General Manager/COO Talis Park Golf Club

GENERAL MANAGER/CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER PROFILE:

TALIS PARK GOLF CLUB

NAPLES, FL GENERAL MANAGER/CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OPPORTUNITY AT TALIS PARK GOLF CLUB

A rare opportunity exists to lead Talis Park Golf Club through one of the most important chapters in its evolution. As the Club transitions from developer control to member governance, it seeks an accomplished General Manager/Chief Operating Officer to build on the community’s extraordinary beauty, highly valued culture, exceptional staff, and proud golf tradition while establishing a clear and exciting vision for its future.

The next GM/COO will be a visible, charismatic, and highly engaged leader who listens broadly, communicates with transparency, and ensures members feel heard. This individual will bring the experience, financial acumen, and sound judgment necessary to strengthen the management team, elevate dining and club operations, and develop a thoughtful long-term plan for facilities, amenities, and capital funding.

Working in close partnership with the Board, the GM/COO will balance a diverse range of member interests, create early momentum through meaningful improvements, and provide the disciplined leadership needed to firmly establish Talis Park among Southwest Florida’s premier private clubs.

Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity.

ABOUT TALIS PARK GOLF CLUB

Re-imagining the Naples lifestyle around health and well-being, connections with family and friends, and a relaxed, welcoming setting, Talis Park Golf Club brings together exceptional golf, distinctive amenities, and spaces designed for everyday enjoyment.

At the heart of the Club is a championship golf course recognized for its physical beauty, design, and one hundred percent Platinum Paspalum fairways, tees, approaches, and rough. Renovated in 2023 with new irrigation, turfgrass, and TifEagle greens, the course encompasses 133 acres of manicured turf and measures just over 7,000 yards from the Championship Tee Box, co-designed by Greg Norman and Pete Dye.

Wide fairways, picturesque landscapes, uphill and downhill holes, and distinctive front- and back-nine settings create a remarkable golf experience. A nine-acre practice facility includes a double-sided tee, synthetic turf, two short-game areas, and a practice putting green, while an indoor Trackman Golf Simulator provides an additional amenity for members.

Life at Talis Park extends well beyond the course. Vyne House offers the Grill Room, Ballroom, and a resort-style heated pool with cabana lounging, while the Sports Pub at Casa Cortese features a full-service bar and lunch eatery, billiards, cornhole, shuffleboard, and large televisions. Café Fiona’s provides cooked-to-order breakfast in an intimate setting along the Great Lawn.

Talis Park is an active lifestyle community where wellness and recreation are central to everyday life. The Fitness Studio offers fitness equipment, personal training, group classes, yoga, and Pilates. The Sports Park features lighted Har-Tru tennis courts, pickleball courts, bocce lanes, a lap pool, and a playground. The Esprit Spa provides on-site beauty and holistic health treatments, while peaceful trails wind throughout the community.

Residential choices reflect an old-world “park” or “village” approach to country club living. Crafted by southwest Florida’s finest custom home builders, residences are oriented toward unobstructed natural beauty, often with views of broad green fairways, picturesque lakes, or nature preserves.

TALIS PARK GOLF CLUB BY THE NUMBERS

325 golf members; 210 social members $260,000 initiation fee $26,200 approximate annual dues (full member) $600 annual minimum charges The Club uses Jonas for Accounting/POS

TALIS PARK GOLF CLUB WEBSITE: www.talisparkgolfclub.com

GENERAL MANAGER/CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER – POSITION OVERVIEW

The General Manager/Chief Operating Officer at Talis Park Golf Club will have full responsibility for all aspects of operations of the Club, effectively managing all resources, and is expected to be the embodiment of an exceptional member-centric experience, providing a clear ‘tone at the top’ model of conduct.

The GM/COO will lead the management team and be representative of modern management best service and member experience practices while promoting a positive, engaging, responsive, and highly competent, but comfortable and casual service culture in all operations. Being especially hands-on, personable, approachable, and “present” is a critical success factor for the successful next General Manager/COO.

The successful new General Manager/COO must possess especially strong skills in team building, mentoring, and holding accountable senior staff and a group of meaningfully engaged and well-regarded employees. The GM/COO will have oversight responsibilities for all departments, personnel, goals, objectives, and overall performance management.

Some of the broader management and leadership functions and responsibilities of the role include:

A proven “culture builder,” with the ability to innovate, evolve, pursue, and drive a “culture of continuous evolution to excellence.” Demonstrates executive gravitas, sound judgment, and a confident, diplomatic leadership presence, with the ability to earn credibility, navigate complex relationships, and inspire trust among members, the Board, and the management team. Exceptional team-building skills at a top-tier level of service delivery, especially in a high-end luxury environment and/or member-owned club environment, where setting forth a clear vision with distinct accountabilities has occurred. A strategic, innovative, progressive, and visionary leader, who can define and create a “lifestyle brand” that truly reflects the core of Talis Park Golf Club. Strong credentials are preferred in quality food and beverage and golf programming, exceptional member/guest service programming, strategic planning, and most importantly, the ability to consistently define and achieve goals and objectives. A willingness to understand and deploy industry best practices. Verifiable ability to attract, hire, develop, retain, and lead a high-performing team of professionals while setting and maintaining standards of performance. Excellent financial skills, with the ability to quickly assimilate numbers and reports. Knowledgeable regarding typical club financial issues of funding, cash flow, project analysis, etc. Aware of critical benchmarking and financial metrics that lead to a proactive response to trending curves. Exceptionally strong communication and facilitation skills, both written and verbal, with the appropriate personal presence, desire, and ability to interact effectively before diverse constituencies of members, staff, and vendors. Strong listening skills and the ability to absorb a multitude of ideas and filter to the most important and viable options for action and completion. Knowledge and execution of large-scale capital projects. Ability to effortlessly engage various groups of member constituents and create synergy amongst the various segments of membership. A true “hospitality professional” with a genuine passion for interacting with members and staff. Experience successfully leading a private club through the transition from developer control to member ownership is highly desirable.

INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE NEW GENERAL MANAGER/CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Listen, interact, observe, evaluate, and spend time to understand what makes Talis Park Golf Club a special and unique place. Be a thoughtful, engaging, genuine, consummate professional and diplomatic leader who gets to know the team and members, their families, and their involvement. Conduct a full HR review. Evaluate existing practices in place and assess the skills and capabilities of the team members. Review the organizational chart and make recommendations to the organizational structure as needed. Prioritize the attraction, retention, development, and engagement of human resources. Evaluate the Talis Park Golf Club member experience in all areas, establish an “agenda for excellence,” and operate accordingly. Focus on attention to detail, enforce standards, and cultivate a culture of accountability. Develop and outline strategies pertaining to member communications and measuring member and employee satisfaction. Implement effective ways to listen, measure results, and act as needed to improve levels accordingly. Become familiar with capital projects underway and in development. Establish relationships with external partners to continue the path of successful development, execution, and completion. Engage and collaborate with the Board and the management team on the strategic process of the Club. Foster and strive to create synergy with the Homeowner’s Association of Talis Park Community leaders. Create a “State of the Club” report to the Board after ninety (90) days of evaluation and observation, providing keen insights and recommendations regarding procedures, staffing, programming, and other key processes within Talis Park Golf Club.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

3 – 5 years of experience as GM/COO in a high-performing private club with excellent visionary and leadership skills and a deep understanding of club culture and member relations. Candidates who are “Rising Stars” in the industry as well as luxury hospitality executives with a track record of success will also be considered. Possess a genuine, likable, enthusiastic, positive, and upbeat personality that puts people at ease. Honesty, humility, straightforwardness, integrity, accountability, easy approachability, and dedication to the Club are critical leadership skills necessary for success. The GM/COO should inspire and motivate others and earn the respect of members, employees, and the community at large (both internal and external). A true leader who can work closely with others in a team concept, supporting and learning from each other. Possessing strong food and beverage skills and experience, financial acuity, exceptional organizational and administrative skills, and excellent communication, along with strong skills in planning, maintenance, programming, activities, and other traditional club competencies.

EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS

A bachelor’s degree is preferred, with a focus on Hospitality Management. Substantial private club or hospitality experience will be considered in lieu of the degree. Industry certifications such as CCM are encouraged but not required.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

In compliance with federal law, all hired employees must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package, including association membership.

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY

Please upload your resume and cover letter in the order listed using the link below. When prompted for them during the online application process, you should have your documents fully prepared to attach. Please be sure your image is not on your resume or cover letter; it should be used on your LinkedIn Profile.

Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to the Talis Park Golf Club Search Committee. Clearly articulate your alignment with this role, why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why Talis Park Golf Club and the Naples, FL area will benefit you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected.

You must apply for this role as soon as possible but no later than December 31, 2026. Candidate selections will occur in early January 2027, with the first Interviews expected in January and the second interviews a short time later. The successful candidate should assume their role as soon as possible.

IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner:

“Last Name, First Name – Resume” &

“Last Name, First Name – Cover Letter – Talis Park”

(These documents should be in Word or PDF format)

Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents.

If you have any questions, please email Alice Stevens at alice@kkandw.com.

Lead Search Executives:

Marcie Mills, CCM

Search & Consulting Executive

O: 833-KKW-HIRE, ext. 716

M: 484-577-6762

marcie@kkandw.com

Thomas B. Wallace III, CCM, CCE, ECM

Partner

O: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 700

tom@kkandw.com

Candidate Application & Security Notice

KK&W is the exclusive search firm for this position. Candidates are encouraged to apply directly through the official position profile on our website. KK&W never authorizes third-party recruiters or search consultants to represent our searches. We never require candidates to pay fees to participate in our search process. If you receive a suspicious communication or request for payment or sensitive personal information, please contact KK&W directly to verify its legitimacy.

To apply for this position click the link below.

Apply for the Talis Park Golf Club General Manager/COO position