GoDaddy founder has grand vision for golf course - AZCentral.com - azcentral.com
GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons doesn't shy away from name-dropping when making comparisons to his vision for a private golf club in the north Scottsdale desert.
Augusta National in Georgia. Pine Valley in New Jersey. Cypress Point in California. Those are some of golf's most-revered courses, often ranked as the world's three best.
Someday, you may find Parsons' Scottsdale National Golf Club on one of those lists.
Parsons is planning to add a new 18-hole championship course, a Par 3 practice course and overnight lodging for members on 650 acres next to Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve, according to plans submitted to the city.
Parsons' grandiose vision also includes a new 175,000-square-foot clubhouse facility â€" roughly the size of a department store â€" with expanded dining areas and locker rooms, a bigger pro shop and underground parking, according to a city document.
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"I think over time, once the changes are made, it'll get a reputation as one of the premier private clubs in the country," said Ed Gowan, executive director of the Arizona Golf Association.
Parsons, whose wealth is pegged at about $2.1 billion by Forbes magazine, bought the Golf Club Scottsdale in 2013 and scooped up hundreds of adjacent acres in 2014 with plans to re-brand the 15-year-old club. He also renamed the facility Scottsdale National.
His plans moved closer to reality on July 1, when the Scottsdale City Council approved a permit to allow a new golf course near Rio Verde Drive and 122nd Street, just east of Troon North Golf Club.
GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons at a March charity fund-raiser. (Photo: Ethan MillerGetty Images)
For now, Arizona has just one course ranked in Golf Digest's list of America's 100 best: the Estancia Club in Scottsdale. The magazine named Estancia the best new private course in 1996.
Gowan said a revamped Scottsdale National Golf Club could match or even surpass it.
"The site is very, very good," Gowan said. "It's just a beautiful part of the desert."
The course is unlike many others in the Valley because it is not part of a master-planned subdivision with homes facing the fairways. The site borders the desert preserve on three sides.
For now, Scottsdale National is ranked as the 17th-best golf course out of 386 in Arizona, according to Golf Digest. Parsons plans to remodel and keep the existing course while adding another 18 holes to the west.
The course had struggled financially, particularly after the recession when six-figure country-club memberships were hard to sell and members bailed out.
Parsons last year told The Republic the course was "within a whisker of going broke and being auctioned off." After taking over, Parsons quickly added new carts and Toro maintenance tractors, brought in a new chef and increased staff pay.
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Months after the purchase, Parsons announced plans to cap the number of rounds members can play while criticizing some for not spending enough. He offered to buy out those who weren't on board with the new vision, and about 65 members took his initial offer.
Parsons sold a portion of GoDaddy in 2011 but serves on the board of directors and remains its largest single shareholder. He has multiple business ventures outside of GoDaddy, including motorcycle dealerships and real-estate investments.
Golf remains an area of high interest for Parsons, as he launched his own line of golf clubs this year through a new company, Parsons Xtreme Golf. A full set of clubs can cost $5,000, far more than other brands' premier sets.
Some believe Parsons is developing Scottsdale National largely for his business partners and golf buddies. His golf company has signed pro players like Ryan Moore, Rocco Mediate and Sadena Parks to equipment deals.
"It's really a course that's meant for his business associates and people of a like mind," Gowan said. "It will be a very special place but not one you'll see in the media very much, I think."
GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons plans to expand his exclusive north Scottsdale golf club with a new course and clubhouse. (Photo: City of Scottsdale)
Parsons' umbrella company, YAM Worldwide, did not respond to requests for an interview. It is unclear when construction on the new Scottsdale course and clubhouse could begin.
Golf-course development has slowed considerably in the Valley amid a weakened economy and a struggle within the sport to attract younger players.
While much of the golf industry has tried to adjust by speeding up the pace of play and dropping prices, Parsons is moving in an opposite direction, Scottsdale golf instructors Chris Fry and Austin Meason said. By capping the number of rounds and charging members a service fee each time they play, the course is pushing quality over quantity, they said.
"He's zigging while everyone else is zagging," Fry said. "He's smarter than we all think."
Overall, the Professional Golfers' Association of America sees some encouraging signs for the Arizona market, according to Paul Metzler, senior director of marketing and industry relations.
Arizona's 18-hole golf courses averaged 111 rounds per day open in 2014 â€" a 1.7 percent jump from 2013 and the highest number in the last seven years, Metzler said.
Republic reporter Peter Corbett contributed to this article.
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