Robert Trent Jones II

What Robert Trent Jones II does

Robert Trent Jones II (RTJ II) is a privately held golf course architecture firm headquartered at 705 Forest Avenue in Palo Alto, California, operating as a California LLC. Founded in 1938 by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and led today by Robert Trent Jones Jr. as Chairman and Master Architect, the firm has designed more than 300 golf courses across 50+ countries on six continents. Its service portfolio spans new championship course design, renovation of historic layouts, sustainable golf architecture (including Audubon-certified courses and water-conservation designs), environmental reclamation projects (exemplified by Chambers Bay, a former sand and gravel mine converted to a public links that hosted the 2015 U.S. Open), and the proprietary Social Green concept for inclusive, accessible golf.

RTJ II generates revenue primarily through professional services fees for golf course design, master planning, and renovation work, charged on a project-by-project basis to clients including resort developers, private clubs, hospitality groups (e.g., Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Thai Country Club, Buenaventura Resort), real estate developers (e.g., Talaat Moustafa Group), and government or municipal entities (e.g., Pierce County for Chambers Bay, Lake County Forest Preserve for ThunderHawk). A secondary revenue stream comes from brand and design licensing for the Robert Trent Jones II name associated with courses worldwide. The firm operates as a boutique practice with 1-10 employees, executing engagements through direct principal-led relationships rather than a sales force or distribution network.

The firm's customer base spans four primary segments: resort and private club developers (primary), municipal and public golf, historic course renovation, and destination golf / tourism development. Marketing is conducted primarily through the corporate website, industry press coverage in Golf Digest, GOLF Magazine, and Golfweek, press releases via a third-party PR agency (Hunter Public Relations), and high-visibility tournament hosting associations (USGA championships, PGA Tour events). The firm is privately held with no disclosed external institutional investment and is currently active with ongoing projects in Egypt, Panama, Thailand, the Bahamas, Ecuador, and the United States.

Name

Robert Trent Jones II

Legal name

Robert Trent Jones II LLC

Website

https://rtj2.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Robert Trent Jones II is a private Palo Alto-based golf course architecture firm designing 300+ championship, resort, municipal, and renovation projects in 50+ countries for resort developers, private clubs, governments, and hospitality brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Course Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

Keywords

• Golf course design
• Course architecture
• Golf course renovation
• Championship course design
• Sustainable golf design

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Golf Course Design and Architecture Fees: RTJ II earns professional fees for designing new championship golf courses, renovating historic layouts, and providing master planning services for resort, private club, and public-access golf venues globally. Revenue is project-based, with engagements spanning new builds and major renovations.
2. Brand and Design Licensing: The Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Robert Trent Jones II brand is licensed for use in connection with golf courses worldwide, supporting resort communities and private clubs that market RTJ II-designed courses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects (RTJ II) is a boutique architecture firm that designs new championship golf courses, renovates historic layouts, and provides sustainable golf course master planning for resort developers, private clubs, municipalities, and government entities worldwide. The firm offers proprietary design approaches including Social Green (inclusive golf design), Audubon-certified environmental standards, and water conservation / turf reduction strategies.

Product overview

Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects (RTJ II) is a golf course architecture firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of design and renovation services. The company specializes in new championship course design, golf course renovation of historic layouts, and sustainable golf course architecture that honors environmental stewardship. Key offerings include championship-level course design, renovation services, the proprietary Social Green concept for inclusive golf experiences, and Audubon-certified environmental designs. The firm has completed over 300 courses in 50+ countries across 6 continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Golf Course Architecture & Design Services
• Championship Course Design
• Golf Course Renovation
• Sustainable Golf Architecture
• Social Green Design

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ courses completed across 50+ countries on 6 continents
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Talaat Moustafa Group / ICON / Legacy HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026RTJ II was appointed by Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) through its hospitality arm ICON (which holds 51% of Legacy Hotels) to redesign and renovate the historic Mena House Golf Course near the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. This is the companies' second collaboration, following work on Madinaty Golf Club and SouthMED's 18 holes. The project is framed within TMG's broader vision for sustainable development and healthy lifestyles.
• Buenaventura Resort (Panama)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2024RTJ II was awarded the contract to design a second course (Course #2) at Buenaventura Resort in Panama, already recognized as Central America's premier golf destination. The new 18-hole course is expected to open in late 2025, complementing the existing Jack Nicklaus-designed course.
• Landscapes UnlimitedcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLandscapes Unlimited is the contractor engaged by RTJ II for construction and renovation projects, including the Osprey Meadows Golf Course at Tamarack Resort in Idaho, where they began restoration work in conjunction with the original architect.
• The Ritz-Carlton Reserve (Cotton Bay, Bahamas)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRTJ II is reimagining the Cotton Bay course on Eleuthera, Bahamas (a complete redesign of a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course from the late 1950s) as part of The Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Cotton Bay development — a luxury resort partnership approximately 30 minutes from Miami.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Jack Nicklaus Design (Nicklaus Companies): Gold Standard and the largest, most globally active golf course architecture firm, founded by Jack Nicklaus. Competes head-to-head for premium resort, private club, and tournament-host commissions, and licenses the Nicklaus brand similarly to how RTJ II licenses its name.
• Gil Hanse Golf Design: Boutique, premium-positioned golf course architecture firm recognized for restoration-style and minimalist designs. Competes with RTJ II for high-profile new builds, restorations, and Olympic/tournament-host commissions (e.g., Los Angeles 2028 Olympic course).
• David McLay Kidd Golf Design: Scottish-origin golf course architect known for classic, links-style designs (Bandon Dunes, TPC Boston). Competes with RTJ II for resort and private-club commissions globally, particularly on links-style or restoration projects.
• Tom Fazio Design: Premier American golf course architecture firm led by Tom Fazio. Directly comparable to RTJ II in that both design high-end championship layouts for elite private clubs, resorts, and casino-integrated courses, frequently hosting major professional championships.
• Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design: Internationally recognized golf course architect known for restoration-style designs in the U.S., U.K., and beyond. Directly comparable boutique competitor to RTJ II in the championships-caliber and historic-renovation segments.
• Greg Norman Golf Course Design: Long-established golf course architecture firm associated with Greg Norman. Directly comparable to RTJ II in servicing international resort, residential, and championship-level projects across multiple continents with branded/licensing elements.
• Rees Jones Inc. Golf course architecture firm led by Rees Jones, son of Robert Trent Jones Sr. and RTJ's brother. Closely tied to the RTJ family heritage and operates as the most direct competitor in major-championship renovations and 'Open Doctor' projects, sharing the same family DNA and client base as RTJ II.
• Coore & Crenshaw: Renowned golf course architecture partnership of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, focused on classical, minimalist, and restoration design. Targets the same elite resort and private-club clientele as RTJ II with comparable project fees and global reach.
• Arnold Palmer Design Company: Golf course architecture firm founded by Arnold Palmer, offering design and renovation services globally. Comparable to RTJ II in targeting high-end resort, private, and public-access championship courses, with similar international exposure.
• Pete Dye / Atlas Golf Company: Stewardship firm continuing the late Pete Dye's design legacy, one of the most influential golf architects of the 20th century. Competes directly with RTJ II in the championship and resort course market, including tournament-host venues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RTJ2GolfDesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/RobertTrentJonesII

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Robert Trent Jones II