October 5, 2012 – Birmingham, Ala. – Honours Golf Company has announced that Michael Ryan will serve as general manager of the NorthRiver® Yacht Club, a private club in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Ryan is a seasoned executive with nearly 35 years of experience in the golf industry. During his career, Ryan has developed a reputation for improving operational excellence and enhancing member satisfaction at increasingly elite properties through the Southeast. He most recently served as general manager for The Amelia Island Club located within an upscale resort community in north Florida, where he oversaw the transition from a private corporate club to a member-owned property.
“Mike Ryan has a wealth of management experience at premier private clubs, and his ability to build a customer-oriented culture among the staff and mentor them to deliver great service to all members and guests is second to none,” said Bob Barrett, Honours Golf CEO.
Ryan is committed to creating a member experience that enhances NorthRiver’s unique ambiance and world-class amenities. “NorthRiver Yacht Club has a strong tradition as one of the premiere private clubs in the South, and I’m looking forward to helping the property move to a new level of excellence,” he said.
Ryan’s experience with exclusive private and member-owned facilities includes leading the staff and managing the facilities at two of the top properties in Alpharetta, Ga., where he served as chief operating officer and director of golf for the Country Club of The South and general manager for White Columns Country Club. He also served as COO/general manager at Grande Oaks Golf Club in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. from 2003 to 2005.
Ryan began his golfing career working as a caddy as a teenager at Henson Creek Golf Course near Washington, D.C., where he quickly developed a love for the game and the business behind golfing. He continued working at the course throughout high school and during summer breaks from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, where he studied business with the goal of working in the golf industry. After earning a bachelor’s degree in business, he returned to Henson Creek to become its assistant golf professional.
In 1981, he became the head golf professional at Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston, Va., where he led golf operations for the next seven years. He then served as the director of golf at International Country Club in Fairfax, Va., one of the state’s finest country clubs, from 1988 to 1998.
Ryan joined ClubCorp in 1999, where he became a certified club manager and was soon promoted to regional manager overseeing four properties in North Carolina.
Ryan is a PGA Member since 1981 and is active in the Club Managers Association of America.
About NorthRiver Yacht Club
Founded in 1970, NorthRiver® Yacht Club is considered one of the most prestigious, upscale private country clubs in the Southeast. Situated along the banks of Lake Tuscaloosa and minutes from the University of Alabama campus, NorthRiver® Yacht Club offers an all-inclusive private club experience for families and residents in the local and regional area. This thriving club features an array of amenities including an 18-hole championship golf course originally designed by legendary golfer, Gary Player. In 1999, internationally renowned golf course architect Bob Cupp’s redesign of the golf course added bentgrass greens and modernized bunkers. An on-site marina provides direct access to Lake Tuscaloosa.
For more information regarding NorthRiver® Yacht Club visit www.northriveryc.com.
About Honours Golf
Honours Golf is the leading boutique club management company in the Southeast with corporate offices in Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia. The company currently operates numerous award-winning golf facilities including the King & Bear at World Golf Village Resort in St. Augustine, Florida; Limestone Springs Golf Club in Oneonta, Alabama; Reunion Golf & Country Club in Madison, Mississippi; and Craft Farms Golf Resort in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The company has plans to grow the Honours Golf brand in the Southeast through management contracts and development partnerships.
For more information visit www.HonoursGolf.com.
Contact:
Kelly Newman, Director of Marketing
Honours Golf
(205) 397-2419
Kelly.Newman@honoursgolf.com
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