Monique “Coach Mo” Gesualdi, 2024 Troon Coach of the Year, Joins the Club + Resort Talks Podcast
On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Editor-in-Chief Rob Thomas speaks with Monique “Mo” Gesualdi, PGA and LPGA Director of Instruction at St. John’s Golf & Country Club in St. Augustine, Fla. Coach Mo was recently awarded the 2024 Troon Coach of the Year. She talks about her journey to becoming a golf coach and the health challenges she had to overcome in her 20s. Coach Mo emphasizes the importance of a holistic coaching approach that considers the physical, mental, emotional and nutritional aspects of a player. As a former high-level junior golfer herself, she believes she can relate to her students and guide them through the challenges they face. She also talks about her podcast, The Coach Mo Podcast, which features interviews with people from the golf industry. Coach Mo concludes the interview by expressing her excitement about the future of golf, with more girls and women getting involved in the sport. Rob and Senior Editor Phil Keren also discussed Phil’s just-concluded trip to Cragun’s Resort and Cragun’s Legacy Courses in Brainerd, Minn. The 84-year-old destination offers two golf courses — the Lehman 18 and the Dutch 27 — and a Par 3 course, as well as opportunities to enjoy fishing, kayaking, boating and other water sports, as well as land pursuits such as tennis, pickleball, beach volleyball, biking and hiking. Phil and a group of golf writers visited Cragun’s and accompanied groups that played both courses. Each course was designed by the Lehman Design Group, headed by former World No.1 PGA Tour player Tom Lehman, a Minnesota native. The Dutch 27 has a pair of 9-hole layouts (Blue and White) that can be played today, and a third 9 (Red) that is expected to open for play in May 2025. The resort has a staff of more than 300 employees, offers 300 rooms, suites, cabins and homes to rent, and 62,000 sq. ft. of multi-function conference and exhibit space. On an annual basis, Cragun’s records 100,000 guest nights, which equates to 40,000 unique guests. The resort hosts about 200 corporate or association groups and anywhere from 25 to 40 weddings each year. Phil will have a story about Cragun’s for the September issue of Club + Resort Business. Phil and Rob also discussed projects happening at resorts in Arizona and California. The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch is nearing the completion of its $115 million renovation and will soon be rebranded as the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort. This project, expected to conclude in the coming weeks, will mark the debut of the first Grand Hyatt hotel in Arizona. The resort will feature six new restaurants, all developed in partnership with celebrity chef Richard Blais. These will include a modern Italian chophouse, a Southwestern grill, and two different poolside concepts. In addition to the new dining options, the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort will unveil its fully renovated meeting space in October. This includes the 14,000-sq.-ft. Vaquero Ballroom and 52,000 sq. ft. of existing indoor and outdoor function space. By January 2025, the resort will open its expanded Arizona Ballroom, nearly tripling its size to 25,000 sq. ft., aiming to become a premier venue for meetings and events in the region. Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. will once again host the PGA Tour’s Napa tournament, now renamed the Procore Championship Sept. 12-15. During the last couple of years, a lot of infrastructure improvement has happened at the site, including the introduction of 130 new golf carts, a $1.5 million investment in turf maintenance equipment, the conversion of 9.8 miles of asphalt cart paths into concrete paths, and the expansion of the driving range by 9,000 sq. ft.
