Buffalo Groupe Continues to Build Executive Team with Three New Appointments

Brand Strategy Experts Teresa Olsen and Lauren Nodzak Join Emily Clark, Formerly of Billy Casper Golf, As Most Recent Additions

(RESTON, Va.) – Buffalo Groupe, LLC and its Buffalo Agency – a fully integrated marketing firm representing golf, sport and lifestyle brands globally – has appointed three new senior vice presidents to its executive team: Teresa Olsen, Lauren Nodzak and Emily Clark.

Each will lead specific areas of the business – Olsen as head of strategy for Buffalo Groupe, Nodzak as head of client strategy and service, and Clark as head of people and culture.

“Teresa, Lauren and Emily are vital additions to Buffalo, as they bring distinct, yet equally impressive, experiences to our firm,” says Buffalo Groupe CEO, Kyle Ragsdale. “They will play crucial leadership roles in our shared, new venture to create the world’s first marketing platform connecting brands to the ‘golfing life.’”

Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of key personnel moves made by Buffalo since it spun off from golf course management company Billy Casper Golf earlier this year. They include:
Naming long-time golf and retail-industry executive John Watson executive chairman
Tabbing Ragsdale, Vox Media’s former top revenue and marketing officer, as CEO
Launching Buffalo Studios, led by new chief creative officer, Derek Koenig
“Momentum is building as we execute the initial steps in our plan to create a new and even-more influential Buffalo,” adds Ragsdale. “Getting the right people in the right places on our team is critical to establishing the foundation we need as we enter our next phase of smart, aggressive growth.”

Olsen is an innovative visionary who has worked in multiple industries during her 30-year career. Most recently, she was with Hallmark Cards where she directed strategy for the company’s branded specialty retail network (2,000-plus locations). The development of an expanded distribution strategy and omni-channel retailing initiatives to drive new consumer engagement were other significant accomplishments. Before her time with Hallmark, Olsen was a principal in eCreativeSearch, a venture-backed digital start-up in Chicago that served as a global archival resource of video ads for advertisers, agencies and production companies. Her experience also includes brand strategy and marketing work on behalf of Fortune 100 companies like Procter & Gamble, Coors Brewing Co., Mead Johnson, Burger King and Nestlé.

Nodzak joins Buffalo after five years with Pernod Ricard USA, the premium spirits and wine company. While there, she spearheaded strategic public relations and influencer marketing for the U.S. spirits portfolio. Prior to Pernod, Nodzak led public relations at Mars Chocolate North America. Her stellar execution of groundbreaking integrated marketing campaigns at Mars led to her being named to PR Week’s 40 Under 40 list. She will be based in the New York City area.

Clark was previously the vice president of sales and marketing for Buffalo’s former parent company and largest current shareholder, Billy Casper Golf. During her nine-year tenure, she managed a team of nearly 30 people and drove top- and bottom-line growth for a portfolio of 150 courses across 29 states using both traditional and cutting-edge marketing practices. Major achievements under her watch include establishing the World’s Largest Golf Outing, which to date has raised more than $3.5 million for military families. A former All-America swimmer at the University of Virginia, Clark will combine proven people skills with technology and analytics to shape recruiting, retention, employee-appreciation programming and other talent-related initiatives.

More information: Buffalo.Agency, 703.761.1444

Mission Inn Resort & Club Launches New Wedding Planning Website

(HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla.) – Mission Inn Resort & Club has launched a new weddings website at www.missioninnresortweddings.com.  Dedicated specifically to planning memorable nuptials, the new site is easy to navigate and includes inspiration boards featuring innovative ideas for all aspects of the wedding day. Couples can use the site to schedule a property tour or 5-minute phone chat with Mission Inn Resort’s wedding team. The modern, mobile-friendly site also offers pin-able images on every page.

Frequently-asked questions, many posed by couples that have planned and held weddings at Mission Inn, are clearly answered. Additional features include blogs, wedding package details, and pricing information.

Each year, Mission Inn hosts more than 100 customized wedding ceremonies, receptions, dinners, and wedding weekends. The resort offers three unique wedding locations and an additional 30,000 square feet of function space for receptions, dinners, dancing, and entertainment.

Mission Inn Resort & Club has hosted countless celebrations, often serving more than 1,500 guests for seasonal and holiday meals. The Spanish-colonial-inspired resort features four different restaurants, abundant event space, quiet courtyards and patios, two championship golf courses, tennis academy, full-service spa, lakefront marine center, and nature trails.

For more information on the new website or weddings email wedding@missioninnresort.com, text at 352/630-0835 or call us at 352/324-3016.

Strong International Field Set for 2019 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club

(GRANITEVILLE, S.C.) – Fifty-four of the world’s best junior golfers will descend upon Sage Valley Golf Club April 25-27, 2019 to compete for the “Golden Jacket” in the 9th Junior Invitational, one of the most exclusive and competitive annual junior events. The field will include defending 2018 champion Akshay Bhatia.

Akshay Bhatia

Eligibility for the 54-hole stroke-play Junior Invitational is rigorous, with 17 automatic qualifiers produced from the 2018 Junior Invitational Champion, 2018 Boys Junior PGA Champion, and furthest advancing junior in the 2018 U.S. Amateur, among others. Remaining slots are filled based upon year-to-date rankings.

Seventeen-year-old Bhatia of Wake Forest, North Carolina, donned the Golden Jacket last year after finishing 2-under 214 for the tournament. Bhatia, the first-ever back-to-back Boys Junior PGA Champion and highest-ranked member of the 2018 Boys U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team, recently elected to forgo college and turn professional when he turns 18 in 2020. He made his PGA Tour debut at the Valspar Championship last month, missing the cut by three strokes.

Joining Bhatia in the 2019 field are players who span four continents and represent 14 countries. A total of 15 players are returning to the event, with both Travis Vick (2018 AJGA Junior PLAYERS Champion) and Ricky Castillo (2018 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team and T3 in 2018 Junior Invitational) making their third and final appearances.

Other notable contenders in the field include 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur Champion Michael Thorbjornsen; 2018 R&A Boys Amateur Champion Conor Gough; and William Mouw, the second furthest and youngest advancing junior at the 2018 U.S. Amateur.

Junior Invitational alumni who have achieved success following their participation include nine-time PGA Tour winner Justin Thomas, as well as 2013, 2016 and 2017 U.S. Amateur Champions Matthew Fitzpatrick, Curtis Luck and Doc Redman, respectively. Past participants who competed in the 2019 Masters include Emiliano Grillo (T62), Aaron Wise (17), Fitzpatrick (T21) and Thomas (T12).

For the third consecutive year, the champion and runner-up at the Junior Invitational will earn exemptions into the Boys Junior PGA Championship. The 44th Boys Junior PGA Championship will be held July 30 – August 2, 2019 at Keney Park Golf Course in Hartford, Connecticut.

Golf fans can follow the competition at JuniorInvitational.com. For locals, there is no charge to attend, and badges can be picked up daily throughout the tournament at the Sage Valley Golf Club entrance.

Sage Valley Golf Club is located only minutes from historic Augusta, Georgia, and is surrounded by several thousand acres of preserved southern pine forest. The Tom Fazio-designed course includes three practice “Dormie” holes, a learning center and practice facilities, clubhouse, spa and cottages. The Gun Club was introduced five years after Sage Valley opened, which includes world class sport shooting facilities and hunting and fishing opportunities throughout the season.

The SVJI Sports Foundation was established in 2015 and is intertwined with the Junior Invitational. Since its inception, the SVJI Sports Foundation has donated more than $1 million to The First Tee chapters in Aiken, South Carolina, and Augusta, Georgia, as well as the Press On Fund, which invests in cures for pediatric cancers.

The annual SVJI Sports Foundation Clinic will be held during tournament week on Wednesday, April 24. Approximately 50-60 boys and girls from First Tee chapters across the Southeast and high school players from Aiken and the surrounding areas will be provided free instruction from Sage Valley golf professionals and others at the Dormie holes.

Grandpa Jamie Pranks Again

The Grandpa Jamie video Cleveland Golf launched last year has received more than 5.5 million views on YouTube and Facebook. Well, Grandpa Jamie is back and more hilarious than ever.

Watch as two-time World Long Drive Champion Jamie Sadlowski is back as Grandpa Jamie, pranking unsuspecting golfers on his weekend getaway in Orange County. This time, he's brought along his best friend Uncle Jake (9-time PGA Tour winner Peter Jacobsen) to join in on the fun. In what could be the golf prank of the year, Grandpa Jamie hits the launch monitor and the range, catching customers off guard and leaving them in awe of how far Grandpa Jamie launches the ball.

Puntacana Resort & Club Garners Golf Digest Editor's Choice Award

Following the Second Year Successfully Hosting the PGA Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Resort is Honored by the Accolade

(Punta Cana, Dominican Republic) – Golf Digest announced that Puntacana Resort & Club is the 2019 recipient of the Golf Digest Editors’ Choice Award for Best Golf Resorts – Dominican Republic. The winners of Golf Digest's Best Resorts in the Editors' Choice category are those which the publication would recommend to any golfer. Resorts named to Golf Digest's Editors' Choice are first-class facilities that first and foremost have an exemplary offering of unique and quality golf courses. The accommodations must also have amenities that separate themselves above the fray.

Puntacana Resort & Club is home to 45 holes of championship golf. Between Tom Fazio's Corales Golf Course, and P.B. Dye's La Cana Golf Course, there are 6 oceanfront and 14 oceanview holes. In 2018, Corales Golf Course was home to the only PGA TOUR in the Caribbean, hosting the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, now in its second year.

“Golf has always been an important part of my vision for Puntacana Resort & Club, and we are extremely proud of our world class offerings,” said Grupo Puntacana Founder and Chairman Frank Rainieri. “We are honored to receive this distinction from Golf Digest, validating our hard work, passion, and desire to provide our guests a superior golf experience.”

Opened in 2010, Corales is an exclusive and dramatic 18-hole course with six Caribbean oceanside holes. Designed along the natural cliffs, bays, ocean coves and the inland lakes and coralina quarries, Corales Golf Course rates among the world’s finest golf experiences. The exhilarating challenge culminates playing the Devil’s Elbow, Corales’ last three holes. The Devil’s Elbow features the striking 18th hole with a dramatic forced carry over the cliff lined bay of Corales, an inspired capstone to a memorable and breathtaking golf experience.

La Cana Golf Club is a 27-hole golf course consisting of three nines; Tortuga, Hacienda, and Arrecife. This Punta Cana golf course features 14 holes with ocean views of the crystal blue Caribbean Sea and has become a favorite of golfers from all over the world. Keeping in line with Puntacana Resort & Club’s efforts to be as environmentally friendly as possible, La Cana Golf Club was the first course in the Caribbean to use paspalum, a grass seed that can be watered using sea water.

For more information about Puntacana Resort & Club, visit www.puntacana.com.

Arcis Golf Acquires All of the Assets of Dominion Golf Group

(DALLAS) — Arcis Golf has acquired Austin-based Dominion Golf Group’s portfolio of clubs, one-of-the most attractive, asset quality portfolios in the golf industry, marking a significant enhancement to the Arcis Golf collection of 65 properties nationwide.

The purchase, which closed on April 22, includes three clubs in the booming Austin market – historic Onion Creek Club, River Place Country Club, and Twin Creeks Country Club – along with the highly-acclaimed Lantana Golf Club in Dallas and The Dominion Country Club, a former professional tour venue in San Antonio.

“The addition of Dominion’s distinctive and well-respected portfolio of private clubs aligns well with our strategy of owning and operating the preeminent properties within each of our respective hub or expansion markets,” said Blake Walker, Founder and CEO of Arcis Golf. “These clubs further differentiate our carefully curated collection of lifestyle properties.”

Arcis Golf now owns 18 clubs in Texas and is the second-largest owner and operator of golf facilities in the United States, with a presence in 14 states from coast to coast.

Not only do these clubs offer memorable golf experiences, each promotes a family-oriented lifestyle and meets Arcis’ commitment to provide robust, life-long sports programming, arts and entertainment offerings, and experiential dining. The Dominion Golf Group is comprised of the following clubs:
- Onion Creek Club is revered as the birthplace of the current PGA Tour Champions circuit. Its original 18 holes were designed by three-time Masters Champion Jimmy Demaret, with another legendary Texan, Ben Crenshaw, shaping an additional nine in the mid-1990s. Once host to the LPGA Tour, Onion Creek’s “Legends Hallway” showcases the club’s rich golf history.
- River Place Country Club, Austin’s premier family-oriented private club, features tennis, fitness, swimming, and dining to complement its golf course that was designed by Texas golf icon Tom Kite in 1995.
- Twin Creeks Country Club in Cedar Park boasts Austin’s first Fred Couples Signature Golf Course, highlighted by low-lying ravines lined with limestone outcroppings, and century-old oak and pecan trees. The 8,000-square-foot Family Activities Center offers comprehensive fitness programs and activities for all ages.
- Situated along the banks of San Antonio’s Leon Creek, The Dominion Country Club golf course was home to a Champions Tour event from 1997 through 2001. The elegant clubhouse features courtyards and hand-carved Cantera stone columns, while arched floor-to-ceiling windows provide views of the Texas Hill Country.
- Lantana Golf Club, the centerpiece of a master-planned community and designed by the renowned team of Jay and Carter Moorish, is highly regarded among the most prestigious clubs and best golf courses in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Dramatic use of bunkers, mounds, and grass swales along with water and woods provide a well-rounded golf experience.

“For the past 14 years, our team has pursued excellence and quality for these five clubs,” said Steven Held, President and CEO of Dominion Golf Group. “I am confident that our clubs will continue to thrive and that our members and their families will enjoy Arcis Golf’s ownership and operation.”

A club industry leader in providing inventive direction and unrivaled lifestyle amenities that complement exceptional playing experiences, Arcis Golf focuses its resources on creating extraordinary experiences and forging emotional connections with members and guests.

Arcis Golf has built a best-in-class leadership team that is reinventing the modern club experience, making it more relevant to the lifestyles of today’s consumer by customizing amenities and programs based on what its contemporary membership most desires. The company is committed to enhancing service levels, amenities, and programming to further broaden the appeal for members and guests.

During the past four years, Arcis Golf has invested more than $60 million in upgrades, amenities, personnel, training, and systems to maximize the growth and future success of its collection of private, resort, and daily-fee clubs throughout the United States.

The company is on the Inc. Magazine 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. In 2018, CEO Walker was recognized by EY as the Entrepreneur Of The Year in the hospitality category for the Southwest region.

For more about Arcis Golf, visit www.arcisgolf.com.

New 100% Milled PXG GEN2 Putters Introduce Leading-edge Custom Fitting Technology

PXG GEN2 Putters Offer Variety, Versatility & an Ideal Fit to Ensure Optimal Performance

(Scottsdale, AZ) – PXG underscores the importance of putter fittings in achieving consistently better rounds with the launch of its innovative new putter technology. Available in eight models, three hosel options and two finishes, PXG GEN2 Putters are designed to favor a golfer’s eye and stroke.

“Putts account for roughly 40 percent of shots taken, yet only a small percentage of golfers make an effort to be properly fitted,” PXG founder and CEO Bob Parsons shared. “We’re working to change that stat. With the release of our exceptional new PXG GEN2 Putters, we are committed to helping golfers dial-in their preferred putter to help shave strokes off their score.”

PXG’s new GEN2 Putter collection is 100% milled and features eight club head types – the Closer, Lucky “D,” Brandon, Mustang, Bat Attack, Mini Gunboat, Gunboat, and Operator. Each club head can be custom configured during a fitting with the hosel that best suits a golfer’s stroke.

The putter model in conjunction with the hosel chosen – whether double bend, plumber’s neck, or heel shafted – will dictate the overall assembled mass. Large sole weights made of heavier tungsten and lighter titanium also influence club head weight and bias. These weights, offered in 5g, 10g, 15g, and 20g options, are easily adjustable for optimal performance.

“When I was fitted for my PXG putter I tried various weights, hosels, lengths, and head shapes before settling on my specs,” said golf legend and PXG ambassador Gary Player. “I now play the new PXG GEN2 Brandon with a plumber’s neck. It’s been a long time since I have been this comfortable with a putter.”

PXG GEN2 Putters also present an innovative, new variable-sized, pyramid face pattern that offers gripping benefits. The small pyramid structures bite into the golf ball cover to create more consistent launch and roll characteristics, as well as an improved feel and sound.

The size of the pyramids varies across the putter face with the highest pattern density around the center. This is designed to offset ball speed loss typically experienced on mishits, ultimately leading to more consistent distance control across the entire face.

With innovative new technology in each blade, mid-mallet, and mallet, PXG GEN2 Putters offer the variety, versatility, and performance to meet the demands of golfers at every level of the game. For more information about GEN2 Putters, visit www.PXG.com.