Golfweek

What Golfweek does

Golfweek is a U.S.-based golf media brand founded in 1975 and currently operated as a property within the Gannet-owned USA Today Network from Orlando, Florida. The company publishes golf news, tournament coverage (PGA Tour, LPGA, college, and amateur), equipment reviews, and lifestyle content via its website at golfweek.usatoday.com, email newsletters distributed through USA Today Network infrastructure, and syndication partnerships including Yahoo and Golf Channel. Its core product is an authoritative annual golf course ranking system covering 750+ public-access courses, evaluated by a panel of 800+ global raters across 10 factors (including design integrity, conditioning, and ecology), producing category lists such as Top 100 Public-Access, Best Private Courses by state, Top 200 Modern Courses, and Top 100 Resort Courses.

The company generates revenue through four primary streams: digital advertising on its owned properties and newsletters, newsletter subscriptions, tournament sponsorships and event operations, and affiliate/content partnerships with equipment brands. Golfweek operates several owned amateur tournament properties including the National Golf Invitational (established 2022 in partnership with Ak-Chin Southern Dunes), the Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge, the Golfweek Pacific Northwest Senior, and the Golfweek Super Senior series. These events generate sponsorship revenue and provide amateur and college golfers with competitive pathways, including exemptions into the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational.

Its customer base spans golf enthusiasts and recreational golfers, senior amateurs, college and amateur competitive golfers, golf travel consumers, and golf equipment researchers. The company competes in the niche but well-defined U.S. golf media market, with its primary competitive advantages being the proprietary human-evaluated ranking dataset, decades of brand authority, and the distribution leverage afforded by its parent Gannett's USA Today Network.

Name

Golfweek

Website

https://golfweek.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Golfweek is a U.S. golf media brand founded in 1975 and operated within the Gannet-owned USA Today Network, publishing golf news, tournament coverage, equipment reviews, and proprietary course rankings serving golf enthusiasts, amateur players, and collegiate golfers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Media

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Individual Sports Events (Tennis, Golf, Boxing/MMA, Athletics) (MPAGAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

Keywords

• Golf media
• Golf course rankings
• Golf tournament coverage
• Amateur golf events
• Sports editorial content

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising: Golfweek generates revenue through digital advertising on its website and newsletters, including display ads, sponsored content slots, and native advertising placements from third-party brands.
2. Newsletter Subscriptions: Golfweek offers email newsletters with golf news, tournament updates, and exclusive content. The platform has newsletter subscription capabilities through the USA Today Network infrastructure.
3. Tournament Sponsorships and Events: Golfweek organizes and sponsors golf tournaments including the National Golf Invitational, Golfweek Pacific Northwest Senior, and Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge, generating revenue through sponsorships and event partnerships.
4. Affiliate and Content Partnerships: Golfweek partners with equipment brands for sponsored content and equipment coverage, including winner's bag features and equipment endorsements following major tournaments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Golfweek publishes golf journalism, course rankings, and multimedia content targeting golf enthusiasts, and organizes amateur golf tournaments. Its core products are annual authoritative golf course rankings (Top 100 Public-Access, Best Private Courses by state, Top 200 Modern Courses, Top 100 Resort Courses), comprehensive PGA Tour/LPGA/college/amateur tournament coverage, and owned tournament properties including the National Golf Invitational and Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge.

Product overview

Golfweek is a comprehensive golf media brand that publishes rankings, provides tournament coverage, and organizes amateur golf events. The core product consists of authoritative golf course rankings (Best Top 100 Public-Access, Best Private Golf Courses by state, and Top 200 Modern Golf Courses), complemented by live tournament coverage for PGA Tour events and major championships. Golfweek operates several amateur tournament properties including the National Golf Invitational, Golfweek Pacific Northwest Senior Tournament, Golfweek Super Senior Tournament series, and the Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge. The Golfweek Golf Life sub-brand provides lifestyle content covering course news, travel, and videos. The company also offers expert picks predictions and the Senior Player of the Month award recognition program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Golfweek Best Courses Rankings Annual authoritative golf course rankings including Best Top 100 Public-Access Courses, Best Private Courses by state, Top 200 Modern Golf Courses (post-1960), and Top 100 Resort Courses, evaluated by 800+ global raters across 10 factors (design integrity, conditioning, ecology, etc.). Distributed to golf enthusiasts for course-selection and travel-planning decisions.
• Golfweek Tournament Coverage and Live Leaderboards Editorial coverage of PGA Tour, LPGA, college, and amateur golf tournaments with live leaderboards, tee times, scores, expert predictions, and analysis for events including the Memorial Tournament, U.S. Open qualifying, and majors.
• National Golf Invitational Annual collegiate golf tournament organized by Golfweek in partnership with Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona, featuring college teams and exemptions pathways to elite invitationals.
• Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge

Quantifiable outcome

• Rankings cover 750+ public-access golf courses
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Tamarack ResortminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 May 2026Tamarack Resort's Osprey Meadows Golf Course was recognized by Golfweek as Idaho's Best Public Course and Top 100 Resort Course in the United States, reinforcing the resort's positioning as a premier mountain golf destination.
• Haskins FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2026The Haskins Foundation has partnered with Golfweek to expand women's exemption opportunity in the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational. Starting this year, the women's tournament at Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge offers an exemption into the inaugural Haskins Women's Intercollegiate scheduled for October 2026 at the Country Club of Columbus.
• StifelmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 April 2026Stifel is the title sponsor of the Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge, a 54-hole collegiate golf tournament played at True Blue Golf Club in Pawley's Island, South Carolina. Winning teams receive exemptions into the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational.
• Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The National Golf Invitational was established in 2022 through a partnership between Golfweek and Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona. Golfweek's Lance Ringler serves as tournament director. The 2026 tournament features 10 college teams with Ohio State as defending champion.
• Golf ChannelmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUSGA organized live coverage through Golf Channel and Golfweek for major golf events including U.S. Open qualifying (Golf's Longest Day) with 10,201 entries and qualifying across 10 sites in U.S., Canada, England, and Japan.
• USGAmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerUSGA organized live coverage through Golf Channel and Golfweek for major golf events including U.S. Open qualifying. Golfweek provided updates, leaderboards, and on-site reporting from each venue.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ESPN: Dominant U.S. sports media company with extensive golf coverage. Competes with Golfweek for advertising dollars and golf audience attention at a much larger scale, with proprietary scoring/news content.
• The Ringer: Modern digital sports media brand (owned by Spotify). Competes for digital ad budgets and writer/creator talent relevant to golf coverage, even if golf is not its primary vertical.
• Sports Illustrated: Diversified sports publisher with a significant golf vertical (SI Golf). Comparable in digital editorial and ad-supported monetization, but operates at much broader sports scale than Golfweek.
• PGA Tour (media properties): Official operator of PGA Tour media (PGATour.com, app, social) producing first-party news, leaderboards, and video. Increasingly competes with Golfweek for audience and advertising on the editorial side of professional golf.

Emerging players

• No Laying Up: Podcast- and video-led golf lifestyle brand targeting a younger, engaged audience. Overlaps with Golfweek on tournament coverage, travel, and apparel content but competes for next-generation fan attention.
• Fried Egg Golf: Modern golf media brand built around course architecture and rankings—directly competing with Golfweek's flagship Best Courses rankings with a podcast-native, video-led format appealing to younger enthusiasts.

Direct peers

• MyGolfSpy: Digital-first golf media brand focused on equipment testing and reviews. Competes with Golfweek's Equipment vertical on affiliate-driven buyer-intent content and shares the same golf enthusiast demographic.
• Golf Digest: Long-standing competitor to Golfweek in golf editorial, course rankings, and equipment coverage. Both publish annual Best Courses lists and tournament previews, serving essentially the same golf enthusiast audience.
• GOLF Magazine: Direct competitor owned by 8AM Golf (under EB Golf), operating alongside Golfweek in digital golf editorial, instructional content, course rankings, and equipment reviews.

Others

• Golf Channel / NBC Sports: Linear and digital partner that co-covers tournament events with Golfweek (e.g., U.S. Open qualifying). Not a direct competitor but an adjacent ecosystem player that occasionally substitutes for Golfweek's written coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GolfweekMag
• Facebookfacebook.com/Golfweek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/golfweek

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Golfweek