The Wisley Golf Club

What The Wisley Golf Club does

The Wisley Golf Club plc is a private members' golf club founded in 1991 in Ripley, Surrey, less than an hour from central London. The club occupies 224 acres and operates three 18-hole courses formed from nine-hole loops named The Church, The Garden, and The Mill, each designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. to combine strategic variety with environmental integration alongside the River Wey and adjacent RHS Wisley Gardens. Facilities include a 23,000 sq ft contemporary clubhouse with relaxed fine-dining kitchens, year-round practice infrastructure (grass tees in summer, artificial surfaces with covered bays in winter), and a mobile app for member directory, communications, and bookings. Membership is capped at 700 shareholders, each holding a single transferable share in the plc with equal voting rights, creating a waiting list and a transferable financial interest in the club. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time share purchases and recurring annual membership fees, supplemented by guest green fees and F&B spend from members and their guests. The club is governed by a CEO (David Shepherd), a Chairman (Ian West), Club President Colin Montgomerie, and Vice President Denis Pugh (PGA Master Professional), and operates with 11-50 employees.

Name

The Wisley Golf Club

Legal name

The Wisley Golf Club plc

Website

https://thewisley.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Wisley Golf Club is a member-owned, Surrey-based private golf club (founded 1991) operating three 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr. courses on 224 acres for a fixed cap of 700 shareholder-members, generating revenue through membership shares, annual fees, and on-site F&B.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Golf Club

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

Keywords

• Private golf club
• Golf membership
• Championship golf courses
• Golf clubhouse dining
• Members only golf

Headquarters

HQ city

Woking

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Shares: Members purchase a single share upon joining, becoming shareholders in The Wisley Golf Club plc. Each member holds equal voting rights on club direction. Shares are transferable and can be sold by members at any time, historically increasing in value.
2. Membership Fees: Ongoing membership fees covering access to three 18-hole golf courses, practice facilities, clubhouse amenities, dining, events, and competitions.
3. Guest Play: Members welcome guests to play golf and enjoy club facilities, generating ancillary revenue through green fees and F&B spending.
4. Food & Beverage: Clubhouse dining with relaxed fine dining focusing on simplicity and flavour, serving members and their guests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Wisley Golf Club is a private, member-owned golf club offering share-based membership capped at 700 holders, providing access to three 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed courses (The Church, The Garden, The Mill), a 23,000 sq ft clubhouse with relaxed fine dining, year-round practice facilities, competitions, social events, and supporting digital services including a member mobile app and directory. Play is restricted to members and their invited guests, with F&B and event services available to both groups.

Product overview

The Wisley Golf Club is a member-owned private golf club offering a single unified membership product. The core offering consists of three 18-hole courses (each formed from three 9-hole loops: The Church, The Garden, and The Mill), a 23,000 sq ft clubhouse with dining facilities, and year-round practice amenities. Members also have access to a mobile app and private member directory. The club publishes the Upswing golf magazine as a related brand initiative. Membership is capped at 700 shareholders who each hold equal voting rights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Upswing: The Wisley Golf Magazine - an exciting, fresh, unconventional golf magazine capturing the essence of modern golf with topics including interviews, stories, golf fashion, travel, and art. Available at upswing.golf.

Products and services

• Membership Full ownership-equity membership model where each of 700 members holds a single transferable share in The Wisley Golf Club plc with voting rights on club direction; grants access to the three 18-hole courses, clubhouse, practice facilities, dining, competitions, social events, the club app, and member directory. Play restricted to members and their invited guests.
• Golf course access (The Church, The Garden, The Mill) Access to three 18-hole par-72 courses formed from The Church (3,356 yd), The Garden (3,385 yd), and The Mill (3,473 yd) nine-hole loops, offering Augusta-like rhododendron-lined holes, River Wey–adjacent holes bordering RHS Wisley Gardens, and boldly-contoured riverside greens for members and their guests.
• Clubhouse (23,000 sq ft) 23,000 square foot contemporary clubhouse including the Marlin Room and additional dining spaces; functions as the central hub for member events, social gatherings, private celebrations, and corporate entertaining.
• Practice Facilities Year-round practice amenities including a grass practice tee for the summer season and advanced artificial practice surfaces with covered bays for the winter, enabling members to work on all aspects of their game in any weather.
• Food & Beverage Services State-of-the-art kitchen providing relaxed fine dining, seasonal menus, and special dining experiences for members and their guests from the 23,000 sq ft clubhouse.
• Club App (Pacesetter) Mobile application enabling members to access club services, directory listings, communications, and booking purposes; powered by Pacesetter technology.

Named customers5 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

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Wentworth Club: Surrey-based private members' club with three championship courses (East, West, Edinburgh) and a comparable London-catchment luxury positioning. Most direct UK competitor at the high end of the private golf club market, similarly member-owned in recent ownership structures.
• Sunningdale Golf Club: Historic Surrey private members' club with two championship courses (Old and New) within an hour of London. Comparable on prestige, course quality, and HNW London-commuter member base, with similar guest-play and dining revenue models.
• The Berkshire Golf Club: Surrey-based private members' club with two courses (Red and Blue) in Ascot. Operates a similar members-only model with comparable fee-based access and strong London/SE England catchment overlap.
• Foxhills Country Club & Resort: Surrey-based private members' country club offering multiple courses (Longcross and Bernard Hunt), extensive practice facilities, and a comparable London-commuter membership proposition. Direct competitor for premium HNW members in the same geography.
• Queenwood Golf Club: Ultra-exclusive Surrey private club (c.240 members) with a Kyle Phillips-designed course. Comparable on capped membership, London proximity, HNW positioning, and share-transferable ownership model.
• St George's Hill Golf Club: Surrey private members' club with three 18-hole loops, similar to The Wisley's three-loop structure. Comparable course-architecture positioning and HNW commuter membership base.
• The Royal Automobile Club (Woodcote Park): Surrey-based private members' club with an 18-hole golf course plus extensive clubhouse, dining, and sporting amenities. Comparable London-affluent member base and full-service private club experience.
• Walton Heath Golf Club: Historic Surrey private club with two championship heathland courses. Comparable on UK prestige private-club positioning, multi-course model, and traditional member-owned governance.

Regional players

• The Wisley (RHS Garden Wisley adjacent): Adjacent RHS Garden Wisley is a leisure destination in the same Ripley locale. While not a competing club, its visitor traffic and Surrey leisure positioning create shared local market context for The Wisley's members and guests.

Others

• Clubhaus (golf club management software): Provider of club management and member engagement software widely used by private golf and country clubs. The Wisley uses Clubhouse Online for member login, making Clubhaus a relevant technology ecosystem peer/partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/the_wisley
• Xx.com/The_Wisley

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Wisley Golf Club