The golf course industry continues to undergo significant consolidation in the wake of the recession that began in 2007, and although it may take some time to determine which industry titans win the day, the early winners appear to be those individuals who are members of golf clubs on either side of the merger. That is because, in many cases, such mergers expand the number of golf courses offering reciprocal privileges to members of any of them.
The latest big news merger involved the biggest club owner of them all, ClubCorp., which added to its 160-club portfolio with the acquisition of Sequoia Golf Group and its 50 golf clubs, including more than 30 in the Atlanta area, where Sequoia is based. The deal was worth $265 million.
For golfers who are members of a ClubCorp owned or managed golf club, the benefits can be impressive, especially for those who enjoy traveling to play different golf courses. Let's say, for example, you live in the Jacksonville, FL, community of Queen's Harbour, whose club is run by ClubCorp, and you are traveling to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a week. ClubCorp runs two fine golf courses on the Outer Banks, Currituck Club in Corolla, and Nags Head Links in Nags Head. Members from Queen's Harbour may play both golf courses for free two times per month, or four times during their weeklong visit to the area. And rental clubs are complimentary as well.
There are different levels of membership in ClubCorp but the above example is typical. Here are a few other ClubCorp private golf clubs in the Southeast (course designer in parentheses): Highland Falls Country Club, Highland Falls, NC (Joe Lee); Starmount Forest Country Club, Greensboro, NC (van Kleek & Stiles); Greenbrier Country Club, Chesapeake, VA (Rees Jones); Hidden Valley Country Club, Salem, VA (Dick Wilson); Stonehenge Golf Club, Richmond, VA (Ron Garl); River Landing Country Club, Wallace, NC (36 holes by Clyde Johnston); Woodside Plantation Country Club, Aiken, SC (36 holes by Bob Cupp/Rees Jones); Snee Farm Country Club, Mt. Pleasant, SC (George Cobb); Dye Club at Barefoot Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC (Pete Dye); Wachesaw Plantation Country Club, Murells Inlet, SC (Tom Fazio); Currahee Club, Toccoa, GA (George Fazio); Amelia National Golf Club, Fernandina Beach, FL (Tom Fazio); Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, FL (Greg Norman); Venetian Golf & River Club, No. Venice, FL (Chip Powell); Fox Den Country Club, Knoxville, TN (Willard Byrd).
For more information on these golf clubs and the golf communities that surround them or are nearby, please contact us.
