President Trump swinging a golf club during the White House Sports and Fitness Day on the South Lawn in May 2018. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/AP) President Trump’s new $50,000 system, which he paid for personally, has replaced a less sophisticated model that was installed under President Obama. But a White House official says he still…
New Florida Club Renews Search for Restaurant Operator
The village of North Palm Beach, Fla. has struck out on a second deal to find an F&B operator for the new clubhouse it is building for the North Palm Beach Country Club. Construction has begun on the $18 million, 37,000-sq. ft. facility that will complement the city’s redesigned Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. The city…
Jack and Barbara Nicklaus Open First Nicklaus Design Mini Golf Course
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara celebrated the grand opening of their Golden Cub Mini Golf course in Jupiter, Fla. on September 5th. This is the first mini golf course designed by Nicklaus Design and named after the Golden Cub character created by Barbara Nicklaus. Golden Cub Mini Golf will donate $1 to…
Ohio Town’s Mayor Proposes Buying Raintree CC for $3.3M
The Mayor of Green, Ohio has worked out a nonbinding purchase agreement for the property with its owner and will introduce legislation to city council to acquire the 145-acre site. Mayor Gerard Neugebauer said his main goal isn’t to get the city into the municipal golf club business, but to preserve the property as green…
Design Plans for New Boca Raton, Fla. Course Move Forward
An initial contract was scheduled to be signed on July 18th with Price Fazio Design to start the assessment process for the redesign of the former private Ocean Breeze golf course, which was bought by the city and will be renamed Boca National Golf Club when it reopens as a public venue. At least three public…
Fourteen PGA Professionals Earn Advanced Certification
The managers from private and public clubs throughout the country have completed the requirements to achieve advanced certification through the PGA Certified Professional Program 2.0 in one or more categories, including General Management, Golf Operations and Teaching & Coaching. The PGA of America announced that 14 PGA Professionals have completed the requirements to achieve…
Judge to Approve $5.4M Settlement in Trump National GC Jupiter Lawsuit
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra is expected to approve the settlement, which would end a long-running lawsuit between President Donald Trump and members of the Jupiter, Fla., golf club. Under the terms of the settlement, lawyers who represented club members would get $1.9 million and most of the remaining money would be divided among the…
Trump National GC in Jupiter, Fla. Settles Lawsuit Over Deposit Refunds
The payout of $5.45 million is more than 94% of what a U.S. District Judge ordered last February. The club had been scheduled to argue an appeal of that ruling in May, but a lawyer for the former club members who had resigned and been denied their refunds proclaimed, “In our view, the class prevailed.”
CMAA Announces 30 New CCMs
Established in 1965, the Certified Club Manager designation is achieved by a club management professional who has completed specified education requirements, attended at least one World Conference on Club Management, maintained activity within their local chapter, and passed the CCM Exam. The Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) has announced that 30 club management professionals…
Preparing for “Action”
Short of having Shakespeare’s wish to “kill all the lawyers” finally come true, club-related lawsuits are now an unfortunate part of the business that managers should be prepared to deal with.
Trump National Jupiter Members Ask Appeals Court To Back Earlier Order for $5.7M in Refunds
The decision by a lower court in February to order the refunds confirmed that the case is one of a “straightforward breach of contract,” the members said. The Trump Organization is appealing the decision, arguing that it followed the contracts by placing members who wished to resign on a waiting list to have membership deposits refunded once a required number of new memberships were sold.
Trump National GC Jupiter (Fla.) Appeals $5.8M Decision
The Trump Organization is arguing that a federal judge erred in February when he ordered the company to repay 65 members for improperly keeping their deposits. Trump lawyer Bruce Rogow admitted that members shouldn’t have been forced to pay annual dues for a club they could no longer use, but said the ruling allows the…
At Home at The Beach Club
With a focus on facilities and finance, a new GM with fresh eyes is polishing the iconic Santa Monica, Calif., club for the next generation.
Trump National Doral Denied Property-Tax Appeal
The Trump Organization had been successful in securing reductions for its Miami, Fla. resort property through appeals in each of the previous four years, but was denied in its effort to trim the nearly $1.8 million assessment for 2016. In total, the Trump Organization paid $2.9 million in 2016 property taxes for its South Florida properties.
Trump National GC Jupiter (Fla.) Owes $5.8M in Lawsuit
A federal judge ruled that the club must refund 65 disgruntled members their deposits plus interest after banning them from the property but continuing to charge annual dues. A column in Bloomberg touted the lawsuit loss as a win for Trump, who took on nearly $50 million in debt owed to members who put down refundable deposits when he bought the property, but will now pay only a portion of that sum.