Tianjin, China: Ben Styles has been appointed as General Manager and Chief Operating Officer at China’s The 27 Club.
Styles joins the private golf club in Tianjin effective today and will provide the ownership group with a wealth of experience from his 15 years in the golf industry.
“Ben Styles’ reputation is one that resonates closely with quality and excellence,” said Du Sha, Owner and Chairman of The 27 Club and Pacific Links International, a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
“We believe Ben’s knowledge and background will benefit the organisation and will assist us in shaping the future of both The 27 Club and our golf developments,” he added.
Having been a key figure in Vietnam’s well-documented golf industry growth over the past eight years, the Australian-born Styles has been a strong influence in many of the nation’s most significant course developments, including The Bluffs Ho Tram and Danang Golf Club.
His experiences in providing turnkey solutions for golf developments, understanding the key processes in delivering membership and residential programmes and the vision to create major golf tournament strategies provide a diverse combination of skills that will well serve the requirements of one of China’s most esteemed clubs.
“I am proud to be associated with an organisation that is dedicated and passionate about the business of golf,” said Styles. “With Du Sha’s vision for developing the future of the game, alongside his business acumen and relationship with the leading influencers of the sport, there is enormous opportunity to move the dial and change the game for the better.”
The golf course at the 27-hole private club was designed in collaboration with some of the game’s best-known champions.
Following the club’s provisional play launch in 2015, The 27 Club prompted comparisons ‘with some of the world’s finest golf clubs as its distinguished atmosphere, attention to detail, and superb conditioning garnished attention from many of the games power-brokers.
The 27 Club is affiliated with Pacific Links International through Du Sha, who is also the founder of Pacific Links International and widely regarded as one of golf’s most challenging thought-leaders.
Pacific Links International provides members with a premium golf experience through an innovative international membership structure focused on the Chinese golfer.
The Pacific Links Golf Network offers members access to the finest collection of high quality golf clubs in the world.
Since 2012, the Pacific Links Golf Network now stands at over 550 properties located in 25 countries around the world.
Du Sha has recently announced the purchase of six golf course properties in the greater Beijing area and will be introducing some of the most ambitious golf re-development concepts.
The strategy will involve commissioning some of the world’s most iconic players to create a network of courses that will rival anything in the world.
Tiger Woods has agreed to partner with Du Sha on creating the Pacific Links National Golf Club in Beijing. Woods’ first project in China has been met with considerable anticipation.
Alongside Woods, Du Sha has also commissioned Fred Couples, Ernie Els and Greg Norman, who have committed their design skills to a further three courses, adding to one of the most complete and compelling golf course portfolio’s anywhere in the world of golf.