Sequoia Golf

Name

Sequoia Golf

Legal name

Sequoia Golf Group

Website

https://sequoiagolf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Club Management & Hospitality Services

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Clubs & Tournament-Host Clubs (Professional/Elite Golf Clubs) (MPAKABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Luxury Golf Resorts (THAGACAH)

Keywords

• Private club management
• Golf course operations
• Country club memberships
• Golf hospitality services
• Third-party management

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Club Membership Dues: Monthly membership dues from private club members at owned and operated properties. Membership categories include traditional monthly dues with no green fees and lower dues with modest green fees per round.
2. Golf Rounds and Green Fees: Revenue from green fees and golf rounds played at daily fee and resort courses, as well as member guest rounds.
3. Third-Party Management Services: Management fees from operating golf courses owned by third parties. Sequoia managed over 20 third-party properties across multiple states.
4. Food and Beverage / Banquet Services: Revenue from dining venues, restaurants, snack bars, and banquet/meeting facilities at club properties. In Play Media helped contribute to over $10 million in banquet revenue annually.
5. Golf Equipment Sales (Abell Turf and Tractor): Sales of refurbished golf course maintenance equipment including mowers, utility vehicles, aerators, and top dressers. Abell sells over $4 million of used equipment annually.
6. Sequoia Hospitality / PlayAway Program: Reciprocal membership program providing access to 500+ clubs, generating ancillary room nights, golf rounds, and exposure for partner properties.
7. In-Play Media Advertising Services: Advertising sales in *In Play* Magazine (quarterly publication), plus marketing services to third-party clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sequoia Golf owned and operated a portfolio of premium private golf and country clubs under brands including Sequoia Club, Canongate Golf Clubs, and The Woodlands Country Club, while also providing professional third-party management services to golf course owners. The company generated revenue from recurring membership dues, green fees, food and beverage/banquet operations, and a portfolio of service subsidiaries spanning hospitality, marketing, technology, construction, and equipment sales.

Product overview

Sequoia Golf is a golf course management company operating as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core business involves owning and operating private golf clubs (Canongate Golf Clubs brand, Sequoia Club) and providing management services to third-party golf facilities. Supporting modules include Sequoia Hospitality (PlayAway reciprocal club access), In Play Media (marketing/advertising agency), ForeBiz (demand analytics), Shortgrass Technology (IT services), Sequoia Greenscapes (construction/landscaping), and Abell Turf and Tractor (equipment). The company also operates a nonprofit foundation. The portfolio spans over 45 properties across Atlanta, Houston, Denver, and other markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PlayAway: Reciprocal access program providing members access to over 450 private clubs across major metropolitan and resort destinations
• Perma-Bunker
• In Play Magazine

Products and services

• Sequoia Club Premium multi-club private membership program granting members access to three Georgia clubs (The Manor Golf and Country Club, White Columns Country Club, Atlanta National Golf Club), their championship courses, and full amenities within a ten-mile radius. Targeted at affluent individuals and families seeking exclusive country club lifestyle.
• Canongate Golf Clubs Collection of more than 30 private clubs owned and operated under the Canongate Golf brand, offering reciprocal membership privileges across all Canongate clubs with affordable entry fees and dues.
• The Woodlands Country Club Upscale private club facility with three championship golf courses designed by Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Robert von Hagge, two clubhouses, tennis pavilion, driving ranges, pools, and restaurants. Home to the Insperity Championship PGA Champions Tour event.
• Third-Party Golf Course Management Services Professional golf course management services for private club, resort, and daily fee golf facilities, focusing on revenue enhancement and cost management. Sequoia managed over 20 third-party properties across multiple states by 2010.
• Sequoia Hospitality / PlayAway Program Member benefits and hospitality services including PlayAway program with reciprocal access privileges at over 450-500 private clubs across major metropolitan and resort destinations in the US. Booking completed online or via phone; generates ancillary room nights and golf rounds for partner clubs.
• In Play Media Full-service advertising, marketing, and merchandising agency offering creative services, turn-key marketing programs, and sales force recruiting. Publishes In Play Magazine quarterly and serves both Sequoia clubs and third-party clients with $4M annual sales and marketing infrastructure investment.
• ForeBiz In-house research and analytics platform using demographic variables, public databases, and model-building to correlate golf demand, identify target-rich markets, and support member acquisition and retention strategies for golf clubs.
• Shortgrass Technology Technology division providing IT solutions for golf clubs including mobile applications for reservation booking (iPhone and Android), managed IT services with remote network monitoring, and custom development. Up to 50% of tee-time reservations booked via mobile app or web.
• Sequoia Greenscapes Golf course construction and landscaping division offering new construction, renovation, irrigation, athletic field maintenance, and Perma-Bunker bunker renovation services. Completed over $30 million in renovation projects during a five-year period.
• Abell Turf and Tractor Golf course maintenance equipment company specializing in acquiring and refurbishing name brand equipment including greens mowers, fairway mowers, and utility vehicles. Sells over $4 million of used equipment annually to golf courses.
• Sequoia Charitable Foundation 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching youth the values of golf through volunteer opportunities, monetary donations, and the Employee Relief Fund.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000 membership enrollments annually contributed by In Play Media marketing programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature5 records

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Topgolf: Tech-enabled golf entertainment concept with a national venue footprint targeting casual and corporate consumers. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but increasingly competes for affluent discretionary leisure spend and corporate event dollars.
• Augusta National Golf Club: Elite private golf club and host of The Masters; comparable to Sequoia's tournament-host and premium private club positioning, though operating at a much higher exclusivity tier.

Direct peers

• Troon: Largest third-party golf course management company in the world, managing private, daily-fee and resort courses globally. Competes head-to-head with Sequoia's Management Services division for third-party management contracts and offers similar technology, agronomy and marketing services.
• American Golf Corporation: One of the largest golf course operators in the U.S., managing a mix of private and public facilities with membership, F&B and event programming comparable to Sequoia's owned-property operations.
• ClubCorp (now Invited Clubs): Leading owner-operator of private golf and country clubs in North America and the acquirer of Sequoia Golf for $265M in 2014. Operates a portfolio of private clubs with reciprocal access programs and F&B/banquet services, closely mirroring Sequoia's business model.
• Arnold Palmer Golf Management: Privately held golf course management company operating a portfolio of upscale daily-fee, private and resort courses; comparable to Sequoia in targeting premium courses with management contracts and hospitality services.
• Billy Casper Golf (now BrightView Golf Maintenance): Operated and managed public and private golf courses across the U.S. before being acquired by BrightView; directly comparable as a golf course management company offering operations, agronomy and renovation services to course owners.

Broad incumbents

• KSL Resorts: Owns and operates luxury and golf-oriented resorts including PGA West, La Quinta Resort and The Inn at Bay Harbor; broader hospitality owner-operator with significant golf course exposure, comparable to Sequoia's premium resort/lodge properties.
• Pebble Beach Resorts: Iconic luxury golf resort on the Monterey Peninsula offering premium membership, lodging and F&B experiences; analogous to Sequoia's luxury positioning at The Woodlands and tournament-host capabilities (host of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am).

Regional players

• Eagle Golf: Privately held golf club management company with a strong regional footprint in Texas and the Sunbelt, comparable to Sequoia's Houston cluster and The Woodlands-area operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clubcorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/clubcorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sequoia-golf-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Sequoia Golf