Railside Golf Club

What Railside Golf Club does

Railside Golf Club is a privately held private golf and hospitality business founded in 1991 in Byron Center, Michigan, approximately 15 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids. The company's core asset is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Michigan architect Jerry Matthews, complemented by a swimming pool, full-service clubhouse, and pro shop. Railside operates two branded sub-properties: Alder & Iron, a public restaurant serving modern American cuisine with lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch service, and Union Pavilion, an event venue accommodating up to 250 guests for weddings and private events.

The business generates revenue across six streams: annual golf memberships ($4,350-$7,600 depending on age tier), social memberships ($1,000-$2,200), public restaurant sales (with a 20% service charge), wedding and event packages, corporate/charity golf outings (~$90 per golfer), and PGA-certified golf instruction ($30-$110 per lesson). Distribution is primarily direct via the club's website, with third-party integrations through OpenTable for restaurant reservations and The Knot for wedding leads. The club is privately owned by Railside Acquisition LLC, which acquired it in 2009 after a prior period of member ownership dating to 1999. Railside employs 11-50 staff and serves affluent individuals, families, corporate groups, and wedding couples in the West Michigan market.

Name

Railside Golf Club

Legal name

Railside Golf Club

Website

https://railsidegolf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Railside Golf Club is a privately held private golf club and hospitality venue in Byron Center, Michigan, serving affluent individuals, families, corporate groups, and wedding couples in West Michigan through memberships, public dining, events, and golf instruction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Golf Club

NAICS

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 memberships
• Wedding venue
• Restaurant dining
• Golf instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Byron Center

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Golf Memberships: Annual golf memberships including single and family plans at various price points ranging from $4,350 to $7,600. These provide exclusive access to the 18-hole championship course, practice facilities, pool access, and clubhouse amenities.
2. Social Memberships: Two social membership tiers: Standard at $1,000 providing pool access and dining discounts, and Social with Golf at $2,200 including 8 rounds of golf.
3. Restaurant (Alder & Iron): Modern American cuisine restaurant open to the public, operating Tuesday through Sunday with lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch service. Revenue from food and beverage sales with a 20% service charge on all restaurant charges.
4. Wedding & Event Hosting: The Union Pavilion event venue hosts weddings with multiple package options including Peak Season, Intimate Weddings (40-80 guests), and Off-Season Weddings. Packages include ceremony, reception, catering coordination, and event management services.
5. Golf Outings: Corporate and charity golf events priced at approximately $90 per golfer for 18 holes including cart fee, plus additional charges for food and beverage service. The course can accommodate outings of up to 250 players.
6. Golf Instruction: PGA-certified professionals provide lessons at various price points ranging from $30-$110 depending on lesson type and instructor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Railside Golf Club operates a private 18-hole championship golf course designed by Jerry Matthews in Byron Center, Michigan, offering tiered golf and social memberships, PGA-certified instruction, a public restaurant (Alder & Iron) serving modern American cuisine, and the Union Pavilion wedding and event venue. The club sells annual memberships and per-event access to its recreational and hospitality amenities to individuals, families, couples, and corporate or non-profit groups.

Product overview

Railside Golf Club is a private golf club and hospitality venue offering a unified portfolio of recreational and event services. The core offering is an 18-hole championship golf course (Private Golf Course) designed by Jerry Matthews, complemented by member amenities including swimming pool and full-service clubhouse. The club operates two distinct sub-brands: Alder & Iron Restaurant (public dining) and Union Pavilion (wedding/event venue). Membership programs provide tiered access to golf facilities, while additional services include golf instruction, golf outings for groups, and private event hosting. The club generates revenue through membership dues, green fees, dining sales, and event bookings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Golf Course An 18-hole championship golf course designed by Jerry Matthews in 1991, offering private golf access to members. The course features rolling fairways and meticulous conditioning, and is ranked among West Michigan's best private courses.
• Golf Membership Programs Private membership tiers providing exclusive access to the 18-hole golf course, practice facilities, pool, and clubhouse amenities. Includes Single Golf Memberships (Regular $7,100, Senior $6,600, Junior I $6,150, Junior II $4,350) and Family Memberships priced at $7,600, $6,650, and $4,950 tiers, billed annually.
• Social Membership Programs Two social membership tiers: Standard Social Membership at $1,000 providing pool access, dining discounts, and members-only events; and Social Membership with Golf at $2,200 adding 8 rounds of golf, both billed annually.
• Alder & Iron Restaurant A public restaurant serving modern American cuisine located within Railside Golf Club, open Tuesday through Sunday. Offers lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch (10am-2pm) with seasonal menu items, gluten-free, dairy-free, and kids menu options, and a 20% service charge on all restaurant charges. Reservations available via phone or OpenTable.
• Union Pavilion Wedding Venue An award-winning wedding and event venue featuring modern elegance with vaulted ceilings, picturesque landscaping, and capacity for up to 250 guests, located 15 minutes from Downtown Grand Rapids. Multiple package options include Peak Season, Intimate Weddings (40-80 guests), and Off-Season Weddings, with ceremony, reception, catering coordination, and event management included.
• Golf Instruction & Lessons Professional golf instruction from PGA-certified professionals Matthew Koets (Director of Golf), Brad VanGorder (Head Golf Professional), and Brandon Roh (Assistant Golf Professional). Offers junior and adult half-hour and one-hour lessons plus nine-hole playing lessons, with pricing ranging from $30 to $110 depending on duration and instructor.
• Golf Outings & Corporate Events Golf outing hosting services for corporate events, charity fundraisers, and group days, typically held on Mondays from May through September. The course can accommodate up to 120 golfers per flight and up to 250 players over two flights, priced at approximately $90 per golfer for 18 holes including cart fee, plus food and beverage service charges.
• Private Events & Banquets Event hosting for retirement parties, graduation celebrations, school auctions, holiday parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, private dinners, seminars, corporate meetings, and anniversaries. Features indoor and outdoor options, a private dining room, and a banquet room, with professional events staff coordination.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 250 wedding guests can be accommodated at the Union Pavilion
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indianwood Golf & Country Club: Established Michigan private club with two courses, full clubhouse, and event facilities — comparable in scale and multi-revenue-stream structure.
• Cascade Hills Country Club: Direct regional peer — private West Michigan golf club in Grand Rapids also designed by Jerry Matthews, offering comparable membership tiers, dining, banquet/event facilities, and similar affluent-member positioning.
• Point O' Woods Golf & Country Club: Comparable Michigan private club with championship golf, dining, and event venue; similar scale and member profile, providing a benchmark for Michigan private-club economics outside West Michigan.
• Walnut Hills Country Club: Comparable Michigan private country club with championship course, dining, pool, and full banquet/wedding venue — strong benchmark for the multi-revenue-stream model Railside operates.
• Egypt Valley Country Club: Direct regional peer — established private country club in Ada, MI (West Michigan) with 36 holes, full clubhouse, dining, pool, and event hosting — overlapping membership and event-revenue model with Railside.
• Plum Hollow Country Club: Comparable Michigan private country club offering golf, dining, banquets, and weddings — useful peer for benchmarking event-revenue mix and member-tier pricing.
• Thousand Oaks Golf Club: Direct regional peer — West Michigan private golf club (Grand Rapids area) offering similar membership structure, public-facing dining, and event hosting in the same competitive metro.

Broad incumbents

• Bay Pointe Golf Club: Michigan golf and event venue combining golf course, restaurant, and event hosting — broader/established player with overlapping wedding/event capabilities.
• Boulder Ridge Country Club: Michigan private club with strong wedding/event business and golf course — useful comparable for event-revenue scaling within the same regional market.

Regional players

• The Inn at Bay Harbor – Autograph Collection: Michigan luxury golf resort/hotel offering a comparable championship golf experience, dining, and weddings within the state — useful peer for benchmarking the broader Michigan private-golf and destination-event market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/railsidegolf
• Facebookfacebook.com/railsidegolfclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/railside-golf-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Railside Golf Club