Mark Brown Profile

Residence: Hilton Head Island, SC since 1981

Golf Career

• Golfer for 40 years, in club atmosphere—played high school and college golf
• 20 years in golf business
• Developed key business relationships with the leaders and organizations in the world of golf
• Visits to many of the finest golf resorts and private golf communities in the U.S., learning what qualities set the best golf properties apart from their competitors
• Developed close working relationships with national, regional and local media, including all major golf magazines, golf course raters, writers and other VIPS
• Well-traveled student of the game including visits to many of the great golf courses in the U.S. and the British Isles
• A student of the classical school of golf course architecture and modern architecture
• Developed good relationships with many of today’s top architects
• Have interviewed the above architects/players
• Developed relationships with many top developers in the eastern U.S.
• Have spent considerable time with top golf course superintendents—worked in golf course maintenance

Career Highlights

• Seven 10-day trips to Scotland, Ireland and England playing the classic links courses
• 4 days with Jack Nicklaus and staff at Cabo del Sol, Mexico
• 4 days with Ben Crenshaw, Bill Coore and Tom Doak at Sandhills GC
• Spent considerable time with Pete Dye on site of several projects including
• Worked with Tom Fazio on routings and designs at Berkeley Hall
• Played with Arnold Palmer at grand opening of Spring Island’s Old Tabby Links
• Attended four National Golf Foundation Symposiums
• Attended five annual American Golf Course Architects Association meetings
• Played with and interviewed Sandy Tatum at San Francisco Golf Club
• Close working relationship with Steve Smyers

Employment History

Mark Brown & Associates 1994–Present
Golf Development Marketing, Public Relations and Consulting

2005 - Co-Founder of GolfRealEstateOnLine.com - the definitive guide to buying real estate in a golf and residential community.

2004 - Principal in Prestwick 12 Golf - working with developers, home builders, resorts and municpalities to create innovative golf courses and facilities that attract, entertain and retain new and existing golfers and increase the number of rounds they play. The core concept is based on strategically designed courses with six hole, rather than the standard nine hole, loops.

LINKS Magazine 1987–1994
Founder/Publisher/Editor-In-Chief

• Currently 3rd largest golf magazine in the U.S. and largest “Where-To” (non instructional) golf magazine in the world.
• Circulation: 300,000+ Readership: 1 Million

Golfers Guide Magazine 1982–1986
Founder/Publisher/Editor-In-Chief

• Guide to resort golf courses and other golf information of interest.
• Currently has magazines in 30+ locations across the U.S.

General Electric Corporation 1974–1981

Graduate of Business and Financial Management Training Program—equivilent of MBA

Financial Analyst and Administrator for Senior VP Marketing, Locomotive Division.

References available if requested.

“Top 100” Courses Played—Worldwide

Aronimink, Atlantic, Augusta National, Baltusrol: Lower, Bay Hill, Belfair: East, Belfair: West, Black Diamond Ranch: Quarry, Cabo del Sol, Casa de Campo: Teeth of the Dog, Cascades: Upper Course, Colleton River: Dye, Colleton River: Nicklaus, Crooked Stick, Crystal Downs, Cuscowilla Golf Club, Cypress Point, Desert Highlands, Doral: Blue, East Lake, Firestone: South, Forest Creek, Garden City, Golf Club of Georgia, Haig Point, Harbour Town, Hazeltine National, High Pointe, Huntsville, John’s Island: West, Jupiter Hills: Hills Course, Lake Nona, Long Cove, Maidstone, Medinah, Merion, Mid-Ocean, Mountain Lake, Muirfield Village, Musgrove Mill, National Golf Links of America, Oak Hill, Oak Tree, Oakmont, Ocean Course, Ocean Forest, Old Tabby Links, Old Marsh, Old Memorial, Pasatiempo, Peachtree, Pebble Beach, Pete Dye Golf Club, Pine Valley, Pinehurst No.2, No. 7, No. 8, Prairie Dunes, Royal New Kent, San Francisco Golf Club, Sand Hills, Sawgrass CC, Sea Island: Seaside, Secession, Seminole, Shinnecock Hills, Shoal Creek, Southern Hills, Spyglass Hill, Stonehouse, Stonewall, The Ocean Course, Kiawah, The River Club, Kiawah, The Virginian, TPC at Sawgrass, Troon, Troon North, Valhalla, Wild Dunes: Links Course, Winged Foot: East & West, Wolf Run, World Woods: Pine Barrens, Yale Golf Club, Yeamans Hall

Other Notables:

Cassique, Kiawah Island, Country Club of Charleston, Cherokee GC, Chechessee Creek, Elk River, Glen Abbey, Canada, Grand Cypress, Keystone Ranch, La Quinta, Las Companas, Melrose Club, Mission Hills: Dye Course, Palmetto, Palmilla, The Boulders: North & South, Spanish Bay, Vail CC, Vintage Club: Desert Course, Waterwood National, Windsor Golf Club

Scotland

Carnoustie, Cruden Bay, Gleneagles: Kings Course, Macrahanish, Nairn, Royal Aberdeen, Royal Dornoch, The Machrie, The Old Course at St. Andrews, Royal Troon, Turnberry: Ailsa Course

Ireland

Ballybunion, Lahinch, Portmarnock, Royal County Down, Royal Dublin, Royal Portrush

England

Formby, Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s

Spain

San Lorenzo, Valderrama

Portugal

Vilamoura

Note: During my travels on on assignment I have photographed more than 100 golf courses world-wide.

 

The greedy golfer will go too near and be sucked into his own destruction.

John Low, Concerning Golf, 1902