Executive Golfer

Michael Wiles was interviewed and featured in the February 2002 issue of Executive Golfer magazine. Executive Golfer is the leading national magazine focused on the upscale private golf club affluent golfer. In the attached article, Michael outlines the history of his experience in the community development industry and the unique corporate philosophy he and his team of professionals bring to each development.

Golf Community Development Profile

The Wiles Group, a New and Tailored Service for America's Private Golf Community Developers

"My basic premise is the developer must deliver what he promises to the customer. Everything else I do is just a tool to deliver that promise."-Michael Wiles

By edward f. pazdur, publisher

Palm Desert, California: As virtually all developers of high-end private golf communities know, a competent and creative director of sales and marketing is a rare bird.

Unlike professionals who are educated, trained, and licensed in the medical, legal, and scientific fields, universities do not offer degrees in sales and marketing private golf communities. The fact is, golf community industry sales and marketing strategists, comparable to the thousands of MDs and PhDs, probably number less than 25.

This strategist is unique.

This strategist is unique because it takes about two decades of contiguous experience to learn how a golf community begins, grows, and successfully matures. Toss in a failure and a bankruptcy for good measure. Also mix in the tenacity of survival between jobs.

Show me a person who has put this all together and I'll show you a competent and creative professional.

One Such Person Is Michael Wiles

I've watched Wiles' career span over 20 years as he sharpened his skills working with such prominent developments as Desert Mountain, Lake Las Vegas, PGA West, Haig Point, and La Quinta Resort. Wiles was introduced to the hospitality business by his uncle, Thomas Lennon, who was president of The Homestead.

"My uncle showed me what quality golf is, what quality hospitality is, and how to deliver a quality lifestyle," said Wiles. "And as a young man, I decided that's what I wanted to do. Uncle Tom was a great man and a great golfer. He lived next door to Sam Snead, and they both inspired me as a young man."

His evolution from vice president of sales and marketing of many preeminent golf communities to recently launching his own consulting firm (The Wiles Group) in Palm Desert, California was inevitable. The Wiles Group is a full service firm that specializes in envisioning, strategic planning, marketing and sales for developers. I asked about his role in two of America's top golf communities: namely, PGA West and Desert Mountain.

The PGA West Story

"What we did at PGA West," said Wiles, "was to reposition it as a private country club community from its resort position. We did this to enhance real estate values and membership values and to clarify what type of product was being offered by the developer. Our membership deposit increased from $45,000 to $100,000 and generated $84 million in membership sales from 1997 to 2001."

The Desert Mountain Story

His two year Desert Mountain assignment in 1992-1993, was undoubtedly one of his most prestigious. "This is an incredibly beautiful community in Scottdale, Arizona," recalled Wiles. We took a hard look at their overall land plan, the club plan, and real estate plan. We redesigned and integrated all of these plans to support a community plan that would appeal to the upscale golf club market.

"Desert Mountain is 8,000 acres in the Sonoran Desert marked for about 6,000 homes. We decreased the density to below 3,000 homes for an upscale market and changed the membership program to a more private club configuration to support real estate and membership values.

"We also canceled a proposed hotel and privatized all of the courses," said Wiles. "The secret of what we do is to coordinate and integrate to meet market demand. As you know, Desert Mountain today is highly regarded as a model for golf communities worldwide."

Wiles explained a golden rule applied equally to all of his clients. "The basic premise," he stated, "of what I believe in sales and marketing is that the developer always must deliver to the customer what he promised!" ×

For more information, you can reach Michael Wiles by writing The Wiles Group, 73061 El Paseo, Suite 202, Palm Desert, California 92260; or phone (760) 771-6970; or fax (760) 564-5195; or log on to www.thewilesgroup.com.

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