TROON HONORS FACILITIES AND ASSOCIATES FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES
Scottsdale, Ariz. – Troon,® the leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing is pleased to recognize the following facilities and individuals for outstanding performance in 2012. Winners were announced at the 2013 Troon Leadership Conference, which recently took place in Scottsdale, Ariz., January 14-17 at Talking Stick Resort. Congratulations to the following award winners:
FACILITY OF THE YEAR
St. James Plantation, North Carolina
St. James Plantation received perfect Promoter and Owner Satisfaction scores and saw the largest increase in Member Satisfaction scores in the company. St. James Plantation also hit their numbers with substantial increases in revenue and a significant improvement in net operating income. The facility greatly utilizes the Troon vendor programs with 97 percent participation and used the resources of the corporate office to successfully complete renovations in 2012. Finalists for the award included Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass in Arizona and Lumine Golf Club in Spain.
GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Marty Hoeffken, Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, Arizona
Marty is a leader who possesses a great deal of passion, as well as a strong sense of balance for displaying exceptional leadership while delivering the bottom line. Under Marty’s direction, Whirlwind saw impressive growth in revenues for the third straight year and in 2012 obtained the most Troon Rewards signups and ranked No. 1 in both the Associate Opinion and Guest Satisfaction Surveys. Marty’s passion extends to the people he manages, always mentoring, coaching and developing his team. Finalists for the award included Alan Deck at St. James Plantation in North Carolina and Alex Nakajima at Makai Golf Club at Princeville in Hawaii.
ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR
Steve Elkins, St. James Plantation, North Carolina
Steve represents consistency in delivering the “Troon Experience.” He is known for his welcoming and professional demeanor and is always looking to make things more enjoyable for the members. His tireless work ethic inspires those around him and he’s always up for a challenge. Finalists for the award included Jodi Berkland at Southern Dunes Golf Club in Arizona, Dave Brady at The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Arizona, Ann Drummond at The Peninsula Golf & Country Club in Delaware, and Dana Odell at Colonial Country Club in Florida.
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR
Kyle Jones, Yocha Dehe Golf Club, California
Kyle consistently produces one of the best conditioned courses in the country, earning the highest guest score for course conditions throughout Troon for the past two years. Kyle is a huge supporter of Troon programs and provides valuable feedback that benefits the company’s agronomy practices. He is always looking for ways to
improve and showcase the value that Troon brings to a property. Finalists for the award included Jeff Cathey at Colonial Country Club in Florida and Andrew Whittaker at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates.
MOST IMPROVED FACILITY OF THE YEAR
Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club, New Jersey
This award is given only to properties demonstrating a true “success story” and Seaview saw substantial improvements in multiple performance areas because of its hard-working team. The facility increased revenues by 11 percent and membership sales by 27 percent. Home of the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Seaview was recently honored as a “Top 100 Golf Shop” by the Association of Golf Merchandisers. Finalists for the award included Silver Creek Valley Country Club and Yocha Dehe Golf Club in California.
FACILITY NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Kapalua, Hawaii
Kapalua has quickly and efficiently embraced Troon’s management culture, with top scores in owner and guest surveys. The property showed a solid performance in a tough environment with an 81.7 percent associate satisfaction rate. Course conditions also improved and GOP also increased by 22.2 percent. Finalists for the award included Golfshire Club in India and The Track, Meydan Golf in the United Arab Emirates.
TURNAROUND FACILITY OF THE YEAR
Alpensia 700 Golf Club, South Korea
Alpensia’s success in 2012 was marked by consistent financial turnarounds and major increases in revenue growth and net operating income. Alpensia increased rounds by 36 percent, which equated to 18,000 new rounds, making it the clear cut winner. Finalists for the award included The Golf Club at Lansdowne in Virginia and The Rawls Course at Texas Tech in Texas.
FOOD & BEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
Chad Johnson, Indian Wells Golf Resort, California
Chad led his team to the most profitable food & beverage year on record, managing a $4.5 million operation and serving more than 250,000 covers a year. Chad is a graduate of the Troon Leader program and was also selected by Indian Wells as their manager of the year. Finalists included Shelly Bonino at Conestoga Golf Club in Nevada, Kirk Doyle at Diablo Grande Golf & Country Club in California, and Tom Kriskey at The Revere Golf Club in Nevada.
GOLF PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
Josh Lowney, Brynwood Golf & Country Club, New York
Josh’s Net Promoter Scores were off the charts in 2012 and has hit his departmental profit every year at Brynwood Golf & Country Club. His involvement in growing the game by developing a junior program has been well documented in the industry, which resulted in 500 new golfers at Brynwood. Josh is known for his spirited team approach to his work and for being a rock of knowledge about the business of golf. Finalists included Troy Flateau at The Peninsula Golf & Country Club and Jim Larkin at Fieldstone Golf Club in Delaware.
SALES LEADER OF THE YEAR
Kevin Buckles, Silverado Resort and Spa, California
Kevin made a huge impact at Silverado, earning him nominations from the resort’s general manager, club general manager, owner, peers and corporate team. He drove overall facility revenues up 14 percent and increased membership sales by 18 percent and group resort business by 25 percent. Kevin’s hard work and creativity has made the difference with an impressive performance in 2012. Finalists included Dustin Irwin at Kapalua in Hawaii and Dave Ulm at Troon Country Club in Arizona.
PROPERTY SUPPORT ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR
Guy Sugden, Corporate Office, Arizona
Each year, Guy continues to grow as a professional by taking on more responsibilities and owns each project no matter how big or small. Guy is an ideal example of the Troon leadership culture and has given his all to the company for more than 15 years. Finalists included Andrew Maitrejean and Mike McDonald.
“W.I.T.S” (WALK IN THEIR SHOES) AWARD
Joe Heersink, Buenaventura Golf Club, Panama
The “W.I.T.S” Award was created to recognize those who overcome hardships and exceed at promoting the Troon brand and operating philosophy under challenging conditions. Working under harsh conditions and a climate that is unfamiliar to most in the golf industry, Joe has done a tremendous job with his duties as superintendent. Circumstances are often inconsistent for Joe but he embraces his work environment and has the ability to create opportunities with minimal resources.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Ron Despain, Corporate Office, Arizona
The Award of Excellence is chosen by Troon’s executive committee and awarded only on the most deserved occasions. Wholeheartedly serving the company since its inception more than 21 years ago, Ron delivers an unwavering degree of dedication and professionalism to his work. Ron’s experience and knowledge of golf course development is second to none, bringing immeasurable value to Troon.
TROON AMBASSADOR AWARD
Chris Card, Abu Dhabi Golf Club & Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, United Arab Emirates
Chris has consistently endorsed the company and gone above and beyond to promote Troon throughout the world and during major events like the Open Championship at Turnberry and now in Abu Dhabi at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Chris is admired by leaders of the PGA Tour, owners and peers for his enthusiastic attitude and ability to get the job done in any circumstance.
TROON ROCK STARS
Several evaluation surveys revealed the following top performers in areas of leadership, member and guest satisfaction, and overall performance.
Associate Satisfaction (Overall) – Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, Arizona
Associate Satisfaction (NPS) – The Golf Club at Champions Circle, Texas
Guest Satisfaction (Overall) – Yocha Dehe Golf Club, California
Guest Satisfaction (NPS) – Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, Arizona
Member Satisfaction (Overall & NPS) – Fieldstone Golf Club, Delaware
Troon Rewards Signups – Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, Arizona
Troon Rewards Capture – The Track Meydan Golf, United Arab Emirates
Top Line Sales Improvement – The Rawls Course at Texas Tech, Texas; Alpensia Golf, South Korea
Membership Sales – Westchester Hills Golf Club, New York
Grow the Game – The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa, California
Public Relations – Lake of Isles, Connecticut
Owner Satisfaction (All 5s and 10 Promoter) – Classic Club, California; Colonial Country Club, Florida; Fieldstone Golf Club, Delaware; The Falls Resort & Golf Club, Texas; Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort, Minnesota; Poston Butte Golf Club, Arizona; Sarasota National Golf Club, Florida; Sequoyah National Golf Club, North Carolina; St. James Plantation, North Carolina; Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, Arizona; Yocha Dehe Golf Club, California.
“Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you for consistently going above and beyond to deliver the Troon Experience,” stated John Easterbrook, Troon’s executive vice president, operations. “We pride ourselves on having the industry’s best and brightest on our team, and these awards confirm just that!”
About Troon Golf
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf management company also specializing in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. The company oversees operations at Troon Golf® (daily-fee & resort) and Troon Privé (private) properties located in 29 states and 26 countries. Additionally, 48 Troon facilities enjoy a Top 100 ranking by national or international publications. Troon properties include The Grove, London, England; Classic Club, Palm Desert, Calif.; and Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, El Jadida, Morocco.