Maggie Valley Club Welcomes New Director of Golf

The Maggie Valley Club & Resort, a semi-private club and resort located in the mountains of Western North Carolina, is pleased to welcome Craig Sparks as director of golf. Sparks will oversee all golf operations and golf sales for the scenic resort property.

Sparks has 12-plus years of golf and hospitality industry experience, serving at private clubs in the Carolinas and in Florida throughout his career. He most recently served as the lead assistant golf professional at Champion Hills Club in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Prior to Champion Hills, Sparks was the lead assistant golf professional at the Country Club of Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina.

“We are very excited to attract an individual with Craig’s experience and professionalism,” said Steve Wright, general manager of the Maggie Valley Club & Resort. “Craig is a PGA Member and has the skills to help us continue to grow the membership at Maggie Valley Club & Resort.”

Related: Golf Books: Making the Rounds Part 19

Sparks grew up and currently resides in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. He attended Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, where he played on the golf team, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Earth Science.  Sparks has been a Class A member of the PGA of America since 2008.

“My goal has always been to find a position at a premier facility that would allow my family to stay in Western North Carolina,” said Sparks. “The relationships we have created as part of this community will be everlasting. I am thrilled to lead the golf operations at Maggie Valley Club & Resort.”

Nestled between the majestic Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains lies the hidden gem of Maggie Valley Club & Resort. The course at Maggie Valley Club highlights the most spectacular scenery out of all the Western North Carolina golf resorts. It offers a unique challenge for beginners and even the most seasoned players. This established, 6500-yard course is surrounded by centennial trees and includes 30 acres of fairways leading to large bent grass greens. The front Valley Nine allows players to warm up before tackling the significantly more challenging Mountain Nine, which features an elevation rise of 800 feet and panoramas of the valley and beyond. The area’s temperate climate and the course’s native foliage, perennial gardens and creek-fed ponds make for fantastic year-round golf.

For more information on Maggie Valley Club & Resort, visit www.MaggieValleyClub.com.

About Troon

The golf and club operations at the Maggie Valley Club & Resort are managed by Troon. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon® is the world’s largest golf and golf-related hospitality management company providing services at 680-plus locations around the globe, including managing 665-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. Troon’s award-winning food and beverage division operates and manages 630-plus food and beverage operations located at golf resorts, private clubs, daily fee golf courses and recreational facilities. With properties located in 45-plus states and 30-plus countries, Troon’s family of brands includes Troon Golf, Troon Privé, Troon International, Indigo Sports, ICON Management Services, CADDIEMASTER, Peter Burwash International, True Club Solutions, Cliff Drysdale Tennis, RealFood Hospitality, Strategy and Design and Casa Verde Golf. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com, or connect with Troon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Troon Chronicles, Press Room, or subscribe to Troon Magazine.