CourseCo has named a new president and chief operating officer and has realigned its regional management team.
Michael Sharp, who has been with CourseCo in a senior management role for 11 years and served as chief operating officer for the previous two years, has been named president and COO, assuming the day-to-day responsibilities for company management. He becomes only the second president of the Northern California-based firm, stepping into the role formerly held by CourseCo Founder, Tom Isaak, who started the company 27 years ago.
Isaak, a Petaluma, Calif., native, will hold the dual titles of founder and chief executive officer, focusing on the company’s strategic growth, quality control, staff and program development, and assisting with ongoing client relationships.
Sharp, 41, is a PGA professional and partner in CourseCo. A graduate of Sacramento State University, Sharp has held various leadership positions within the industry. He lives in Woodland, Calif., with his wife and three children.
“I am confident that Michael has the management skills, industry knowledge and contacts to continue the measured growth and improvement that has helped develop our unique culture,” Isaak said.
CourseCo manages 28 public and private courses in California, Oregon, Washington and Texas, and has been the recipient of the industry’s top individual and company honors for environmental stewardship and course management. The firm has retained all of its management contracts since its founding, and currently has about 1,000 employees overseeing more than one million rounds of golf at its facilities.
Sharp will direct the CourseCo Executive Team, comprised of: Tom Bugbee, vice president of operations; Lance Merrihew, vice president of marketing and sales; Scott Wackowski, vice president of agronomy and environmental management; and Tom Frost, vice president of special projects. Each continues in their respective roles. Bugbee has been with CourseCo for seven years, Merrihew for three years, Frost for two years and Wackowski for one year.
Reporting to Sharp and the Executive Committee will be newly promoted senior operations managers, who will have significant support roles for courses where they are currently assigned, as well as others under CourseCo management: Adam Pohll, PGA, of Riverside Golf Course in Fresno, Calif.; Sean Silva of Napa Golf Course in Napa, Calif.; Tom Frost of Green River Golf Club in Corona, Calif.; and Mark Brouwer of Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert Park, Calif.
