On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Editor-in-Chief Rob Thomas speaks with Mike Karnath, CCM, CCE, General Manager / COO of Wanakah Country Club in Hamburg, N.Y. Wanakah Country Club is celebrating its 125th Anniversary this year and recently had a Gala, Family BBQ, and donor appreciation party. Earlier in the year the club hosted a kickoff event, “A Taste Through Time,” held the New York State Men’s Amateur Championship, approved a $5.6 million irrigation and bunker project to ensure the club’s long-term viability, and invested in the club this year with a major pool renovatio ..read more

On the latest episode of Club + Resort Talks, Senior Editor Phil Keren visited with Eric Peterson, General Manager of Cragun’s Resort, Golf & Conference and Cragun’s Legacy Golf Courses in Brainerd, Minn. Peterson talked about his facility recently hosting the CRMC Championship, a PGA Tour Americas event. The four-day tournament in late August and early September was won by Denmark native Frederik Kjettrup with a score of 24-under par. This was the third consecutive year that Cragun’s served as host of the CRMC Championship, which happened on the resort’s Dutch course. Peterson gave an ove ..read more

On this episode of Club + Resort Talks, Senior Editor Phil Keren interviews Rich Wade, Director of Squash and Padel at The Philadelphia Cricket Club, about the club’s padel offerings. Wade gives a primer on padel, discusses why the club decided to offer the sport, and reviews the padel programs and leagues that are available. Phil and Editor-In-Chief Rob Thomas also reviewed news stories happening with clubs in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Georgia, North Carolina, and New York. The market for golf courses is experiencing a significant upswing, as seen in the recent listings and sales of properti ..read more

On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Editor-in-Chief Rob Thomas speaks with Monique “Mo” Gesualdi, PGA and LPGA Director of Instruction at St. John’s Golf & Country Club in St. Augustine, Fla. Coach Mo was recently awarded the 2024 Troon Coach of the Year. She talks about her journey to becoming a golf coach and the health challenges she had to overcome in her 20s. Coach Mo emphasizes the importance of a holistic coaching approach that considers the physical, mental, emotional and nutritional aspects of a player. As a former high-level junior golfer herself, she believes she ..read more

On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Rob Thomas speaks with Robin Shelton, PGA Master Professional and General Manager of Newport Beach Country Club, and Bianca Gillett, the club’s Director of Fitness and Recreation. The trio discuss the celebrated club’s newest edition—an outdoor fitness center called “The Cove.” Gillett shares the space’s unique features and amenities, how it integrates with the existing facilities at Newport Beach Country Club, and what types of fitness programs and classes will be offered. Shelton touches upon construction costs, the expected return on inves ..read more

On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Club + Resort Business Editor-in-Chief Rob Thomas speaks with Erik Whitehead, Membership Director at Myakka Golf Club in Myakka City, Fla. Miakka Golf Club, a private club currently being built by Dana Fry and Jason Straka with consultation from PGA veteran Paul Azinger, is located near Sarasota, construction is well under way and preview play is expected to begin the fall of 2025. The course is being built on more than 1,100 acres of land and will feature an Australian Sandbelt design (Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, etc). They also have cr ..read more

The new clubhouse at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. is taking shape, marked by a recent “topping off” ceremony celebrating the completion of the steel structure for the 110,000-sq.-ft. building. This milestone is part of a $104 million project, nearly two-and-a-half years after the original clubhouse was destroyed by a fire caused by a contractor mishap with a blowtorch. During the “topping out” ceremony, members and staff signed the final steel beam before placing it, following the tradition of placing an evergreen tree on top. The new clubhouse is scheduled for complet ..read more

On this edition of Club + Resort Talks, Senior Editor Phil Keren speaks with Phil Anderson, General Manager of Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., about the club’s preparations to host the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship Aug. 12-18. The club is planning to donate all tournament profits to The Loop Community Experience for accessible golf. The goal of this initiative is to unite Minnesota communities by growing the game and making it more accessible to anyone who wants to play. It champions organizations that honor diversity and encourage those with disabilities, as well as veterans ..read more

On this episode of Club + Resort Talks, Rob Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of Club + Resort Business, speaks with Mike Dowd, General Manager/COO of Oakdale Golf and Country Club in California. The club just finished building eight new pickleball courts and is adding an event pavilion and outdoor patio bar, as well as a bocce area within the next couple of months. This comes on the heels of a clubhouse refresh, bunker renovation, and expansion to six sets of tee boxes on the golf course. With Senior Editor Phil Keren on vacation and Rob missing his weekly Thursday Three due to the Fourth of July holid ..read more

On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Rob Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of Club + Resort Business, chats with Brock Orlowski, MBA, CDORS, USPTA Elite, PPR, Director of Racquet Sports at Fort Wayne (Ind.) Country Club. The two talk about everything from growing the racquets industry through The Directors’ Club of America and the inaugural Directors’ Club Retreat, to cultivating the rapidly growing interest in racquet sports—pickleball, tennis, padel, and more. Rob and Senior Editor Phil Keren also discussed some innovative projects and events happening at golf courses around the country ..read more