Sarasota golf course acquired, new management company hired

A golf course management company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, will be entering the Florida market with its latest contract, to oversee operations of a Sarasota golf club that recently changed hands.

Serenoa Golf Club was acquired on May 23 by Steven Schorr, principal of Walden Golf Group, according to a statement. 

“Serenoa Golf Club is a special place, and I’m incredibly excited to bring it under the Walden Golf Group umbrella,” Schorr says in a statement. “We are committed to investing in the guest experience and elevating this already special property.”

Sarasota County property records show that 6773 Serenoa Drive, where the course is located, has been owned by Serenoa Holdings LLC since 2015. Jon Whittemore, the registered agent for the company, is an executive at Advance Golf, which has Serenoa listed on its website among its clubs.

Serenoa Golf Club, located east of Interstate 75 and south of Clark Road, is known for being a "shot-maker's course layout," with water on every hole, according to its website. The course winds through native wetlands and marshlands, surrounded by wildlife.

With its latest acquisition, Walden Golf Group now owns 12 courses around the country. Its portfolio also includes a few others in Florida, including Meadow Oaks Golf & Country Club in Hudson and Highlands Reserve in Davenport. The company has courses in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina as well.

Schorr, a longtime commercial real estate developer, says he selected Pinnacle Golf Properties to operate the course because “they are among the best in the business. Their passion for the game, operational expertise and commitment to quality made them the clear choice to manage Serenoa.”

Pinnacle Golf Properties currently manages 14 courses, in Georgia as well as North Carolina and South Carolina. Serenoa marks the first venture into the Sunshine State for the company, which plans further expansion in Florida.

“Serenoa Golf Club is exactly the kind of property where Pinnacle can add tremendous value – a great course with a strong local following and untapped potential,” Pinnacle Golf Properties CEO David Taylor says in a statement.

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Pinnacle Golf Properties plans immediately to begin reviewing agronomic plans, working with staff to enhance golfer experiences and implementing operational systems that it has used across the Southeast. Among its management tools are an in-house human resources group and technology that it has an equity interest in such as an AI-powered voice concierge that enables 24/7 tee time bookings.

All staff will remain in place with some management changes, according to Del Ratcliffe, COO for Pinnacle Golf Properties, who says employees will be trained in customer service according to the Disney model.

The plan is not to make major alterations out of the gate but to learn the property and implement any needed adjustments over time, according to Ratcliffe.

“There’s a lot of getting back to basics when it comes to maintaining a golf course…Every golf course is a living entity,” Ratcliffe says in a phone interview. “It’s a matter of getting turf in really good quality condition. A lot of courses in Florida  are heavily utilized. The more traffic you put on a golf course, the more wear and tear there is. It equates to more revenue, but scaling back on traffic, we think, in turn is going to appeal to more golfers” because the turf will be in better shape.

Pinnacle Golf Properties will focus on attention to detail, including drainage, turf quality, reducing the number of rounds that go through the property and improving the quality of the tees, Ratcliffe says.

“We’re honored to be entrusted with this iconic Sarasota course,” Taylor says, “and look forward to exceeding expectations for both ownership and guests.”