The founders of Affiniti Golf Partners, Whitney Crouse and Steve Willy, have partnered with industry veteran Hud Hinton, changing the name from Affiniti Golf Partners to Mosaic Clubs & Resorts and creating a club management company focused on managing the world’s most prestigious private and resort clubs for developers, private equity groups and member-owned facilities.
“We are extremely excited about this new company and this marriage of expertise and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Crouse. “Our substantial experience combined with Hud’s history at the world’s largest club management company will make for a great team.”
Hinton’s role as CEO of Mosaic is the next chapter in an iconic career in the hospitality, club and golf industry that includes positions as managing director of The Plaza Hotel overlooking New York’s Central Park, executive vice president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts and most recently CEO of Troon Golf. While at Troon, Hinton helped grow the club management company from 25 to more than 150 clubs worldwide. As a result, in 2010, Golf Inc. magazine ranked him as the “2nd most powerful person in golf.”
“My experience at Troon Golf was fantastic. I joined Whitney and Steve because I saw the chance to create another major golf company, one that can bring a great brand to the table while taking advantage of the remarkable systems, training, and infrastructure that Whitney and Steve had developed. Their ability to deliver superior financial results really appealed to me,” said Hinton.
Mosaic properties will be remarkable in every respect, offering first class golf experiences, unsurpassed service, state-of-the-art marketing and websites, superior staff training and exceptional client attention. The portfolio will initially include five to seven clubs, including Waterfall Club in Clayton, Ga., and The Manor Golf and Country Club in Alpharetta, Ga.
While the company name has changed, Mosaic Clubs & Resorts will also continue to manage great American clubs under an Affiniti banner, providing exceptional marketing, turnarounds and financial results.
The portfolio includes clubs such as Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, the vintage Donald Ross layout where Bobby Jones began his Grand Slam year in 1930; Cobblestone Golf Course, the premier daily-fee facility in metro-Atlanta; and Dutchess Golf Club outside of New York City, one of the very first golf courses built in the United States in 1897.
Affiniti Golf Partners was founded in 1998 and grew to the 17th largest golf management company in the U.S., managing and owning clubs primarily in the southeast, overseeing $100 million of new course and clubhouse construction, and winning Textron Financial’s “Innovator of the Year” award.
Mosaic Clubs & Resorts www.MosaicClubs.com