Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC

Asheville, N.C. – KSL Capital Partners, LLC, which acquired ClubCorp several years ago, recently announced it entered into an agreement to acquire the historic Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa from an affiliate of Sammons Enterprises, Inc. One of the most iconic resorts in the United States, the 512-room Grove Park Inn sits between the majestic Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains and features an 18-hole Donald Ross-designed course.

The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the next 30 days.

As part of the resort’s centennial celebration in 2013, KSL Capital Partners is planning an extensive $25 million renovation of the resort’s public areas, guest rooms, dining outlets, meeting spaces and spa that will honor the historic style of the resort while enhancing the guest experience.

Sammons has owned and operated the resort for nearly 60 years. Following the acquisition, The Grove Park Inn will continue to operate as an independent luxury resort and will be managed by KSL Resorts, a leading independent hotel management company. KSL Capital Partners and KSL Resorts have extensive experience in owning and operating historic properties such as The Grove Park Inn.

Founded in 1992, the KSL Resorts portfolio currently comprises:  Hotel del Coronado (San Diego, Calif.); Beach Village at The Del (San Diego, Calif.); La Costa Resort and Spa (Carlsbad, Calif.); Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa (Rancho Mirage, Calif.); Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa (Vail, Colo.); Barton Creek Resort & Spa (Austin, Texas); and The Homestead (Hot Springs, Va.)

“The Grove Park Inn has a deep and storied past and we understand the importance of honoring the history of the property while providing the next level of service and amenities that today’s guests demand,” said Marty Newburger, a principal of KSL Capital Partners. “We believe the experience KSL Resorts has in managing properties like The Grove Park Inn partnered with our planned capital improvement program will bring a further level of luxury, service and amenities for our guests and the community to enjoy.”

Constructed in 1913, Grove Park Inn features 512 rooms, one of the country’s most widely acclaimed spas, eight dining outlets and seven retail outlets, an 18-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course, a 50,000-square-foot sports complex, and 55,000 square feet of meeting space with 42 meeting rooms.

The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, just beyond the energy of downtown Asheville, North Carolina, The Grove Park Inn is sanctuary for the soul. Enchanting mountain vistas, lush green fairways, warm Southern charm, and passionate hospitality make The Grove Park Inn an oasis for family vacations and romantic getaways.

KSL is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, and real estate and travel services. Among the firm’s holdings is Dallas-based ClubCorp, one of the world’s largest owners of private golf and business clubs.

KSL also owns other premier recreation businesses, including Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, two of the leading ski resorts in North America; Western Athletic Clubs, the owner and operator of luxury fitness clubs on the West Coast; and Orion Expedition Cruises, a luxury expedition cruise operator based in Sydney, Australia.

Kingwood Country Club Fitness Facility

Kingwood, Tex. –  Kingwood Country Club at The Clubs of Kingwood, a member of the ClubCorp family of clubs and the heart of the Kingwood community, recently  held a groundbreaking ceremony  to mark the beginning of a multimillion-dollar renovation project.

Through its exclusive partnership with TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge, a private residential community just a short drive from Salish Lodge, Salish Lodge guests can now enjoy
a variety of “stay and play” packages, according to Salish Lodge. TPC at Snoqualmie is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in the Pacific Northwest,  designed to accommodate major
PGA Tour events while offering superb playability for golfers of all levels.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to not only call TPC Snoqualmie Ridge our next door neighbor, but to provide our guests with exclusive access at this members-only course,” said Rod Lapasin, general manager at Salish Lodge & Spa. “With
spring just around the corner, we developed some new experiences that pair the Lodge’s world class amenities with those at this breathtaking course.”

The “Stay, Play and Pamper” package provides the ultimate his and hers getaway with one night stay in a Spa Club Level guestroom, one round of 18 holes at TPC (cart included) and one 50-minute Hot Stone Massage.

The Mancation getaway was designed to provide a chance for the guys to gather for a much needed day on the course with a one-night stay in a Spa Club Level guestroom, one round of 18 holes at TPC (cart included), a fine cigar and a three-course steak dinner in The Dining Room.

Guests of Salish Lodge may also book private instruction and club fitting sessions with top PGA Golf Professional Joey Pickavance at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. Fittings utilize the Titleist Certified Fitting System. TPC Snoqualmie Ridge has the only regional FittingWorks system and Joey is the only advanced fitting professional in the greater Seattle area. Private lessons can be customized on any segment of the game including short game, full swing, putting and game management.

Consistently ranked among the best small resorts in the world, Salish Lodge & Spa is nestled in Washington’s icturesque Cascade Mountains, overlooking the 268-foot Snoqualmie Falls. Each of its 84 recently renovated guest rooms has a wood-burning fireplace, two-person whirlpool tub, goose-down comforter, feather bed and balcony or window seat.

Salish Lodge & Spa is managed and operated by Seattle-based Columbia Hospitality, Inc. Columbia Hospitality,  founded in 1995 by John Oppenheimer, is a management and consulting firm specializing in luxury hotel and resort management. The company’s continued success has led to an international expansion of the consulting division and more than 100 hospitality development projects worldwide.

The resort is located 30 minutes east of  downtown Seattle and within 40 minutes from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The opening matchup is a foursome to follow with Woods and Team Albany partner Justin Rose going against Charles Howell III and Bubba Watson of Team Isleworth, the cross-town private club community that started this rare sporting event. For early drama, Rose is coming off his first World Golf Championship victory at Doral Resort, defeating Watson by one shot.

Overall, the ninth installment of the event features 24 of the top touring professional members of Albany, Isleworth Golf & Country Club, Lake Nona and Queenwood Golf Club. The tournament’s first-day pairings feature better ball stroke play. The second-round pairings feature individual stroke play.

The Tavistock Cup has become one of the most unique golfing events of the year as tickets are not sold to the public. Only club members, sponsors, designated charities and invited guests are able to attend the two-day event. Once in, there are no ropes separating the world’s best players from the spectators.

The tournament will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel in the U.S., Canada, China and Japan and airs on international affiliates throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, Latin America and South Africa. TavistockCup.com will feature real-time live scoring of the 2012 Tavistock Cup.

Each year, Tavistock Cup contestants play for prize money, team hole-in-one prizes and the title of World Golf and Country Club Champion. But the tournament also exists to raise money for many worthy causes. The Tavistock Cup has generated more than $7 million for charity in its short history. In addition to various player charities, a number of major beneficiaries include The First Tee, Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, The UCF Foundation and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.

Tavistock Group is an international private investment company founded by Joe Lewis. With investments in more than 200 companies across 15 countries, Tavistock Group’s investment portfolio includes: life sciences, sports teams and sporting events, manufacturing and distribution, oil, gas and energy, financial services, restaurants, commercial properties, private luxury residential properties, resort properties and master-planned real estate developments.

Following is a look at the four private clubs represented in this Tavistock Cup:

• Albany is the newest luxury resort community created by Tavistock Group, Woods and fellow Tavistock Cup participant Ernie Els. Nestled among approximately 600 oceanfront acres on the southwestern end of New Providence in The Bahamas, Albany is conveniently located seven minutes and five miles from Nassau’s international airport. Albany features an array of residential offerings and amenities for all members of the family, including a well-appointed boutique hotel, a 71-slip mega-yacht marina, an Ernie Els-designed golf course, a fitness center and spa, an adult pool and bar, a family water park, a kids’ clubhouse and casual and fine dining restaurants. Albany’s deep-water marina is being designed and built to aesthetically rival the great resort ports of the world.
• Isleworth Golf & Country Club is a 600-acre private residential community with more than seven miles of shoreline and a championship golf course. Conceived by Arnold Palmer, designed by Ed Seay and enhanced by Steve Smyers, Isleworth’s course is consistently ranked one of the longest and toughest in Florida. Isleworth is home to an 89,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style clubhouse where members have access to multiple dining venues and a fitness center. Members also enjoy tennis facilities, a year-round children’s program, concierge services and 24-hour gated security. Isleworth’s natural lakefront setting lends the perfect backdrop for its collection of monumental sculptures. Elegant estate homes, priced from $2 million to more than $20 million, are afforded commanding golf to water views.
• Offering world-class education, exceptional family experiences and outstanding amenities, Lake Nona Golf & Country Club has delivered the highest quality of living in Central Florida for more than 25 years. A vibrant, international population of members and residents enjoy an active lifestyle along with a full social calendar for recreation, celebration and entertainment. Lake Nona’s Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course is world-ranked and has been a regular host of the PGA TOUR-sanctioned Tavistock Cup. Lake Nona also features a newly renovated fitness center, guest lodge, tennis courts and pool, year-round children’s programming, as well as a trio of pristine lakes providing freshwater fishing and boating opportunities. Just outside the gates of this private sanctuary lie numerous parks and trails, diverse workspaces, as well as forthcoming retail and entertainment choices beside a cluster of hospitals, universities and research institutions setting new benchmarks in medical education, patient care and scientific research.
• Queenwood Golf Club is a traditional private golf club nestled in the heart of the rolling Surrey countryside near London. Founded by American entrepreneur Frederick D. Green, Queenwood features a heathland course, extraordinary clubhouse facilities and a limited membership. Queenwood’s course is the creation of David Kidd, widely known for his work at Bandon Dunes in Oregon. Providing sophisticated tranquility for members and their guests, Queenwood’s clubhouse offers a wide array of services available throughout the year, including fine dining experiences and luxurious guestrooms.

Spring Island, S.C. – Old Tabby Links golf course in the South Carolina lowcountry community of Spring Island will closed March 12 for restoration. The restoration project will be headed up by the course’s original design firm, Arnold Palmer Design Company, with construction by MacCurrach Golf Construction. The restoration will include a new state-of-the-art irrigation system, re-grassing greens, and enhancements to restore the natural character of the course and heighten the strategic interest of each hole. Work is estimated to be done in the fall with the course re-opening for play this November.

Opening to much fan-fare in 1993, Old Tabby Links has long been viewed as the crown jewel in Arnold Palmer, and long-time associate, Ed Seay’s illustrious partnership. At the time of the original design a senior architect for Arnold Palmer Design Company said of Spring Island, “When I first saw the site…, I was convinced that God lived there. I have never seen any piece of land more beautiful and natural.”

The main task of the restoration project is to restore the natural beauty and rugged character that over the years have been diminished. The driving force behind undertaking the restoration project now is the aging irrigation system and the decline of the grass on the greens. As part of the project, a new irrigation system will be installed that will greatly reduce the amount of water and time it takes to irrigate the course. Also showing its age, is the grass on the Old Tabby Links’ greens. To address this issue, all greens will be re-grassed with a new strain of Bermuda, and in some cases, repositioned in order to be in full sun, and escape the encroaching shade of growing trees that the community’s homeowners want to save. As part of the project some bunkers will also be rebuilt, repositioned and eliminated in favor of the natural, sandy terrain of the area.

With the re-grassing of the greens, the design committee reevaluated the type of grass and decided to upgrade to MiniVerde, an ultradwarf Bermudagrass developed since the time of the original construction of Old Tabby Links. The new grass will eliminate the need for annual overseeding, further decreasing the impact of the course on the surrounding ecosystem and adding to the life-span of the greens.

“Spring Island has long been recognized for its trend-setting, low-impact development plan.,” said Spring Island general manager Tom Noyes. “More recently, the club has stood out for its financial strength and the willingness of our owners to invest in the future of the community. The new state-of-the-art sports and fitness complex was the first step in our investment for the future. This golf course restoration is our next step in ensuring the continuing improvement of Spring Island.”

Spring Island is a 3,000-acre island community located 35 minutes from Hilton Head and Savannah, and 30 minutes by boat from Port Royal Sound and the open Atlantic Ocean. Spring Island is limited to no more than 410 families on the 3,000 acres with 1,200 acres protected as nature preserve. Besides golf Spring Island also offers world class fresh and salt water fishing, equestrian, tennis, croquet, quail hunting, nature center, fine and casual dining options, and a wide variety of educational and cultural pursuits. For more information go to www.SpringIsland.com.

Southworth, based in Newton, Mass., is a leading developer of residential resort-styled communities, with properties in the U.S., Scotland and The Bahamas. Southworth is a privately held firm owned by David Southworth of Boston and Joseph Deitch of West Palm Beach, Fla.

David Southworth began his residential development career as Fireman’s business partner, serving as president and chief executive officer of Willowbend Development from 1992 to 2005. During that span, the two combined to develop close to $1 billion in resort and/or residential communities in the United States and Puerto Rico.

“I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to acquire Willowbend,” said Southworth. “As someone who was there at the very beginning of Willowbend, being given the chance to take over the stewardship of the club and community is something that’s very gratifying. Willowbend has always been a second home for my family and me – literally, as I maintain a residence and membership there. To have the opportunity to guide this exquisite club community into the future is one that I value dearly. It just shows that you can go home again.”

Deitch, a native of Boston, Mass., serves as chairman of Southworth Development. But he is perhaps most widely known for being the founder and chairman of Commonwealth Financial Network, the nation’s largest privately-owned, independent broker-dealer firm, with over $65 billion under management.

“Willowbend is a perfect fit for Southworth Development,” said Deitch. “It’s an extraordinary property with phenomenal amenities and a truly wonderful group of members and residents. Joining together with the Willowbend community to chart a new course for the future is going to be a real pleasure.”

Willowbend was purchased by the Fireman family in 1991 and quickly became the most luxurious private club in New England. The club, known for its 27 holes of championship golf, cranberry bogs, and stunning facilities – and its famous members – quickly became the center of Cape Cod’s summer glitterati scene. It also served as home of the Willowbend Children’s Charity Pro Am for many years – an event which brought some of golf’s biggest stars, including Greg Norman, Gary Player, and Tom Watson, Nick Faldo and John Daly and others to the Club. Today, Willowbend’s membership includes more than 300 discerning individuals and families.

“When the time came to sell Willowbend, it was definitely an emotional decision,” said Fireman. “In the end, it made perfect sense on every level to hand over the reins to David and Joe. Knowing that the club and community will be in their capable hands has made this decision so much easier. Now, my family and I will be able to enjoy the club as members, rather than owners. We’re looking forward to doing so for many years to come.”

The Asheville, N.C.-area golf course real estate development, Cliffs at High Carolina, was projected to be the newest private club community in the sprawling Cliffs Communities network. However, the once high-flying Cliffs Communities, comprised of eight world-class private residential golf clubs on 20,000 acres in the Carolina Preserve, officially succumbed to the real estate recession when Cliffs founder Jim Anthony sought U.S. bankruptcy protection this Tuesday in South Carolina.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Anthony’s controlling Cliffs Club & Hospitality Group Inc. had estimated liabilities between $100 million and $500 million.

At one time, the Cliffs clubs were some of the top-selling communities in the country. But land sales to home builders and individual buyers seeking high-end real estate were slowed by the economic downturn putting a halt to the Woods course.

To date, only two homes have reportedly been built at High Carolina and fewer than 50 of a planned 1,100 lots have been sold. One of the Cliffs’ members, Steve Carlile, owns a prime lot at High Carolina and is one suitor interested in purchasing the Cliffs assets.

Earlier this month, the board reached a tentative deal with Carlile Group, a diversified company based in Marshall, Texas, to take over the Cliffs Club for an unspecified sum.

Now that the company is under bankruptcy protection, it also will entertain offers from other investors, according to Katie Goodman, managing partner of GGG Partners LLC, the restructuring firm hired by Cliffs Club. The Carlile bid will be used as a “stalking horse” to attract other offers, people familiar with the situation told the Journal.

Woods’s first golf-course-design project, Tiger Woods Dubai, was never finished. His other project, an oceanside course on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, has also been slow in developing.

By most accounts, America’s housing markets are finally beginning to show clear signs of stability. Heck, Warren Buffett himself, one of the most admired and respected investors of our time, said the other day he would buy thousands of homes right now because of the industry’s bullish upside.

For hundreds of thousands of homeowners, however, this real estate recovery is still not soon enough as they continue to drown in negative homeowner equity with no life line in sight.

Looking on the bright side, though, the sun is starting to shine on America’s homeowners. Yes, the real estate recession is finally over.

Interestingly, it’s a recovery that was expected more than two years ago, according to many optimistic realtors featured in the following video story I filed at the 2008 National Association of Realtors Convention in Orlando.

NAR Video

Trump Hotel Company Doral

Miami, Fla. – The Trump Organization announced Feb. 27 that it will purchase Miami’s famed Doral Hotel & Country Club for $150 million. Doral is known for its four championship golf courses, including the world-renowned Blue Monster; 700-room resort; vast ballrooms and meeting facilities; sprawling
Pritikin spa; and the highly regarded Jim McLean Golf School and teaching facilities.

Dye Designs Group in El Salvador

Shenzhen, China – Dye Designs Group  was selected to create a new18-hole championship golf course as the centerpiece of a multi-use residential resort development, Guilin Sports, Tourism & Leisure Center, located in Guilin, China.

Due to the recent government restrictions on golf course developments, the project’s owner, Guilin XinChang Investment Group, an experienced real estate developer in the GuangXi province, took their time and dedicated substantial resources toward selecting the architect to design their first golf related development.

“This client hosted a very competitive selection process over a period of 18 months” says principal Cynthia Dye. “I feel honored to have my team and our conceptual master plan chosen from among the many first rate designers presented during the lengthy and detailed design charrette.”

Guilin Sports, Tourism & Leisure Center is conveniently located on the edge of current development in the city of Guilin. The resort community development will include: an 18-hole golf course, an internationally flagged hotel & conference center, a separate natural hot spring day spa and approximately one-hundred custom villas.

Distinguishing features of the resort community will be its setting within the interlaced Karst Mountains, a rare and distinctive geological feature that is a major attraction for tourism to the Guilin area. These features form a natural backdrop for the golf course which itself is routed through a series of natural springs that will serve the golf resort and spa facilities.

“Of all the properties that I have walked in my lifetime, this is the most surreal setting,” Dye said. “The interplay between the small mountains, refracted light in all directions and the natural water features has given me a wonderful opportunity to create something special here.”

Under the central government’s tourism plan to promote “One Province, One Island, One City,” this project has been given approval to move forward. The golf course construction phase is scheduled to begin this July.

With two projects now nearing completion of construction and two of their other current design projects receiving similar expedited approvals, Dye Designs Group is confident the golf course development process in China has been given some clarity and possibly a boost from the need for localized economic development.