Dunes Staff
Brian Kautz, PGA - General Manager
At the age of twenty-five, Brian earned his first head professional job at The Pointe in Bloomington, Indiana. He later left the club arena to work for Pro Group, Arnold Palmer’s golf company. Eventually he came back to the club side of the business and held various positions including Director of Golf at the Estero Country Club in Florida and Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire, Michigan. As General Manager of The Dunes, Brian enjoys applying his wealth of knowledge and experience on beautiful Sanibel Island.
Dana Swanson, Certified Wedding Planner - Membership and Catering Sales Manager
RoRo Garat - Executive Chef
At the age of twenty-five, Brian earned his first head professional job at The Pointe in Bloomington, Indiana. He later left the club arena to work for Pro Group, Arnold Palmer’s golf company. Eventually he came back to the club side of the business and held various positions including Director of Golf at the Estero Country Club in Florida and Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire, Michigan. As General Manager of The Dunes, Brian enjoys applying his wealth of knowledge and experience on beautiful Sanibel Island.
Roy Jones - Golf Course Superintendent
Originally from the UK, Roy studied Sports Turf Management before emigrating to the United States in 1996. His career in golf course management began with a one-year internship at The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club from 1994 to 1995. After gaining experience in various roles at different courses, Roy returned to The Dunes in 2011 as Assistant Superintendent and was promoted to Superintendent in 2019. With a deep passion for maintaining top-quality playing conditions, Roy brings decades of expertise in turf management, sustainability, and course improvement. His hands-on approach and commitment to excellence ensure that The Dunes remains a premier golf destination. Outside of work, Roy enjoys cycling and can often be spotted riding the roads of Sanibel during the quieter summer months. Fun Fact: Early in his career, while working at a celebrity tournament, Roy saw a player hit a poor shot off the tee. Without hesitation, he let them know they weren’t very good at golf—only to later realize the player was MLB Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers.
Zach Ninkovich - Food & Beverage Supervisor
Zach joined The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club 2015 as a server/bartender before being promoted to the role of Food & Beverage Manager. In this capacity he oversees all front of the house operations in food & beverage. Zach works closely with Dana in staging memorable events and member activities.
Chris Pais, PGA Life Member
Originally from Hillside New Jersey, Chris relocated to Southwest Florida fresh out of high school in the 1987 and began his career in golf at Wildcat Run CC in Estero. From there his journey included stops at Lake Sunapee in NH and Fiddlesticks CC in Fort Myers. Then came a stint of years working for prominent Southwest Florida homebuilders Worthington Communities and WCI Communities. Chris also spent the better part of a decade teaching and coaching golf for the nation’s largest indoor lesson provider conducting over 1200 lessons annually. He has a daughter Emily and grandson Kenji that reside in Prescott Valley Arizona. Interests include boating, fishing, skiing, and the occasional round of golf.
MaryLou Holler, Director of Membership Services
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