Former Caddie Gets Nod From Trump Golf Club Manager Promoted By Sarah
Bradshaw
The 30-year-old Hopewell Junction resident was recently promoted to general manager of Trump National Golf Club Westchester – and he didn’t even have to compete on Trump’s television show “The Apprentice.” Instead, Scavino proved his ability to “The Donald” when he was working at Trump National’s predecessor, Briarcliff Manor Club, as a caddie and bag room attendant, when he was just a teenager. “When I was cleaning bags in the club room, Mr. Trump was apparently watching me because here I am,” Scavino said. In a press release, Trump said he always knew Dan was going to run the club one day. “Everybody loves him. He practically grew up there and he’s going to be a star,” Trump said.
Trump is known for his real estate empire, including the Fifth Avenue skyscraper, Trump Tower and Trump World Tower, as well as several projects around the world. He owns golf clubs and hotels, and stars on an NBC TV show. So working for him is an opportunity of a lifetime. “When he walks into the room it’s electrifying. You want to do well and you want to succeed,” Scavino said. Scavino grew up in Yorktown Heights. In 1998, he graduated from the State University of New York at Plattsburg with a bachelor’s degree in communications and his sights set on the business world, despite his childhood dream of being an English teacher like his father. While he was working at the golf club, he met an executive with Coca-Cola, and that led to a job as an account manager, then business development manager and eventually district sales manager for the company. Scavino left Coca-Cola to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry, at Galderma Laboratories. “I loved every minute of it. I called on 300 doctors in Westchester, sold four different drugs, hosted luncheons and speaking engagements. But when I was given an opportunity to work for Mr. Trump, I didn’t have to think twice,” he said. In 2004, after a little more than a year as a drug sales representative, Scavino was asked by the Trump organization to become assistant manager of the Westchester golf club, and then he worked his way up to general manager. He also moved to Dutchess County with his wife, Jennifer, who is a graduate of Arlington High School. They have a 7-week-old son, Ethan. The property, one of six owned by Trump, includes a golf course with a 101-foot waterfall Scavino said cost $7 million to build; a new 65,000-square-foot clubhouse with a grill room and golf shop; a tennis and swimming pool complex; 16 townhouses, with $3 million price tags; and more than 150 employees. Club membership fees are $300,000 per person.
Scavino’s main responsibility is to make sure the club runs smoothly, and, yes, Trump is his boss. “When he told me I report directly to him it was unbelievable,” Scavino said. “I see him during the season a lot and I talk to him a couple of times a week.” But Scavino doesn’t get star struck. Instead, he thinks of Trump as a mentor. “You get used to it,” he said. He’s gotten used to having a lot of famous people around him, including New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre, who hosts a fundraiser at the club for his Safe at Home Foundation; former President Bill Clinton; and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. It’s a perk, he said. One thing’s for sure, Scavino wouldn’t trade his job, even if it meant managing one of Trump’s more tropical locations. “I tell Mr. Trump I have the best job in the organization,” Scavino said. In fact, he said he truly believes Trump National Golf Club Westchester is one of the top clubs in the world. “This is the greatest office in New York. The building is beautiful, the staff is great, the members are phenomenal and there’s just an overall good feeling,” said the man who works 70-80 hours a week during golf season. “This is a grueling industry, but if you have a passion for it, if you love what you do, you get up in the morning, excited to get in your car and go to the club, like I do,” he said.
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