Troon Golf has added five golf courses to its portfolio, bringing the world’s largest management company to 201 18-hole equivalent courses.
It took over management of three courses that are owned by Carl M. Freeman Companies — Bayside Resort Golf Club and Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club in Delaware and The Bay Club in Maryland. It also announced a deal to manage Kapalua Resort’s two championship golf courses beginning April 1, 2011. Located on the island of Maui, both The Bay Course and The Plantation Course are among Hawaii’s most acclaimed golf destinations.
“Kapalua is an iconic golf destination,” Dana Garmany, chairman and CEO of Troon Golf said in a statement. “We are honored to have been selected to manage these exceptional golf courses and are confident that our management practices will contribute positively to the overall experience at Kapalua Resort.”
The Plantation Course hosts the PGA Tour Hyundai Tournament of Champions each January. Troon will also manage the Kapalua Golf Academy, a state-of-the-art instructional facility.
Carl M. Freeman previously managed its own courses. At the time they were developed, Joshua Freeman, son of the company’s founder, ran the company. Joshua was bullish on golf and had hoped to build a strong course portfolio throughout the Eastern seaboard. He also invested into golf web software, and planned to be a dominant force in that market. But in 2000, the dotcom crash forced him to rethink his business plans, and at the same time his top golf executive became ill and eventually died of cancer in 2002. Joshua died in a helicopter crash in December 2006 at the age of 42.
“We have chosen Troon Golf to manage our operations because they share our desire to be the best,” said Mike Reilly, chief operating officer and executive vice president for The Carl M. Freeman Companies. “Troon Golf provides superior operational efficiencies paired with a focus on customer experiences that is second to none.”