Gary Player - The Legend

Player Offices Officially Open in South Carolina

Courtesy of The Greenville News

Taste of Africa is the central theme…

By Angelia Davis
BUSINESS WRITER

TRAVELERS REST, SOUTH CAROLINA—A taste of Africa and legendary golfer Gary Player have officially arrived in The Cliffs at Mountain Park.

A taste of Africa is the central theme of the interior of the Black Knight International office, the centerpiece of the Village at Mountain Park.

The office houses the events, real estate and design divisions. It also features a Gary Player trophy room and merchandise shop.

The company opened in the building four months ago, said Marc Player, chief executive officer of Black Knight International. During that time, he said, a lot of local people have shown an interest by “popping in to see what’s happening.”

So, he invited 200 people to an informal gathering there Friday as a way to say “thank you and we have officially opened.”

The event was also an opportunity for people “to have a look at what we’ve done, get a feel of who we are, and a taste of the Player style,” said Player, son of golfing great Gary Player.

“The external architectural style was selected by The Cliffs. But inside, we were able to give our own little feel, our own little Player DNA,” he said. “What you see is what we call ‘infused with Africa.’ We’re proud of our heritage.”

The office is part of bigger relationship between Gary Player, a native of South Africa, Black Knight International and The Cliffs Communities.

Gary Player announced in spring 2006 that he would design a signature golf course, as well as build a home for his family and locate the principal North American office for his business enterprises, to The Cliffs at Mountain Park, a 5,000-acre residential golf community and commercial development under construction off State 11. Black Knight International is the global umbrella company that owns and operates the Gary Player Group.

In addition to the local office, Marc Player said the golf course and family home in the Gary Player Estates community are well under construction.  The Gary Player Invitational charity tournament was successfully staged in October and Mr Player himself continues to act as a global ambassador for all of The Cliffs Communities.

For now, the Gary Player Group will keep its corporate office in Palm Beach, Florida, where the administration and finances are handled, Player said. The Mountain Park facility is considered its “operational” office.

“This is an important office for us in terms of the design and the real estate activities that we undertake, and it’s working very well, even though it’s the early days,” he said.

About 30 people now work out of the Mountain Park office. He said eight families from the Palm Beach office have relocated here, and 22 people, including a chef, were hired locally.

“It’s been a good start. People are happy, and the offices are wonderful,” he said. “It’s possible I might, in time, close the Palm Beach office altogether. But right now, we will keep the corporate office (in Palm Beach) and operational business up here.”

Player said the office is already serving as a “wonderful” catalyst to bring new people to Travelers Rest, Greenville and South Carolina. So far, the new Gary Player Group staff have hosted clients and customers from 31 different nationalities.

Player said he would love to see more of these international guests buy real estate here and invest in the state and in the community.

“Already we’ve sold some lots up in the Gary Player Estates to some of our out-of-town visitors. Even if they are not from overseas, they are people that would not have come here had we not been here,” he said.

A Player family residence is the first home under construction in the Gary Player Estates, which will have 100 villas. Members of the Player family will use the residence, and some of their out-of-town guests will occupy its guest suite.

But right now, Player said, “there are no intentions to move either my parents or myself permanently here today or tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes.”

He said if all works out well with the new office, the construction of the Player residence, and the completion of the golf course over the next year, “absolutely, we’ll look at it.”

Meanwhile, he said, the company will continue to develop residences in the Gary Player Estates.

Player said over the next 12 months, he intends to spend about 25 percent of his time in the area and his dad will likely spend 20 to 30 days here “at this stage.” Gary Player, who also represents the likes of SAP, Citigroup, MasterCard, Callaway and Rolex, hopes to hold more corporate golf outings on The Cliffs’ courses, Marc Player said.

So the time he and his son spend here may increase. “We’ll take one step at a time,” Marc Player said.

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