Outside Cincinnati, Traditions GC teams with Bobby Jones Links

Bobby Jones Links is now managing Traditions Golf Club, an 18-hole golf haven tucked in the rolling hills of Hebron, Kentucky, outside Cincinnati. BJL will work closely with the Traditions team to elevate the member experience and leverage the club’s heritage and infrastructure.

The Ken Heil and Mike Macke layout debuted in 1992 and boasts 400 acres of unspoiled natural terrain, challenging elevation changes, and native forests with abundant wildlife.

BJL, which manages more than 30 properties in 12 states, will oversee daily operations and hire employees who will have access to its comprehensive library of proprietary tools, best management practices and expertly developed leadership training program.

“We have the opportunity to bring the Traditions team together and really establish a special common mission,” BJL chief development officer Doug Hellman said. “The other essential step is refining the member journey from beginning to end, from how members engage with staff when they come on property, until they leave.”

Traditions has been managed under the same private ownership group since it was acquired by local entrepreneurs David Brooks and Chris Penn in 1996. After an exhaustive search, the ownership selected BJL’s team to lead Traditions. “We provided ownership assurances and peace of mind that we were aligned with their vision for the coming years and that the legacy of this club is in the right hands,” Hellman said. “There was a very strong understanding of their goals and trust in BJL to develop a dynamic working plan to achieve those goals as we run the day-to-day business in the most efficient ways possible.”

“We’re excited to partner with Bobby Jones Links and to take advantage of their team’s expertise in club operations to raise the club to even higher standards,” Penn said. “We want the members, staff and ownership to continue to be proud of the operation. Bobby Jones Links understands that our legacy is critical and the better the member experience, the stronger that legacy will become. We trust Bobby Jones Links to maintain the reputation of Traditions as one of the very best clubs in the region.”

Traditions has hosted Kentucky PGA Section championships, Greater Cincinnati Golf Association championships, the Kentucky Amateur, the Kentucky Open and U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifiers, and has served as the home of the University of Cincinnati golf team.