Tony Brings New Ideas To Vintage
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday July 19, 2005
TONY Yen, a popular figure in the Hunter Valley holiday and hospitality industry for many years, has taken over as sales and marketing manager for The Vintage Golf Club at Pokolbin.
Yen was previously at Horizons Resort helping run the ALPG Players Championship and ANZ Classic then with the Constellation Hotel Group as national sales manager. Originally from Taree, Yen did his university degree in Canberra before going into the hotel business then insurance.He moved to Newcastle with Impulse Airlines before his business acumen and love of golf took him to Horizons Resort at Salamander. Yen was one of the casualties when Horizons went into receivership in 2003 after being owned by Sydney accountant Antonio Gelonesi."I am looking forward to the challenge here at The Vintage," Yen said last week. "I will be involved in marketing the course and the facilities and organising corporate events on this magnificent championship course."Yen has already had a lesson from head teaching professional Richard Mercer and is playing off a 26 handicap.Ray Manual, who was operations manager when The Vintage was opened in January 2002 by designer Greg Norman, is now the general manager.Yen said The Vintage was spending $750,000 on course upgrades despite already being in top condition."The introduction of the Grand Mercure apartments and further development of the residential precincts will also add to The Vintage experience," Yen said.
© 2005 Newcastle Herald