisco Bay area, is the first and only golf course in city of Dublin.

Colwood is currently being renovated from an 18-hole course into a 9-hole, par-3 course and driving range. Half of the course was rezoned for industrial use in 2013, and the City of Portland acquired the remaining land in March for $5 million.

“We are proud to bring a large portion of the Colwood Golf Course and natural area into public ownership, and KemperSports is the right company to manage the course,” said Portland Parks Commissioner Amanda Fritz. “It is land which represents significant environmental and recreational opportunities for the entire City of Portland.”

Situated amid open parkland and forested and wetland areas that protect the Columbia Slough in Northeast Portland, Colwood Golf Course and the surrounding property are the cornerstone of a long-term restoration project that will reshape the existing landscape into an important public natural area. The plan calls for a wetlands restoration project in order to preserve the natural landscape while focusing on improving water quality.

The Portland non-profit group First Tee will be offering classes for youth in the near future. Portland Public Golf, part of Portland Parks & Recreation, is working with a non-profit partner on hiring local workers from the Cully neighborhood, where the course is located.

The Trust for Public Land is the national non-profit that managed the complex deal to transfer Colwood Golf Course to the City of Portland, calling the transfer a “win-win situation.” Portland Parks & Recreation will manage more than one-third of the restored land as a natural area, protecting wildlife and water quality. 

KemperSports also recently announced it was selected to manage Apple Ridge Country Club in Mahwah, N.J. 

Apple Ridge Country Club was developed in 1966 as a private club by the Carlough family on their family-owned apple orchard. The Club has unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline. 

Designed by Hal C. Purdy, the 18-hole, par-71 golf course recently went through a significant renovation that included new bunkers throughout the course and additional tee space to add length to the course.  

The club also has event and banquet locations as well as indoor and outdoor dining space.

“Apple Ridge Country Club has a strong history and membership,” said KemperSports CEO Steve Skinner. “We look forward to working with the Apple Ridge team to enhance the membership offerings and amenities and deliver a great member and guest experience.”

The KemperSports management contract with Dublin Ranch Golf Course was announced in February. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the course is comprised of 11 par three’s, five par four’s and two par five’s. The intimate and walkable routing of the course leads to an average round under four hours with a variety of challenges allowing golfers to use every club from a driver to a wedge.

In February, the company announced a management contract with the Country Club of Bristol in Bristol, Tenn, a 120-year-old semi-private club making it the oldest country club in Tennessee. The course, situated below the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, is thought to be the birthplace of organized golf in the state.

The Country Club of Bristol was established as a private club in 1894. It was constructed on the current site in 1958 and redesigned by the Mark McCumber design group in 1999. 

It is open to non-members as well.