Recent industry hires and promotions include new Chief Operating Officers at Athens (Ga.) Country Club and the Tennessee Grasslands Golf & Country Club in Gallatin, Tenn.; Directors of Golf at Sea Pines Country Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C. and Reflection Bay Golf Club in Henderson, Nev.; and an Executive Chef at the Detroit (Mich.) Athletic Club.
Here are some of the recent new hires and promotions announced by club and resort properties and other companies in the club industry. Announcements and photos for this regular People on the Move report can be submitted at https://clubandresortbusiness.com/submit-industry-news/.
Athens (Ga.) Country Club named Eric J. Rhodes, CCM, CCE, as Chief Operating Officer. Rhodes was previously COO at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Atlanta and Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Prior to that, he was General Manager/COO at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio and Wooster (Ohio) Country Club.
The Tennessee Grasslands Golf & Country Club in Gallatin, Tenn. named Timothy W. Cole as Chief Operating Officer. Cole was previously General Manager & Chief Operating Officer of Pelham Country Club in Pelham Manor, N.Y.
Port Royal Club in Naples, Fla. named Jeff Hartigan as Chief Operating Officer/General Manager. Hartigan was previously GM/COO at The Oaks Club in Osprey, Fla. and GM at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, Fla.
Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, N.Y. named Marius Ilie as General Manager/COO. Ilie was previously COO/General Manager at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. and Assistant General Manager at The Polo Club of Boca Raton (Fla.).
The Whippoorwill Club in Armonk, N.Y. named Jeremy Melbye as General Manager/COO. Melbye was previously General Manager of Lakewood Country Club in Westlake, Ohio, Clubhouse Manager of Congress Lake Club in Hartville, Ohio, and Food and Beverage Manager of Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. and Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio.
Warwick (R.I.) Country Club named Rick Shaughnessy as General Manager/COO. Shaughnessy was previously General Manager at Wollaston Golf Club in Milton, Mass. and Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, R.I.
Englewood (N.J.) Field Club named Erik Bramble as General Manager/COO. Bramble was previously Director of Sales & Director of Food and Beverage for Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, N.J. and Director of Sales for Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains, N.J.
Sea Pines Country Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C. named James Swift as Director of Golf. Swift joins Sea Pines Country Club from Belfair in nearby Bluffton, where he was the Director of Golf for nearly a decade and instrumental in the club’s successful staging of the 2019 PGA Professional Championship.
The Plantation at Ponte Vedra (Fla.) named Brad Nelson as Director of Golf. Nelson most recently served as the Head Golf Professional at Cedarbrook Country Club in Philadelphia. Additionally, Nelson has worked as a golf professional at Sawgrass Country Club, Atlantic Beach Country Club, Saucon Valley Country Club and Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Breckenridge (Colo.) Golf Club named Patrick Clary as Director of Golf. Clary was most recently Head Golf Professional at Kohanaiki in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Clary has also worked at the Kapalua (Hawaii) Plantation Course and Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colo.
Reflection Bay Golf Club in Henderson, Nev. named Ken Wright, PGA, as Director of Golf Operations. Wright has spent his entire golf career in Southern Nevada, with more than 30 years of experience in golf course operations. Wright is a Las Vegas native as well as a Lifetime and Quarter-Century member of the Southwest Section of the PGA of America. He has worked with Canyon Gate Country Club, Cascata Golf Club and Rio Secco Golf Club as the Director of Golf and General Manager, respectively. During his time at Rio Secco and Cascata, Wright was twice named Merchandiser of the Year by the PGA Las Vegas chapter.
The PGA Southeast Florida Chapter named Paul Clivio, Director of Golf at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla., as the 2020 Golf Professional of the Year. The Golf Professional of the Year is the highest level of recognition awarded to an individual.
Rye (N.Y.) Golf Club named Kyle Baehler as Head Golf Professional. Baehler was most recently a teaching professional at Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison, N.Y. The 39-year-old is a Wisconsin native who graduated from New Mexico State’s professional golf management program and interned back home at the Kohler resorts. Baehler also worked at Old Oaks Country Club in Purchase, N.Y., The Apawamis Club in Rye, N.Y., and Sunningdale Country Club in Westchester County, N.Y.
PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. named Clay DuBose, CGCS as Director of Golf Courses and Grounds. For the past four years, DuBose managed the golf course maintenance operations at TPC Myrtle Beach. DuBose also spent four years each as Superintendent for Diamond Back Golf Club and First Superintendent at the Pete Dye and P.B. Dye-designed Prestwick Country Club in the Myrtle Beach area.
Chris Cook, Golf Course Superintendent at Bailey Ranch Golf Club in Owasso, Okla. has been named a Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award winner from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. The award, presented quarterly in partnership with The Toro Co., recognizes and honors individuals who have demonstrated growth in advocacy and advancement of GCSAA’s Priority Issues Agenda through congressional outreach and relationship development with a member of Congress.
Eric Bice, Golf Course Superintendent at Elks Country Club in Columbus, Neb. was named Nebraska Golf Course Superintendents Association’s Superintendent of the Year.
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) selected Matthew A. Crowther, Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS) at Cape Cod Country Club in East Falmouth, Mass., as the recipient of the 2021 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship. The GCSAA President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship was established in 1991 to recognize an exceptional environmental contribution to the game of golf; a contribution that further exemplifies the golf course superintendent’s image as a steward of the land. Crowther was nominated for his work at Mink Meadows Golf Club in Vineyard Haven, Mass., where he was superintendent from 1995 to 2019 and more recently at Cape Cod Country Club.
The Detroit (Mich.) Athletic Club named Shawn J. Loving as Executive Chef. Loving has earned the Certified Master Chef designation, making him one of only 72 CMCs in the nation. He succeeds Executive Chef Kevin Brennan, CMC, who is retiring from the club after 26 years.
Vineyards Country Club in Naples, Fla. promoted Christopher Olson to Chef de Cuisine. Olson’s culinary experience includes tenure with Marriott Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples and several fine dining establishments throughout Florida and Massachusetts.
Vernon Gettone, Director of Tennis at Mizner Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla., has completed and passed all the requirements to be awarded the designation of Certified Racquet Sports Executive (CRSE). The CRSE Program is a 10-month, intensive study and experiential continuing education program which demonstrates the commitment of each participant to his profession.
The Detroit (Mich.) Athletic Club named Luis A. Castro as Facilities Director. Castro most recently served as the inaugural Chief Engineer for the 17 buildings and 268 units of the beachfront Margarita Vacation Club, a Wyndham Destinations property in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Caroline Basarab, Director of Retail for Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga., has been named Merchandiser of the Year in the resort category by the Georgia PGA. Basarab has been with Reynolds Lake Oconee since 2015 and is responsible for overseeing the retail operation in all of Reynolds Lake Oconee’s golf shops, golf distribution center, and special events. She also assists with the professional development of all retail staff members.
The Dunes, a residential community in Naples, Fla. appointed Timothy Barone as Controller. Prior to joining The Club at the Dunes, Barone was Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer for Grace Place for Children and Families. Before joining Grace Place, he served as Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Operations, and Inventory Director for Alternative Laboratories LLC.
KemperSports named Kristine Rose as Senior Vice President of Marketing. Rose most recently served as the Global Head of Hotel Marketing and Brand Strategy for Hard Rock International. She has also held leadership roles with Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Buffalo Groupe announced two executive promotions—Emily Clark as Chief Operating Officer for Buffalo Groupe and Lauren Nodzak as Managing Director for Buffalo Agency. Clark joined Buffalo Groupe at its inception serving as Senior Vice President, Head of People and Culture. Prior to Buffalo, Clark was the Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Billy Casper Golf, now Indigo Golf Partners. Nodzak joined Buffalo shortly after its inception serving as Buffalo Agency’s Senior Vice President, Head of Client Strategy & Service. Prior to Buffalo, she was the Director of External Communications and Influencer Engagement for Pernod Ricard USA.
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