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(Kohler, cont.) According to Jim Beley, general manager of the American Club, Kohler’s hospitality division started planning for the 2004 PGA Championship three years in advance. Organizing such a large event was challenging since those in charge needed to figure out how to market the tournament, transport thousands of people through country roads and accommodate national and international press and work. All the planning paid off, since there were no major problems during the tournament giving Sheboygan County and Wisconsin even more positive publicity. The American Club stands on its own, even without the help of the highly publicized golf tournaments. Kohler Company built the American Club in 1918 as a dormitory for factory workers. In the early 1940s, the lodge was transformed into a hotel with two separate buildings. The main hotel has 185 guest rooms, each of which is dedicated to a different famous American. The Carriage House has an additional 52 rooms. Not surprisingly, the hotel’s bathrooms are just as elegant as the bedrooms. Each room includes a whirlpool and serves as a showcase for Kohler’s signature plumbing design. Because its rooms are expensive (a standard room costs about $250 on weeknights during the summer), the American Club mainly caters to older executives between 45 and 60 years old. According to Beley, many younger people would probably enjoy staying at the luxury resort, but since many are still paying off college debt, they are unable to stay there. However, the demographic changes during golf season (May to October), when young people who want to golf at championship courses are willing to splurge on staying at the resort. During the golf season, the average age of American Club guests drops slightly. The constantly expanding corporation recently added a new resort to its team. In October, Kohler bought the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort and Spa in St. Andrews, Scotland. The hotel is located on the 17th hole of the Old Course, probably the most famous hole in the world of golf. According to Beley, the company had been “interested in buying a facility with a strong influence in golf.” Although Kohler does not own the Old Course itself, the conglomerate bought the nearby Dukes Golf Course, which will introduce Kohler hospitality to a European audience. One might think Wisconsin hotel developers would be too intimidated by Kohler’s impressive vacation destinations to set up shop in Sheboygan County. However, Sheboygan County is home to several other top-notch resorts, including the Osthoff, a AAA Four Diamond resort in nearby Elkhart Lake, founded in 1886. Osthoff general manager Lola Roeh sees the American Club and Kohler’s golf courses as more of a complement to her business rather than a competitor. “Kohler Company has done a lot to increase demand for tourism in Sheboygan County,” said Roeh. “It’s like having a McDonald’s and a Hardee’s on the same block.” |
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