Eric Affeldt, CEO and president of ClubCorp – The World Leader in Private Clubs(® (NYSE: MYCC) – has been ranked No. 1 on Golf Inc. magazine’s 2014 “Most Powerful People in Golf” list, which ranks individuals’ influence and their organizations’ ability to positively impact the golf industry.
Affeldt tops the list of 30 notable leaders, which also includes Donald Trump (No. 2), Jack Nicklaus (No. 4), Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA Tour (No. 5), Mike McCarley, President of the Golf Channel (No. 16), and professional golfer Rory McIlroy (No. 19).
In introducing this year’s list, the article reads, “The golf industry has seen a shifting landscape, and 2014 may prove to be a pivotal year for the sport and the business of golf. The new power brokers are not afraid of change, and they have the financial power to make it happen.”
In a year of big deals in the golf industry, the magazine cites ClubCorp’s $265 million acquisition of Sequoia Golf and its portfolio of 50 clubs as one of the biggest, adding that everything has been about growth since ClubCorp went public a year ago. The article also notes that Affeldt has guided the company to better profits, caught the interest of Wall Street with the company’s stock price jumping 30 percent since last September, and that ClubCorp is expected to lead the way as a handful of operators continue to aggressively grab market share.
Affeldt, who also topped the list in 2010, has ranked in a top five spot since 2007, less than a year after taking over as ClubCorp’s CEO and president following its acquisition by KSL Capital Partners in 2006.