There are two types of people in this world: followers
and trendsetters. There are those who jump on
bandwagons when their local sports team takes
the trophy. Those who tie-dye their shirts and
grow their hair long because everyone is doing
it and those who look at entertainers to decide
what is "hot." Then there is Greg Norman-two-time
British Open winner and 2001 World Golf Hall of
Fame inductee ¬ who made golf cool.
It's a lead or be led world we live in, and "The
Shark" has a style and class on the course
that nearly everyone has wanted to emulate since
the early '80s. From its place on Norman's helicopter
to the hats, the shark logo became synonymous
with a winning tradition and a changing of the
guard in the sport of golf.
Smart with his investments and marketability,
Norman, who heads Great White Shark Enterprises,
a multinational corporation focused around golf
and golf lifestyle, has become a "shark"
in the business world as well.
"I've worked hard to establish my business,
just as I continue to work hard on my golf game,"
Norman said. "Business is not more important
than playing, but it is equally important."
At the forefront of the operation is Medallist
Developments, a joint venture with Macquarie Bank
that develops communities to combine Norman's
two business worlds- golf and the golf lifestyle.
Medallist is the largest developer of Norman-designed
courses and focuses on environmental concerns
when developing homes.
"Each community is founded upon great golf
and incorporates community and environmental amenities
for residents and guests to enjoy," Norman
said. "We are a niche developer with international
experience and the financial strength and flexibility
to undertake diverse investment opportunities
and create authentic lifestyle communities. Our
master-planned communities are true lifestyle
experiences and places that people are proud to
call home."
The Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida,
located close to Great White Shark Enterprises'
offices, epitomizes the Norman development. .With
a world-class spa, relaxing social and lounge
areas and a par-3 course, the Medalist Village
is second to none.
Named one of the top 100 golf courses in the United
States by Golf Digest, the Greg Norman-designed
Medalist Golf Club is a challenging 7,168 yards
of fairways and greens.
Recently, Norman sold the remaining 50 acres of
land at the Medalist Village to the Zuckerman
Group, a south Florida development group that
has plans for an 87-luxury-home project called
the Medalist Country Club Estates & Spa at
Hobe Sound. Located on 800 acres of natural preserves,
the luxury development has homes starting from
3,000 square feet in the $700s. Residents of the
new Zuckerman homes will receive membership to
the Medalist Village allowing access to all of
its amenities, including the private Aussie Pub,
and be able to apply for membership in the Medalist
Golf Club.
The Zuckerman Group is a third-generation family
business building homes since 1924. Currently
spearheaded by Andrew, David, and Steven Zuckerman,
the brothers have been working together since
1976, creating more than 5,000 luxury homes
throughout Broward, Palm Beach and Martin Counties.
Currently, The Zuckerman Group is also developing
homes in The Reserve at Windemere at Jensen Beach,
Summerfield in Stuart, Ibis Country Club, and
Andros Isles in West Palm Beach.
"We both strive to produce the very best
and we both have an exacting attention to detail,"
Norman said about the Zuckerman Group. "Zuckerman
Homes has built a number of 'prestigious communities
in south Florida and it was an ideal fit for the
Medalist Village Country Club Estates and Spa,
so we asked them to come onboard. Medalist Village
is an outstanding community deserving of an outstanding
builder, and we are extremely confident that the
lots will sell out quickly."
For Andrew Zuckerman, who is a golf fan but an
even bigger fan of the Norman business ethic,
the deal is even more exciting.
"Watching Greg over the years on the golf
course and now dealing with his company in the
business world, it is obvious that he is a first-class
guy," said Zuckerman. "I am proud to
be doing business together and I know the homes
we build will help create the complete golfing
community at a top golf course."
There are nine main facets to Great White Shark
Enterprises, which is based in Jupiter, Florida,
and Sydney, Australia, including shark.com,a Website
that will tell you all about it. On the golf end
there is the Greg Norman Turf Company, which was
established in 1995 and licenses proprietary turf
grasses for golf courses, athletic fields, and
home lawns. They own the exclusive rights for
GN-1 hybrid bermuda grass, which along with finding
a home on numerous golf courses, was used by the
Baltimore Ravens, the Atlanta Braves, and was
also the grass of choice for Super Bowls XXXIII
in Miami and XXXV in Tampa, the 1999 World Series,
and the 2000 Summer Olympic Games at Stadium Australia.
Then there is the Greg Norman Golf Course Design
company, which was established in 1987 and has
grown into one of the leading golf-course design
companies in the world. With completed or ongoing
projects on four continents, Norman uses ¬25-plus
years of golf experience to design beautiful,
challenging courses for players of all skill levels.
"There is no particular philosophy when I
set out to design a new course, other than to
make sure nothing looks artificial," said
Norman, who designed TPC at Sugarloaf in Duluth,
Georgia, home of the PGA Tour's BellSouth Classic
and The Grand Golf Club in Queensland, Australia,
site of the 2001 Australian Open, among others.
"I like my courses to mimic nature and to
do this I use a least-disturbance approach. On
many sites, it is necessary to work the course
backwards after the initial layout just to make
sure that the flow of the course has the correct
balance. This also allows me to locate the perfect
green site with regard to strategy. I love designing
golf courses. I have a passion for doing it and
I get a great deal of satisfaction out of a result
that began with the end in mind. I am constantly
learning as I go along."
Then there is the Greg Norman Collection, which
outfits golfers in shark¬like attire from
head to toe; Greg Norman Estates Wines, which
is a joint venture with Beringer Blass to make
the finest in Australian wine; Greg Norman's Australian
Grille in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,
which offers indoor and outdoor dining featuring
rustic Australian cuisine and wood-grilled classics;
and Norman Expedition Yachts, a luxury-yacht series
developed with Oceanfast. As the businesses grow,
so does Norman, but rarely does he delve into
a business venture without knowing what he is
getting into.
"In order for an entrepreneur to become successful,
he or she has to have vision and has to be willing
to listen to what others before have learned on
similar paths," said Norman. "It is
as simple as that. Like I often say about my golf-course
design work, 'You have to begin with the end in
mind.' I think that statement applies to all aspects
of business. If you go into something with no
vision for the future, it is destined to fail.
I'm a Type-A personality, but I'm also an extremely
analytical individual. If I'm going to jump off
a diving board I want to know how deep the water
is."
Norman who does his homework before any business
deal, knows what he is doing. His experience in
the business world has made him a leader in the
golf-lifestyle industry. From turf to wine to
luxury estates, Norman is leaving his mark on
the business world, and "The Shark,"
once known only for a beautiful swing, is now
a symbol in excellence across the board.
"I attribute my success to not being afraid
to learn and ask questions, but most important
being a good listener to the people you trust.
I've never been afraid to ask successful people
questions. I'm a firm believer that successful
people like to help other people become successful,"
Norman said. "It really comes from the game
of golf. If you want to go out there and be a
great player, you do your due diligence. You find
out your strengths, what' your weaknesses are,
and you work on them. You go to a golf course
and you study that golf course. You get to know
how aggressively to playa certain par-5 or how
to play the par-3s. It's the same in business.
You take that philosophy, do your due diligence,
and study what you want to do."
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