Blake Walker is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arcis Equity. In this capacity, he has led all phases of the firm’s strategy, development, and operation since inception. Prior to founding Arcis Equity, he served as both the Chief Investment Officer and Chief Executive Officer of several global private equity-backed leisure firms, where he led a broad range of acquisitions and executed multi-year value creation strategies, driving carve-outs, and turn-around initiatives. Blake is a board member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and a former EY Entrepreneur of the Year winner. He holds a BA from Southern Methodist University and currently serves as an Advisory Board member at the SMU Cox School of Business.
Brief Overview of Company
Arcis Equity Partners, LLC is a private equity firm dedicated to making equity and debt investments in the real estate and leisure sectors. Arcis’ strategic objective is to generate superior risk-adjusted returns by creating strong partnerships with management and driving value creation through growth - not financial engineering. The company seeks to partner with high-quality management teams and commit its collective experience and resources to accelerate growth and build lasting value for their companies.
History of Arcis
July 2013
BrightStar Golf Portfolio acquired:
- Pinery Country Club (Denver, Colorado)
- The Club At Pradera (Denver, Colorado)
- TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge (Seattle, Washington)
December 2013
Tartan Fields Golf Club (Columbus, Ohio) acquired
April 2014
Ruby Hill Golf Club (San Francisco, California) acquired
August 2014
Desert Pines Golf Club (Las Vegas, Nevada) acquired
September 2014
CNL Lifestyle Properties golf portfolio (46 clubs located in major metropolitan areas throughout the US) acquired
October 2014
Acquires existing golf management company and launches Arcis Golf
November 2014
Meadowlark Golf Course (Los Angeles, California) acquired
December 2014
Forest Park Golf Course (St. Louis, Missouri) acquired
January 2018
TPC Valencia (Valencia,California) acquired renamed Oaks Club at Valenica
August 2018
Assumed management of The Club at Weston Hills
April 2019
Acquired the Dominion Club Portfolio of 5 private clubs in Texas
October 2020
Atairos makes significant investment in Arcis Golf
August 2021
Mickelson Golf Properties six club portfolio acquired
September 2021
The Golf Club at Twin Creeks acquired
September 2021
Gentle Creek Country Club acquired
Our Team
Blake S. Walker
Founder and CEO
Andrew R. Crosson
Managing Director, Western Region
Andy Crosson is the Managing Director, Western Region at Arcis Equity. In this capacity, he focuses on sourcing and negotiating acquisitions. Prior to joining Arcis, Mr. Crosson spent 25 years as a Founding Partner and Executive Vice President at several notable golf investment firms, completing more than $700 million of investments. Mr. Crosson holds a BS from the University of Utah.
David H. Lampe
Managing Director, Eastern Region
David Lampe is the Managing Director, Eastern Region at Arcis Equity. In this capacity, he is responsible for underwriting potential debt and equity investments, asset management, and deal sourcing. Prior to joining Arcis, Mr. Lampe was a Vice President with several large golf and leisure organizations specializing in underwriting new acquisition opportunities and capital projects. Mr. Lampe holds a B.B.A. and a B.A. from Southern Methodist University.
Michael R. Russ
Associate
Reed Russ is an Associate for Arcis Equity. Reed is responsible for financial underwriting related to potential debt and equity investments, investment memorandums and presentations, sector analysis, and deal sourcing. Reed is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College where he was a member of the Men’s Division I Varsity Golf Team. Reed’s investment experience began in college while interning for Deloitte in their Investment Banking division.
Richard A. Thompson
EVP, Asset Management
Rich Thompson is the Executive Vice President, Asset Management at Arcis Equity. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the performance and financial reporting of assets held in the portfolio. Prior to joining Arcis Golf, Rich spent nearly 20 years in various finance and accounting roles across the golf, leisure, and public accounting industries specializing in financial reporting and analysis, corporate controllership, and audit. Rich holds a BS in Accounting from the University of North Texas and is a registered CPA.