Mission Inn Resort, one of Florida’s oldest golf resorts, is no stranger to hosting tournaments. The fourth playing of the Epson Tour’s Inova Mission Inn Resort & Club Championship is returning next month, but this time it’ll be different.
In December, the Beucher family, who had owned the resort for 58 years, sold it to MMI Hotel Group, which has been owned by the Sturdevant family for 67 years. The family ownership aspect played a part in the sale and the Beuchers will continue to reside in the area, will remain as members of the club, plus will retain ownership of part of the property.
MMI has deep roots in the Southeast, but its portfolio includes only one other golf facility, The King & Prince Beach and Golf Resort in St. Simons Island, Georgia.
“We’re a golf resort, and golf is critical to our success and always will be,’’ said Dominick Buompastore, MMI vice president of operations. “We’re thrilled to be part of this tournament. The Epson Tour is really great for us, and we have a contract for future years.”
The Inovia Mission Inn Championship will be held, May 26-28. The field will be cut to the low 60 and ties after 36 holes. Two pro-am’s will be held on May 24 and 25, preceding tournament play.
Previous winners at Mission Inn were Matilda Castren, Min Lee and Gina Kim. This year’s 144-player field will compete for $200,000 in prize money, with $30,000 going to the champion.
Buompastore said an investment in technology has been the first order of business in the first three months of MMI’s ownership. Next comes an analysis of what should be done with the two golf courses, El Campeon, site of the Inova event with roots back to 1917, and Las Colinas, an 18-holer designed by ex-PGA Tour winner turned broadcaster Gary Koch in 1992.
El Campeon is one of the oldest and most challenging courses in Florida. It was designed by a Chicago architect, George O’Neil, and was brought into prominence after the Beuchers took over the resort in 1964. It has hosted a variety of high school, college and state professional tournaments, and its steeply-elevated terrain sets it apart from other Florida courses.
Golf-wise the ownership change produced a significant staff adjustment. Michael Bowery, the former Director of Golf at Mission Inn, has turned that responsibility to Brian Mulry, while Bowery will assume a sales and marketing role under the new ownership.
“It’ll allow me to go out to bring in things like this,’’ he said of the Inova Championship. “We’re always looking at those opportunities. We would love to host a televised LPGA event on this golf course.’’
The resort is a 35-minute drive northwest of Orlando. Its Spanish Colonial architecture features 176 hotel guest rooms, 131 deluxe rooms, 38 club suites, four one-bedroom suites, two two-bedroom suites and one penthouse suite with three bedrooms.
In addition to the two golf courses, Mission Inn has four restaurants, two lounges, plus a poolside bar. Amenities include tennis, pickleball, jogging, as well as cycling trails, volleyball courts, a spa, fitness center and a marina offering pontoons, bass boat and kayaks for eco-touring. More than 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space is available for meetings, banquets, holiday parties, weddings and special occasions.
Mission Inn Resort makes a great place to stay slightly away from the hustle and bustle of Orlando, but still close enough to drive into all the activities that the Orlando-area have to offer.
Mission Inn Resort Has New Owners, But Provides the Same Quality Experience
