Longtime Palm Beach County resident and former Emerald Dunes general manager joins Aquila Property Company and KemperSports in club revitalization
WELLINGTON, Fla., June 25, 2007 – KemperSports today announced that golf industry and hospitality veteran Paul Makris has been named general manager of Binks Forest Golf Club in Wellington, Fla. In his new assignment, which officially began on June 18, Makris will supervise Binks Forest’s pre-opening operations over the coming months and oversee facility operations upon the course’s reopening, slated for the fall of 2007.
"I’m honored to be a part of Binks Forest’s revival and look forward to providing our daily-fee golfers, members and the residents of Wellington as well as the Greater Palm Beach County area with first-rate service and a memorable golf experience," said Makris. "This new and improved layout has the potential to re-join the ranks of South Florida’s top daily-fee golf courses," he added.
A longtime resident of Palm Beach County, Makris brings more than 17 years of golf management experience to Binks Forest Golf Club. Most notably, he spent a 15-year stretch as general manager and food and beverage director at the award-winning, Tom Fazio-designed Emerald Dunes Golf Club in West Palm Beach, which up until its privatization in September of 2005, was a standout among South Florida’s premium daily-fee golf courses. Prior to his career in the golf industry, Makris honed his management skills while gaining expertise in hospitality and food and beverage operations as general manager for a collection of upscale dining establishments throughout Palm Beach County and the Midwest.
Makris joins a first-rate team, led by property owner Aquila Property Company, which has been assembled to restore the once-acclaimed golf venue. Aquila, a South Florida-based real estate investment and management firm, acquired Binks Forest Golf Club in May. KemperSports, a nationally recognized leader in golf course management and development; Gene Bates, one of Binks Forest’s original architects, who has modernized the features and playability of the course, while preserving the design’s original integrity; and Allied Capital Corporation, a leading business development company and financial partner in the Binks Forest acquisition, round out the professional team.
"Paul has the necessary leadership skills, experience and market knowledge to reach Aquila’s vision of restoring this golf course to its former greatness," said KemperSports President and COO Steve Skinner. "His hospitality and food and beverage experience will also prove beneficial to Aquila’s overall plan to transform Binks Forest Golf Club into Wellington’s premier destination for golf, dining and special events."
Makris, who attended the University of Denver, resides in Palm Beach Gardens with his wife, Judy, and their two children, Jessica and Peter.
Originally designed by PGA TOUR professional Johnny Miller and award-winning Florida-based golf course architect Gene Bates, Binks Forest opened in 1990 and quickly gained prominence in the golf industry, including a ranking among Golf Digest’s "Top 75 Public Golf Courses in the United States." Hailed as unique among its Florida counterparts with rich foliage, heavily forested terrain and lush Bermuda grass reminiscent of North Carolina’s Pinehurst, the venue quickly proved itself tournament-ready by hosting a major professional event – the 1990 PGA TOUR Team Championship – in its first season. Binks Forest Golf Club, closed for more than five years, is scheduled to reopen this fall.
About Aquila Property Company
Founded in 2000, Aquila Property Company, Inc., is a South Florida-based real estate investment and management and advisory firm that specializes in turning around underperforming properties. Aquila’s principals bring more than 35 combined years of experience as direct principals and senior officers for institutional investors and have been responsible for the acquisition, financing development and management of more than $3.0 billion in real estate transactions throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.aquilaproperty.com.
About KemperSports
Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports operates golf facilities as well as athletic clubs, lodging venues and major sporting events, including nationally ranked courses and tournament venues such as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Dorado Beach Resort & Club, The Glen Club, Gillette Ridge, Harding Park Golf Course, Bolingbrook Golf Club and Desert Willow Golf Resort. Affiliate KemperSports Marketing & Communications, a sports marketing, events and public relations agency, has produced and managed major national and international events and communications programs, including the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational college basketball tournament and numerous PGA TOUR events. For more information, visit http://www.kempersports.com.
Editor’s note:
For high-resolution photos of General Manager Paul Makris, the Aquila Property Company team or Binks Forest Golf Club, contact Kristin Schaner.
Contact:
Kristin Schaner
847.480.4850
kschaner@kempersports.com
