Diamond Resorts is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hilton Grand Vacations . Diamond Resorts was an independent timeshare and vacation ownership company until it was purchased by HGV in 2021. Following the purchase, Diamond's resorts became part of HGV's resort portfolio, and Diamond itself became a brand and subsidiary of HGV. The majority of Diamond Resorts have been or will be rebranded as Hilton vacation Club properties, however the original brand will continue to exist as some resorts are slated to retain the Diamond Resorts name.
31-802: Diamond Resorts launched the Diamond Resorts Invitational in 2013 to benefit Florida Hospital for Children. Through the golf tournament, the company has raised a total of more than $ 3.1 million to the children's hospital. In March 2018, the company announced it was sponsoring a new golf tournament, the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, with the LPGA as an official season event. In October 2015, DRI bought out Gold Key Resorts for $ 167.5 million. This acquisition added five vacation ownership resorts in Virginia Beach, Virginia , and one in
62-692: A $ 40,000 purse. PGA Tour professional Nick O'Hern won the Professional Golf Division and retired NFL player Mark Rypien was the celebrity champion. In its second year, the Diamond Resorts Invitational was held at Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, Florida from December 11–14, 2014. More than 400 people participated in the weekend event, which included a celebrity/amateur golf tournament and private concert by country music artist Colt Ford . PGA Tour professional J. B. Holmes won
93-453: A 2011 post on his blog. Standard tour events—apart from invitationals and majors, which have their own entry criteria—have a field of 78 (currently 81). The first 60 places in the field are filled as follows: This leaves 18 places: The following players have won more than one money list title through 2023: The table shows the top ten career money leaders on PGA Tour Champions through the 2023 season. Source: The PGA Tour also publishes
124-505: A boutique hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii . In January 2020, Diamond Resorts partnered with Highgate to rent units in two properties in New York City. In March 2021, Apollo Global agreed to sell Diamond Resorts to Hilton Grand Vacations for $ 1.4 billion. The acquisition was completed on August 2, 2021. The company's founder, Stephen J. Cloobeck , was featured in the fourth season premiere of
155-562: A playoff place. The playoffs operate on a points system, with each qualifying player receiving a points total equal to the money earned on the season. Points during the first two playoff events, the QQQ Championship and Dominion Charity Classic, are also based on money earned, except that the winner of each of those events receives double points. The playoff field is cut to 54 for the Dominion Charity Classic, and finally to 36 for
186-422: Is $ 51.5 million over 26 tournaments, with a record average purse of $ 1.98 million per event; slightly higher than the 2008 prize money of $ 51.4 million over the same number of events. The total prize money and number of events, however, are down from previous years—for example, the 2007 tour offered a total of $ 55.2 million over 29 events. Most of the tournaments are played over three rounds (54 holes), which
217-595: Is one round fewer than regular professional stroke play tournaments on the PGA Tour. Because of this and having smaller fields (81 golfers), there are generally no "cuts" between any of the rounds. However, the five senior majors have a full 72 holes (four rounds) with a 36-hole cut. Until 2015, the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship , with a limited field of 36, was played over 72 holes with no cut. Since 2016, it has been played over 54 holes with no cut. A golfer's performances can be quite variable from one round to
248-615: The FTC warns are likely to rise every year. Diamond Resorts's official 2014 SEC filing states that club members do not have the right to terminate membership, except in certain areas where consumers are protected by state law. Jeff Weir, a Diamond timeshare owner and journalist covering the timeshare industry, told The New York Times , "In my experience, Diamond is much more ambitious, aggressive and downright nasty in their sales presentations compared to Marriott and Westin. Diamond just has an amazing reputation of being tough on people." Mike Flaskey,
279-618: The Outer Banks , North Carolina . That same month, Diamond Resorts pledged to match all new donations made to the Diamond Resorts International Foundation, a recognized 501(c)(3) organization , in 2017 up to $ 1 million to support Hurricane Irma relief efforts. Diamond Resorts acquired Intrawest Resort Club Group in November 2015, adding nine resorts and 22,000 members. After the acquisition, Diamond Resorts re-branded
310-483: The American reality television series Undercover Boss on January 15, 2012, marking the first time the head of a company previously featured in an earlier episode went undercover a second time. Diamond Resorts is notable for high-pressure sales tactics used to close sales and generate fees for consumers. Club members are charged yearly maintenance fees (including management fees), which are set by Diamond Resorts and which
341-653: The Charles Schwab Cup Championship. After the Dominion Charity Classic, the field's points are reset so that each of the remaining 36 players can theoretically win the Charles Schwab Cup, and that each of the top five players can clinch the Charles Schwab Cup by winning the final event. In 2006 , the Champions Tour Division Board of the PGA Tour organization voted to allow players the option to use golf carts during most events on
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#1732851987064372-484: The Intrawest Resort Club Group as Embarc Resorts. On June 29, 2016, Apollo Global Management made a successful offer to purchase Diamond Resorts International. On December 23, 2016 Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a settlement of $ 800,000 with Diamond Resorts. As part of the settlement, customers who bought their timeshares under false pretenses could relinquish them. Michael Flaskey
403-597: The PGA Tour Champions season. The top 72 players on the money list automatically qualify for the first playoff event, the PowerShares QQQ Championship. Additionally, if one or more golfers finish in the top 10 in the final non-playoff event, the SAS Championship, and are not in the top 72 on the money list entering the playoffs, the highest such finisher in the SAS Championship will also receive
434-594: The PGA Tour Division, shooting a 9-under 63. The celebrity champion was former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz , who defeated the President of Baseball Operations for the Atlanta Brave, John Hart , in a one-hole playoff, for the first of his three victories in the event (including the successor tournament). In 2016, the golf event was named Diamond Resorts Invitational benefiting Florida Hospital for Children and
465-519: The company's current chief executive officer, spoke on Fox Business about how the company is shaking up its sales and marketing model to better meet traveler's desires. On December 23, 2016, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a settlement of $ 800,000 with Diamond Resorts over accusations that Diamond Resorts had violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act . Of the settlement funds, $ 650,000 were used for customer restitution. Under
496-508: The next, and playing an extra round increases the likelihood that the senior majors will be won by leading players. Through the 2015 season, the Charles Schwab Cup was a season-long points race. Points were given to players who finished in the top 10. One point was earned for each $ 1,000 won (i.e. $ 500,000 = 500 points) with majors counting double. From the Cup's inception in 1990 through 2015,
527-675: The previous two LPGA seasons, along with celebrity participants. The Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions replaces the golf tournament the company previously sponsored, the Diamond Resorts Invitational . That same month, acquired Amber Vacation Club in March 2018 and will assume operations at Amber's managed resorts, Sunrise Ridge Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Alhambra Villas and Alhambra at Poinciana in Kissimmee, Florida. In April 2018, Diamond Resorts announced it had acquired The Modern Honolulu,
558-427: The previous two seasons. They competed alongside 45 sports and entertainment celebrities. In 2013, PGA Tour professional, Brian Gay , offered to lend his name to the inaugural Diamond Resorts-sponsored golf invitational in an effort to help raise money for Florida Hospital for Children. More than 300 golfers, celebrities and spectators attended the event. The tournament also hosted a celebrity-only golf tournament with
589-534: The professional division and MLB pitcher Mark Mulder won the celebrity division. The tournament was a PGA Tour Champions Challenge Season event again in 2018 and held Jan. 12-14 at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort Orlando. The professional field featured 28 PGA Tour Champions players and four LPGA players, including Brittany Lincicome and Brooke Henderson , competing for a $ 750,000 purse. The celebrity field featured 50 sports and entertainment players competing for their own $ 500,000 purse. All three days of
620-498: The settlement, customers who had purchased timeshares in Arizona between January 1, 2011, and July 23, 2017, could be released from their timeshare, provided they gave a detailed description of deceptive statements or false promises made by Diamond Resorts employees during the sale. The Attorney General's website states that alleged misrepresentations were related to: Diamond Resorts Invitational The Diamond Resorts Invitational
651-581: The successor tournament. 28°23′57″N 81°32′52″W / 28.3991°N 81.5478°W / 28.3991; -81.5478 PGA Tour Champions PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour ) is a men's professional senior golf tour , open to golfers age 50 and over, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour . The Senior PGA Championship , founded in 1937,
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#1732851987064682-482: The top 30 players competed in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, which was contested over four rounds and where all contestants earned points. The top five finishers in the points race earned annuities. In 2016, the format of the Charles Schwab Cup was radically changed to a playoff-style format similar to that used for the FedEx Cup on the main PGA Tour. Qualification for the playoffs is now based on money earned during
713-399: The tour. The five major championships and certain other events, including pro-ams, are excluded. Current PGA Tour Champions competitor and TV golf analyst Bobby Clampett has called the process for determining the field in tour events "the most complicated system known to man," and added that "[n]ot a single player even understands it fully." Clampett attempted to explain the process in
744-480: The tournament became a PGA Tour Champions Challenge Season event. It was held Jan. 13-15 at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort Orlando. It had 27 PGA Tour Champions players, three LPGA players and 48 other amateur celebrity players. The players were organized into threesomes of one professional and two celebrities, and competed side-by-side in a Modified Stableford scoring format for separate purses totaling $ 1.25 million. PGA Champions Tour player Woody Austin won
775-452: The tournament were again nationally televised on Golf Channel. Former top-ranked American tennis player Mardy Fish took home the $ 100,000 first place prize money in the celebrity division, while PGA TOUR Champions standout Scott Parel pocketed $ 125,000 by winning the professional division after a first hole playoff, his second victory in the event. Fish and John Smoltz share the record at three wins, as Smoltz (2019-20) and Fish (2021) have won
806-526: Was a PGA Tour Champions Challenge Season event and celebrity golf tournament, played at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons in Orlando, Florida , and benefited Florida Hospital for Children. The tournament began as a celebrity-only tournament in 2013 and in 2017, the tournament was made a PGA Tour Champions Challenge Season event. The 2018 event featured a field of 28 PGA Tour Champions and 4 LPGA Tour professionals, and 50 celebrity amateur golfers. The tournament
837-728: Was a no cut 54-hole event, and used the Modified Stableford scoring system. Over the years, the tournament helped raise more than $ 3.1 million for Florida Hospital for Children. In March 2018, tournament sponsor Diamond Resorts announced it was changing the tournament for 2019 to an official LPGA Tour event called the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions . The new tournament was the LPGA's 2019 season opener with $ 1.2 million in prize money. The 26-player pro field included only those LPGA players who had qualified by winning in
868-539: Was for many years the only high-profile tournament for golfers over 50. The idea for a senior tour grew out of a highly successful event in 1978, the Legends of Golf at Onion Creek Club in Austin, Texas , which featured competition between two-member teams of some of the greatest older golfers of that day. The tour was formally established in 1980 and was originally known as the Senior PGA Tour until October 2002 . The tour
899-454: Was named chief executive officer of the company in March 2017. On January 18, 2018, the company underwent a brand refresh, updating its logo and officially dropping International from its name to be known as Diamond Resorts. Diamond Resorts announced in March 2018 that the company was partnering with the LPGA to launch the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. The tournament begins the LPGA's 2019 season and features tournament winners from
930-831: Was nationally televised on the Golf Channel with an 81-person field, 54-hole celebrity tournament. It was held January 12–17, 2016 at The Golden Bear Club in Windermere, Florida and featured a Stableford scoring format with a $ 500,000 purse. After three days of play, former professional American tennis player, Mardy Fish , claimed victory. The celebrity lineup included Super Bowl MVPs Jerry Rice , Marcus Allen , Richard Dent and Mark Rypien ; Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame pitcher of Greg Maddux , John Smoltz and Tom Glavine ; ESPN college football expert and former NFL quarterback Danny Kanell ; baseball legends Reggie Jackson , Roger Clemens and Gaylord Perry ; and celebrity entertainers Larry The Cable Guy , Jake Owen and Colt Ford . In 2017,
961-755: Was then renamed the Champions Tour through the 2015 season , after which the current name of "PGA Tour Champions" was adopted. Of the 26 tournaments on the 2010 schedule, all were in the United States except for the Cap Cana Championship in the Dominican Republic , the Senior Open Championship in Scotland and tournaments in Canada and South Korea . The guaranteed minimum official prize money