ORLANDO, Fla. – October 27, 2008…Marriott Golf, one of the world’s premier golf operators, recently announced Chris Flynn, Director of Grounds for Grande Pines Golf Club, located in Orlando, Fla., was named Golf Grounds Manager of the Year. The award is based on performance excellence for current and previous years in various categories, including maintaining turfgrass conditions, successful large scale renovation or construction projects, loss prevention efforts, active pursuit of industry wide certifications and education, and more.
Under Flynn’s guidance and leadership, Grande Pines was one of the first properties in the Marriott Golf portfolio to achieve Certification through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, setting the standard for the other properties within the Company. A highlight of this effort, and as part of Grande Pines’ commitment to environmental stewardship, Flynn spearheaded a community project of building a butterfly garden at a local elementary school, in conjunction with a local Boy Scouts Troop. Flynn and his staff supported the school and the project by educating students on the importance of preserving the environment and assisting with routine maintenance of the garden.
“Chris Flynn is well deserving of this honor, as his contributions to Grande Pines Golf Club have truly enhanced the golf experience,” said Bill Nault, Vice President of Marriott Golf. “On behalf of the Marriott Golf family, we are thrilled to recognize Chris for his commitment to excellence.”
Prior to his role as the Director of Golf Grounds at Grande Pines, Flynn served as the Superintendent of Grande Vista Golf Club at Marriott’s Grande Vista Resort. Additionally, Flynn, who completed the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America certification program while at Grande Pines, has developed several eco-friendly programs that have curtailed operating expenditures for the club. He also has earned Marriott Vacation Club’s Top Mover Award for associate satisfaction within his department and Marriott Golf’s Crystal Achievement Award for public relations excellence.
About Marriott Golf
Marriott Golf manages 61 golf courses at 45 locations in 13 countries, offering more than 1,000 holes of championship golf. Marriott has been managing golf operations since 1970 and is one of the world’s premier golf operators. Marriott provides golf management and consulting services to a variety of operational environments including resort, private club, daily fee, golf school and franchises. For more information, visit www.marriottgolf.com.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 3,000 lodging properties in the United States and 66 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2007 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry’s most admired company and one of the best companies to work for by FORTUNE®, and has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2007 Sustained Excellence Award and Partner of the Year since 2004. In fiscal year 2007, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $13 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com.
Contact:
Michele Kruchkowski (mkruchkowski@mastrocomm.com)
Stefanie Schiavello (stefanie@mastrocomm.com)
Mastro Communications, Inc. @ 732-469-5700
