In what’s certain to be one of 2013’s blockbuster transactions, Omni Hotels & Resorts has agreed to buy five top-notch golf resorts from affiliates of KSL Capital Partners. The group consists of The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia; Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas; The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina; and two equally well-known spreads in California, La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad and Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage.
The resorts offer 10 golf courses designed by Donald Ross, William S. Flynn, Tom Fazio, Ben Crenshaw, Arnold Palmer, Dick Wilson and Ted Robinson. Assuming the sale is completed, Omni will rank among the premier owner/operators of U.S. golf properties. Its portfolio currently includes five golf resorts, among them Amelia Island Plantation in Florida; Bedford Springs Resort in Pennsylvania; and Omni Interlocken Resort in Colorado. The company is controlled by Robert Rowling, one of the nation’s richest people (Forbes says he’s worth $4.9 billion) and a major contributor to American Crossroads, Karl Rove’s political action committee.