The Golf Club of Tennessee

What The Golf Club of Tennessee does

The Golf Club of Tennessee is a private, members-only golf club located at 1000 Golf Club Drive in Kingston Springs, Tennessee, approximately 25 miles west of downtown Nashville. Founded in 1988 by Nashville businessmen Toby Wilt, George Gillett, and Bronson Ingram, the club operates on a nearly 1,000-acre property along Brush Creek and its tributaries in rural Cheatham County. Its core offering is golf-only recreation, with no ancillary amenities such as tennis; the club explicitly markets itself as operating without tee times, delays, or distractions.

The club's product stack centers on two 18-hole championship courses: the Lower Course, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in March 1991, and the Upper Course, designed by Gil Hanse and opened in July 2024. Supporting amenities include a clubhouse with multiple dining outlets, lodging accommodations, an on-site golf shop (which previously sold 'Back 9 Honey' from an on-property beekeeping initiative), and a caddie program that is encouraged (and required as forecaddies for groups of three or more using carts). The club does not operate a disclosed proprietary technology platform; digital presence is limited to a marketing website, a member login portal, and an Instagram account.

The business model is a closed-membership subscription model. Members pay annual dues (pricing not publicly disclosed and quote-based on inquiry) and access is granted by invitation/referral from existing members. Revenue also derives from guest charges billed through host member accounts and merchandise sales through the golf shop. Target members are prominent Nashville-area business professionals and dedicated golfers willing to pay a premium for seclusion, exclusivity, and championship-grade conditioning. The club has accumulated several high-credibility accolades since opening, including Golf Digest runner-up for Best New Private Course in America (1991), inclusion in America's 50 Greatest Golf Retreats (2006), and Golf Week's America's 100 Best Modern Courses, as well as hosting the 2018 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.

Name

The Golf Club of Tennessee

Legal name

Golf Club of Tennessee

Website

https://thegolfcluboftn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Golf Club of Tennessee is a private, members-only golf club in Kingston Springs, TN operating two 18-hole championship courses (Fazio, 1991; Hanse, 2024) on ~1,000 acres. It serves wealthy Nashville-area business professionals through referral-based membership, supported by clubhouse, dining, and lodging amenities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Golf Club

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Traveler Accommodation (7211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Golf Clubs & Tournament-Host Clubs (Professional/Elite Golf Clubs) (MPAKABAE), Luxury Golf Resorts (THAGACAH), Golf Equipment, Apparel & Pro Shop Retail (CRAMABAG)

Keywords

• Private golf club
• Championship golf courses
• Golf membership
• Caddie services
• Clubhouse hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston Springs

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Private golf club membership fees from dedicated golfers seeking premium golf experiences. Membership provides access to two championship courses, clubhouse facilities, dining, and hospitality services.
2. Guest Charges: Guest charges for non-member visitors are billed through the host member's account, providing additional revenue from member-hosted golf activities.
3. Golf Shop Sales: Merchandise sales including golf equipment and apparel. The shop also sold 'Back 9 Honey' produced from on-site beekeeping.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Golf Club of Tennessee is a private, members-only golf club that sells access to two 18-hole championship courses (Lower Course by Tom Fazio opened 1991; Upper Course by Gil Hanse opened 2024) along with an attached clubhouse, dining outlets, lodging, an on-site golf shop, and a caddie program. Membership is invitation/referral-based, pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and the club is operated without tee times, delays, or distractions to deliver a course-only, seclusion-first experience.

Product overview

The Golf Club of Tennessee is a premier private golf club offering two 18-hole championship courses: The Lower Course (Tom Fazio, opened 1991) and The Upper Course (Gil Hanse, opened July 2024). The club provides a golf-only experience with world-class facilities including clubhouse, dining, lodging, golf shop, and caddie program. Members enjoy an exceptional environment of seclusion and exclusivity without tee times, delays, or distractions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Lower Course An 18-hole championship golf course at The Golf Club of Tennessee, designed by Tom Fazio and the original playing layout. Recognized as runner-up for Best New Private Course in America by Golf Digest in 1991 and consistently ranked one of the top two courses in Tennessee.
• The Upper Course An 18-hole, par-72 championship golf course designed by Gil Hanse at an elevation of 722 feet, featuring panoramic views, strategic bunkers, and Bermuda greens. Opened in July 2024 as the club's second championship layout.
• Private Membership Invitation/referral-based private membership providing access to both championship courses, clubhouse, dining, lodging, caddie program, and the golf shop. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; billed on an annual cadence.
• Clubhouse, Dining and Lodging Facilities On-site clubhouse facilities including multiple indoor and outdoor dining outlets and lodging accommodations, available to members and their guests.
• Golf Shop On-site retail golf shop selling golf equipment, apparel, and merchandise to members and guests. Has also sold 'Back 9 Honey' produced from on-site beekeeping.
• Caddie Program Caddie and forecaddie services that the club actively encourages for members and guests; forecaddie service is required for groups of three or more golfers using carts.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Bureau of Internet Accessibility (BoIA.org)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe club engaged The Bureau of Internet Accessibility (BoIA.org), an accessibility consulting company, to conduct a full accessibility audit of the website using BoIA's A11Y® platform, which provides recommendations for ensuring conformance with WCAG 2.0 A/AA guidelines.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Trump National Golf Club (multiple locations): Portfolio of high-end private golf clubs with championship conditioning and clubhouse amenities. Comparable on private membership, premium real estate footprint, and tournament-eligible facilities, though broader and more commercial than The Golf Club of Tennessee.

Direct peers

• Augusta National Golf Club: Elite private, members-only golf club famous for hosting a major championship. Directly comparable on private-membership exclusivity, prestige positioning, single-property operating model, and championship pedigree.
• Pine Valley Golf Club: Highly ranked private golf club operating on a single championship property for a closed membership. Comparable to The Golf Club of Tennessee on golf-only positioning, elite private membership, and architect-designed championship conditioning.
• Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: Multi-course destination golf resort with lodging and walking/caddie culture. Comparable to The Golf Club of Tennessee on multiple championship courses, walking/caddie emphasis, and on-property lodging accommodations.
• Pebble Beach Resorts: Iconic multi-course golf property with lodging and tournament-hosting history (U.S. Opens, U.S. Women's Open). Comparable on championship pedigree, on-site lodging, and national brand prestige.
• Kiawah Island Golf Resort: Large-scale multi-course golf resort with lodging and clubhouse amenities. Comparable to The Golf Club of Tennessee on capital-intensive real estate footprint, multiple championship courses, and lodging/dining amenities.
• Sea Island Resort: Private-resort hybrid with multiple golf courses, lodging, and club facilities. Comparable on championship golf hosting, multi-course footprint, and integration of lodging/dining for members and guests.
• Congressional Country Club: Private, members-only country club with two championship courses and major championship hosting (U.S. Open, PGA Championship). Comparable on private membership exclusivity, multi-course property, and tournament pedigree.
• Medinah Country Club: Private country club with three courses and a long history of hosting major championships (U.S. Opens, Ryder Cup, PGA Championship). Comparable on private membership, multi-course asset base, and elite tournament positioning.
• Castle Pines Golf Club: Private, members-only golf club with a single championship course and clubhouse amenities. Comparable on private membership exclusivity, golf-only positioning, and high-end dues model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thegolfcluboftn
• Xx.com/thegolfcluboftn
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheGolfClubofTennessee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-golf-club-of-tennessee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Golf Club of Tennessee