Cathy Harbin has joined ClubCorp as vice president of golf revenue, helping the company’s golf and country club division in initiatives to grow the game of golf, increase rounds, drive golf instruction, and enhance the member and guest experience. Harbin was executive director of Golf 20/20, where she helped start the Get Golf Ready program.
Rich Hohman has been named President of Kitson & Partners Clubs, and will succeed industry veteran Michael Rippey, who plans to retire from full-time involvement with the company at mid-year. Rippey has been President of K&P’s Clubs Division since 2001.
Hohman joined K&P in March 2010 as Chief Operating Officer of the Clubs Division, providing overall direction for the division’s nearly 500 employees and directing golf operations at the golf clubs owned by Kitson & Partners, such as Talis Park Golf Club in Naples. Prior to joining K&P, he was Vice President of Asset Development for the Ginn Company, where he was involved in planning, constructing and operating several premier golf developments. Earlier in his career, he spent 10 years in golf operations management with American Golf Corporation, starting as a regional operations manager in the Midwest, and advancing to the position of Senior Vice President of Operations.
ValleyCrest Golf Course Maintenance has hired Jeff Kiewel as Director of Business Development, West. Kiewel will be responsible for creating new business opportunities in the western United States. Kiewel, who played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons, previously worked for Club Car and Rain Bird. He was most recently sales manager of the irrigation division for John Deere Golf.
ValleyCrest also hired Dr. Todd Bunnell as Director of Agronomy. Bunnell was previously Manager of Turf and Ornamental Research for SePRO.
Jim Kirchdorfer, Sr., an original member of the Golf Course Builders Association of America, died Feb. 3. Kirchdorfer will receive the Don A. Rossi Award this week at the Golf Industry Show. One of the most distinguished leaders in the high-density polyethylene pipe industry, Kirchdorfer was founder and chairman of Louisville, Ky.-based ISCO Industries, LLC, a pipe supplier and manufacturer.
The RDC Golf Group hired Richard Tacconelli as Superintendent for Shackamaxon Country Club in Union County, N.J. Tacconelli will be responsible for maintaining and preserving Shackamaxon’s renowned and historic north-Jersey golf course; a nearly-century old layout that boasts A.W. Tillinghast’s first island green.
Landscapes Unlimited has formed a strategic partnership with Creative Golf Marketing. Creative Golf Marketing is the largest membership marketing firm in the United States, having worked with over 1,100 private clubs. Their core focus and competency is to customize, design and implement membership marketing initiatives for private country club clients.