Club Specialists International

What Club Specialists International does

Club Specialists International (CSI) is a privately-held hospitality consulting and management firm headquartered at 38 East San Carlos Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida. Founded in 1996, the firm provides advisory and management services to private clubs, golf courses, and other hospitality organizations in the United States, targeting club boards, ownership groups, and management teams. CSI's core offering comprises eight interconnected services: Membership Development, a 3-Day Club Operating Assessment (delivering 60-125 page reports), Strategic Planning, Executive Search for Key Personnel, Governance Review, Real Estate Development and Marketing, Standard Operating Procedures Implementation ("THE CSI WAY"), and Interim Management. The firm claims a 99% placement track record on executive search with over 300 key personnel placements and documents outcomes including a $300,000 club operating improvement at Black Diamond Ranch, a net 220-member increase at the University Club of Tampa, and $14.4 million in secured membership fees and loans at Williams Island Club.

The firm is led by four principals: Kevin Stark (CEO/Principal, formerly Director of Resort Operations at ATP TOUR and founder of Summit Golf Group), Jim Riscigno (Senior Advisor/Principal, former Executive Vice President at ClubCorp with a 40-year industry career), Ken Kasten (Executive Vice President of Development, formerly with Century Golf Partners, Wells Fargo Bank, ClubCorp, and FPA Corporation), and Beth Sargent (Vice President of Marketing & Membership, formerly with ClubCorp and Arnold Palmer Golf Management Company). CSI's go-to-market is a consultative B2B enterprise sales motion starting with a complimentary introductory conference call, followed by a detailed assessment and engagement proposal; pricing is quote-based and negotiated per engagement with no publicly disclosed fee structure.

The business model is professional services revenue with no proprietary technology platform; supporting tooling consists of a WordPress website and HubSpot-integrated scheduling for lead capture. CSI cites 27+ years of trusted operation, 150+ years of combined principal experience, and consultation of over 200 organizations (cumulatively across principals' careers). The firm reports no funding rounds, no parent company, no disclosed subsidiaries, no patents, and no formal partnerships, and maintains an active U.S.-only geographic footprint with engagement primarily in regional markets.

Name

Club Specialists International

Legal name

Club Specialists International

Website

https://clubspecialists.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Club Specialists International is a St. Augustine, Florida-based hospitality consulting firm, founded in 1996, that provides club operating assessments, membership development, executive search, strategic planning, governance review, and interim management services to private clubs, golf courses, and hospitality organizations across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Augustine

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hospitality Consulting Services: Revenue generated through professional consulting services including club operating assessments, strategic planning, executive search, governance review, implementation of standard operating procedures, and interim management. The company provides detailed 60-125 page assessment reports with specific recommendations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Club Specialists International provides hospitality consulting and management services to private clubs, golf courses, and other hospitality organizations. Core deliverables include 3-Day Club Operating Assessments (60-125 page departmental reports), Membership Development programs, Strategic Planning, Executive Search, Governance Review, Real Estate Development advisory, implementation of proprietary Standard Operating Procedures ("THE CSI WAY"), and Interim Management. Engagements begin with a complimentary introductory conference call and proceed through assessment, recommendation, and implementation phases.

Product overview

Club Specialists International (CSI) offers a comprehensive suite of hospitality consulting and management services for private clubs, golf courses, and hospitality organizations. The core offering consists of eight interconnected consulting services: Membership Development (customized plans to grow membership and dues income), Club Operating Assessments (detailed 3-day strategic reviews producing 60-125 page reports), Strategic Planning (6-step collaborative planning process), Executive Search (99% track record placing over 300 key personnel), Governance Review (document analysis and recommendations), Real Estate Development (re-purposing and marketing plans), Standard Operating Procedures implementation, and Interim Management. These services work together as a holistic approach — assessments identify problems, strategic plans provide roadmaps, SOPs ensure consistent execution, and interim management fills leadership gaps during transitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Club Operating Assessments (3-Day Strategic Assessment) A 3-day on-site review of each department of a private club or hospitality organization that produces a 60-125 page report with specific recommendations on revenue growth, cost efficiencies, management and governance structure, strategic planning, and training methods. It is targeted at private club boards, ownership groups, and management teams seeking an operational diagnosis.
• Membership Development Customized membership growth programs that identify target markets and provide tools and strategies to enroll new members, drive net membership growth, and increase dues income for private clubs and hospitality organizations.
• Strategic Planning A 6-step collaborative strategic planning process that creates a living document between the Board, Committees, members, and staff, producing a clear path forward for the club's future direction.
• Executive Search for Key Personnel Executive search service placing General Managers, Food & Beverage Directors, Controllers, Head Golf/Tennis Professionals, Membership Directors, and Golf Course Superintendents, with a stated 99% track record across more than 300 key personnel placements over 60+ combined years of hiring experience.
• Governance Review Detailed review of club governing documents with recommendations on lines of authority, strategic planning processes, and protection measures for the club, members, and staff.
• Real Estate Development and Marketing Real estate advisory covering re-purposing plans to maximize land value, amenity-rich master planning for clubs, and real estate marketing to restore liquidity to re-sales.
• Implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (THE CSI WAY) Custom Standard Operating Procedures implementation ("THE CSI WAY") designed to ensure efficient club operations while maintaining member and guest experience through consistent conditions, outstanding service, and quality standards.
• Interim Management Temporary management services to ensure club continuity during permanent key position searches, covering membership development, food and beverage, golf operations, finance and accounting, and all club amenities.

Quantifiable outcome

• $300,000 club operating improvement in 12 months for Black Diamond Ranch
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Global Golf Advisors: A specialized consulting firm providing strategic, operational, and transactional advisory services to private clubs, golf courses, and hospitality organizations. Directly comparable to CSI in service scope, target customer, and boutique delivery model.
• McMahon Group: A long-standing private club and hospitality consulting firm offering strategic planning, member research, and operational advisory services. Closely comparable to CSI in service mix, target market, and longevity in the private club niche.
• Putterman Schrank & Associates: Hospitality consulting firm with deep private club expertise, providing executive search, strategic planning, and operational advisory. Directly comparable in service scope and target market to CSI.
• Strategic Club Solutions: A boutique consultancy serving private clubs with strategic planning, governance, and member development services. Comparable to CSI as a smaller specialized firm competing in the same niche.

Broad incumbents

• KemperSports: One of the largest golf and club management companies in the U.S., operating a broad portfolio of courses, clubs, and resorts. Larger and operationally focused but a meaningful adjacent player; CSI's principal Ken Kasten previously led new business there.
• Troon: Global golf and club management leader managing hundreds of courses and clubs worldwide. Represents the scale end of the industry CSI consults to and into which CSI's principals have network access.
• Invited (formerly ClubCorp): The largest owner-operator of private clubs in the United States, with 130+ country clubs and golf clubs. CSI's principals have senior tenure here, and Invited's operating decisions directly shape the consulting opportunity set for firms like CSI.
• Concert Golf Partners: A private equity-backed owner-operator of private clubs and golf courses across the U.S. A meaningful adjacent player that drives consulting demand through acquisitions, turnarounds, and operational improvements at member-owned clubs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ClubSpecialists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/club-specialists-international

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 Club Specialists International