STERLING TEAM

Robert Sterling Steele – President

Robert Sterling Steele graduated from Houston Milby High School in 1975 before attending Sam Houston State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics in 1980. Robert was one of the first seven students from Sam Houston State to participate in the 3-2 program between Texas A&M and Sam Houston State, later graduating cum laude from Texas A&M with a Mechanical Engineering degree that same year.

Shortly after graduation, Robert began his career at Texas Honing, a company with just 11 employees and less than $1 million in annual revenue. By 1995, Robert had acquired full ownership and led the company to significant growth, increasing revenue from $4.4 million in 1995 to $40 million in 2008, with a team of over 170 employees. In 2008, he sold a majority interest in Texas Honing to a private equity firm.

Robert’s love for golf began at age 7, introduced to the game by his father, Bob Steele, whose father was a golf professional at Hardscramble in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He joined Golfcrest Country Club in 1984 and became President in 2009. Under his leadership, Golfcrest saw record growth and established itself as one of Houston’s premier clubs. In 2010, he co-founded Sterling Golf, which now owns Houston National, Sterling Country Club, and Turf Technologies and operates eleven facilities in the Texas and Louisiana.

Robert lives in Pearland with his wife, Erin.

Rene Rangel – CEO Sterling Golf

Rene Rangel, originally from Harlingen, Texas, now resides in Houston. He began his golf career at Lon Morris College, where he earned All-American honors, then transferred to the University of Houston, lettering on the golf team from 1990 to 1993. After graduating from UH with a Bachelor of Science, Rene spent seven years playing professionally on various mini-tours, with a career highlight of qualifying for the 1998 U.S. Open.

Despite his success as a professional golfer, Rene chose to shift his focus to the business side of golf. In 2000, he earned his Class “A” PGA membership, marking the beginning of a highly respected career in golf management. He served as Director of Instruction at Bay Oaks Country Club for five years before accepting the role of General Manager and Director of Golf at Traditions Club at Texas A&M.

In 2009, Rene became General Manager at Golfcrest Country Club in Pearland, Texas. Under his leadership, Golfcrest saw record membership growth, welcoming over 185 new members in just under two years and becoming one of the fastest-growing clubs in Texas. Today, as CEO of Sterling Golf, Rene oversees daily operations across all Sterling Golf facilities and businesses.