Scott Simpson
Golf Operations-Marketing Manager, Sun City West
Sun City, Ariz.
Even in a slow year, the seven golf courses at Sun City West can record more than 300,000 rounds. “We have a unique situation – all our employees are part-time, paid minimum wage and are residents of the community,” he said. Average age: 73 years. “It’s all about time and people,” he said of his task in juggling the total golf operations for the 30,000-resident active adult community. And much of his time is spent working with the myriad of resident golfer clubs that make up Sun City West. Simpson has created a mentor program that pairs experienced golfers with aspiring beginners that has introduced more than 200 new seniors to the game. He’s also been instrumental in creating the West Valley Senior Series in cooperation with the Arizona Golf Association, which attracts players of all skill levels, most of whom have never competed formally. It’s grown from three events to 17. Before coming to Sun City West in 2004, he worked for 21 years for the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Parks & Recreation Dept. and later worked as director of operations for Premier Golf International.
Michael Sullivan
General Manager, TPC Potomac
Potomac, Md.
Sullivan, or “Sully,” as he’s better known, recently wrapped up supervision of a major $28 million renovation project at the PGA Tour Golf Course Properties-owned course. It’s been an extensive, complex project originally conceived as a way to eliminate flooding problems at the course, but eventually expanded to include a wide range of upgrades to the club. Among them: An $8 million clubhouse expansion that has added 3,500 square feet to the facility, pushing the overall size to 38,000 square feet. And that’s all been done without assessing members – the PGA Tour has covered all the costs. Despite the unavailability of the course, Sullivan has managed to keep the membership steady, with nearly 800 golf members and 47 social members. “We set up reciprocal play opportunities with other courses in the area,” he said. In addition to his duties at TPC Potomac, Sullivan oversees regional operations at six other TPC courses. His 25 years of experience in the club industry includes stints as general manager of TPC Sawgrass, director of golf at the La Costa Resort in California and regional director of operations with Walters Golf in Las Vegas.
Tony Trevino
General Manager, Heritage Ranch Golf & CC
Fairview, Texas
As a semiprivate club, Heritage Ranch depends on outside play as well as member-generated revenue. Trevino has made the club a hit with both of those customer bases through his emphasis on quality services for guests and members alike. He’s done that by emphasizing staff training, team-building and a commitment to service. “That commitment involves everything we do, from the teaching side to pace of play,” he said. Originally joining the club as head professional in 2002, he was named director of golf in 2005, then took over as general manager last fall. Last year, the club did more than 40,000 rounds, with a little over half from member play. In fact, the club generates about half of its revenue from non-members, much of it by attracting weddings and parties to its 24,000-square-foot clubhouse. “We do depend on outside events for revenue, but not so much to the detriment of homeowners,” he said. Trevino has been accessible to his staff while still provide quality service to residents and guests. He has won the Western Golf Properties’ “Joe Black Award” twice for outstanding performance.
Anthony Williams
Superintendent of Grounds, Marriott Stone Mountain Golf Club
Stone Mountain, Ga.
One of the most respected turfgrass professionals in the industry, Williams has been an leader in promoting sound environmental practices in golf course maintenance. He was honored in 2008 as a recipient of the J.W. Marriott Award of Excellence, one of just nine of 300,000 Marriott employees worldwide to be recognized. Williams, who also serves as arborist for the 3,200-acre Stone Mountain State Park, also has been a strong voice for communicating to nongolfers the industry’s commitment to conserving water and protecting the environment. During the recent drought in the Southeast, he helped create a water management plan for operators in Georgia. The Certified Golf Course Superintendent worked at PineIsle Resort and Golf Club in Georgia from 1986-2005.
David Yanez
Superintendent, The Grand Golf Club
San Diego, Calif.
Yanez’s knowledge of golf course construction has served him well at The Grand. Since he joined the high-end facility in 2001, the course has gone through a number of changes, from daily fee to private to semiprivate status. Most recently, owner Doug Manchester gave Yanez the responsibility of overseeing a major renovation of the course. Yanez and his staff did the construction, which included building a 15-foot waterfall by the 18th green. The pride he takes in his work, which includes maintenance of the adjoining 249-room luxury resort, is evident in the quality of conditions at the Tom-Fazio-designed course. “Our goal is to provide the best experience for everyone, whether a member or a resort guest,” Yanez said.
Beth Murphy
General Manager,
SouthWood Golf Club
Tallahassee, Fla.
During her four years at SouthWood, Murphy has spearheaded a number of successful grass roots programs at the semiprivate club that have increased participation from outside the community and retention among club members. Golf actually is a second career for Murphy, who spent 12 years in the commercial lending industry before joining an American Golf Corp. property, Brigantine Links in New Jersey, as general manager in 1995. She later spent seven years at AGC clubs in Myrtle Beach, S.C. before arriving at SouthWood. Murphy quickly found that the two-year-old course had no real identity or direction, so her first goal was to figure out where it was and where it needed to be. “We came up with a number of new events with the intention of expanding our customer base,” she said. “Then we focused on developing loyalty among our members.” In an area with so many other activities, Murphy has focused on family, junior and charitable events that encourage residents to make the club the focus of their busy lifestyles. During her tenure, SouthWood has won numerous regional and national awards.
Roger P. Martinez
Director of Golf/General Manager
Santa Ana Golf Club, Inc., Bernalillo, N.M.
Martinez has been part of the Santa Ana Golf Club team from the facility’s concept to its rise to the pinnacle of New Mexico golf properties. He first became involved at the time construction began on the original 27 holes of the Santa Ana facility in 1991. And he played a key role in the vision and execution of the 18-hole Twin Warriors Golf Club that was opened in 2001 in conjunction with the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa. In addition to the 45 holes of golf, Martinez currently oversees the four-star Prairie Star restaurant on the property and the Wind Dancer Bar & Grill upscale facility at the golf course. While his guidance has helped the golf operations remain at the top of the market in profitability, he has done even better at shepherding the dining operations, which did $1.7 million in revenue last year, more than some golf facilities do in combined revenue. Despite his overseeing the success of the club, Martinez gives the credit to others. “I have been blessed with a tremendous, tremendous staff – my controller and assistant would be a better GM than me, but he doesn’t want my job.” His staff obviously feels the same loyalty to him – Martinez said that the facility’s six department heads represent 78 years of tenure. But he doesn’t just train his staff to be employees for life. He said that at least 15 of his former Class A professionals have gone on to become directors of golf or general managers at other facilities. His current staff of 10 Class A PGA professionals have been prodded – and incentivized – to complete each level of certification necessary to earn their Class A credential. Perhaps most telling in these trying times, Martinez said, “We haven’t had to let go of anybody.”
John Paul
Director of Golf,
Hot Springs Village
Hot Springs, Ark.
It’s not easy keeping 17,000 retirees happy, but Paul seems to be able to do just that, supervising eight golf courses in this 34,000-acre residential community. And with nearly 340,000 rounds annually thanks to year-round play and a staff of full- and part-time workers made up of Village residents, it keeps him on his toes. “We try to do the impossible,” he said. “Offer high-volume golf with quality conditions, while keeping greens fees as low as we possibly can.” Average greens fee is $20, with cart. He’s able to do that in part, thanks to having experienced superintendents at each courses: They average 18 years on the job. “We have been successful for a lot of years,” he said. “But we really work at it.”
Mike Sander
General Manager,
Fieldstone Golf Club
Greenville, Del.
Despite a slumping economy, this private club under Sander’s direction in 2008 was able to increase member dues by 17 percent and total revenues by 9 percent. That resulted in Fieldstone being named “Facility of the Year” by its operator, Troon Golf. Sander came to the club in 2004 when Troon was brought in to operate the facility. He had spent 17 years with Marriott Golf at a number of clubs. “The largest challenge was a lack of consistency,” Sander said. He worked to instill the Troon standards of service in the staff through a variety of training programs. The club now has a full complement of 326 members who apparently are pleased with the results. Since Sander arrived, member satisfaction has gone from 79 percent to 92 percent.
Dan Scavino
Executive Vice President,
Trump National Golf Club
Westchester, N.Y.
Scavino began his golf career as a caddie and bag room attendant at Briarcliff Manor Country Club in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. That’s where he got to know one of the members he looped for there: Donald Trump. That youthful acquaintance with the high-profile real estate mogul later would pay off for Scavino, who after graduation from college went to work in sales for Coca-Cola and later with a pharmaceutical company. In the meantime, Trump had purchased Briarcliff Manor and renamed it Trump National. Then in 2004, he offered Scavino a position as assistant manager at the re-branded club. “I’ve been with him ever since,” Scavino said. It’s a relationship that has been successful for both. Scavino was promoted to general manager at Trump National in 2006 and was named executive vice president in 2007, reporting directly to Trump. At the club, where memberships go for $350,000, he oversees all operations. Even in a down economy, Scavino has been able to attract more than 90 new members to the club in the past two years. It currently has about 300 members. He also helps supervise operations at other Trump properties in New Jersey and Florida. And he also will be involved in the company’s newest project planned in Scotland. Trump said he spotted Scavino as a rising star early on. “I always knew Dan was going to run the club one day,” he said. Scavino said he works hard to maintain the high standards set by Trump for all his properties. “The Trump name is known around the world,” he said. “People expect quality and five-star service. They have expectations of excellence and perfection.” Staff members say Scavino provides constant feedback, support and insight to club’s 140 employees. And he’s been involved in a variety of community activities, receiving recognition from numerous corporate and community organizations.
Steve Argo
General Manager
Harding Park Golf Club
San Francisco, Calif.
Though he’s been an avid golfer most of his life, Argo came to the golf industry just six years ago after a career in the retail industry that included a stint running a gourmet food and wine restaurant. That background served him well when he came to KemperSports-managed Harding Park in 2007 with the task of developing the F&B business at its new clubhouse. He’s done just that, lifting revenue from $600,000 annually to an anticipated $1.5 million this year. “My previous experience helped me understand costs and margins, and I know what I expected from a club as a golfer,” he said. His first job in the golf industry was with American Golf Corp. as a general manager. In the midst of a poor economy, Harding Park is having a strong year under Argo’s leadership. He’s raised golf shop revenue 20 percent so far this year, which comes on top of a 30 percent jump the previous year. And F&B revenue has risen 17 percent, following a 15 percent increase from last year. The club will host the President’s Club later this year.
Frank Benzakour
General Manager
Middle Bay Country Club
Oceanside, N.Y.
At a time when many private clubs on Long Island’s South Shore are struggling because of the financial meltdown, Middle Bay has enjoyed its highest membership level ever. That’s due in large part to Benzakour’s innovative approach to management. Since coming to the club almost three years ago, he has added an average of 35 new members annually to membership rolls. Benzakour credits much of the success to a revised dues structure he set up two years ago that averages about $3,000 less annually than most clubs in the area. “My challenge as a GM is to constantly keep tweaking our product to satisfy all levels of members’ expectations in these tough economic times,” he said. His goal: “To deliver a superior, yet price-sensitive product in comparison with our competitors.” Food and beverage also has been a focus for Benzakour, who previously served as GM at Bonnie Briar Country Club in Larchmont, N.Y. He’s increased Middle Bay’s revenues by attracting more golf outings and large social events such as weddings and bar mitzvahs after a renovation of the terrace and pool areas last year.
John Blanch
Director of Operations
IMG Golf Course Management
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Working at golf courses in seven different countries has proven to be a unique career experience for Blanch. His favorite part of the job: “Spreading the enjoyment of golf to new areas of the world and training staff who have little or no knowledge of golf into award-winning service teams,” he said.
Blanch has worked at a variety of clubs in Europe and Asia, most recently as general manager at Lakeview and Junji Lake golf clubs for IMG in China. In his current role, he also supervises development of the Tiger Woods Dubai project in the UAE.
At such a high-profile property, he admits there are pressures to meet the expectations of potential members. “However, that is what drives us on, day-by-day, to create a golf experience that is unrivaled anywhere in the world.” He said he relies on his experiences to keep each golf club he works with as successful as possible while ensuring that each keeps its own separate and distinct personality. He has introduced western-style policies and programs to clubs not familiar with those types of business practices. In China, he was a pioneer in the development of private clubs. Jinji Lake was the first golf club in China to require a formal membership interview to join. Now prospective members must be introduced by more than one current member. The result is a rise in membership fees from an initial $50,000 to $295,000 since he arrived. The award-winning club now has 605 members.
Derek Crawford
Director of Golf Operations
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
Fountain Hills, Ariz.
Opening a high-end daily fee golf course in the highly competitive Phoenix market is a daunting task, but imagine opening your doors just four months following 9-11. That was the challenge facing Crawford and the rest of the staff at We-Ko-Pa, which despite that opening hurdle has consistently managed to keep its tee sheets full during its eight years of operation.
Crawford grew up in the Phoenix area, participating in junior golf and later attending Arizona State University. He launched his golf career at Orange Tree Golf Resort and later worked at nearby Gainey Ranch, ASU Karsten and Stone Creek.
Today he oversees the sales, marketing, operations and guest services at We-Ko-Pa. Crawford is passionate about the game of golf, but he’s even more passionate about how he and his staff treat customers.
“Service to me is a lost art,” he said. “The simplest things – just saying thank-you or a proper handshake – kind of get lost. The fact is that people really appreciate those common courtesies. We do this on a daily basis to our guests at We-Ko-Pa.”
His connections in the region and across the state have helped attract groups and tournaments to We-Ko-Pa and he has embraced key hotels and resorts as marketing partners to drive rounds.
The current economic downturn, which has resulted in a drop in tourism in the market, is just the latest challenge for We-Ko-Pa.
“We have managed to hold our own,” he said. “But we are feeling the effects like everybody else.”
Despite the bumpy road, he’s been careful to hold steady on greens fees.
“Once you lower your rates, it’s hard to come back the other way,” Crawford said.
One way he’s done that is by providing value-added benefits to golfers, such as a certificate toward food or merchandise along with the greens fees.
Dan Dinelli
Superintendent
North Shore Country Club
Glenview, Ill.
A third-generation superintendent, Dinelli got his start at North Shore working for his father Joe raking bunkers while still in high school. He and his dad served as co-superintendents for several years before his father retired and turned the job over to his son in 1992. With Dinelli now in his 35th year at the club, he says North Shore is like home. Over the past few years, he has supervised $2 million in renovation and restoration work at the Colt Allison-designed club. “It was fun to go back in time, using old photos as guides,” he said. The result has embraced the traditional aspects of the original design while utilizing new technology for irrigation and environmentally sound maintenance practices. “We always try to maximize plant health with environmentally safe chemical applications,” he said. Under Dinelli’s direction, the club has been certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. He has been active in working on behalf of environmental issues for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, co-authoring several technical papers and assisting with the production of upcoming environmental programming on The Golf Channel.
D.J. Flanders
General Manager
Golf Development & Operations, TDIC
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
After starting his career in the golf industry at courses in Texas, Flanders has quickly established himself as a rising star in international golf operations. He served as managing director of golf operations at the 90-hole Phoenix Seagaia Resort in Japan before moving to Abu Dhabi two years ago to oversee the operational overhaul of Abu Dhabi Golf Club. He now heads the alliance between TDIC and Troon Golf and directs current and future projects such as the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. “To succeed abroad, you have to fully engage yourself in the culture while not forcing the American model on that facility,” he said. Since his arrival at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the turnaround has been obvious: Rounds are up 12 percent, golf revenue is up 30 percent, F&B income is up 70 percent and total revenue has risen 40 percent. The keys for Flanders: “My enthusiasm, pride and love for what I do,” he said. “I measure my success by seeing people with whom I work become successful. This includes making every effort to treat them with respect and being sure that they fully understand my expectations.”
Bret Greenwood
General Manager
Eagle Mountain Golf Club
Fountain Hills, Ariz.
When Greenwood arrived at Eagle Mountain two years ago, he readily admits there weren’t a lot of improvements or upgrades needed at the high-end daily fee course. “I was fortunate that it had been done well before” by the previous operator prior to the 2007 takeover by OB Sports Management, he said. “It was all about making it better.” So Greenwood focused his attention on generating new revenues that would improve the bottom line. One of his biggest successes has been a new card loyalty program that produced more than 12,500 rounds last year and nearly $1 million in enrollment and greens fees. Greenwood also spearheaded capital improvements that created new revenue streams that added nearly $900,000 in F&B revenues last year alone. Always looking for new and unique ways to set the property apart from the competition, Greenwood launched a text-messaging program for last-minute golf that has been well-received: On one Sunday afternoon alone it produced over $2,000. He also created a FaceBook fan page for the club. Prior to coming to Eagle Mountain, he was general manager at The Duke at Rancho El Dorado in Maricopa, Ariz.
J.P. Lunn
General Manager
Holly Hills Country Club
Ijamsville, Md.
There’s no big secret to the success that Lunn has enjoyed in his 10 years at Holly Hill – it’s all about service. His latest effort, called “Soaring Service” (after the club’s eagle logo), has incorporated across-the-board training of managers and staff as well as new schemes that enhanced current amenities, such as poolside food and beverage service. “We have stepped up our service and we have stepped up our communication with members,” he said. The result is soaring revenue numbers for the club. Over the past two years, he’s increased F&B revenue over the prior two-year average, while decreasing payroll by 5 percent. Overall, club revenues are up more than 12 percent. He’s also bolstered the club’s image within the community through involvement in the Chamber of Commerce and local Rotary Clubs. He’s expanded wedding marketing promotion that resulted in 50 percent more weddings in 2007 and 2008 compared to 2006. One other result of the Lunn-introduced initiatives is a spike in membership. The club has added 72 new members in the past two years, many of them referrals from current members.
Cathy Jo Johnson
Director of Golf
Incline Village Golf Courses
Incline Village, Nev.
Johnson, or “C.J.,” as most people know her, is a multiple PGA and LPGA award-winner at both state and national levels. She is currently responsible for all golf operations at the two 18-hole Incline Village golf courses in Incline Village near Lake Tahoe, in addition to overseeing food and beverage and other operations for the year-round golf and ski recreation area. Johnson’s most recent accolade was Incline Village’s receipt of the 2008 Player Development Award from the National Golf Course Owners Association, in recognition of at least 10 different player development and participation programs implemented since her arrival in 2005. A golf professional since 1989, Johnson spent much of her early career in Wisconsin working for KSL, Meadowbrook Golf and other corporate-run and private clubs. She was honored by the Wisconsin PGA with both the Bill Strausbaugh Award for her mentoring of fellow professionals and contributions to the association and the community and the Horton Smith Award for her contributions to educational development and opportunities for fellow PGA pros. In 2000, the LPGA honored her as their Professional of the Year, one of the organization’s top honors.
Tim Johnson
General Manager
The Territory Golf Club
Duncan, Okla.
Johnson’s tenure at The Territory, which began in 2003 prior to the course’s opening, has been marked by one challenge after another. The private club initially suffered through a two-year drought that forced replanting of large areas of turf. Then a devastating flood in 2007 dumped eight feet of silt in the fairways, wiping out four holes. “Last year was more or less the first full year of normal operation,” he said. But despite those setbacks, Johnson has managed to grow the club’s revenue every year. In 2008, total revenues were up 23 percent, largely due to Johnson’s dedication to building loyalty among customers. He also has attracted guests and event organizers by offering novel formats for outings, food & beverage and gift ideas. He’s also introduced innovative marketing approaches, such as purchasing a 24-passenger bus that that is used for group golf trips as well as member outings to events and concerts. “It’s a unique way to entertain members and it keeps their interest in the facility,” Johnson said. He’s also an active supporter of youth golf programs at the club and in the community.