Katherine Jemsek

One-on-One With Katherine Jemsek

Cog Hill’s New President Talks About Her Celebrated Family,Their Legendary Golf Course and Much More

There are many notable golf courses in Chicagoland, but one stands out: Cog Hill. For the past two decades, the Lemont-based course has been the host of a PGA tournament in all but one year, first with the Western Open and then with the BMW Championship.

A couple recent course renovations have generated controversy, but the fact remains that Cog Hill is synonymous with Chicago golf, both in the eyes of locals and the international community. The name Cog Hill is unique in that it is taken from the Coghill family, which built the course. Cog Hill was purchased by Joe Jemsek in 1951 from brothers Jack, Bert and Martin Coghill.

Joe Jemsek was an outstanding golfer in his time and chose to continue his passion by being an owner of golf courses. He was extraordinarily driven to please every golfer who set foot on this courses. For example, he made a habit of greeting golfers either before or after their rounds. Those who played St. Andrews regularly felt that they knew Joe.
That personal touch speaks volumes about the Jemsek golf philosophy. Frank Jemsek, Joe’s son, continued that same policy at Cog Hill, and it’s still in place today. If you play at Cog Hill, you will likely encounter Frank, who, like his father, will be there with a smile on his face and will thank you for your business.
Joe’s daughter, Marianne Hinckley, who has run St. Andrews since Joe’s passing, can still be found in the clubhouse restaurant, where she’ll likely stop by your table, thank you for coming and perhaps tell you a “dirty” joke that is often more silly than dirty.

Following this year’s BMW Championship, there was Frank, standing at the exit on hole 18, thanking every patron for coming. If that isn’t pure class, I don’t know what is.

This year, Frank has handed the reins of the family business to his daughter Katherine Jemsek. Frank still has tremendous input on what happens at Cog Hill, but the day-to-day responsibilities now belong to Katherine Jemsek, president of Cog Hill Golf and Country Club. I had an opportunity to interview Katherine during the BMW Championship, and she gave me her views on golf, her family, the future of Cog Hill and much more.

Val Russell: Can you tell me your title and responsibilities?

Katherine Jemsek: My title is president of the corporations.

VR: That pretty much puts you on top of everything?

KJ: No, Dad still outvotes me. Dad still wants to be involved in his semiretirement, and he has substantial input on policies and procedures, but he wanted to step back and work on the parts of the business he enjoys most. After 50 years, he’s earned the right to do what he wants, when he wants to do it.

VR: Can you give us some background on you? Who is Katherine Jemsek?

KJ: I played golf in high school; I stopped playing golf after the state finals my senior year. I only played on Father’s Day—it was the cheapest gift I could give Dad and the only one he really wants. My first job, and only job outside of Cog Hill, was at Marriott World Center. After graduating from college, I went back to Cog Hill working again in the pro shop, but Dad wanted me to learn the whole business, so he put me on the tee for two days, two day’s at the driving range and one in the pro shop.
My next assignment had me going to Pine Meadow two days a week helping with bookkeeping, and later into Cog Hill’s office, where the business decisions are made. I guess I picked up a lot of the day-to day-business dealings. Then in 1997, I helped Carol McCue [executive director of the CDGA from 1942 to 1982 who later worked for the Jemseks], who was the tournament director at the U.S. Amateur.

I then went to Summer Grove [Georgia], where I was general manager for a year and a half. When I came home, I didn’t want the same job, so I stayed on the administrative side, and I also started to play more golf at that time. I realized in Georgia and here that I got left out a lot because I didn’t play. But now I play for fun. I don’t have to go out and shoot a low score. If I get a par, I’m excited. I even like boogies.

VR: Are there other siblings? Do they participate in the business?

KJ: I have a brother and a sister. Marla was always the best player, the most competitive. She also coached golf at Rollins College before starting her family. She still works in accounts payable/payroll, but the side she loves is player development. My brother Joe is a golf course architect. I’m sure his business is challenging right now when there are more architects than business. He’s doing well. He recently completed a renovation at Windermere in Florida. He has a number of smaller projects that work well for him.

VR: What are family dinners like? Do you guys talk about anything other than golf?

KJ: Other things were discussed, but the topic always came back to golf. Especially with my sister, who was a very competitive player. Joey growing up—he used to draw courses on paper and build them with Legos. He created miniature golf courses in the basement out of all my mother’s stuff. He truly enjoyed the game and found it fascinating. He actually absorbed everything about golf, if that makes sense. Ironically, at family diner conversations when we were growing up, we would hear Dad speak of his concerns or problems. That is probably where we learned a lot of what we know about the golf industry without even realizing it.

VR: I understand you were a very good student. Where did you go to high school? College? Any advance degrees? Honors or accolades?

KJ: No advance degrees. I started at high school in West Chicago, because that is where we grew up, and then my senior year in high school we moved to Burr Ridge out by Cog Hill because Dad was moving to Cog Hill. I graduated from Providence Catholic and then went to University of Central Florida. I really had no idea what I wanted to do after school. I think my father knew what I wanted even before I did.

VR: How’s your golf game today?

KJ: I’m a 21 handicap. I play for fun. I played 20 rounds last year, which is the most I have ever played in one year. I find if I try to play in the spring or in the fall, I’m much more effective at playing. It is hard for me to play in the middle of the summer—the enjoyment level is not as high.

VR: Who wins when you play with your dad?

KJ: The last few years when we’ve played, it has been in team games, and he’s been my partner, so that’s not a good question. He would be the better golfer than I am by far.

VR: Did you feel pressured at all to get into the family golf business? How did it come about?

KJ: No. I don’t think my parents ever thought or expected me being in the golf industry—not growing up. I think Dad suspected it when I ended up here on my own. When I chose to work at Cog Hill on my own, he suspected it and maybe figured it out. But growing up I was the child they least expected—I showed the least interest.

VR: What’s the most satisfying aspect of your job?

KJ: I like that it’s always something different—it’s ever changing. Sometimes insurance isn’t very fun, but when you only have to do it a couple times a year, it’s a nice change of pace. I like that I get to sit in and go through the walks on the renovation—not just hear the stories of the past but to hear the thought processes behind how an architect thinks about a hole and what questions he asks the owner in order to develop a course that meets both their needs. I still enjoy buying, even though it’s a time-consuming job. The last two years I’ve done the buying at Cog Hill.

VR: What’s the biggest challenge of your job?

KJ: I’m not sure if it’s being a woman or being the owner’s child. It took longer for the employees to realize the jobs I got I was able to handle them in the beginning and then I was capable of doing them. You know, when I first came in managing a building, some people thought I only got the job because I Frank’s daughter. I don’t know that it took longer because of being a daughter than a son, but I think it takes extra time being a family member or being related. First you have to gain their confidence that you earned the job not because of your last name.

When I went to Georgia I had to go through the same experience again. So now I think it is a little easier for me now that I keep moving up in the organization that I don’t have to re-establish that if I had moved to another company. Lately it’s been a lot easier.

VR: What unique characteristics do you feel you bring to the family business?

KJ: I’m the only one [in the family] who sees it from a casual golfer’s perspective—I am the only non-player. For me, it’s more about going out and having fun.
I really think you have to listen to a lot comments the employees say, which I think my father has done, and what the customers say. I also understand why people leave the game. I understand why it’s not fun for people—that it is time-consuming—whereas people who are golf fanatics may not understand that as well as other people. Because I’ve done it. The reason I left golf was not because I had a family, which is why most people leave golf. I’m probably an exception. I picked up golf because it was expected, then chose to leave and then chose to come back.

VR: How proud are you that your family is such a big part of Chicago’s golf history?

KJ: I think my father and grandfather have set high expectations for our organization and for our philosophy that can be a challenge to keep expanding upon. And that can be a little scary at times. What they made look so easy—growing up I didn’t always see what was in their mind behind their thought processes. So when I have problems making a decision or coming up with the right one, I know he’s gone through it. It’s nice that I have someone that I can go to—to ask advice or his opinion. Not everyone is not lucky enough to have that.

VR: What’s your take on the Chicago area being without a PGA event?

KJ: I think Chicago is a great market to have an event. I know it was a hard decision when the Western chose to move every other year out of Chicago. This is their home, this is where their history is, and it is where they are established. It’s where their contacts are, their corporate connections. And having to re-establish that every year is no small feat on their behalf.
I think the fans of Chicago are loyal. I also think competing with football is extremely hard. You’re not just competing with football—you’re competing with kids in school. The Western Open was always a family event. When you move that to September, it’s a challenge—you don’t take kids out of school. This time of year is a lot more of a challenge to put a golf tournament on with all that’s going on. I would go up against the Taste of Chicago and the Cubs/White Sox any year.

But I think Chicago will miss it. I think it’s great the we’ve got the Ryder Cup coming to Medinah next year. I think that the Chicago market will continue to have a tournament, even if it’s not here.

VR: What do you believe the future holds for Cog Hill?

KJ: I think there is a lot in Cog Hill’s future. I think we have hired a great superintendent for Dubsdread who will work very hard to continue to maintain the level of course we have and to improve upon it. I think we will continue to strive to hold a major championship.
For different courses, we have different goals. For number 4, our goal is to one day hold a major championship. On course number 2, our goal is for people to have fun. On 1 and 3, the goal would be to improve them a little bit, but the goal there is for people to learn how to play golf, to have fun in a social environment such as outings and scrambles, to teach kids to play golf.

I think one of the great things we have done over the past few years is when Cris Puletsen started the Cog Hill Junior tour. This tour allows kids to play once a week competitively at any event—we run a mini-FedEx for the juniors. We will continue to promote outings—it’s all about social golf. We will continue our no-embarrassment golf school to create new golfers to help the future of the game. The most important thing to bring to a new or beginning golfer, whether they are young or old, is to install the love of the game. To teach them it is all about fun.

Every person who plays the game plays for a different reason, but the number one reason is the enjoyment. Some play golf because they can exercise and walk. Some play only to win and there is no second place. But the bulk of the people here who play at our facilities are out for enjoyment, fun and camaraderie. They play for fun with their friends, and I think that is truly the most important aspect of the game.

VR: Anything we missed?

KJ: What comes to mind is something that I learned many years ago from Grandpa [Joe]: to try not to worry about things you cannot control. The weather is not something you can try to control. This year has been an extremely tough weather year; mostly the second half of the golf year. Grandpa wasn’t afraid to try anything. He’d try it once. I’m not so sure I’ll be as good at that—I’m a little more nervous at that than he was. My goal for the future is to work on things I can fix and improve, and go from there. CG