New Orleans, Louisiana. (June 18, 2025) – English Turn Golf & Country Club in New Orleans, Louisiana recently welcomed Claude Thorn as the club’s new general manager and Vanessa Porto as its new assistant general manager. Thorn and Porto will oversee operations for the semi-private club.
A 30-year golf and club management industry veteran, Thorn began his career with the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) as an assistant golf professional at Flat Creek Club in Peachtree City, Georgia, followed by roles at Capital City Club in Atlanta and several years as head golf professional at Houston Lake Country Club in Perry, Georgia. His career path later transitioned into club administration, serving as a regional accountant for two golf management companies before becoming general manager at Polo Golf & Country Club in Cumming, Georgia in 2002. Since then, Thorn has combined his passion for golf with his love for hospitality, leading and growing clubs across the Southeast.
“This is an incredible club with a rich legacy and bright future,” said Thorn. “We feel blessed to call New Orleans home and are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, play, and serve in this vibrant community.”
Originally from the small town of Riverdale, just south of Atlanta, Thorn studied finance at Clayton State College in Morrow, Georgia and ministry at Atlanta Christian College. He is a Class A PGA member, a 4DX certified manager, serves on the board of directors for RowKids International, and is a proud foster and adoptive parent. He and his wife Debbie, a retired middle school principal and former assistant headmaster at Hilton Head Christian Academy, are parents to four children and grandparents to three girls.
Porto brings over a decade of leadership experience in the golf and hospitality industries, including five years at other Troon-managed facilities. Originally from Spain, Porto has diverse international background. She is a retired officer of the Spanish Navy and spent the last three years of her military career serving at NATO headquarters in Italy. She is fluent in four languages – Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Italian – which has been a tremendous asset in her global roles. Porto is passionate about creating welcoming, well-run club environments and is excited to support English Turn's growth and success in the years ahead. With a strong focus on member satisfaction, team development, and operational excellence, she is committed to enhancing every aspect of the member and guest experience. She believes in leading by example, fostering a culture of collaboration, and helping to create memorable moments for all who visit English Turn.
Porto moves to New Orleans from Houston, Texas. She is joined by her husband, Mike, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and their 12-year-old daughter, Maria. Outside of work she enjoys fishing and spending time with her family.
The centerpiece of English Turn Golf & Country Club is it’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Design golf course. The 7,078-yard, par-72 layout features water on 17 of its 18 holes, including the signature par-5 15th island green. The course hosted the New Orleans’ PGA TOUR stop (now the Zurich Classic of New Orleans) from 1989 through 2004 and again in 2006.
Each hole has a unique design that combines strategically placed bunkers, large waste bunkers, and sloping grass swales.
English Turn Golf & Country Club members enjoy a host of amenities including a fitness center, a junior Olympic-size swimming pool, locker rooms, six lighted Rubico tennis courts, as well as multiple dining options in the mixed grill, the main dining room and at the pool snack shack. From cozy lounges to a grand ballroom, English Turn’s Plantation style clubhouse has a variety of spaces perfect for weddings, banquets and meetings.
Troon Golf, the resort and daily-fee division of Troon, manages the golf operations, agronomy, food and beverage as well as sales and marketing at English Turn. For more information on English Turn Golf & Country Club, visit www.englishturn.com.
About Troon
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf and golf-related hospitality management company providing services at 940-plus locations in 45-plus states and 40-plus countries, including operational responsibility for 575-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. Troon’s award-winning food and beverage division operates and manages 600-plus food and beverage operations located at golf resorts, private clubs, daily fee golf courses and recreational facilities. Troon’s family of brands includes Troon Golf, Troon Privé, Troon International, Indigo Sports, CADDIEMASTER, ClubUp, Cliff Drysdale Tennis, True Club Solutions, RealFood Hospitality, Strategy and Design, ICON Management and Eventive Sports. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com.
Media Contact:
Rob Myers
Troon
480.477.0506
rmyers@troon.com