Matthew Galvin, executive vice president and a principal of the Monroe Township, N.J.-based RDC Golf Group, has been elected to the board of directors of the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA). Galvin directs financial, acquisitions, and business development matters for RDC, which owns and operates golf facilities in New Jersey and Florida.
“Matt understands the extremely competitive nature of golf course ownership and management and has a passion for creating value and efficiency,” says Mike Hughes, NGCOA chief executive officer. “At the same time, Matt also has a great appreciation for the golf experience, that it isn’t just about numbers, but about enjoyment, relaxation, and family fun as well. The NGCOA is looking forward to tapping into his experience.”
In 2007, Galvin was elected president of the NGCOA’s New Jersey chapter, having been one of the chapter’s founding board members.
Galvin had never set foot on a golf course until 1992 when be became associated with the California-based American Golf Corporation (AGC), then the nation’s largest owner and operator of golf courses. What attracted him to AGC was an enthusiasm for aviation which was shared by AGC’s owner who also employed Galvin at an aviation company.
In 1993, Galvin was part of the team that split off from AGC to form National Golf Properties (NGP), which became the country’s first publicly traded company focused on golf course ownership. Until 1996, when he joined RDC, Galvin served in various project management, financial, and acquisition roles at both AGC and NGP.
Galvin is a member of Urban Land Institute; past board member of T Links, the nation’s largest Internet-based tee time reservation system; and former board member of the Greater Atlantic City (NJ) Golf Association. In a relatively short time, he has become a recognized expert in the golf industry, having been interviewed by publications like Forbes and Barron’s.
Galvin has an MBA from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of New Hampshire. He also has completed coursework in real estate at New York University and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
He resides in Belle Mead, New Jersey with wife, Kathy, and four children: Tommy, 10; Emily, 8; Andrew, 5; and Anna, 4.
The National Golf Course Owners Association is based in Charleston, South Carolina. Since 1979, the NGCOA has been a trusted resource for golf course owners and operators. From the sole proprietor operating a nine-hole executive course, to the management team of a private 36-hole country club, to the largest multi-course operator, the NGCOA provides proven strategies and resources for every aspect of course operation.