Michael Flaskey

Last updated
Michael Flaskey
Born (1967-08-03) August 3, 1967 (age 56)
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Alma mater Limestone University
OccupationBusinessman
Employer Diamond Resorts
TitleFormer Chief Executive Officer

Michael A. Flaskey (born August 3, 1967), known as Mike Flaskey, is an American businessman, founder & CEO of Mike Flaskey Entertainment, and former chief executive officer of vacation ownership company Diamond Resorts. He is the founder and executive director [1] of the Diamond Resorts Invitational and the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, and the founder of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, which is held annually in Orlando, Florida. Flaskey is also the founder of the Invited Celebrity Classic golf tournament, [2] a PGA Tour Champions-sanctioned event.

Contents

Personal life

Flaskey attended Limestone University, previously known as Limestone College, where he was one of the first five players to sign with the Limestone baseball program [3] under Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry and was a 3-year team captain and was named to the NAIA All-District team. He graduated in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. [4] In 2009, he was inducted into the Limestone Athletics Hall of Fame. [5]

Business activity

In August 2021, Flaskey facilitated Diamond Resorts' acquisition by Hilton Grand Vacations, [6] departing Diamond Resorts to launch his own sports & entertainment company, Mike Flaskey Entertainment. [7] In March 2017, Flaskey was named chief executive officer of Diamond Resorts International. [8] Prior to joining Diamond Resorts, Flaskey held senior leadership positions with Starwood Vacation Ownership from October 2003 to July 2006 and with Fairfield Resorts (now Wyndham Vacation Ownership) from August 1992 to September 2003.

Flaskey serves on the Board of Directors of Diamond Resorts and on the Board and Executive Committee of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). [9] He also services as an independent director for Invited (formerly ClubCorp).

At Diamond Resorts, Flaskey launched Events of a Lifetime, an industry-leading experiential vacation platform. [10] [11] He also is the founder of the Diamond Resorts Invitational, a mixed event celebrity golf tournament [12] held annually in Orlando, Florida. In 2019, the tournament transformed into the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, an official LPGA event featuring LPGA winners from the previous two seasons playing alongside a roster of world-class sports and entertainment celebrities. [13] The tournament is now known as the HGV LPGA Tournament of Champions. [14]

Media appearances

Flaskey regularly appears on TV including MLB Network, [15] Fox Business, Yahoo Finance and has appeared several times on Golf Channel with professional golfers and celebrities, including John Daly, John Smoltz and Lee Janzen. [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaview (Galloway, New Jersey)</span> Golf club in Galloway Township, New Jersey, US

The Seaview is a golf club and resort on the East Coast of the United States, located in Galloway Township, New Jersey, north of nearby Atlantic City. The club hosted the ShopRite LPGA Classic in 1986-87, from 1998-2006 and again starting in 2010. During World War II, it hosted the PGA Championship in 1942, Sam Snead's first major title. The course also cooperates with Rutgers University on testing of new turf breeds and natural control of mosquitoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Golf Hall of Fame</span> Professional sports hall of fame in Pinehurst, North Carolina

The World Golf Hall of Fame was until recently located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site honors both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world. It is moving back to Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Elizabeth Earle Rawls was an American LPGA Tour professional golfer. She won eight major championships and 55 LPGA Tour career events. She was a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Gulbis</span> American professional golfer (born 1983)

Natalie Anne Gulbis is an American professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour.

Barbara Jane Blalock is an American business executive and retired professional golfer. After winning several New England golf tournaments in her youth, Blalock joined the LPGA Tour as a professional in 1969, being named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1969 and Most Improved Golfer in 1970 and 1971. She won the historically notable Dinah Shore Colgate Winner's Circle in 1972, earning "the richest prize in women's golf history." After successfully fighting a suspension from the LPGA for allegedly signing an incorrect scorecard a month after Dinah Shore, by 1977 she was the sixth-highest paid female golfer of all time. The Evening Independent described her as "one of the foremost women golfers of her time" the following year. Nursing a herniated disc, Blalock failed to win a tournament from 1981 until 1984, though after two wins in 1985 she was named Comeback Player of the Year by Golf Digest.

Jane Geddes is a retired American professional golfer. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1983 and won two major championships and 11 LPGA Tour events overall. Geddes was the Vice President of Talent Relations of WWE.

Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC) is an annual weekend-long educational conference put on by the students of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration for leaders of the hospitality industry. Composed of educational seminars, leisure activities, and food and beverage events, the program is currently in its 97th year, predating the School of Hotel Administration and making HEC one of the oldest organizations at Cornell University. The purpose of the weekend is for students to practice the skills they have learned in the classroom and to showcase their talents to industry professionals, many of whom are Cornell alumni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilton Grand Vacations</span> American timeshare company

Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. is a multi-national company that is based in Orlando, Florida, United States. It is Hilton's timeshare and vacation ownership brand that was formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Hilton Worldwide until it was spun off into a publicly traded company in 2017. Though HGV is technically an independent company, Hilton Worldwide still retains full ownership of the "Hilton Grand Vacations" brand name itself, and HGV is still one of Hilton's 22 brands that is included in the Hilton portfolio of hotels and resorts. As of January 2024, HGV has over 700,000 club members and 185 properties across its brands and its subsidiaries. 77 of HGV's resorts are branded with the Hilton name, while the remaining resorts are branded as one of the company's subsidiary resort brands.

Robert Lowry Goulet is a marketing sports agent who managed the career of two-time U.S. Open Champion, Ernie Els, and was responsible for handling Ernie Els’ day-to-day business affairs on behalf of Legends Inc of South Africa. During this time, Goulet managed Els in the United States as he won the 1997 U.S. Open at the Congressional Country Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Nona Golf & Country Club</span>

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club is a private residential golf club community in southeast Orlando, Florida. The 600-acre (2.4 km2) community features an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Tom Fazio. Set amidst freshwater lakes and oak, pine and cypress trees, Lake Nona Golf & Country Club offers a range of residences, including custom-built estate homes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grupo Vidanta</span> Mexican conglomerate of hotels and resorts

Grupo Vidanta is a Mexican conglomerate involved in design, construction, financing, and operation and maintenance of hotels, resorts, cruises, and associated infrastructure. It also owns and operates the Mar de Cortés International Airport. Grupo Vidanta was founded by Daniel Chávez Morán in 1974 and is headquartered in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The group has 25,000 employees and an estimated annual revenue of US$750 million.

Diamond Resorts is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hilton Grand Vacations. Diamond Resorts was an independent timeshare and vacation ownership company until it was purchased by HGV in 2021. Following the purchase, Diamond's resorts became part of HGV's resort portfolio, and Diamond itself became a brand and subsidiary of HGV. The majority of Diamond Resorts have been or will be rebranded as Hilton vacation Club properties, however the original brand will continue to exist as some resorts are slated to retain the Diamond Resorts name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooke Henderson</span> Canadian professional golfer (born 1997)

Brooke Mackenzie Henderson is a Canadian professional golfer on the LPGA Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamond Resorts Invitational</span>

The Diamond Resorts Invitational was a PGA Tour Champions Challenge Season event and celebrity golf tournament, played at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons in Orlando, Florida and benefited Florida Hospital for Children. The tournament began as a celebrity-only tournament in 2013 and in 2017, the tournament was made a PGA Tour Champions Challenge Season event. The 2018 event featured a field of 28 PGA Tour Champions and 4 LPGA Tour professionals, and 50 celebrity amateur golfers. The tournament was a no cut 54-hole event, and used the Modified Stableford scoring system. Over the years, the tournament helped raise more than $3.1 million for Florida Hospital for Children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelly Korda</span> American professional golfer

Nelly Korda is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour, where she has won seven times and reached number one in the Women's World Golf Rankings. Korda won the Olympic gold medal at the women's individual golf event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Along with her sister Jessica Korda, she represented the United States at the 2019 Solheim Cup and 2021 Solheim Cup, as well as on her own at the 2023 Solheim Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Park</span> American professional golfer

Annie Park is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. Park has one win on that tour, at the 2018 ShopRite LPGA Classic, and competed in the 2019 Solheim Cup. Previously, she was the 2013 NCAA individual champion and had three victories on the Symetra Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LPGA Tournament of Champions</span> Womens Professional Golf Tournament

The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions is a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour in Florida. It debuted in 2019 at the Four Seasons Golf & Sports Club Orlando in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The tournament field is limited to winners on LPGA Tour events in the previous two years. As is the case in the past, there is also a pro-am and celebrity tournament, like its predecessor. The top amateurs during the midweek pro-am are invited to play in the main tournament. Each professional is paired with two celebrities or amateurs in the groupings, and celebrities change per round. A Stableford-based system is used for the celebrities and amateurs.

The 2022 LPGA Tour was the 73rd edition of the LPGA Tour, a series of professional golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world. The season began at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on January 20, and ended on November 20, at the Tiburón Golf Club in the CME Group Tour Championship at Naples, Florida. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States-based Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).

The 2023 LPGA Tour is the 74th edition of the LPGA Tour, a series of professional golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world. The season began at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, in Orlando, Florida on January 19, and will officially end on November 19, at the Tiburón Golf Club in the CME Group Tour Championship at Naples, Florida, not counting the unofficial December 10 Grant Thornton Invitational. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States-based Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).

The 2024 LPGA Tour is the 75th edition of the LPGA Tour, a series of professional golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world. The season will begin at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, in Orlando, Florida on January 18, and will end on November 24, at the Tiburón Golf Club in the CME Group Tour Championship at Naples, Florida. The tournaments are sanctioned by the United States-based Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).

References

  1. "How Diamond Resorts' Mike Flaskey Intends to Make 'Vacations for Life' a Reality". resorttrades.com. 31 May 2017.
  2. "PGA TOUR Champions announces ClubCorp Classic". pgatour.com. 24 August 2021.
  3. "Limestone Baseball: First Five of the Top 25 Players of All-Time". Limestone College.
  4. "Limestone Baseball: First Five of the Top 25 Players of All-Time".
  5. "Limestone College Saints Athletics – Mike Flaskey – Class of 1990 – Limestone College Athletics Hall of Fame – Limestone College". www.golimestonesaints.com.
  6. "Hilton Grand Vacations completes acquisition of Diamond Resorts". Hotel Business. 2021-08-02. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  7. "MF Entertainment". MF Entertainment. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  8. "Board DRII Board of Directors". diamondresorts.com.
  9. https://www.arda.org/about-us/board-directors
  10. "Loyalty 360". loyalty360.org.
  11. "Event of a Lifetime: 5 Questions With Diamond Resorts CEO Mike Flaskey". brandchannel.com. 17 October 2017.
  12. Whitley, David. "Playing in Diamond Resorts Invitational golf event is a snap compared to Clemson football". orlandosentinel.com.
  13. "History | Diamond Resorts". golf.diamondresorts.com. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  14. "Tournament of Champions 2022". Hilton Grand Vacations. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  15. "Mike Flaskey on MLB Central – 09/06/2016". MLB.com.
  16. "2018 Diamond Resorts Invitational: John Daly on Event". Golf Channel.
  17. "Fairways of Life Matt Adams: Lee Janzen Diamond Resorts". Golf Channel.