Summer of 2017’s Last Events

By: Maria Girlie Pascual

 

Kemper Lakes has been recognized as one of Golf Digest’s best 100 courses in the USA, hosting the 1989 PGA Championship where the late Payne Stewart cinched the Championship title that year. There were also four Grand Slam of Golf Events, six Championship Tour Events, the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship plus 26 consecutive PGA Championships. A testament to all these glorious golfing events are the walls in the clubhouse lined with pictures and trophies from both men and women star players from 1979 to today, including Greg norman, Fuzzy Zoeller, Jack Nicklaus in 1986, Larry Nelson, Greg Norman and Scott Simpson in 1988, Payne Stewart, Mike Reid and Curtis Strange in 1989, Vickie Goetz defeated Annika Sorrenstam at Kemper in 1992, Hale Irwin won the Ameritech Senior Open in 1999 and Candie Kung triumphed over Missy Far-Kaye in 2001 at the U.S. Women’s Public Links Championship, just to highlight a few. Yes, a few, because from 1979 to 2007, Kemper Lakes was home to a host of premiere tournaments.

Kemper Lakes is a private country club located in the upscale neighborhood of Kildeer in Lake County, Illinois. It started as a first class public course designed by Ken Killian and Dick Nugent, commissioned by Jemes S Kemper Jr., President and Chairman of Kemper Insurance company in 1979. The beautifully laid out, 7217 yard, 18 hole sprawling course did not become private until 2003 when it was acquired by Crown Golf Properties.

Last month, Viatimes and CPRTV staffers which included our Chicago Philippine Reports TV Director Joe Mauricio, James Delacruz, myself and Bently Pascual attended a press conference which Kemper Lakes hosted to promote the KPMG (a tax, audit and financial advisory company) Women’s PGA Championship to be held here in Illinois next year from June 26 to july 1st, 2018. This event will combine a KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit open to corporate sponsors, a KPMG Future Leaders Program and the Women’s PGA Championship. The breakfast meeting included prominent Kemper Lake members like Mr. Kim, Mr. Kim and Mr. Cho, all seated in one row during the presentation, another mr. kim from K-Radio Broadcast in Chicago, members of the korean Golfing Association of the Midwest, staffers from the korea Tribune and members of the KTV of Chicago.

The President of Kemper Lakes, Mr. John Hosteland, was there to welcome attendees, along with Randy and Auggie, who made a presentation inviting the Asian community to actively participate in next year’s KPMG Women’s Championship and offering substantial blocks of discountes ticket prices just to entice golf fans to attend the 6 day event. For more information, please watch out for future developments or contact your local community representative regarding the final decisions from this lively meeting that we were priveleged to attend. The golf was not bad either–LOL.

And moving from golf to a fun 60th birthday party I attended at the Arlingdale Golf Club in Arlington heights (how funny is this, another golf course), congratulations to the family of Julio Cuenca who reached a milestone sans aches and pains, thanks to his very loving and supportive family with wife Annabelle, daughter Julie, the beauty and brains behind this covert party, and Mike and Yvonne Cuenca, my featured newlyweds in July’s issue. It was a sweet, sentimental get together for Julio’s family, friends and long time co-workers that Julie painstakingly tracked down so that they can surprise her dad with their presence. A montage of his life was the highlight of the night, and sumptuous Filipino fare, a trademark of the family, made the evening even more special as the celebrant’s favorite dishes were made part of the bountiful spread. All in all, it was a wonderful 60th birthday celebration that was only made more special by the good wishes and happy vibes of the community surrounding the birthday clebrant. God bless Julio Cuenca and may you have many, many more years of a blessed life ahead of you! Thank you for inviting this writer, until next time.

Finally…Congratulations to our 2017 AAGI Club Champion, the AAGI President’s Cup Champion and Royalty Player of the Season—you were all amazing and like all good things, this golf season has now come to its end. Until next year—MABUHAY!

AAGI Club Champion Contenders (L-R) Joe Molina, Ray Agbunag, Roy Ruiz and Clive Merrill.

AAGI Royalty Cup Contenders (L-R) Izzy Tovar, Ching, Schneider, Girlie Pascual and Jessie Magsino.

Rooting for the AAGI winners (L-R) Roy Ruiz, Jessie Magsino, Doc Lito Fernandez, James DC, Bently and Girlie Pascual.

Celebrant Julio Cuenca flanked by wife Annabelle with daughter Julie on the far left side and son newlywed Mike with wife Yvonne.

Kemper Lake Golfers James DC and Bently Pascual enjoy the round.

Girlie with birthday celebrant Julio and Annabelle Cuenca and cousin Fierizza Antonov.

Kemper Lakes (L-R) President John Hosteland listens to Randy while Marketing head Auggie listens with him.

KPMG Women’s PGA press conference with Korean businessmen.

Private Club member Mr. Charlie Cho addresses the Asian group at Kemper Lakes.