ORLANDO, Florida (Jan. 5, 2021) – Marriott Golf, the Global Golf Division of Marriott International, Inc. recently announced its annual awards for golf excellence across the company’s portfolio of properties.
Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club near Birmingham, England has been named Golf Property of the Year. Brett Meabon, Director of Golf at Marriott’s Shadow Ridge Resort in Palm Desert, California, was named Golf Professional of the Year, and Clay Batson, the Director of Grounds Operations at The Ritz-Carlton Members Club in Sarasota, Florida earned Golf Grounds Manager of the Year.
Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club was named Golf Property of the Year. In addition to its successful year over year business results, customer satisfaction rating achievement, and its hosting of multiple European Tour events, the property is viewed as a flagship property within Marriott’s golf portfolio in the United Kingdom.
Some of the many award criteria for Golf Property of the Year include performance excellence for current and previous years in various categories including golf sales, round improvements, turf grass conditions, innovative program development, customer satisfaction, and personnel training & leadership.
“A favorite of our loyal local membership base and the traveling golfer alike, Forest of Arden Golf Club exceeded all of its goals and is a testament to hard work and dedication”, said Bill Nault, Vice President, Marriott Golf. “The Golf team at the resort drives exceptional value for our Members and Resort Guests and deserves special recognition.”
Brett Meabon, Director of Golf at Marriott’s Shadow Ridge Resort was named Golf Professional of the Year. With over 20 years as a Marriott International and Marriott Vacation Club associate, Meabon was recognized as an individual who consistently performs and exceeds in areas of sales and profit, supplier program compliance, rounds improvement, leadership in staff development, sales and marketing initiatives, and customer loyalty.
Under Brett’s leadership, the property exceeded all key business performance indicators, including sales, satisfaction, and participation.
“Brett explores creative ways to market Marriott’s Shadow Ridge Resort and drive value to its loyal customer base and Marriott Vacation Owners”, said Brett Stark, Senior Director, Marketing & eCommerce, Marriott Golf. “It’s an honor to recognize Brett as our Golf Professional of the Year.”
An associate with leadership experience at multiple Marriott Golf properties, Clay Batson, Director of Golf Grounds at The Ritz-Carlton Members Club in Sarasota, Florida earned the Golf Grounds Manager of the Year award. Clay achieved record scores in associate satisfaction, an accident free workplace, and course conditioning benchmarks. His ability to produce consistent, luxury tier playing conditions is a key contributing factor in satisfying a large, active Membership, as well as discerning high-end resort travelers.
Some of the criteria for this award include overall turf grass condition, member and guest satisfaction scores, employee satisfaction scores, loss prevention efforts, staff development, financial management, and continuing education efforts.
“Clay Batson’s leadership and professional skillset consistently produce some of the best playing conditions in the Marriott International portfolio. Clay always represents the Company and The Ritz-Carlton Members Club in a first-class manner, and his on-going success is proof of his dedication and ability as a problem solver and results-based achiever.” said Robert Waller, Senior Director, Grounds, Marriott Golf. “We couldn’t be prouder to recognize Clay Batson as our Grounds Manager of the Year”.
Marriott Golf
Marriott’s Global Golf Division manages over 50 courses in 15 countries across 5 continents, offering nearly 1,000 holes of championship golf for Marriott International lodging brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, Luxury Collection, JW Marriott, Westin, Sheraton, Gaylord Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Protea Hotels, and Marriott Golf Academy.
Since 1970, Marriott has been a recognized leader of integrated resort and golf operations, through its award-winning business results and renowned service culture. Marriott provides golf development expertise, golf management, and consulting services to a unique variety of hospitality environments including resorts, private membership clubs, daily fee courses, golf schools, and franchises. For more information, visit www.marriott.com.