David Conforti has traveled a unique route to his new position as head golf professional at Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles - first serving the State Department both domestically and abroad, and then working in the golf business in both the United States and internationally.
His background should serve Conforti well at Trump National, Los Angeles, where he becomes somewhat of an "ambassador of golf" at the acclaimed Donald J. Trump Signature Design.
"When you have a golf club of this stature, everyone needs to be an ambassador," says Conforti, 36, a native Southern Californian who was born in Fullerton and raised in Anaheim. "And we want to make sure that while we are not just another golf course, everyone knows they are welcome at Trump National, Los Angeles."
A 1991 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, where he was captain of the golf team and earned a degree in International Studies, Conforti was immediately recruited by the State Department, which dispatched him to Bolivia and Barbados during his six years as a diplomat, before bringing him home to work on environmental issues with the United Nations in New York.
Always imagining a career in golf, he made the transition in 1998 and worked his way up from the bottom, starting at the TPC of Tampa Bay. He went from meeting with heads of state to cleaning golf shoes and scrubbing golfers' clubs for $5 an hour. Within two years he was head golf professional at The Westin Innsbrook Golf Resort, near Tampa, Fla.
"Representing our country and living overseas was great," Conforti says. "Now I am living out one of my dreams, making a career out of a hobby."
Conforti comes to Trump National, Los Angles, from the Blue Heron Golf Club in Medina, Ohio where he was general manager /director of golf. Prior to that, he worked at The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge in San Jose, Calif., Poplar Grove Golf Club in Amherst, Va., and the Ocean Club in the Bahamas.
"I am becoming part of a special situation and want to make it even better," Conforti says of joining the Trump Organization. "This is a special place and I am flattered and privileged to be part of this team."
Open to the public, Trump National, Los Angeles, is renowned for providing views of the Pacific Ocean. Unveiled to the public last fall, the golf course plays to par 71 and is 7,300 yards from the longest of five sets of tees.
Trump calls his design "the most expensive golf course ever built" having spent more than $250 million dollars to ensure its prominence. Gleaming white sand lines the walls of the massive bunkers, expansive lakes protect tucked-away greens and magnificent waterfalls cascade down on two different holes. The course tempts golfers to take risks and rewards well-placed shots. The layout challenges experienced golfers and novices to the best of their abilities.
Golf Odyssey, an upscale golf and travel newsletter, recently rated the golf course 18.5 on a scale of 20 and commented, "a thoroughly memorable and enjoyable golf experience thanks not only to the trademark Trump elements we expected, but also to the surprisingly pure communion with the links that Donald Trump allows us. We'd say the apprentice course designer passed his test."
Guests also have access to the Mediterranean-style clubhouse that offers award-winning dining, a golf shop honored as one of the best in the country, and luxurious men's and women's locker rooms.
Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles is one of six golf properties owned by Donald J. Trump and managed by Trump Golf Properties, LLC. Trump Golf properties include:
Trump National Golf Club in Westchester, N.Y.; Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.; Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles, Calif. ;Trump International Golf Club, Palm Beach County, Fla.; Trump International Golf Club on the island of Canouan in the Grenadines. To be built is Trump International Golf Links, Scotland, at Menie Estate, Aberdeenshire.
Additional information about Trump Golf is available at www.trumpnational.com. To reach Trump National, Los Angeles call 310-303-3240.
