Golf is more than just a game — it’s one of life’s most outstanding teachers. In a world full of quick fixes and instant gratification, it’s easy to get lost in Instagram tips that promise the perfect swing or business gurus claiming to have the one secret to overnight success. But the truth is, whether you’re building a great golf game or a world-class Club, there are no shortcuts. Every round I’ve played and every milestone we’ve reached at Ravenna Country Club has reinforced the same lesson: real success is earned — by showing up, putting in the work, and learning profound truths that go beyond technique or score.
Ravenna Country Club wasn’t born out of convenience. It was built from grit, vision, and relentless commitment. And along the way, I’ve learned that the same principles that shape a great golf game also shape a fulfilling life. Here are five lessons the course — and Ravenna — have taught me:
(1) Patience and perseverance are a must.
In 2014, when I stepped in to lead Ravenna, we were not the club you know today. The real estate development had just emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. We had 50 members and a tent in place of a clubhouse. Ravenna, like Rome, wasn’t built in a day. Ten years later, we are approaching our membership cap, and development is nearly sold out.
(2) Keep your head down and focused on your goals.
Great golfers aren’t made overnight. They’re built through hours on the range — grinding through swing drills and blistered hands, wrapped in tape to finish the session. They endure the monotony of putting drills, starting over time and again. That discipline, that focus — it’s what separates the good from the great. Those same skills carried us through one of the most pivotal moments in Ravenna’s story: the construction of our permanent Clubhouse. For 17 years, Ravenna had operated under a temporary tent. Members had waited long enough. From moving 300,000 cubic yards of earth to pandemic-related construction challenges, our eyes were on the mission. Just like a round of golf is won a single stroke at a time, we poured the foundation and built the clubhouse brick by brick, detail by detail — until we opened the doors in 2022. It wasn’t glamorous or easy, but it was worth it. Just like in golf, greatness is earned through grit, not shortcuts.
(3) Every golfer lands in the sand — what matters is how you recover.
Golfers know this better than anyone: you’re going to end up in the bunker now and again. That’s inevitable. What defines you is how you respond — whether you crumble under pressure or get creative, get better, and come out stronger on the next shot—like Bryson DeChambeau in the 2024 US Open, winning the tournament with a fantastic mid-range bunker shot (one of the most challenging shots to master in golf).
At Ravenna, we’ve faced our fair share of bunkers: economic downturns, construction challenges, financial uncertainty, and unexpected curveballs. But we didn’t fold. We dug in. When others pulled back, we doubled down. Our setbacks became growth opportunities on our path to excellence. Now we offer experiences not found at other clubs, such as Buona La Prima, a wine tasting and private dining room adorned with a hand-applied mason barrel ceiling and distinctive artwork. Additionally, our investment-grade Ravenna Metro District bonds are an indicator of confidence in our long-term vision and financial strength.
Challenges didn’t define us. They refined us. And the result is a Club — and a future — built to last.
(4) One day ... one stroke at a time.
You don’t win the round on the first hole. Success is earned one shot at a time, one day at a time. At Ravenna, we didn’t become a world-class Club overnight — we honored the process. It began with Raphael Grille, followed by La Bella Vita - the Fitness Center and Pool. Then came the Clubhouse, and most recently, our event lawn complete with a waterfall and a soothing pond, Il Prato. Each step builds toward what is now Villa Ravenna, our whole Club campus. Today, we turn our focus to wellness — helping our members live longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives through our new Performance and Longevity Center.
Each element of our growth was a stroke — thoughtful, intentional, with the long game always in mind. If you try to swing for the fences on every hole, you’ll burn out. But one stroke at a time, you can build something extraordinary.
(5) Appreciate the beauty of each day and each lesson learned.
Golf reminds us to look up and admire the view from the tee box. To appreciate the rustling trees, the golden light just before sunset, shining behind the hogback on the 18th green. Ravenna is a place that invites you to pause and take it all in.
With frescoes inspired by the Sistine Chapel, the soft trickle of water down Il Prato’s tiered waterfall, or Chef Jason’s incredible cuisine shared among friends on the patio, Ravenna is full of beauty, and with it, gratitude. Every detail reflects a deep love for timeless craft.
And perhaps that’s the most important lesson of all: In golf and life, slow down just long enough to appreciate what you’ve built — and who you’ve built it with.
At Ravenna, we’re not just building a Club — we’re building a legacy: one swing, one decision, one connection at a time.
Here’s to the next chapter.
In golf, as in life, slow down long enough to appreciate what you’ve built — and who you’ve built it with.