East Lake Golf Club

What East Lake Golf Club does

East Lake Golf Club is a private membership golf club founded in 1904 in Atlanta, Georgia, operating as Atlanta's oldest golf course and the historic home of legendary golfer Bobby Jones. The club's core product is an 18-hole championship golf course (Par 72, championship tees 7,515 yards), designed originally by Tom Bendelow and redesigned by Donald Ross in 1913; subsequently refined by George Cobb (1959), restored by Rees Jones (1993), and most recently given a complete restoration by Andrew Green in 2024 using previously unknown historic photographs. The club supports a two-story clubhouse originally designed by architect Philip Shutze in 1926, the separate 9-hole public Charlie Yates Golf Course, the East Lake Junior Golf Academy (launched 2024), and the East Lake Cup collegiate tournament (since 2015).

The business model is private membership: members pay initiation fees and recurring dues for exclusive access to the course, clubhouse, dining, and member-only events, with membership requiring sponsorship by existing members. East Lake has been the permanent home of the PGA TOUR's TOUR Championship (the FedEx Cup finale, top-30 field) since 2005 and has hosted 25 TOUR Championships since 1998, along with other major championships including the 1963 Ryder Cup, 1950 U.S. Women's Amateur, and 2001 U.S. Amateur. The club operates a walking-only policy with required caddies, reinforcing a traditional golf experience for an affluent member base.

Beyond golf operations, East Lake operates the 'Golf with a Purpose' community impact program through partnerships with the East Lake Foundation (founded 1995), Drew Charter School (serving 1,800+ students), First Tee Metro Atlanta, and Purpose Built Communities. The club was purchased in 1993 by philanthropist Tom Cousins as part of a neighborhood revitalization mission; ownership has continued under the Cousins Foundation, led by Lillian Giornelli. The club is privately held with no venture capital, private equity, or public ownership disclosed, and reports 51-100 employees with revenue figures not publicly disclosed.

Name

East Lake Golf Club

Legal name

East Lake Golf Club

Website

https://eastlakegolfclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

East Lake Golf Club is a 1904-founded private membership golf club in Atlanta, serving affluent members with an 18-hole championship course, clubhouse, and signature events including the PGA TOUR's TOUR Championship, which it hosts permanently since 2005.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Golf Club

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Golf Clubs & Tournament-Host Clubs (Professional/Elite Golf Clubs) (MPAKABAE), Golf Tours & Professional Circuits (MPAKAAAK)

Keywords

• Private golf club
• Championship golf course
• Golf club membership
• Junior golf academy
• Golf tournament hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

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. Private Club Membership: East Lake Golf Club generates revenue through private club memberships. As a private club, members pay initiation fees and recurring dues to access the facilities, golf course, clubhouse, and member-only events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

East Lake Golf Club is a private membership golf club operating an 18-hole championship golf course established in 1904 and fully restored in 2024 by architect Andrew Green. The club sells private memberships that grant access to the course, a historic 1926 Philip Shutze-designed clubhouse, caddie-required walking play, member tournaments and dining, and ancillary programs such as the East Lake Junior Golf Academy and the public Charlie Yates Golf Course.

Product overview

East Lake Golf Club operates as a private golf club offering a single unified golf experience centered around its historic 18-hole championship golf course. The club's portfolio includes the main East Lake Golf Club Course (with its recent 2024 restoration), the East Lake Junior Golf Academy for youth development, and the public Charlie Yates Golf Course (a separate 9-hole facility). The club hosts signature events including the annual TOUR Championship (PGA TOUR Playoffs finale) and the East Lake Cup collegiate competition. The clubhouse provides traditional amenities including dining facilities and event spaces. The club is distinguished by its 'Golf with a Purpose' philosophy, integrating community philanthropy through partnerships with the East Lake Foundation, Drew Charter School, First Tee – Metro Atlanta, and Purpose Built Communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• East Lake Golf Club Course An 18-hole, par-72 championship golf course (championship tees 7,515 yards) founded in 1904, redesigned by Donald Ross in 1913, and fully restored in 2024 by Andrew Green using previously unknown historic photographs. Access is limited to private club members and their guests, with a walking-only policy and required caddies.
• East Lake Junior Golf Academy A youth golf academy providing increased access to golf, cultivating talent, building confidence, and opening pathways for young golfers to achieve success both on and off the golf course.
• East Lake Cup An annual fall collegiate golf competition featuring top-performing NCAA men's and women's teams, combining stroke play and match play formats and broadcast live on Golf Channel.
• TOUR Championship (hosting)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,800+ students served through Drew Charter School partnership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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 flagship and core.

• Purpose Built CommunitiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Established in 2009 to replicate East Lake's successful blueprint for community revitalization. Combines best practices in housing, education, community wellness, and economic vitality to help neighborhoods create pathways to prosperity.
• Charles R. Drew Charter SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Opened in 2000 as Atlanta's first public charter school, Drew Charter School serves more than 1,800 students in grades Pre-K through 12. The school uses Project-Based Learning with integrated STEAM framework as part of East Lake's holistic neighborhood revitalization.
• Charlie Yates Golf CoursecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998The original No. 2 Course was transformed into Charlie Yates Golf Course in 1998. A 9-hole, mid-length public course with Bermuda fairways and Bentgrass greens, designed by Rees Jones, located just four miles from downtown Atlanta.
• East Lake FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Founded in 1995, the East Lake Foundation collaborates with The Villages of East Lake residents, Drew Charter School families, and key service providers to ensure equitable access to resources needed to thrive. The foundation is central to East Lake's 'Golf with a Purpose' mission.
• First Tee – Metro AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Tee Metro Atlanta enables kids to build character through golf integrated with life skills curriculum, creating experiences that build confidence and resilience that kids carry to everything they do.
• PGA TOURflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPGA TOUR partnered with East Lake in 2005 to make it the permanent home of the TOUR Championship, the culminating event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs with only the top 30 players qualifying each year.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Augusta National Golf Club: Iconic private membership golf club and host of the Masters Tournament. Directly comparable as an elite, historic, privately operated golf club whose brand value is anchored by permanent major-championship hosting.
• Congressional Country Club: Private country club in Bethesda, MD that has hosted the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. Comparable as a historic, architecturally significant private club with major-championship hosting pedigree.
• Pinehurst Resort & Country Club: Historic North Carolina resort and club hosting multiple U.S. Opens and the 2024 U.S. Open. Comparable as a Donald Ross–designed historic golf venue combining championship hosting, restoration heritage, and member access.
• Atlanta Athletic Club: The original parent organization that established East Lake in 1904 before relocating to Johns Creek. Highly comparable as a premier Atlanta private club that has hosted major championships (PGA Championship, U.S. Open).
• Pebble Beach Golf Links: Iconic California golf venue hosting the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and multiple U.S. Opens. Comparable as a globally recognized, championship-hosting historic golf course with elite brand cachet.
• TPC Sawgrass: PGA TOUR-owned venue and home of THE PLAYERS Championship. Comparable as the permanent host of a marquee PGA TOUR season-defining event, with similar championship-hosting brand dynamics.
• Riviera Country Club: Historic Los Angeles private club hosting the Genesis Invitational. Comparable as an elite private club anchored by annual PGA TOUR hosting and architecturally significant course design.
• Oakland Hills Country Club: Michigan private club and multiple-time U.S. Open host. Comparable as a Donald Ross–influenced historic private club with deep championship pedigree and recent restoration investment.

Broad incumbents

• Troon (private club management): Largest operator of private clubs, resorts, and daily-fee courses globally. Comparable as the dominant service provider in the same golf-operations space East Lake inhabits, useful as a benchmark for operational scale and revenue multiples.
• PGA TOUR: Tour operator and East Lake's flagship partner that designates the TOUR Championship venue. Directly relevant as the contractual counterparty whose continued partnership underpins the club's marquee event.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eastlakegc
• Facebookfacebook.com/eastlakegolfclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-lake-golf-club

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 East Lake Golf Club