Kemper Lakes Golf Club will host the Good Good King of the Mountain, presented by Mountain Dew, Thursday in Kildeer.
Courtesy of Kemper Lakes
As a student at Palatine High School, Tom Broders worked as a caddy at Kemper Lakes Golf Club, on his way to earning an Evans Scholarship at Miami University in Ohio.
Now, legions of fans know him as “Bubbie” — founder of the Good Good Golf content creation and apparel company — a famous personality on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Broders and his fellow creators will be back on Broders’ home track Thursday for the Good Good King of the Mountain presented by Mountain Dew.
The King of the Mountain challenge brings 16 content creators, celebrities and popular influencers such as Paige Spiranac, competing in teams of two in a bracket challenge starting at 3 p.m. at Kemper Lakes Golf Club, 24000 N. Old McHenry Road in Kildeer.
The teams will pair one of the Good Good team with a female creator in a series of matches on Kemper Lakes’ last three holes, known as “The Gauntlet.”
“It’s not your typical tournament,” said Kemper Lakes’ John Hosteland, in his 10th year as general manager after serving a decade as course professional.
“There’s eight teams of content creators and celebrities who are playing head-to-head in a knockout scramble format. You win and you move on. Lose and you’re out,” Hosteland said.
He said that now, many young viewers watch content creators, and golf in general, on social media channels more than they watch tour events broadcast by traditional outlets.
“It’s different from a traditional PGA Tour event, and it’s kind of the way younger people are viewing the game,” Hosteland said. “And Kemper Lakes is proud to be part of that movement by hosting this event.”
Still, King of the Mountain will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel.
Along with Broders and Spiranac, contestants include Savannah Carlson, Stephen Castaneda, Garrett Clark, Brad Dalke, Cailyn Henderson, John McCarthy, Alexis Miestowski, Hailey Ostrom, Matt Scharff, Malosi “Big Mo” Togisala, Tania Tare, Sean Walsh, Marissa Wenzler, and Sara Winter.
The eight teams will compete for a prize pool of $100,000, with $50,000 for the winning team to donate to a charity of their choice.
“It’s competition with a cause,” said Hosteland, of Wauconda.
The event actually starts when doors open at 9 a.m., with a Good Good Golf “fan zone” off the 18th green that’ll feature giveaways, merchandise and brand activation.
A long-drive competition starts at noon on the Kemper Lakes’ driving range, lengthened for the event.
Food trucks, beverages and a pop-up fan shop will be available during the tournament. Afterward, there will be a concert by country music artist Corey Kent scheduled on the club grounds from 8 to 10 p.m.
Last he checked on Wednesday, Hosteland said about 2,500 tickets had been sold. They went for $33.85 a ticket.
“For an event that typically broadcasts on the internet and in videos, getting fans on the property is awesome,” Hosteland said.
He added it was “absolutely amazing” to have Broders return to Kemper Lakes.
“I was actually fortunate enough to be at his final interview when he received his Evans Scholarship,” Hosteland said. “It was very special.”
Kemper Lakes Golf Club is a private golf club in Kildeer. It will host the King of the Mountain challenge Thursday.
Daily Herald file photo
