KemperSports and the Chicago District Golf Association Team Up to Encourage Golf Participation, Welcome New Players

Two-Person Scramble Championship Gains Traction Across Chicago and Sees Increase in New Players and Female Participation

NORTHBROOK, Ill. – For the second year in a row, KemperSports and the Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) have partnered to encourage participation in golf and attract new players to the game through the CDGA KemperSports Two-Person Scramble Championship. Tabbed the Kemper Cup, the event was established in 2021 to create casual competition for players of all skill levels across Chicago and Illinois. The event series is hosted at six different KemperSports-managed properties between May and September and was expanded this year to include two additional qualifiers following last year’s success and popularity.

Last year’s momentum has carried over to 2022 as all six qualifiers were filled in record time and included a waitlist (each qualifier is limited to the first 48 teams to sign up). Of this year’s 461 unique registrants, 311 are first-time participants, while 150 players are returning for another chance to etch their names on the Kemper Cup. Female participation is up 150 percent year-over-year and participants range in age from 22 to 81. A portion of the entry fees directly support KemperSports junior golf initiatives.

Also new to this year’s event is the addition of a fourth flight to give teams of varying ability ample opportunity to compete for prizes. The Handicap Index® range of this year’s participants is wide, spanning from +2.7 to 36. All teams compete for the best gross and net scores in their respective flight, with the top two gross and top two net teams from each flight at the qualifier earning a berth into the championship at Chicago’s Harborside International Golf Center on Sept. 14, 2022.

“While the pandemic helped spur golf’s record resurgence, it also brought new, social players to the game, which we learned from our Golfer Insights Survey,” KemperSports Executive Vice President – Golf Josh Lesnik said. “Pairing golf experiences with comfortable, social environments that focus on fun is really important  in keeping new players engaged, and our property teams are embracing this shift. Teaming up with the CDGA to host a team scramble event for both avid and new players at our facilities has proved to be very successful, and we look forward to supporting its continued growth while identifying opportunities for expansion in Chicago and other regions.”

“Our partnership with KemperSports on this event has been very positive,” Chicago District Golf Association Executive Director Robert Markionni said. “We share many of the same goals when it comes to promoting the game and providing golfers with memorable experiences. The Kemper Cup is one of the more popular events on our Social Competition schedule due to the format’s appeal to a wide range of players, as well as the quality of the KemperSports courses that are hosting the event. We’re pleased to provide a unique and fun golf experience over the next five months to more than 450 CDGA members.”

For more information on the CDGA KemperSports Two-Person Scramble, visit www.cdga.org/2scramble.

About KemperSports
Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports builds, owns and manages golf courses, resorts, athletic clubs and lodging venues across the U.S., Caribbean and Central America. The company’s award-winning portfolio includes nationally-ranked courses, private clubs, municipal courses and tournament venues such as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, named the No. 1 Golf Resort in North America by Golf Digest and GOLF magazine; Streamsong Resort; The Glen Club; Desert Willow Golf Resort; Chambers Bay, host of the 2015 U.S. Open. For more information about KemperSports, please visit www.kempersports.com.

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About the Chicago District Golf Association
The Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) is authorized by the United States Golf Association (USGA) as the governing body for amateur golf in our region. The CDGA is a membership organization consisting of nearly 90,000 individual golfers and 400 clubs in Illinois and parts of Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Golfers receive member offers, a Handicap Index® from the USGA® and competitive playing opportunities, while clubs receive USGA rating and measuring services, turfgrass diagnostics and educational seminars. Midwest Golf House and the Bob Berry Sunshine Course are home to the CDGA Foundation, which annually serves more than 1,000 individuals with special needs and wounded veterans while also bringing playing opportunities to youth golfers. Founded on March 18, 1914, the CDGA is one of the largest and oldest golf associations in the United States. For more information on the CDGA, visit www.cdga.org.

Media Contacts:

Megan Godfrey, KemperSports

mgodfrey@kempersports.com | 312-888-2119

Casey Richards, CDGA

crichards@cdga.org | (630) 685-2324