The Legend at Bergamont

Jack Gaudion
Managing Partner

Jack joined The Legend at Brandybrook project in June of 2001 as minority partner in Dragon Development LLC with principal owner Ron Kuhlman. He overhauled the business plan from a high end public course and community (The Dragon) to the current refundable non equity Legend at Brandybrook private club and community. Prior to joining The Legend, Jack was Vice President of Operations Midwest Region for Meadowbrook and KSL, the third largest owner/operator of golf courses in the United States. Jack oversaw acquisitions and operations of nine properties in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Originally from Austin Texas, played college golf at the University of Texas and began golf career in 1978 at Onion Creek Club, the site of the very first PGA Senior tour event... The Legends of Golf. Now you know where our club name comes from. An active member in the PGA of America, Jack currently resides on the Wisconsin PGA Board of Directors. Qualified and competed in four PGA tour events and has consistently finished in the top ten in club professional PGA section events. Jack is the current Legend at Brandybrook course record holder, posting a 65 from the Championship Tees.

Jack, Cindy and daughters Taylor (11) and Isabelle (5) became the first residents of The Legend at Brandybrook on the 11th hole in mid August 2003. Jack’s daughter Jenna, 22 works as an Administrative Assistant in a doctor’s office in Georgia, and her twin brother Jason recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps.

Risa Kuhlman
Events Coordinator; President, Dragon Development
The youngest daughter of the Kuhlman family, Risa joined The Legend at Brandybrook in 2003 to design the interiors of the clubhouse. She soon fell in love with the vision of The Legend and immersed herself into the club. As Managing Director, Risa directs all of the food and beverage operations with specific focus on event planning and execution. Prior to joining The Legend, Risa studied interior design at Mount Mary, and was an active volunteer for her church and children’s school. Risa’s background is in Education, specifically Waldorf Education. The Kuhlman family developed, owned and operated the Silver Spring CC from 1987 to 1998. During that time, Risa served in many F&B positions and was the General Manager from 1990-1992. Risa’s passion for building relationships with members has been realized through creating one of a kind private club experiences like the Father-Daughter Ball, Mother’s Day Brunch, Ladies Luncheons or simply enjoying a glass of wine and great conversation in the piano lounge.

Risa is the very proud mother of Mason (18) and Megayn (12). Together they enjoy living at The Legend at Brandybrook.

Drew has been with The Legend at Brandybrook since its opening in 2003, and while a student at Carroll College moved up the ranks from overseeing The Legend locker room to most recently serving as The Legend Club’s Communications Director. Drew graduated from Carroll College with a Bachelor of Science in Management and Human Resources, and also has a minor in Organizational Leadership. Drew’s role makes him responsible for among other things the vital lifeline of communications between The Legend and our members. For his fine service over the years, Drew was named the Clubhouse Employee of the Year Award in 2004 and 2005, and in 2007 was awarded the Overall Employee of the Year. Drew’s continued development and performance has led to the expanded operational responsibility of Operations Manager of The Legend Clubs. As Operations Manager, Drew plays a more integral role in the management of all three facilities, while still being directly responsible for all Legend Club communications. Drew’s impact is felt by the growing number of member, staff and vendor needs that come with the tremendous growth and expansion of The Legend Club and Communities.

John Blanke
Director of Golf & Club Operations
When we purchased The Legend in the spring of 2007, we were able to retain an incredibly talented, passionate Golf Professional—John Blanke. Prior to The Legend, John was the Head Golf Professional at Chicago’s premier practice facility, the Des Plaines Golf Center, for four years. John’s career started in 1987 at Barrington Hills Country Club, where he worked as a caddie and bag room attendant. This experience in the golf industry helped John realize his passion for it, and he started the PGA program as an Assistant Golf Pro at Quail Creek Country Club in San Marcos, Texas. He then returned to Barrington Hills as the First Assistant Golf Professional for Lee Milligan, well known as Andy North’s Golf Instructor. John left Barrington Hills to become the Head Golf Professional at Manteno Golf Club in Manteno, Illinois. He then moved on to work as the Operations Manager for the Chicagoland area for the Highlander Golf Corporation. John’s broad work experiences in the golf industry have made him well-suited for The Legend’s transition to Madison’s premier private golf facility.

John Gaschke
Head Golf Professional
John comes to The Legend with extensive professional experience, as well as a track record of success in collegiate and Wisconsin PGA Events. After being awarded the Wisconsin Junior Player of the Year, John earned a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin, where he excelled, playing in the number one spot as a freshman in his first collegiate event. After college, John became the Assistant Golf Professional at Riverview Country Club in Appleton, before heading west to serve as an Assistant Golf Professional at TPC Scottsdale. Most recently, John was the Head Golf Professional at The Bridges Golf Course in Madison. In June, John hopes to travel to French Lick, Indiana to compete in the National Club Professional Championship, where he is currently listed as the first alternate. John’s passion is for playing golf with members and helping them improve their game. We are so excited to add a talented teacher and player like John to our Golf Professional Staff.

Jonathan R. Cross
Executive Chef
Jonathan comes to The Legend with extensive Food & Beverage Management experience, most recently serving as the Executive Chef for Best Events Catering. Prior to that, Jonathan was the Executive Chef at the Log Den Restaurant & Neighbor’s Pub & Grill. Jonathan considers himself a “scratch” chef, creating virtually every dish from raw ingredients. Jonathan’s passion is for Mediterranean foods, and he also plans to bring more family-friendly comfort foods to our menu!

Kate Longley
Special Event Coordinator
Kate joined The Legend with extensive management and food & beverage experience. She also has a background in Fashion Design for the Art Institute of Chicago and has a wealth of experience with fashion shows, charity events, and in designing and executing floral work for weddings. Kate’s attention to detail and expertise on wedding presentation is sure to make your wedding day Legendary.

Dan Barrett
Golf Course Superintendent
Dan came to the Legend with 31 years worth of experience in the turfgrass industry. He attended the U.W.Madison, graduating with a Soil Science degree specializing in turfgrass management. Prior to graduation, Dan was an assistant superintendent for two years at the Monroe Country Club. Upon graduation, Dan became the assistant superintendent at Nakoma Golf Club in Madison. In 1988, Dan became Head Golf Course Superintendent at Trout Lake Golf Club in beautiful Northern Wisconsin where he remained for 16 years. In July 2003, Andy North invited Dan to join the team at The Bergamont Golf Club to oversee the construction of as the Golf Course Superintendent. When we acquired The Legend, we were fortunate to retain such a talented Superintendent with vast experience, specifically on our golf course. Professionally, Dan was President of the Northern Great Lakes Golf Course Superintendents Association for three years and served ten years on the Board of Directors. Dan also served as President of the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association for three years where he has remained on the Board of Directors for the last 16 years. He is also a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. Dan and his wife Sherri reside in Monticello.

Mick Butterfield
Membership Services Director
Mick joined The Legend at Brandybrook's staff as an outside services attendant in the spring of 2003. Since that time Mick has enjoyed many roles from golf course starter or ranger to bartender and dining room host. It’s this immersion in multiple areas of The Legend that provides Mick with a unique understanding of the club and the way members utilize it. Mick’s dedication to The Legend and its members twice earned him the Golf Operation Employee of the Year Award (2003 and 2005) and an overall Legend Employee of the Year Award in 2006. Mick is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee with a degree in Marketing and a Certificate of International Business.

Sue
Bookkeeper
Sue comes to us with 15 plus years of bookkeeping experience. Sue’s journey began at the Midway Hotel, where she worked her way up from the night auditor to the full time bookkeeper. She was with the company for 11 years when one of the managing partners opened The Hotel Metro. Sue was transferred to the downtown location in 1999 to help get the accounting department running more efficiently. She spent the next 5 yrs as the controller at Hotel Metro where she expanded her accounting knowledge. Sue has been with The Legend for four years and was awarded The Legend at Brandybrook 2004 Employee of the Year. Sue lives in the Waukesha area, where her son is enjoying his new school and loves being close to his cousins.