Recognized as Renovation of the Year Finalist by Golf Inc. Magazine
WELLINGTON, Fla., Feb. 20, 2008 – Golf Inc. recently announced Binks Forest Golf Club in Wellington, Fla., as a finalist in the magazine’s fifth annual Renovation of the Year competition. The South Florida championship golf course was one of just five finalists in the daily fee division of the national renovation contest.
“We are pleased to honor the industry’s leaders in what is a very active, but often overlooked segment of this industry,” said Chase Peckham, associate publisher of Golf Inc. “The quality of entries was exceptionally high.”
After being closed for more than five years, Binks Forest Golf Club re-opened to the public last November, marking a milestone in the overall vision of Aquila Property Company, a South Florida-based real estate investment firm that acquired the property in May 2007 and led the club’s return to the golf world and to the Wellington community. Florida-based golf course architect Gene Bates, one of Binks Forest’s original designers, modernized the features and playability of the 7,150-yard layout, while preserving its original integrity. KemperSports, Landirr Inc. and Allied Capital Corporation also played key roles in the overall renovation process as course manager, contractor and financial partner in the Binks Forest acquisition, respectively.
“We are thrilled that Binks Forest Golf Club has received such national recognition so quickly after its debut,” said Jordan Paul, CEO of Aquila. “This is a strong endorsement for the club’s revival and a testament to the hard work of the professional team that made this renovation a success and put Binks Forest back on the map nationally. We will carry this momentum into the property’s future development, including the clubhouse’s rehabilitation, which is already underway.”
In addition to revamping a 30,000-square-foot clubhouse, future plans include building an exclusive 90-unit residential golf course community. The clubhouse will feature an extensive banquet facility, accompanying catering services, meeting facilities and other amenities that will serve as valuable assets to the community, transforming Binks Forest Golf Club into Wellington’s premier destination for golf, dining and special events.
Originally designed by PGA TOUR professional Johnny Miller and Gene Bates of Bates Golf Design Group, 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, pine tree-lined fairways, 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. Early acclaim was followed by years of mismanagement and poor business decisions that led to neglect and eventual foreclosure of the golf course. In February of 2007, the tide again turned as Aquila Property Company entered an agreement to purchase Binks Forest Golf Club and announced plans to restore the property. On Nov. 17, 2007, all 18 holes of the newly renovated golf course were opened.
Renovation of the Year entries in both the private and daily fee categories were judged by a panel of industry experts on four primary criteria: how well the project achieved its overall goal, course routing, course aesthetics upgrades and improvement in playability and maintainability. The competition’s winners and finalists will be featured in the March issue of Golf Inc. They will also be honored at an awards gala held during the Golf Inc. Conference at the Doral Resort in Miami on April 21.
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 www.aquilaproperty.com.
For more information on Binks Forest Golf Club, including membership opportunities, visit www.binksforestgc.com or contact KemperSports’ Greg Schroeder, director of sales and marketing, at 561.714.5048 or gschroeder@kempersports.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, Chambers Bay, Harding Park, Dorado Beach Resort & Club, The Glen Club, 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 www.kempersports.com.
Editor’s note:
For press materials, including high-resolution photos of Binks Forest Golf Club, or interviews with Aquila Property Company executives, contact Kristin Schaner.
Contact:
Kristin Schaner
847.480.4850, kschaner@kempersports.com
