Golf Inc - April 2008 - (Page 31)

MAHLON DOW RALPH SCATENA General Manager, Camelback Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz. When Scatena returned to Camelback two years ago after working in a variety of roles with other Marriott properties, he knew he faced a tough balancing act. With the venerable res or t p ois ed to embark on a $45 million overhaul, his challenge was to transform the p r o p e r t y i nt o a contemporary hotel that would appeal to a younger generation without sacrificing the historic ambiance that gave the 72-year-old hotel its classic character. It was a task that Scatena was more than willing to tackle, especially given his history with the property, where he had spent 12 years earlier in his career. When completed June 1, the fivestar resort that includes two 18-hole golf courses will have a new ballroom, lobby and bar, new restaurants and a courtyard with event lawns, fire pits, patio seating and a cascading water feature. “We had to do it all without disturbing what people loved about Camelback,” he said. “We never allowed ourselves to give up to the fact that we were under renovation.” Manager/Head Professional, Mattawang Golf Club, Belle Mead, N.J. Golf is a family affair at Mattawang, thanks to Dow. The semi-private club has some of the most active junior, women’s and beginners’ programs in the state. Dow, who has been at the club for 24 years, said that has been a key focus of his efforts since the club switched from private status. “We wanted to market the whole facility,” he said. Dow has implemented a number of programs designed to appeal to a broad range of golfers. His efforts included launching women’s and adult-child leagues, creating a frequent player rewards program and establishing sets of junior tees to allow children as young as 5 to play. In fact, his focus on promoting junior programs has been so successful that some of the participants have graduated to becoming staff members at Mattawang. Dow also oversaw a recent course and clubhouse remodeling that has increased play more than 10 percent since completion. JOSÉ QUESADA Director of Golf, La Iguana Golf Course Playa Herradura, Costa Rica At La Iguana, part of the Los Suenos Resort, Quesada has developed a remarkable level of loyalty and dedication among his staff. And the result is evident in some of the highest customer service ratings of any Marriott Corp. property. “We have a solid team here,” Quesada said in explaining how his department earned 100 percent ratings from guests in such categories as customer engagement, teamwork and leadership. “Our people are proud of the jobs they do.” Quesada started in the golf industry as a caddie and worked his way up the ladder at La Iguana since joining the club seven years ago. He was named to his present position in 2005. Under his direction, the club’s golf operations in 2006 and 2007 operated at profit margins of more than 50 percent. But he also believes it’s important to give back to the game. He has helped create a program to teach golf to the handicapped and has launched an effort to raise funds to provide wheelchairs for the disabled that he hopes to expand to other Latin American nations. “Golf has given me a lot,” he said. “I think it’s important to invest time and knowledge back into the game.” RAY DAVIES Director of Golf Course Maintenance and Construction, CourseCo Davies, a 13-year employee and now a partner in Northern California-based management company CourseCo, oversees all maintenance and construction activities at the 15 operator’s 15 managed properties. But one of the things he is most proud of is how little oversight actually is required. “We have relatively little turnover in our superintendents, and I think the negative aspects of working for a management company are not prevalent in our company,” he said. “Our superintendents April 2008 have a lot of influence at their properties.” Davies is equally proud of CourseCo’s reputation for environmental stewardship — 12 of the courses CourseCo operates are Audubon International-certified and have won numerous environmental awards. And his efforts have paid off in other ways as well. “The kind of company we’ve built is the accomplishment I’m most proud of. We are still working for everyone we’ve ever worked for in terms of third-party management contracts.” www.GolfIncMagazine.com 31 http://www.GolfIncMagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Golf Inc - April 2008

Golf Inc - April 2008 Contents Editors Column Birney Takes NGCOA Helm Construction Costs on the Rise KemperSports Adds 14 Courses Americas: Fazio Designs St. Kitts Layout Europe/Africa: Seaside Resort Planned in Egypt Asia/Australis: Faldo Opens New Chinese Course High-Tech Tools: New Technologies that can Help Operators There's No Economic Slump at Still-Popular Reynolds Plantation Tim Moraghan Wants to Make Golf Fun Again Why a $1.5 Billion Resort has Made Environmental Protection a Top Priority Most Admired Operators Marketing Experts Make Their Pitch for Golf Courses From Korea, with Cash Last Word

Golf Inc - April 2008

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