Hospitality group to buy Rosedale

As Rosedale resident Nancy Ragland volleys with friends across the tennis court at the Rosedale Golf and Country Club, she knows changes are coming.

But, what changes, exactly, remain to be seen.

Rosedale residents and club members were notified this month that CH6 Rosedale, a partnership of senior executives of Naples-based Coral Hospitality and various fund and individual partners, will acquire the club and its amenities on or around Oct. 1 from owner/developer Newton Developments.

CH6 Managing Member Christopher Schaeffer, who did not return calls for comment by press time Tuesday, sent a letter Sept. 21 to residents and members that said meetings with both are tentatively slated for Friday, at Rosedale.

“I think everybody’s pretty optimistic,” Ragland said. “We don't know anything about them except what we read in the letter (to us).”

Her friend, Diane Weissenberg, added: “Hopefully, we’ll find out everything at the meeting.”

In the letter, Schaeffer wrote that CH6 will contract with Coral Hospitality for club management services and to improve operations and membership satisfaction and increase the value of the club.

“Unlike many other operators and owners, we are committed to focusing on top-line revenues and reinvestment in order to provide better service and experiences rather than focusing on expense reductions,” Schaeffer wrote. “We strongly believe that our unique philosophy leads to achieving club goals and ensuring high membership satisfaction while the other path leads to unmet goals and a downward spiral for clubs.”

Schaeffer states that in the coming weeks, the new owners will announce new programs and changes in store for Rosedale as they work to enhance the club.

“These will include attractive new membership offerings in order to allow for more residents and guests to enjoy the benefits of being a member of Rosedale Golf and Country Club, facility refurbishment plans, new event and club offerings that are both innovative and exciting and new staff members to replace club staff that are either retiring or have recently departed the club,” he wrote.

Staff replacements include the hiring of Kevin Conway, formerly the food and beverage director at the TPC at Prestancia in Sarasota as clubhouse manager, and a new, unnamed membership sales director, to replace the recently departed membership director.

Clubhouse manager Chuck Nehls, who served in his role for the last nine years and started Rosedale’s Military Ball fundraiser, retired in late September.

Other changes include the reseeding of the golf course, with the exception of the greens, for the 2015-16 season.

In the letter, Schaeffer states the resident and member meetings scheduled for Friday are contingent on the closing of the transaction. But, if the closing is on schedule, the meetings will provide members and residents a chance to meet Conway, members of Coral Hospitality and the new owners.

Rosedale Golf and Country Club includes an 18-hole championship golf course, as well as a 22,000-square-foot clubhouse with an outdoor patio, lighted tennis courts and a heated Junior Olympic-size pool.

Pat Hogan, general manager of Rosedale Golf and Country Club, declined comment for this story.

The investment group involved in the CH6 partnership has acquired three clubs over the last few years, most recently, the Eagle Ridge Golf Club in Fort Myers, for $1.87 million in April.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].