Rendering of Drive Shack’s Orlando facility, which opened in April 2018. The emerging competitor to Topgolf is selling all 26 of its American Golf-owned properties to generate nearly $175 million in capital to put toward development of new “eatertainment” facilities. Eight of the properties that were sold are in California; buyers were not disclosed.
First Female GM Takes The Harmonie Club in New Direction
Davina Weinstein was selected by the Board of Governors of the 166-year-old club, the second-oldest private club in New York City, to move up from her Assistant GM position. The move is seen as part of how the club is “joining the 21st century,” along with a more family-friendly social calendar and allowing jeans at Saturday…
Swingers Bringing “Crazy Golf” to New York Hotel
The London-based entertainment venue, which has applied the Topgolf concept to blend elaborate indoor mini-golf courses with street-food offerings and original cocktails, will open its first U.S. location in Manhattan’s new Virgin Hotel.
Paa-Ko Ridge GC Sold to New York Turnaround Specialists
The Sandia Park, N.M. property has been acquired from Roger Cox & Associates by the principals in the Manhattan firm of Alvarez & Marsal. The new owners have already informed home and lot owners in the Paa-Ko Communities of their plans to build a 62-room lodge and 18 guest cottages to attract tourists to the state’s top-rated golf course.
Historic Murals Returned to Pelham Bay and Split Rock Courses
The Works Progress Administration-era murals, created in 1936 by Allen Sallburg and each over ten feet tall, were removed ten years ago during a renovation of Pelham Bay Park’s Split Rock Golf House in the Bronx, New York. They were carefully cleaned, stabilized and conserved before being reinstalled in the Greek Revival-style clubhouse that serves New York City’s only 36-hole golf facility.
High-End Indoor Golf Club Opens in Heart of New York City
Konnect is located on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, around the corner from Rockefeller Center, with about 5,000 square feet of usable space and featuring eight hitting bays, as well as craft beers and an extensive food menu. Memberships are offered for $500/year and plans are also in place to host Wall Street outings and high-school golf team practices.
Blackstone Group to Acquire Maui Resort for $1.1B
The private equity firm’s purchase of the Grand Wailea property from GIC Pte., Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, would be the second-largest deal for a single hotel or resort property in the U.S. The 780-room Grand Wailea, which is branded as a Waldorf Astoria resort and managed by Hilton, has three restaurants, a spa, 11 tennis courts and nine pools.
The Iota Club Launches in Boston
The Iota Club gives its millennial membership access to privately hosted events, the member database, and a personal concierge. The club is not based in a single location, but will host events in Boston and New York.
“Elite” Social Group Magnises Draws Complaints from Members
Current and former members of the company have reported not receiving event tickets on the timeline promised, scheduling snafus, trip cancelations, and unwanted charges to their credit cards. The company attributes the “kinks” to its rapid growth, as it now counts 40,000 members since its inception in 2014.
SoJo Spa Club to Open January 20
The property in Edgewater, N.J., features a 240,000-sq. ft. resort and hotel that features a rooftop infinity pool, a 170‐foot‐long foot massage path, an outdoor hydrotherapy pool, 10 unique sauna and therapy rooms, a variety of outdoor hot tubs, cafés and a restaurant. The club will offer daily admission, annual memberships, and, in the spring, overnight accommodations.
Golf & Body NYC Touted for Providing “Indoor Country Club Experience”
The “holistic indoor golf experience,” located a short walk from Times Square and the Empire State Building, includes a full gym, massage, nutritionist service, acupuncture, physical therapy and an in-house café, in addition to golf simulators and instruction. Memberships for the facility are discussed with individual applicants by appointment, which doesn’t “open its doors to your average Joe Six Pack who just came off a park muni in Queens.”
Trump’s New NYC Course Starts Taking Tee Times in Anticipation of April 1 Opening
Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, a $269 million collaboration between Donald Trump and designer Jack Nicklaus built on a former landfill in the Bronx, will be New York’s first new golf course in 52 years. Greens fees at the most expensive public golf facility ever built in the U.S. will range from $141 for New York residents during the week to $215 for non-residents on the weekend.
Serenoa GC Sold for $3.3 Million
The 233-acre Sarasota, Fla. property, located near Interstate 75, has changed hands several times since 2010. The purchase includes a 10,000-sq. ft. clubhouse.
Weathering the Storms
Mother Nature’s wrath hasn’t kept Innis Arden GC from providing full services to its members, thanks largely to the confidence it draws from reliable insurance protection.
Carmel CC Earns USTA Outstanding Facility Award
The tennis facility at the Charlotte, N.C., club received the award from the United States Tennis Association at a reception on September 1. A recent renovation of the facility by Timmons Group included ten new clay courts, two asphalt courts, shade structures, spectator viewing areas, and landscape and hardscape features.