For the second year running, Jon Schauder, Troon Golf’s newly appointed Area Director – Europe, co-chaired a session on resort and residential markets at the Global Real Estate Institute’s (GRI) Spain forum. Held in Madrid 20th and 21st May 2015, the Forum brings together senior level investors, developers and lenders in real estate, providing the ideal opportunity for the world’s leading real estate players to develop valuable relationships, find new business partners, and strengthen their global networks.
Troon has long recognised the importance and influence of many of its Golf amenities on the financial success of its various venues and the role it has within sectors of the global real estate markets.
The forum provided the perfect platform for Schauder to discuss Troon’s successes across the European portfolio, with particular attention given to the Spanish Region and the work the market-leaders have undertaken at its Spanish triumvirate: Las Colinas Golf & Country Club; Lumine Mediterránea Beach & Golf Community; and La Reserva de Sotogrande.
Whilst the Spanish market has struggled, the three Spanish Troon facilities have excelled thanks to an emphasis on quality, superior customer experience, agronomic expertise and pro-active business acumen.
The importance of a healthy sustainable anchor business such as golf is fundamental to the current search for yield and long term success with Real Estate value and sales, a factor not lost on the illustrious gathering. “The golf segment should be a value-add proposition to the real estate, whether cash-producing or an amenity,” noted Jon Schauder. “Spain in particular has decades of using golf as an enhancement to real estate developments; unfortunately not all attempts have been managed properly.”
Schauder continued: “Our Spanish properties have been on continuous financial growth curves thanks to the foresight of the Owners coupled with our ability to deliver and implement the Strategic plans, driven forward by the team on-site and its local partners.”
Joining Schauder at the Forum was Xabier Barrondo, Managing Director of Grupo GMP, the developer of Las Colinas Golf & Country Club. “Quality and delivery have been the hallmarks of both GMP and Troon.” stated Barrondo. “Since our development’s inception we have maintained residential sales velocity and market-leading price integrity despite the recession, bolstered by what is a profitable and value-enhancing amenity in the golf course.”
Underpinning the success at all the Spanish properties has been the advancement in course conditioning, with unsurpassed agronomic expertise available through the Troon network, and Troon’s 25-years of business metrics and benchmarking which enables each facility to quickly assess business opportunities and isolate poor financial performance.
Schauder was generous in his praise of Lumine, located one hour south of Barcelona, which has seen record numbers of green fee guests year-on-year thanks to the direction of Troon-placed General Manager, Calle Carlsson.
“The golf offering at Lumine has evolved into an integral element of the ownership’s portfolio, thanks to the efforts of Calle and the team he has assembled around him,” commented Schauder. “With record numbers of visitors to the three courses Lumine has to offer, as well as a wealth of packages and the venue’s very own travel arm – Lumine Travel – it is now on the road to a profitable future and delivery of the goals outlined by its owners.”
Also noted by Schauder: “Proper course conditioning, marketing and exposure – even the hosting of leading professional tour events, accomplished by all three of our venues – can lead to increased utilisation and unsurpassed customer experience. La Reserva de Sotogrande is the perfect example; it was built on an already distinguished reputation and with our joint efforts is now enjoying even more guest inflow and visibility as the new owners look to further its real estate offerings.”
The GRI forum forms part of an extensive calendar of events in which Troon is participating in 2015, offering invaluable insight in to the market-leader, the influence it has on the individual facilities and bestowing confidence in its ability to create and manage sustainable golf developments, integral in many cases to the progress of owner’s and investor’s real estate offerings. Schauder is co-chairing additional sessions at the GRI European Summit in Paris September 10th and 11th, and GRI Italy in Milan 3rd and 4th November.
Troon Golf www.troongolf.eu
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