Golf, charity a winning combo for CEO Flaskey
‘Vacation Doctor’ now has own logo
Mike Flaskey has an important title, a catchy nickname and a 5-handicap in golf — an enviable combination for the former minorleague baseball player.
The CEO of Diamond Resorts — aka “The Vacation Doctor” — now has his own cutting-edge logo, too. A skull wearing Flaskey’s trademark visor, sporting the initials, “MF,” sits above two golf tees positioned like crossbones.
Initially lukewarm to the idea of personal branding, the 53-year-old has since embraced it due to the charitable impact. Flaskey said merchandise bearing the logo — created by Stevi Wara of Diamond Resorts — produced “a big chunk” of the $400,000 generated by the 2020 Tournament of Champions. Flaskey hopes the logo and the starpower at the LPGA Tour’s season-opening event helps Diamond Resorts surpass those numbers this weekend at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando.
“In the beginning I wasn’t excited about it, didn’t want to do it because it doesn’t fit my personality to have my own logo,” Flaskey said. “I sure am glad I listened.
“It’s really served as a neat vehicle.”
Flaskey knows better than most how a novel idea can flourish and impact lives.
An avid golfer with a baseball background, Flaskey helped launch a celebrity-only golf tournament in 2013 with Brian Gay, a PGA Tour pro and former Florida Gator living in Orlando.
Flaskey knew he was onto something special when the inaugural event raised around $600,000. The first three tournaments generated more than $3 million, with all proceeds going to Florida Hospital for Children, now AdventHealth for Children. The money helped AdventHealth create a nationally renowned epilepsy program.
“The $3 million funds raised through this event helped us provide worldclass, life-saving care to critically ill children,” said Brea Weiss, hospital board chair. “We are especially thankful for their support of our nationally ranked pediatric epilepsy program, cancer and cardiovascular care, allowing us to bring the latest treatment and technologies for our little patients at AdventHealth for Children.”
Flaskey, who resides in Orlando, was a decorated college baseball star at South Carolina’s Limestone College under former Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry. Flaskey’s connections and professional athletes’ passion for golf helped him create an East Coast version of Lake Tahoe’s annual American Century Championship, played in July when baseball players are in season.
In 2017-18, the Diamond Resorts event added golfers from the Champions Tour before changing gears to serve as the season-opener for the LPGA Tour the past two seasons.
“We love being tied into the LPGA and helping to promote that Tour,” Flaskey said. “We like to believe the celebrity aspect helps the LPGA get exposure to a wider net of potential new fans.
“They’re great players: they are kind, they’re thoughtful, they engage with the sponsors, they come prepared. It’s just a very, very well-run organization.”
Through the various iterations of the event, Diamond Resorts has raised $4.3 million for charity, including a $500,000 gift to Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville and several hundred thousands in 2020 for COVID-19 relief, according to Flaskey.