Billy Casper Golf management company rebrands itself as Indigo Golf Partners

The prolific course operator has more than 160 layouts in 29 states under its management umbrella.

Billy Casper Golf, a management company with more than 160 courses in 29 states under its umbrella, has rebranded as Indigo Golf Partners.

Based in Reston, Virginia, Indigo Golf Partners says its goal is to operate golf courses as real, profitable businesses on behalf of course owners while providing a “golf for everyone” experience that drives repeat business.

The company was cofounded in 1989 in partnership with three-time major championship winner Billy Casper, who died in 2015.

Wintonbury Hills in Connecticut (Courtesy of Indigo Golf Partners)

The new Indigo Golf Partners employs nearly 7,000 people at facilities that range from municipal courses to high-end resorts and private clubs. Its management services include the full gamut of course operation such as staffing, food and beverage, golf instruction, tee time services and marketing.

Indigo’s courses under management are sprinkled through the various 2020 Golfweek’s Best lists for top courses. Examples include Wintonbury Hills, which is No. 1 in Connecticut on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list; Giants Ridge, which is No. 1 in Minnesota; English Turn, at No. 4 in Louisiana; and Royal Ka’anapali, at No. 14 in Hawaii.

“We believe golf is for everyone and our goal is to lead the industry with innovations for current and future generations,” Peter Hill, Chairman and CEO of Indigo Golf Partners, said in a release announcing the rebranding. “With a rapid pace of cultural, health and economic change all around us, now is the time for our entrepreneurial company to further evolve.

“We are stronger and more courageous than ever building tools and cultivating hard-working, well-trained, caring, collaborative and high-performing talent for our managed properties and the sport of golf at large to thrive.”

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Tennessee city to settle with Billy Casper Golf for $175,000

The Oak Ridge City Council will pay a $175,000 settlement to Billy Casper Golf Management, which ran Tennessee Centennial Golf Course.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The Oak Ridge City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution to pay a $175,000 settlement to Billy Casper Golf Management, which formerly ran the city’s Tennessee Centennial Golf Course.

Council member Ellen Smith made the motion and member Chuck Hope seconded Monday night.

Billy Casper Golf Management managed the course for the city from 2000 until 2017. The city ended that agreement in 2017, alleging a “failure to manage Centennial Golf Course in a financially effective manner,” city Attorney Ken Krushinski stated in a memo included with the agenda for the meeting.

However, in 2017 statements to the media, the city cited its desire to make repairs to the course as the reason for taking control.

“Golf is an extremely dynamic sport, and we have to adapt in order to remain competitive,” City Manager Mark Watson was quoted as saying in a 2017 city news release. “Our goal is to have a truly great public golf course, and this is the first step in making that a reality.”

Since 2017, the City of Oak Ridge owns and manages the golf course.
Krushinski stated in the memo that Billy Casper Golf Management contested the city’s termination of the management agreement “for cause.” He stated the company originally claimed the city owed it $522,792 in termination fees. However, he stated Billy Casper Golf Management later agreed to accept a $175,000 settlement from the city.

Krushinski told the city council at the meeting that paying the settlement will help the city “maintain the golf course as we had intended” while avoiding “costly litigation.”

Funds to pay the $175,000 are available in the city’s insurance fund, Krushinski stated.

Ben Pounds is a staff reporter for The Oak Ridger. Call him at (865) 441-2317 and follow him on Twitter @Bpoundsjournal.

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