Crown Golf, Europe’s largest golf course owner/operator, has completed its planned changes at board level with the appointments of Paul Orchard-Lisle as Chairman and Stephen Lewis as Chief Executive Officer.
Paul Orchard-Lisle, CBE, formerly president of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and chairman of Slough Estates, is currently a director of Standard Life Property Income Trust, PowerLeague and Trikona Trinity Capital. He took up his new position on 22nd April.
Stephen Lewis, who started his new role on 28th April, has a strong background in leisure and property, including senior positions at Wentworth, Pinnacle Leisure, Elixia Heath and Fitness and most recently as managing director of TopGolf.
Crown Golf Chief Operating Officer, John Weir said, “The appointment of Paul and Stephen, with their combined property and leisure experience, is exciting and will enable us to realise the full potential of the expanded company over the next few years.”
Alison Watkins, chief executive officer of owners, the Bennelong Group, said, “Both have been appointed because we are looking to maximise the property potential within the Crown Golf group and strategically plan how we can unlock value from what is now a large portfolio of diverse assets.”
Crown Golf, based in Binfield, Berkshire, owns and operates 33 golf venues in the UK with more than 50 courses regionally spread from Merseyside in the north of England, to Portsmouth in the south and Saltash in Cornwall – where its flagship St Mellion resort is currently undergoing a £100m hotel, holiday-home and course redevelopment and will host the prestigious English Open in 2009.
Owned by the privately-held Australian investment company Bennelong Group Pty Limited, Crown Golf was established in 1994 and quickly grew through merger and acquisition to become the third largest owner/operator in the UK.
In 2004, Crown Golf became Europe’s largest golf club owner/operator with the acquisition of American Golf UK from American Golf Corporation and NGP Realty Sub.
Crown Golf www.crown-golf.co.uk