Trailblazing General Manager Recognized for Innovative Grass Roots Programs
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) – SouthWood Golf Club – the award-winning public course owned by The St. Joe Company and operated by Billy Casper Golf – today announces that General Manager Beth Murphy has been named one of the 20 “Most Admired Course Operators in the Nation” by Golf Inc. Magazine.
The honor follows a nationwide poll conducted by Golf Inc. Magazine. The May/June edition will offer the full list, which reads like a who’s who of club professionals and golf directors from around the country. Recipients of the award will be recognized at the magazine’s annual fall conference, held this year at La Quinta Resort.
“I am grateful for this recognition from such a respected magazine and honored to be included with this outstanding peer group,” says Murphy. “Billy Casper Golf and The St. Joe Company have been very supportive of the innovative programs we’ve developed and implemented here at SouthWood.”
Murphy is one of only a handful of female golf club GMs in the U.S. She has spearheaded a number of successful, innovative grass roots programs at SouthWood that have increased participation and retention in the game. She has also been instrumental in attracting, organizing and staging local charitable events. Collectively, these events and programs support the PGA of America and World Golf Foundation’s Play Golf America and Golf 20/20 initiatives.
As one of the “Most Admired Course Operators in the Nation,” Murphy was recognized by people in every aspect of the business, including fellow operators, merchandisers, club professionals and more.
“Those on the list are recognized for customer service, honors to the golf course and the way they deal with just about every aspect of the industry,” says Golf Inc. Editor-in-Chief Jim Dunlap.
Murphy sets high goals for herself and SouthWood, a course widely acknowledged as offering one of the best golf experiences in north Florida. It has earned “best-of” honors and accolades from the ZAGAT Survey, Golf Digest, GOLF, T+L Golf, Golfing Magazine and Tallahassee Magazine.
For more information about SouthWood visit www.southwoodgolf.com .
About SouthWood Golf Club
Designed by PGA Tour star Fred Couples and renowned architect Gene Bates and managed by Billy Casper Golf, SouthWood Golf Club is among the region’s most-acclaimed courses. Highlighted by stands of stunning, Spanish moss-draped oak trees, the 7,172-yard layout meanders over rolling hills, through wooded areas and open land. A course that tests Tour-quality players and provides an enjoyable experience for golfers of all abilities, SouthWood features five sets of tees on every hole. The 2,986-yard “Wee Tees” provide the ideal course set-up for juniors, beginners or players seeking to improve their short game. SouthWood Golf Club has garnered numerous honors since opening in November 2002. Most recently, the course was ranked one of the “Top 50 Courses for Women” by Golf For Women and named among the Top-10 layouts of the new millennium by Travel + Leisure Golf. SouthWood was also named to Golf Digest’s list of “America’s Best New Courses,” selected by GOLF Magazine as one of the top 35 public courses – out of 325 nationwide – to open in 2002, and named Tallahassee’s best golf course by Tallahassee Magazine.
About the SouthWood Community
SouthWood is a mixed-use community in Tallahassee, Florida, where residents can live, learn, work and play. The community sits on 3,300 acres of graceful rolling hills lined with moss-draped oaks and over 1,000 acres of community-wide interconnected green space, including numerous lakes, parks and wetlands and a 123-acre Central Park and Lake. Residential opportunities include apartments, town homes, and single-family homes, including custom-built homes. Miles of walking and biking trails wind throughout the community. In addition to the Fred Couples/Gene Bates-designed semiprivate golf course, SouthWood features a Community Center with pools, an Education Village providing lifelong learning opportunities and a vibrant TownCenter at the heart of the community. An abundance of wildlife creates an ever-changing landscape for birdwatchers and nature lovers.
For more information about residential opportunities, visit www.joe.com
About JOE
The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE), a publicly held company based in Jacksonville, is one of Florida’s largest real estate development companies. We are primarily engaged in real estate development and sales, with significant interests in timber. Our mission is to create places that inspire people and make JOE’s Florida an even better place to live, work and play. We’re no ordinary JOE.
More information about JOE can be found at our web site at www.joe.com.
© 2009 The St. Joe Company. “JOE,” “St. Joe,” “SouthWood,” and the “Taking Flight” design are service marks of The St. Joe Company.
Contact:
Shane Sharp
Buffalo Communications
704.519.8381
ssharp@billycaspergolf.com
Bill Feidler
Buffalo Communications
703.615.4034
bfeidler@billycasperogolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
