Marriott Golf Announces Mike Cole as newly appointed General Manager at The Ritz-Carlton Members Club, Sarasota
Marriott Golf, the global golf division of Marriott International, Inc., today announced that Mike Cole has been appointed to the position of General Manager at the Ritz-Carlton Members Club, Sarasota. In his new role, Cole is responsible for overseeing beach club and golf operations for the luxury 18-hole facility including membership, retail merchandising, tournaments, instructional programming, and customer engagement. The Ritz-Carlton Members’ Club, Sarasota is a unique lifestyle membership, which includes multiple luxury components, including an 18-hole Tom Fazio Design golf course, championship caliber golf practice facilities, a full-service Beach Club on Lido Key fronting the Gulf of Mexico, and The Ritz-Carlton Spa.
Mike has an extensive, 17-year background in operations with Marriott International, Inc, in support of several lodging brands. A Class A Member of the Professional Golfers Association of America, and a graduate of the Professional Golf Management Program at Ferris State University in Michigan, Mike spent several years in Jamaica, serving in multiple golf operations roles and ultimately as Director of Golf Operations at both The Ritz-Carlton, Rose Hall Resort, Montego Bay.
From 2013 – 2015, Mike was Director of Golf Operations for Marriott’s Royal St. Kitts Golf Club, Frigate Bay, St. Kitts, West Indies. In this role, Mike served on the Executive Committee for the Resort & Casino and worked closely with the key stakeholders, including resort ownership, local government representatives and regional tourism & travel officials.
Mike returned to USA as Golf General Manager of Marriott’s Stone Mountain Club outside of Atlanta, GA. Mike was able to increase rounds, group golf events, guest/member engagement, average rate, and employee engagement in just two years. This led to Mike’s selection as 2016 Marriott Golf Professional of the Year for Marriott International’s Global Golf Division.
“Mike is a highly experienced operator with a unique skillset to elevate The Ritz-Carlton Members Club”, said William Nault, Vice President, Marriott Golf. “As a Club with so many luxury tier amenities, it requires creative thinking, a hands-on approach, and a lot of energy. Mike is a perfect fit for this Club and will thrive in this environment.”
Located on 315 acres of lush, tropical landscape, the immensely playable Tom Fazio designed 18-hole championship course is magnificently sculpted to reflect the natural beauty of its environment. It features abundant elevation changes and picturesque lakes throughout the property. The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club is recognized by Audubon International for its environmental excellence, designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. The Golf Club was named as one of Golf World Magazine’s 100 Best Golf Shops and as one of the “25 Best Private Club Golf Shops in America”. The award recognizes physical design and layout, merchandise presentation, member and guest services, club fitting, and overall amenities offered.
Marriott Golf
Marriott’s Global Golf Division manages over 50 courses in 15 countries across 5 continents, offering nearly 1,000 holes of championship golf for Marriott International lodging brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, Luxury Collection, JW Marriott, Westin, Sheraton, Gaylord Hotels, Le Meridien, Renaissance Hotels, Protea Hotels, and Marriott Golf Academy. Since 1971, Marriott has been a recognized leader of integrated resort and golf operations, through its award winning business results and renowned service culture. Marriott provides golf development expertise, golf management, and consulting services to a unique variety of hospitality environments including resorts, private membership clubs, daily fee courses, golf schools, and franchises. For more information, visit www.marriott.com/explore-and-plan/golf.mi.
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Brett Stark (brett.stark@marriott.com) Senior Director, Golf Marketing & e-Commerce
Marriott International, Inc. / Global Golf Division
6649 Westwood Blvd, Orlando, Florida, USA 32821 (720) 573-4175