KINSALE GOLF CLUB NAMES STEVE ARCHER AS DIRECTOR OF CLUB OPERATIONS

NORTH NAPLES, Fla. (February 26, 2024) – Kinsale Golf Club has appointed Steve Archer as its Director of Club Operations.

Kinsale G.C., founded by long-time southwest Florida business leader Anthony Soave, is expected to open  its Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner-designed course in the fall.

“Kinsale Golf Club is ecstatic about having a respected and seasoned professional like Steve join us as the director of club operations after his experience at other nationally recognized facilities,” said Soave. “Golf is our focus at Kinsale and Steve’s leadership and golf acumen will highlight his daily interactions with guests and members. His vast knowledge of what is best in golf will complement our staff as well.” 

Over the course of his illustrious career, Archer taught golf schools for his members with renowned instructors such as Todd Anderson, Mike Adams, Bradley Hughes, and Jim Hardy. Twenty of his former assistant professionals currently serve as Directors of Golf, Head Professionals or Directors of Instruction.

“I’m extremely eager to serve the membership at Kinsale and create a world class golf experience for our members and guests,” Archer said. “Starting this role now provides a wonderful opportunity to work directly onsite with our director of agronomy Rusty Mercer to bring the Hanse and Wagner vision to reality. I cannot thank Anthony Soave and the leadership at Kinsale enough for entrusting me with the opportunity to further my career at a place that mirrors my personal and professional aspirations.”

Archer was most recently the Director of Golf at the historic Capital City Club in Atlanta, Ga. from 2014-2024, where he served on the Georgia PGA Board of Directors from 2017-2021 as its Education chair. The club hosted the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in 2017, the World Golf Championship, the NCAA Men’s Division I Golf Championship and the centennial Georgia Amateur.

During his time at the Capital City Club, where he founded the now-flourishing caddie program, he was named Merchandiser of the Year (private category) by the Georgia PGA Section in 2015. He was nominated for the Professional of the Year in the Georgia PGA Section eight times between 2016-2023. 

Prior to the Capital City Club, Archer served as the Director of Golf and General Manager at Frederica Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga. from 2007-2104 (general manager from 2009-2013). During his time there, the club hosted the Southeastern Conference men’s championship, the Fazio Cup, and the Jones Cup.

Additionally, he was the Director of Golf at Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. in 2007 after working as the Director of Golf at Quail Valley Golf Club, in Vero Beach, Fla. from 2001-2007. While at Quail Valley G.C., Archer was named the Bill Strausbaugh Award winner for the South Florida PGA Chapter in 2003 and the South Florida PGA Section in 2004.

He also worked at St. David’s Golf Club, in Wayne, Pa. as the Head Golf Professional from 1999-2001 and at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club as the Director of Tournament Operations from 1997-1999.

Archer was the co-founder of AMF Golf Management Services in Bedminster, N.J., which facilitated the exchange of knowledge and best practices among golf professionals. At one time, there were approximately 600 Head Golf Professionals and 150 Assistant Golf Professionals participating in the group.

Archer’s other activities include service on the TaylorMade National Advisory Staff, Titleist Leadership Advisory Staff, Titleist Leadership Council, Peter Millar Inner Circle Advisory Board, the PGA Magazine Leadership Club, and the N.J. PGA Assistant Professionals Board of Directors.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a degree in political science, Archer played three years on the Fighting Irish soccer team and is a member of the Ridge High School (Basking Ridge, N.J.) Athletic Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Anja, have a daughter, Abigail. 

He starts his duties at Kinsale G.C. on April 1.

Kinsale Golf Club is located on prime southwestern Florida land owned by Soave. Designers Hanse and Wagner will employ C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor design elements on this natural piece of Florida landscape.

The course is intended to have the look and feel of a links course with an almost limitless variety of challenges for golfers of all skill levels. It will operate with a membership of 250 from October through May of each year. The facilities will include an 18-hole golf course, driving range, teaching and short-game areas, practice putting green and a clubhouse.

Kinsale Golf Club was established from a love of the game but also out of a core understanding, appreciation and respect for the traditions, rules, and honorable nature that golf embodies. 

More information regarding Kinsale Golf Club can be found here. 

ABOUT SOAVE ENTERPRISES

Anthony Soave established his business in 1961 and developed it into a multi-state waste management and environmental service leader. He has lived and worked in southwest Florida for 25 years, where he specializes in real estate development. Over the course of his career through Soave Enterprises, he has owned, operated, and invested in successful businesses ventures such as Chicago-area beer distributorships, Midwestern metals recycling operations, Kansas City-based automobile retailers and residential communities near Washington, D.C.

Media contact: Pete Kowalski, M – 908-216-8435; pkowalski1524@gmail.com

KINSALE GOLF CLUB NAMES RUSTY MERCER AS DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY

NORTH NAPLES, Fla. (November 20, 2023) – Kinsale Golf Club has named Rusty Mercer as its director of agronomy.

Founded by long-time southwest Florida businessman Anthony Soave, Kinsale G.C. anticipates opening its Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner-designed course in the fall of 2024.

“Having an experienced agronomist like Rusty on site when Gil and Jim are directing the shaping and building of the course is a seamless plan for Kinsale Golf Club,” said Soave. “We are a golf-only club so high-quality course conditions are paramount. Rusty will ensure that our membership has a top-shelf golf experience from Day 1.”

Mercer, most recently the director of agronomy at the Streamsong Resort in Lakeland, Fla., has nearly 35 years of experience in golf course maintenance. He has also served in agronomy leadership positions at Hot Springs (Ark.) Country Club and The Golf Club at Cuscowilla in Lake Oconee, Ga.

During his time at those facilities, he has worked with prominent golf course architects in new construction projects including Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw at Hot Springs CC, Cuscowilla, and Streamsong Red; Tom Doak at Streamsong Blue; and Hanse and Wagner at Streamsong Black.

“I am really excited to join Kinsale Golf, which is a great opportunity for me in my already fulfilled career in golf,” said Mercer (pictured left). “I have a passion for the game, and I believe what separates great golf courses from simply good ones is optionality in how one chooses to attack every golf hole. Working with Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner again as they build the course with the philosophy of Macdonald and Raynor will make sure that ground game will be alive and well at Kinsale!”
A graduate of Mississippi State University with a degree in agronomy with an emphasis in golf and turf management, he and his wife, Sharon, have two grown sons.

Kinsale Golf Club is located on prime southwestern Florida land owned by Soave. Designers Hanse and Wagner will employ C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor design elements on this natural piece of Florida landscape.

The course is intended to have the look and feel of a links course with an almost limitless variety of challenges for golfers of all skill levels. It will operate with a membership of 250 from October through May of each year. The facilities will include an 18-hole golf course, driving range, teaching and short-game areas, practice putting green and a clubhouse.

Kinsale Golf Club was established from a love of the game but also out of a core understanding, appreciation and respect for the traditions, rules, and honorable nature that golf embodies.

ABOUT SOAVE ENTERPRISES
Anthony Soave established his business in 1961 and developed it into a multi-state waste management and environmental service leader. He has lived and worked in southwest Florida for 25 years, where he specializes in real estate development. Over the course of his career through Soave Enterprises, he has owned, operated, and invested in successful businesses ventures such as Chicago-area beer distributorships, Midwestern metals recycling operations, Kansas City-based automobile retailers and residential communities near Washington, D.C.

Media contact: Pete Kowalski, M – 908-216-8435; pkowalski1524@gmail.com

On behalf of Anthony Soave, Founder, we are very excited to share some additional details!

As previously mentioned, Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner have decided to use C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor as inspiration for their design of the course with Anthony Soave and the Kinsale Development Team’s full support. Macdonald and Raynor were two of the most iconic architects in early American golf design known for incorporating template holes into their golf courses.

Template holes are specific design features that Macdonald found while studying golf course design in the British Isles. He identified 20 different “model holes” that Macdonald believed would be fun and playable for both the beginner and the expert golfer.

Macdonald realized the best courses (like the Old Course at St. Andrews, Prestwick and North Berwick) used a variety of these holes, which we now refer to as template holes. Both National Golf Links and Chicago Golf Club are Macdonald/Raynor designs that incorporate “template holes.” Both masterpieces are recognized as two of the top courses in the world.

Gil and Jim’s design plan will include creative “twists” on some of these great template holes. As they told us, “Our vision is to build a fun and interesting golf course using Macdonald/Raynor design philosophies as inspiration for our creativity. The holes are not to be interpreted as replicas rather as a foundation of our design thought process and basis of the course character.”

As the golf course goes to final design, we will share more details on each hole. Please consider this email the first of such communications.

Hole No. 1 – Maiden* is described below and on the attachment.

The Maiden template is one of Golf’s finest hole designs. The Maiden hole starts our journey at Kinsale. A maiden hole is a template C.B. Macdonald learned from his time in Europe. It might be more accurate to say that a maiden is a type of green template rather than an entire hole. A maiden green has interior undulations similar to that of a double plateau. There are lots of variations on how the rest of the hole plays, but it can be considered a maiden as long as it has some version of this green type. With his excellent ability to shape and move dirt, Seth Raynor built many of the best maiden greens in the United States. While the original maiden green was on a par-3, specifically the 6th hole at Royal St. George’s Golf Club, Raynor often built this green type on par-4s.

Maiden holes: Yeamans Hall No. 11, Southampton Golf Club No. 3, Essex County CC No. 12, Country Club of Charleston No. 7

*Excerpt from Golf.com – Maiden

HOLE BY HOLE

Kinsale Golf Club November 2022 / Membership Documents & Clubhouse Design Update

We hope this email finds you well. As the temperatures cool off for our northern friends, we look forward to welcoming many of you back to Naples this fall.

October has been a testament to the resiliency of the Southwest Florida landscape. Everyday, things are looking a little cleaner and a little greener since Hurricane Ian passed over the area. It’s clear that Florida favors its local flora and fauna, and its part of the reason we are so pleased Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner have chosen a course design that embraces the local landscape and enhances what has stood the test of time (and hurricanes) for so many years. We remain very excited about the ongoing discussions with Hanse Golf Course Design and look forward to delivering a course that is iconic and timeless.

As a team, we continue to work through all the preconstruction activity associated with Kinsale, including permitting, final course and clubhouse designs and architecture. Since our last update, we have selected Jim Nordlie of Archiventure Group as the clubhouse architect and finalized a conceptual design for the club.

Kinsale aspires to create a tasteful and understated atmosphere for our members and their guests. The clubhouse design immediately sets the expectation that our priority is the golf experience. Members will be able to view 6 holes from the comfort of the indoor-outdoor bar, dining area, or outdoor patios. Many of the staples you are familiar with will of course be present: locker rooms and lounge/dressing areas, golf shop and offices, and bag storage. But Kinsale shines by continuously prioritizing the golf experience. Private meeting rooms will be available to accommodate your foursome for lunch, and everything down to the ease with which your guests drop off their bag has been considered. While our first priority has always been a great experience on the course, we will be ready to welcome you for a drink at our indoor-outdoor bar – did we mention is it is mere steps from the 18th green?

With these points in mind, we are excited to share the first exterior renderings of the clubhouse. Inspired by Dutch-West Indies architecture, the facility highlights the timeless setting Kinsale offers. We know that this clubhouse will serve as backdrop for many victories and defeats, and trust it will be a sanctuary for all who enter.

As a final note, we plan to send the Membership Documents and payment information for the non-refundable deposits later this month.

We remain committed to our vision to create the preeminent golf club in Southwest Florida. We are a golf club—nothing more or less—that exists for the enjoyment of its members and their guests. This club was formed not only for the love of the game, but out of an understanding, appreciation, and respect for the traditions, rules and honorable nature embodied within it.

We are very excited about the progress of Kinsale Golf Club and hope you are as well.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, our hearts go out to everyone in the Southwest Florida community impacted by this catastrophic storm. We hope any of you, your friends and family that are in the area are safe and sound.

We just wanted to quickly reach out to let you know that Hurricane Ian isn’t changing our plans with moving forward on Kinsale Golf Club. Most of our current activity centers around design, engineering and permitting which isn’t directly impacted by the storm. With that said, we expect resources supporting these activities will have conflicting priorities during the recovery and rebuild process.

As we navigate through these steps we will keep you updated on any developments or planning changes as we learn more.

The Kinsale Club Leadership Team continues to work through all the activity associated with Kinsale Club, including permitting, site design, clubhouse architecture, and construction costs. While we have a lot of work ahead of us we wanted to provide some insights on where we stand with the golf course design.

Discussions with Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner outlined a few but important words describing what we were looking for: a golf course that would be fun, interesting and understated. Understated will be a key part of the Kinsale Club experience, including the clubhouse, earthworks, landscaping, and ambiance. The course will have a patina appearance right at opening, will feel beautifully aged, and the out of play areas will suggest a genteel, natural, left–to-themselves quality.

The website has been updated with the latest Design Plan from Gil and Jim. Compared to the previous routing plan, this latest version includes a detailed bunkering plan plus more insight for the green complexes. It’s exciting to watch their course design take shape

Gil and Jim have decided to use C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor as inspiration for their design of the course. Macdonald and Raynor were two of the most iconic architects in early American golf design known for incorporating template holes into their golf courses.

Template holes are specific design features that Macdonald found while studying golf course design in the British Isles. He identified 20 different “model holes” that Macdonald believed would be fun and playable for both the beginner and the expert golfer.

Macdonald realized the best courses (like the Old Course at St. Andrews, Prestwick and North Berwick) used a variety of these holes, which we now refer to as template holes. Both National Golf Links (ranked #4*) and Chicago Golf Club (ranked #14*) are Macdonald/Raynor designs that incorporate “templates holes.” Both masterpieces are recognized as two of the top courses in the world.

Gil and Jim’s design plan will include creative “twists” on some of these great template holes. As they told us, “we don’t want people to think we are building exact replications.”

Iconic template holes interpreted through the eyes of Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner will provide the membership with an interesting, playable and enjoyable golf experience in the years ahead.

*GOLF 2020-2021 Top 100 Courses in the U.S.