Grupo Piñero beefs up its Golf Division by bringing two PGA of America members on board as directors

3/15/23

Tory Gatrell joins the Group as the new Director of Golf Operations at PGA Riviera Maya and, at PGA Ocean's 4, Ivan Merino comes on board as Assistant Director and Head Pro of the new Golf Academy.

Following its investment plan, Grupo Piñero will strengthen its golf division during 2023 with significant improvements in both its facilities in the Dominican Republic and Mexico

The Bahia Principe Golf Division has started 2023 with significant changes to its Dominican Republic and Mexico teams with the addition of two new directors, both members of the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) of America. Tory Gatrell has just joined on as the new Director of Golf Operations at PGA Riviera Maya (Mexico) and, at PGA Ocean's 4, Ivan Merino joins the team of Carlos Linares, Director of PGA Ocean's 4, as his Assistant Director as well as Head Pro of the new Golf Academy.

Besides the new additions, Grupo Piñero plans to further strengthen its golf division during 2023 with significant improvements to its facilities. In the case of the Dominican Republic, the Clubhouse will be refurbished and we will begin with the remodeling plan for some parts of the course. Meanwhile, work will begin on a new clubhouse at PGA Riviera Maya in Mexico.

This year, PGA Riviera Maya will once again host two prestigious international tournaments: the Latin American Senior Championship (in which amateur players participate) and the PGA Tour Latinoamerica Championship. The latter tournament is the last stop on the PGA Tour Latam circuit for Latin American professional players who aspire to take a step forward in their career by qualifying for the American PGA Tour.

Boosting talent

Tory Gatrell, the new Director of Golf Operations at PGA Riviera Maya, is a professional golfer with a vast knowledge of customer service excellence and a desire to promote and contribute to the growth of the sport. As a member and ambassador of the PGA of America, Tory Gatrell will be responsible for implementing these standards at the PGA Riviera Maya golf courses and in the quality of customer service. Gatrell will also be setting the strategy and content of the Academy at PGA Riviera Maya, as he is also an expert instructor.

For his part, Ivan Merino joins Carlos de Linares' team as assistant director and director of the new golf academy at PGA Ocean's 4. Merino is also a member of the PGA of America and has more than 24 years of experience in golf course operations. He will be working with Carlos de Linares in support of operations and commercial tasks, in addition to heading the project for Grupo Piñero's second golf academy.

Figures like Tory Gatrell and Ivan Merino will be key in providing customer service excellence, improving services in terms of teaching the game, promoting it among all the residents and guests of our resorts and, in short, expanding the community of fans of this sport in our areas of action.

The PGA of America and its brand, widely recognized around the world, define and point the way to mandatory standards of excellence in customer service and golf course quality.

From the beginning of their alliance, both the PGA of America and Bahia Principe Golf have worked together to contribute to the growth of golf in the world, making it a much more accessible sport and facilitating its expansion. Moreover, both organizations share the value of ensuring customer satisfaction, always seeking to provide the highest professional standards in their facilities. With these goals in mind, Grupo Piñero, through Bahia Principe Golf, has made the development of a golf academy one of the basic pillars of this division.