Nelford Joins ClubLink

Former PGA Tour player Jim Nelford has been named director of academy experiences for ClubLink Corporation, a position that will see the Vancouver native and two-time Canadian Amateur champion offer instruction for special events and offer his experiences as a dinner speaker.

Nelford won back-to-back Canadian Amateur titles in 1975-76 and was runner-up at that event in 1977. He also attended Brigham Young University where he earned two second team All-American honours.

He played on the PGA Tour for 10 years and had to battle through a career-threatening waterskiing accident, but still managed a couple of runner-up finishes and won the Ben Hogan Award in 1992.

Nelford, who won the 1980 World Cup with Dan Halldorson, turned to the broadcast booth when his playing days ended and became acclaimed for his insight.

For more on Jim Nelford, take a look at this GNN blog written last August by clicking here.

ClubLink Acquires Glendale

ClubLink has ended months of speculation with its acquisition of the Glendale Golf and Country Club in Hamilton for $3.2-million.

Glendale becomes ClubLink’s 23^rd golf course in the Greater Toronto Area, including nearby Heron Point.

“Glendale has a long and proud history and we look forward to continuing that reputation,” said ClubLink president and chief executive officer Rai Sahi.

“The Hamilton area is an active and growing golf market and Glendale will complement the magnificent Heron Point Golf Links, our existing club in the area, very nicely,” he added.

Glendale was founded in 1919 and became one of the first private clubs in the Hamilton area. It will be classed as a gold level member club within ClubLink, which has announced it will infuse capital into the property for cart paths, bunkers and clubhouse renovations.

What’s Your Industry Story Of The Year?

As I mentioned in Monday’s contribution, we’re shutting GNN down for a couple of weeks over the holidays to take a breather, but keeping an ear to the tracks in case anything breaks, which is always a possibility.

News doesn’t take a breather and 2010 was a good illustration of that point, with many breaking stories, some expected and some surprises, demanding our attention, but which one stands out the clearest for you?

T’is the season for news organizations to pick their stories of the year, but here at GNN, we look at such a topic as a discussion more than a contest, so think back or go into our archives to consider your pick and what future ramifications that story might have on the golf industry in this country.

To get you started, I’ve put a random list of stories that stand out to me below: Read more

ClubLink Deal For Glendale Appears Imminent

The buzz all summer was that ClubLink Corporation was about to purchase the struggling Glendale Golf and Country Club in Hamilton and it appears that rumor is about to become reality, according to Garry McKay of the Hamilton Spectator.

You can read McKay’s contribution by clicking here.

Another Florida Acquisition For ClubLink

ClubLink Corporation has announced the acquisition of Heron Bay Golf Club, about 30 minutes from Fort Lauderdale in Coral Springs, Fla., from HB Partners I, LLC.

The acquisition, reportedly $3-million U.S., is ClubLink’s sixth 18-hole equivalent championship course in Florida after several acquisitions earlier this year.

Designed by Mark McCumber, Heron Bay is the former home of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic, which took place there from 1997-2002.

“As the longtime venue for the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic, Heron Bay Golf Club is the ideal addition to our Florida Region,” said ClubLink president and chief executive officer Rai Sahi.

According to Stuart Kaufman, president of HB Partners I, the acquisition will be a positive one for Heron Bay.

“ClubLink brings its unparalleled reputation for providing the best possible experience, both on the course and off, for all members and guests,” said Kaufman.

Heron Bay is adjacent to the Marriott Coral Springs Hotel and Convention Center, providing a venue for visiting golfers to take advantage of stay-and-play packages.

Heron Bay will be operated as a hybrid golf club, meaning it will offer ClubLink membership in addition to daily-fee golf.

In early September, ClubLink announced the acquisition of five 18-hole equivalent championship and two 18-hole academy courses in Sun City Center, south of Tampa, to create its Florida Region.

ClubLink’s approximately 22,000 members will now have reciprocal access at golf courses in two regions — Florida and Ontario/Quebec — through ClubLink’s new TravelLink program.

ClubLink Moves South

ClubLink Corporation has acquired the equivalent of eight, 18-hole golf courses in Sun City Center, Fla., from WCI Communities LLC.

The courses include Club Renaissance (18 holes). Sandpiper Golf Course (27), Scepter Golf Club (18) and Falcon Watch Golf Club (27). Two 18-hole executive courses are also part of the deal, including Kings Point Golf Club and Caloosa Greens Golf Club.

North Lakes Golf Club, closed in 2009, was also part of the cluster.

The golf courses are about 50 kilometres south of Tampa and range from full-service country club to executive courses and are ClubLink’s first regional venture into the U.S.

The purchase price was $8.7-million and was facilitated by Steven Ekovich, vice president of investments for the National Golf and Resort Properties Group at Marcus and Millichap Real Estate Investment Services.

“We identified the Tampa area as one of our target markets in the U.S. and we are pleased to announce that the Sun City Center portfolio represents our first regional cluster in the United States,” said ClubLink president and CEO Rai Sahi.

“This acquisition establishes a firm foothold in Florida for us, and we are actively pursuing other opportunities on both sides of the border,” he added.

ClubLink Introduces Bethesda Grange

As reported on GNN earlier this week, ClubLink Corporation has announced a $1.5-million renovation to what was the Championship Course at Rolling Hills in Gormley, Ont., and will introduce the new Bethesda Grange Golf Course.

Bethesda Grange will offer daily fee golf, while ClubLink will also offer its Silver level membership option.

“Bethesda Grange offers an affordable and enjoyable golf experience for golfers of all abilities,” said ClubLink president and chief executive officer Rai Sahi. “That’s one of our goals at ClubLink—to be as inclusive as possible for all golfers.”

“In addition, our cluster concept means that a member at Bethesda Grange has reciprocal access to play
all of our 40 courses, many of which are just a short drive away,” added Sahi.

Canadian designer Paul Takahashi will spearhead the renovation after working on the original designs for ClubLink projects such as Caledon Woods and the Predator Course at GreyHawk.

Takahashi also led renovations at Station Creek. Emerald Hills and Cherry Downs and was on the design teams for Wyndance, the Lake Joseph Club, Rocky Crest and RattleSnake Point.

“These renovations will make a radical difference. The existing green sites are terrific
and I plan to use them as the centrepieces of Bethesda Grange,” said Takahashi.

“While the routing will be largely unchanged, the golf course will look dramatically different. We are adding significant yardage to bring the overall length to almost 6,600 yards,” he added.

“An aggressive tree management program will vastly improve the sight lines and shot values into these great established green sites. Every tee deck will be totally re-engineered and resurfaced,” he said.

“While some current bunkers will remain, we will be relocating and adding fairway and greenside bunkers,
all of which will be filled with new, white Ohio sand. New cart paths will route players from each green to
the next tee,” he added.

ClubLink To Announce Renovation

Industry sources say that ClubLink Corporation will announce a major renovation to the par-72 Champions Course at Rolling Hills in Gormley, Ont.

The sources also say that Rolling Hills will become a combined member/daily fee course, similar to other ClubLink courses such as Glen Abbey and the Club at Bond Head, two other ClubLink courses in Southern Ontario.

The announcements are expected today. Watch GNN for more details.

Hale’s Happy Place, Mind Games And Other Notes

Hale Irwin, who will play in the inaugural Montreal Championship in July, was in no way referring Tiger Woods, but what he had to say last week offered a delightful contrast to those of us who are weary of the scandal.

The three-time U.S. Open winner played in his 1,000th PGA Tour / Champions Tour event last weekend in Tampa, but before he did that, he talked about the upcoming Champions Tour event in Montreal and touched on longevity and the role of family in a player’s career.

Irwin, with his 65th birthday on the horizon, said golf was part of an overall lifestyle and the standard by which you live your life will be reflected in the way you play golf.

With a record 45 wins on the Champions Tour and 20 wins on the PGA Tour, the World Golf Hall of Fame member apparently led a good life overall if you go by that theory. Read more

Champions Tour Moves To ClubLink Course

The Champions Tour is returning to Canada for the first time since 2002 after the introduction on Thursday of the Montreal Championship to be played at Club de Golf Fontainebleau, a ClubLink Corporation facility in Blainville, Que., July 2-4.

Montreal-based Synchro Sports will be host organization and tournament promoter for the 54-hole event that will feature 78 players with an overall $1.8-million purse and $270,000 prize for the winner.

The event will be televised on The Golf Channel and Reseau des sports (RDS)

“We realize the strategic importance of growing the Champions Tour brand globally and establishing a strong presence in Canada,” said Champions Tour president Mike Stevens.

“Following the overwhelming success of the 2007 Presidents Cup, our players are excited to be back playing in Canada and looking forward to visiting and showcasing the Champions Tour in the world-class city of Montreal,” he added.

The federal and Quebec provincial governments will split $4.7-million in funding for marketing and promotion of the championship over three years.

Former Montreal Canadiens president Ronald Corey will serve as tournament chairman, while Synchro Sports vice president David Skitt will be tournament director.

Fontainebleau is 7,105 yards and opened in 2003.  A year later, it hosted the Telus Skins Game.

“Certainly, it’s a perfect set-up for the Champions Tour, but what’s great about it is the 15th hole comes back to the clubhouse and then, when you play 16, 17 18, it goes around a big lake,” said Skitt.

“From an event management perspective, the way we’re going to set it up with the skyboxes and grandstands, it’s going to create an amphitheatre,” he added.

“I certainly think it will look great on TV,” said Skitt. “What’s kind of fun from a spectator’s perspective is you can be sitting on the 17th green, but see exactly what’s going on on 16 and then, seeing what’s going on on 18, which is kind of fun.”

Skitt estimates that the tournament, which will change its working name and add a title sponsor in the near future, will have an economic impact on Quebec of between $22 and $25-million.

“We’re not in this just to be any event,” he said. “We want this to be a premier event on the Champions Tour.”

ClubLink Expansion Could Be On The Horizon

It isn’t being overly cynical to discuss the business aspect of what is being presented as a good for the game, feelgood story with ClubLink Corporation contributing roughly $4-million in cash and use of its facilities for Royal Canadian Golf Association programs and initiatives (See the News Now story for more).

It’s the way of the world.

“We’ve got approaching 20,000 members playing golf and we obviously want them to continue to love and enjoy the game of golf,” said ClubLink president and chief executive officer Rai Sahi

“Since my involvement going back 10 years ago, at the time, there were only 6,000 members. If you keep going at the same rate, we could have 30-40-50,000 members, so obviously, it is in our interests as well as the game of golf continues to grow.” Read more

ClubLink Invests Heavily In RCGA

ClubLink Corporation has entered into a 10-year agreement with the Royal Canadian Golf Association to support several RCGA programs and services.

ClubLink will invest close to $4 million, including the use of its facilities, into the National Golf in Schools Program, Team Canada, CN Future Links, the RCGA Foundation, Canadian University Colleges Championship and the RBC Canadian Open.

ClubLink President and chief executive officer Rai Sahi said supporting Canadian golf, especially at the grassroots level through the CN Future Links junior golf program and National Golf in Schools, was a driving force behind ClubLink’s decision.

“This partnership is a natural progression of our longstanding relationship with the RCGA and, like them, ClubLink and our 18,500 members are vitally interested in helping to grow the game of golf,” said ClubLink president and chief executive officer Rai Sahi.

“ClubLink has always taken a long-term view and it is obvious from our commitment of almost $4 million over the next 10 years, that we wholeheartedly support the RCGA’s goals of broadening the interest and participation in golf in the country,” he added.

The relationship between the RCGA and ClubLink dates back to the RCGA’s sale of Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont., to ClubLink in 1999.

Through its involvement with the Golf in Schools Program, ClubLink will sponsor a minimum of 11 schools per year as part of the program’s ‘Adopt a School’ initiative.

A ClubLink Scholarship of Excellence program will also grant two $5,000 scholarships per year to students attending a Canadian university, while the corporation will also become presenting sponsor of the RCGA’s University College Golf Championship.

ClubLink will also continue to contribute to the RBC Canadian Open’s through the Mike Weir Foundation, the event’s national charity.

For more on this story, see Hutch’s Blog.

Industry Answers A Loud Wake-Up Call

Take a look at the GNN Poll and you’ll see a strong majority of respondents have re-examined their policies after charges were laid last January against ClubLink Corporation, directors and servers after three young people were killed in 2008 in an accident following a night of drinking at the Lake Joseph Club in Ontario cottage country.

Charges against 11 ClubLink executives were recently dropped, but the corporation and three staffers are still facing charges. The fact that people are reconsidering their own policies as a result of this incident doesn’t surprise Jim Hylands, vice president of Simmlands Insurance.

Hylands says that, since the charges were first laid early this year, he has been approached to discuss such matters “certainly more than we would have and certainly, one of the hot topics was, `Could this happen to me at my club?’

“The answer is clearly yes,” said Hylands. Read more

Did You React To The ClubLink Incident?

By now, you’ve probably read that charges against 11 executives of ClubLink Corporation have been dropped after the tragic deaths of three youngsters following an evening of drinking at the Lake Joseph Club near Bracebridge, Ont. in the summer of 2008.

If you haven’t read the story, it’s in the News Now section.  It was determined that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction of the ClubLink executives.

We could get into some deep philosophical discussions on this matter, including personal responsibility of the person who is drinking, or whether controlling that person should be a legal or moral responsibility on the part of the establishment.

It could be – and has been – argued that an example was being made of executives who weren’t even on hand at the time, especially since two of the original 16 who were charged originally weren’t even with ClubLink at the time of the accident.

We can talk about right and wrong, what the law says and what our personal opinions are, but in the end, there are some nasty realities that don’t change. Read more

Charges Dropped Against ClubLink Execs

Charges have been withdrawn against 11 people who had been named for allegedly allowing public drunkenness at the Lake Joseph Club, a ClubLink Corporation facility near Bracebridge, Ont., that led to the tragic death of three young people last year.

Charges were dropped against Paul David Campbell, Patrick Brigham, Scott Davidson, Egidio Caravaggio, Charles Lorimer, Neil Osborne, Bruce Simmonds, Donald Turple, Robert Visentin, Rai Sahi and Jack Winberg

For local coverage of the story, click http://www.gravenhurstbanner.com/article/149166.

The Abbey Bites The Media

If I find out that ClubLink Corporation is having a sale of previously-owned golf balls (are we allowed to say “used” anymore?), I plan to write Charles Lorimer a sternly-worded letter.

The congenial vice president of sales and marketing for ClubLink came up with the bright idea of having media hacks play from the gold tees during the Canadian Golf Media Championship at Glen Abbey on Monday.

The golds come in around 6,900 yards, which is the minimum the Abbey will be played at when the RBC Canadian Open takes place a couple of weeks hence.

The rough was about four inches and word is that a search party has been dispatched to find a couple of my vertically-challenged colleagues, who may still be lost among the blades that comprised a mini-jungle thanks to all the rain in the area this year.

In other words, conditions were perfect for a beating of the media, a group that thinks a “round” is something they get when it’s their turn to buy and “fore” is the number of ales that’s required. Read more

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