Invited (Formerly ClubCorp)
Invited - The Hamlet Country Club
August 2022 - July 2023
When I joined The Hamlet Country Club under Invited’s management, I stepped into an environment plagued by deep-seated operational dysfunctions, member mismanagement, and entrenched issues that had been neglected for years. These challenges—ranging from infrastructure lapses to pervasive member dissatisfaction—were not disclosed to me during the hiring process, yet I tackled each issue head-on from day one. I quickly realized that this role required not only a strategic overhaul but also strong leadership to bring discipline and structure back to the club.
As part of my return to Invited, I had requested a condition to avoid professional overlap with Mamee Groves, given her documented history of hostility and targeted actions against me during my previous tenure. I was assured by John Cegielski that this wouldn’t be an issue. However, my first conversation with my new supervisor, Maurice Darbyshire, about my prior experiences with Mamee was met with immediate hostility and was shut down aggressively. This response set an alarmingly dismissive tone from the outset and foreshadowed the lack of support I’d encounter.
Addressing the Club’s Deficiencies and Early Recognition
I invested my initial months at The Hamlet addressing its numerous and longstanding issues, focusing on tightening member relations, enforcing debt collection policies, and creating an environment where both members and staff respected the rules. This involved setting boundaries to protect staff from the kind of mistreatment that had become rampant and raising service standards across the board. I was determined to bring The Hamlet back to a level of respectability it hadn’t seen in years.
The results were undeniable: by February 2023, Invited’s executive team, including the CEO, formally recognized my impact on the club, even hinting at discussions around a potential promotion. This recognition underscored the meaningful changes I’d already made in a short span. But the narrative of success would be abruptly undermined—not due to performance, but to unresolved and unchecked issues within Invited’s corporate leadership.
A Calculated, Targeted Attack
While I was focused on rebuilding the club, Mamee Groves launched a deliberate campaign to discredit me—one that I contend was not only personal but racially motivated. I’ve accumulated substantial evidence showing that her actions were designed to damage my reputation and undermine my work at The Hamlet. Yet despite my repeated calls for a thorough investigation, Invited’s leadership, led by Maurice Darbyshire, continued to shield Mamee and ignore my concerns. Maurice, especially, chose to double down on the very behavior that has plagued Invited’s internal culture, prioritizing cover-ups over accountability.
This refusal to engage transparently resulted in my premature termination in July 2023, just as the club was finally turning a corner. The members were seeing improvements, and the club’s profitability was on an upward trajectory. My efforts and accomplishments, however, were dismissed in favor of protecting certain individuals and maintaining a broken status quo.
DEI: A Shield for Injustice?
My experience at Invited was not only a lesson in corporate dysfunction but also an eye-opening encounter with the misuse of DEI initiatives. While I fully support DEI in principle, what I witnessed at Invited was a perverse use of these principles—employed not for genuine inclusion but as a means to protect certain individuals from accountability. Mamee Groves, repeatedly shielded by Invited’s leadership, used her position as a weapon rather than a tool for positive change. Maurice Darbyshire’s willingness to overlook her actions reflects a systemic issue within Invited that enables selective enforcement and protection. The same people who should have upheld Invited’s core values instead chose to hide behind them, tarnishing the reputation of DEI and those it’s meant to serve.
A Necessary Message to Invited and Its Staff
To those at Invited who continue to overlook issues, deny responsibility, or sit by silently while others face the fallout—know that your actions, or lack thereof, enabled this situation. Maurice, in particular, demonstrated that shielding personal agendas took precedence over fostering an ethical work environment. While I built a plan to bring The Hamlet back to its potential, you all opted to prioritize politics over progress.
This situation could have been avoided. I attempted every legal and professional avenue to address these matters quietly, offering Invited’s leadership ample opportunities to right these wrongs. Instead, their failure to act has left me with no choice but to make these issues public. My career was sacrificed not due to lack of merit, but because Invited enabled certain individuals to abuse their power unchecked, silencing those who dared to speak up.
Closing Thoughts
Reflecting on my time with Invited, I’m left with a singular truth: if this company can’t address issues with transparency and integrity, it’s failing the very values it claims to uphold. I went into The Hamlet with the goal of building something meaningful and lasting; Invited’s leadership chose to tear it down. While my career has taken the hit, I hope this account serves as a wake-up call for the industry and a warning about the real consequences of enabling unchecked power.
To Mr. Joseph Vivona:
I encourage you to discuss the details of the process around my “investigation” with leadership. While I have not highlighted your name elsewhere, ongoing efforts aim to shed light on the actions surrounding my termination. I believe transparency is critical here, and I hope that the right choices will be made to uphold that standard. Don't play dumb... you know what I am talking about.
