Kemper to revitalize courses in Illinois and Tennessee

One of the oldest country clubs in Illinois hopes KemperSports Management can help it attract members with interests beyond golf. Kemper’s plan for Rockford Country Club, which dates from 1899, will involve scheduling events that involve entire families – things like cooking classes, wine tastings, swimming lessons and activities for kids.

“In the old days, it was all about men and it was all about golf,” Kemper president, Steve Skinner, told the Rockford Register Star. “We’re making the club the social hub of the community.” RCC, which has of late considered merging with other local clubs, hopes the reinvention is its ticket to financial stability.

KemperSports has also been inked to take charge of the golf course at a seniors-friendly community along Lake Tellico in Lenoir City, Tennessee. Kemper’s main order of business will be to create a new identity for WindRiver, which generated plenty of bad news when it was known as Rarity Pointe. Mike Ross, the community’s creator, fought bitterly with his partners and eventually had to seek bankruptcy protection, activities that don’t offer comfort to prospective homebuyers. A group led by Joe Ayers bought Rarity Pointe at a foreclosure auction last year. It aims to refresh the community’s Bob Cupp-designed golf course, create a new master plan and add amenities promised by Ross, most likely a clubhouse, a wellness center and an indoor pool.

“We need to be an active lifestyle community that appeals to all ages,” he told the Knoxville News Sentinel.