Wakonda Club

What Wakonda Club does

Wakonda Club is a private, member-owned golf and country club founded in 1922 and headquartered at 3915 Fleur Drive in Des Moines, Iowa. The club operates a single-site lifestyle and recreation platform built around four core amenity lines: an 18-hole William Langford-designed golf course (restored 2023-2024 by Tyler Rae and ranked by Golf Digest as #5 in Iowa and by Golf Week as a Top-100 Classical Course); tennis (five clay courts and two cushioned hard courts, plus pickleball); aquatics (three heated pools with lap, family, and beginner configurations plus swim and synchronized swimming teams); and dining (six venues: Terrace Grill, Oak View Bar, Wine Cellar, Langford's, Pool Snack Bar & Tiki Bar, and the 14th Stand). The facility is supported by a 1,272-head Toro triple-row irrigation system installed during the 2023 restoration, a TrackMan launch monitor for instruction, and a 51-100 person staff across golf, clubhouse, food and beverage, tennis, aquatics, and grounds departments.

The business runs on a subscription-recurring membership revenue model with two tiers, Golf Membership (full access including golf) and Social Membership (tennis, swimming, dining, and social events), supplemented by transaction revenue from food and beverage across six venues and professional services revenue from private events and weddings managed by an in-house Director of Events. Distribution is direct-to-consumer and invitation-only, with no public product offering. Member acquisition is dominated by referral and word of mouth given the by-invitation admission model.

Wakonda has hosted the Principal Charity Classic, a PGA TOUR Champions event, since 2013 under a long-running title sponsorship with Principal Financial Group (extended in 2022 for five years), generating 55,000+ attendees, 215 sponsors, $10.6M raised in 2025 (cumulative $73M+ since 2007), and substantial brand visibility. The club also operates the Oak Leaf Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2016 that has awarded $100,000+ in scholarships to 37 employees. Leadership is centered on General Manager Aaron Krueger, PGA (16th season in 2026), supported by a full executive team across membership, events, culinary, racquets, aquatics, instruction, engineering, and facilities. Wakonda is not a technology company; it has no mobile app, no public API, no AI/ML systems, and no digital platform product.

Name

Wakonda Club

Legal name

Wakonda Club

Website

https://wakondaclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wakonda Club is a private, member-owned golf and country club in Des Moines, Iowa, founded in 1922, offering an 18-hole William Langford-designed golf course, tennis, aquatics, six dining venues, and event hosting to Golf and Social members while hosting the annual PGA TOUR Champions Principal Charity Classic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Golf and Country Club Services

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Clubs & Tournament-Host Clubs (Professional/Elite Golf Clubs) (MPAKABAE)

Keywords

• Private golf club
• Country club dining
• Tennis club facilities
• Swimming pool amenities
• Event hosting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Initiation Fees: Private country club generating revenue through membership fees. Golf membership includes golf, tennis, swimming, and dining access. Social membership includes tennis, swimming, and dining. Membership is available upon invitation and application.
2. Food and Beverage: Multiple dining venues including Terrace Grill, Oak View Bar, Wine Cellar, Langford's, Pool Snack Bar & Tiki Bar, and 14th Stand generate revenue from food and beverage sales to members and guests.
3. Event Hosting: Clubhouse features event spaces for private events including weddings, with Director of Events managing bookings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wakonda Club is a private, member-owned golf and country club founded in 1922 in Des Moines, Iowa, that sells invitation-based Golf and Social memberships granting access to an 18-hole William Langford-designed golf course, clay and hard tennis courts with pickleball, three heated pools, and multiple dining venues. The club also generates revenue through food and beverage operations, private event and wedding hosting in the clubhouse, and sponsorship of the annual PGA TOUR Champions Principal Charity Classic tournament. Membership is restricted and available only by invitation and application.

Product overview

Wakonda Club is a private, member-owned golf and country club offering a single-site lifestyle experience. The core offerings include an 18-hole William Langford-designed golf course, multiple dining venues (Terrace Grill, Oak View Bar, Wine Cellar, Langford's, Pool Snack Bar & Tiki Bar, and 14th Stand), tennis facilities with clay and hard courts plus pickleball, and a multi-pool aquatics center with swim team programs. Members can choose between Golf Membership (full access to all amenities including golf) or Social Membership (access to tennis, pools, dining, and social events). The club also hosts the annual Principal Charity Classic PGA TOUR Champions tournament. The club is not a technology product and does not offer any software, API, or digital platform services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Golf Course An 18-hole, William Langford-designed championship golf course overlooking downtown Des Moines, featuring six tee placements per hole, mature trees, hills, plateau greens defended by deep bunkers, ravines, hill-crests, and valleys. Open to club members and their guests.
• Clubhouse Dining Multiple dining venues including Terrace Grill (modern bistro with golf course views), Oak View Bar, Wine Cellar, Langford's (golfer's lounge), Pool Snack Bar & Tiki Bar, and the 14th Stand (on-course refreshment stand). Led by Executive Chef Ken VanMilligen.
• Tennis Facilities Five clay tennis courts and two cushioned hard courts with professional instruction, clinics, youth programming, leagues, and pickleball. Includes a professional shop for equipment and apparel.
• Aquatics Facilities

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tyler Rae (Golf Course Architect)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Tyler Rae, nationally recognized golf course architect, led the 2023 restoration of Wakonda Club. The restoration focused on returning the course to its original 1922 Langford and Moreau design, including rebuilding all tees, greens, and bunkers, and installing new irrigation systems.
• Oak Leaf Educational FoundationminorOthers · 1 January 2016The Oak Leaf Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporation that provides scholarship funding to qualified Wakonda employees. Formed in 2016, it has awarded over $100,000 in scholarships to 37 employees over 5 years. Funded by club members, vendors, and other individuals, it serves as a recruiting and retention tool for seasonal student employees.
• PGA Tour ChampionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Wakonda Club has hosted the Principal Charity Classic, a PGA TOUR Champions event, since 2013. The tournament brings professional golfers aged 50+ to the club annually, generating significant visibility and charitable impact. The 2026 event is scheduled for June 10-14, 2026.
• Principal Financial GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Principal Financial Group has been title sponsor of the Principal Charity Classic since 2007. The PGA TOUR Champions event is held annually at Wakonda Club, raising funds for Iowa children's charities. In 2022, Principal announced a five-year extension agreement. The tournament has raised over $73 million for Iowa youth since inception, with $10.6 million raised in 2025 alone.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Des Moines Golf and Country Club: Direct local competitor operating as a private member-owned country club in the Des Moines metro, offering golf, tennis, swimming, dining, and event hosting — the closest 1:1 comparable to Wakonda in terms of business model, member services, and geographic market.
• Glen Oaks Country Club: Private member-owned country club in West Des Moines offering 18-hole golf, tennis, aquatics, dining, and event hosting — directly comparable in scale, amenity mix, and Iowa-market positioning to Wakonda.
• Hyperion Field Club: Private member-owned club in Grimes, Iowa (Des Moines metro) with an 18-hole golf course, clubhouse dining, and recreational amenities, serving as a direct competitor for Des Moines-area private club memberships.
• Country Club of Des Moines: Private member-owned country club in the Des Moines metro offering golf, tennis, swimming, dining, and social programming — a direct in-market competitor with a comparable amenity mix and member-owned business model.

Broad incumbents

• Hazeltine National Golf Club: Elite private member-owned golf club in Chaska, Minnesota, that has hosted multiple U.S. Opens, PGA Championships, and Ryder Cups — comparable to Wakonda's aspiration as a nationally recognized championship-hosting private course in the Upper Midwest.
• Medinah Country Club: Historic private member-owned club near Chicago with three courses and a long history of hosting major championships (U.S. Opens, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup) — comparable as a multi-generational, tournament-hosting Midwest private club brand.
• Olympia Fields Country Club: Premier private member-owned club in the Chicago Southland with two championship courses and a history of hosting U.S. Opens and the PGA Championship — comparable as an elite, classical-designed, tournament-hosting Midwest private club.
• Interlachen Country Club: Historic private member-owned club in Edina, Minnesota, with a Donald Ross-designed course that has hosted U.S. Opens and the Solheim Cup — comparable as a long-tenured, classical-designed Upper Midwest private country club.
• Oakland Hills Country Club: Historic private member-owned club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with a Donald Ross-designed course that has hosted multiple U.S. Opens and PGA Championships — comparable as a classic-design, championship-heritage Midwest private club.

Regional players

• Indian Hills Country Club: Private member-owned country club in nearby Iowa suburbs offering golf, pool, dining, and event services, operating in a directly adjacent geographic market to Wakonda.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wakondaclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/WakondaClub
• Instagraminstagram.com/wakondaclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wakonda-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wakonda Club