Former Best Buy CEO Richard Schulze is putting his heart AND wallet behind improving not only the resort but the island as well.
ANGUILLA – While most golfers are enjoying the views of Rendezvous Bay, Richard Schulze is often looking down while playing the new Aurora International Golf Club.
Schulze, who bought the former CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa and renamed it the Aurora Anguilla Golf Resort & Spa, is obsessed with weeds. He searches for them whenever he’s on his newly-renovated Greg Norman design.
Schulze, the former CEO of Best Buy and one of the world’s richest men according to Forbes, has challenged his golf maintenance team to create conditions that would make Augusta National jealous. Every day, workers walk the course looking to pluck unsightly plant invaders.
Selling his shares as part-owner at Pebble Beach Resorts freed Schulze up to invest in his own version of golf paradise in the Caribbean.
“I want it to feel like Pebble Beach and play like Augusta National,” he said.
Big dreams, sure, but Schulze has the wallet and motivation to get there. Owning a golf course and a steakhouse – which the impressive clubhouse turns into after dark – have always been atop his personal bucket list.
He’s transforming the resort in the British West Indies into something special. The property sat neglected and aging after Hurricane Irma devastated the island in 2017 and the former owner, Leandro Rizzuto, passed away that same year. Following a worldwide search, Schulze bought the 380-acre resort in December 2020 and has spent undisclosed millions of dollars to upgrade every square inch. He’s added a short course, enhanced every room and suite on two different campuses and is currently building a water park for families and outdoor amphitheater to host concerts and events.
The Mediterranean-themed Aurora Anguilla has put the Caribbean’s other top golf resorts on notice, aiming to set a new standard of conditioning, luxury and service. A grand opening party last November unveiled a bright future not only for the resort, but an entire island that will benefit as well.
