Holston Hills Country Club

What Holston Hills Country Club does

Holston Hills Country Club is a private membership-based country club founded in 1927 in Knoxville, Tennessee, built around an 18-hole Donald Ross-designed championship golf course situated on 180 acres along the Holston River. The club operates a comprehensive amenity portfolio beyond golf, including a Tudor-style clubhouse with panoramic Great Smoky Mountains views, two dining venues (Holston Room and Donald Ross Dining Room under Executive Chef Patrick Budniewski), a state-of-the-art fitness center (opened 2016), Olympic-sized pool with splash pad, five clay tennis courts and dedicated pickleball courts, a Kids Club and summer camps program, and event spaces including a 30-foot-ceiling ballroom, Hilltop Terrace, and private dining rooms. Tournament hosting is a core identity marker: the club hosted Byron Nelson's 1945 PGA TOUR victory, the 1982 PGA Cup Matches, the 2004 USGA Women's Mid-Amateur Championship, the 2007 Tennessee PGA Championship, and the annual Visit Knoxville Open on the Korn Ferry Tour since 2019.

The business model is recurring annual membership dues across eight categories (Resident Golf, Non-Resident Golf, Corporate Golf, Young Executive Golf I & II, National, Sport, and Clubhouse), supplemented by F&B, event services (weddings, corporate outings, charity tournaments), and ancillary amenity revenue. GTM is sales-led: prospective members inquire through the website or phone, take private club tours, and convert via a personalized application process; member referrals are a primary bottom-of-funnel channel. Distribution is supported by a multi-channel marketing presence (club website, social media on Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Twitter) and tournament visibility. The club offers "no operating assessments" to members and is part of McConnell Golf's network of 17+ private clubs across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, providing reciprocal access as a key membership benefit. Holston Hills has been owned by McConnell Golf since late 2015 and operates as a single-property node within that diversified portfolio.

Name

Holston Hills Country Club

Legal name

Holston Hills Country Club

Website

https://holstonhills.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Holston Hills Country Club is a private membership club in Knoxville, Tennessee, operating an 18-hole Donald Ross-designed championship golf course alongside dining, fitness, aquatics, tennis, pickleball, and event facilities. It serves affluent individuals, families, and corporate members within the McConnell Golf network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Country Club

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Private country club
• Golf course membership
• Club amenities
• Wedding event venues
• Tennis pickleball courts

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Private Club Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from multiple categories including Resident Golf, Non-Resident Golf, Corporate Golf, Young Executive Golf, National, Sport, and Clubhouse memberships. Membership includes access to golf, dining, fitness, aquatics, tennis/pickleball, and event facilities, plus reciprocal access to McConnell Golf's 17+ clubs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Holston Hills Country Club operates a private membership-based country club anchored by a historic 18-hole Donald Ross-designed championship golf course (built 1927) on 180 acres along the Holston River in Knoxville, Tennessee. The club sells tiered memberships that bundle golf, clubhouse dining, fitness, aquatics, tennis/pickleball, and event access, plus reciprocal access to McConnell Golf's network of 17+ clubs. It also sells standalone event services (weddings, corporate outings, charity tournaments) and hosts professional tournaments such as the Visit Knoxville Open on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Product overview

Holston Hills Country Club is a private membership-based country club offering a unified portfolio of golf, dining, events, and recreational services centered around its historic Donald Ross-designed golf course (built 1927). The core offering is golf on the 18-hole championship course, complemented by clubhouse dining (Holston Room and Donald Ross Dining Room), private event and wedding services (ballroom, terrace, and private rooms), and recreational amenities including fitness center, Olympic pool, tennis/pickleball courts, and Kids Club. Membership provides access to the McConnell Golf network of 17+ clubs across the Southeast. The club operates as a single-property private club rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Club Membership Subscription-based private club membership with multiple categories (Resident Golf, Non-Resident Golf, Corporate Golf, Young Executive Golf I & II, National, Sport, Clubhouse) granting access to golf, dining, fitness, aquatics, tennis/pickleball, and event facilities, plus reciprocal access to McConnell Golf's 17+ club network. Target members are affluent individuals, families, and corporations in the greater Knoxville, Tennessee region.
• Golf Course (Donald Ross Design) 18-hole championship golf course designed by Donald Ross in 1927, featuring Bermuda grass fairways on 180 acres along the Holston River. Bunkers were restored in 2024 to reflect the original Ross design. Course access is provided through club membership and is the centerpiece of the club's identity.
• Private Event & Wedding Services Full-service event planning for weddings, corporate events, charity tournaments, and special occasions using multiple event spaces including a grand ballroom, terrace, and private dining rooms. Available to members and outside event clients.
• Golf Outings & Tournaments Customizable golf outing packages for corporate outings, charity tournaments, and social golf events, including professional scoring, on-course contests, and curated catering options. Sold to corporations, nonprofits, and member groups.
• Ballroom & Event Spaces Event venues including a grand ballroom with 30-foot ceilings, exposed wood trusses, and two fireplaces; Hilltop Terrace with Smoky Mountain views; Donald Ross Room with full bar; and Holston Room overlooking the golf course. Rented for weddings, corporate functions, and private celebrations.
• Clubhouse Dining Two distinct dining venues inside the historic Tudor-style clubhouse: the Holston Room (intimate setting) and the Donald Ross Dining Room (covered veranda with Great Smoky Mountain views). Menus are developed by Executive Chef Patrick Budniewski and feature signature dishes and seasonal offerings. Available primarily to members and their guests.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McConnell GolfcoreOthers · 1 January 2015McConnell Golf acquired Holston Hills Country Club in late 2015, adding one of Tennessee's most historic and respected golf clubs to its portfolio of premier private clubs throughout the Southeast. The portfolio spans North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, with courses designed by celebrated architects including Donald Ross, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman.
• Kris Spence (Golf Course Architect)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenowned golf course architect Kris Spence directed the June 2024 major bunker renovation, working closely with Golf Course Superintendent Ryan Blair to restore bunker placements and shaping techniques that reflect the course's 1920s origins while adapting to modern demands.
• Visit Knoxville/Korn Ferry TourcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHolston Hills hosts the annual Visit Knoxville Open, a Korn Ferry Tour event, bringing professional golf competition to the club and regional attention to Knoxville and the Holston Hills facility.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Augusta National Golf Club: Elite private golf club and home of the Masters Tournament. Sets the upper-bound benchmark for private-club heritage value, tournament prestige, and member pricing power that informs premium positioning strategies at comparable clubs like Holston Hills.
• ClubCorp (Centurion Holdings): Largest operator of private golf and country clubs in the United States with a multi-brand portfolio of 100+ properties. Broad incumbent in the same industry vertical, providing scale benchmarks for membership economics and amenity programming.

Direct peers

• The Honors Course: Highly regarded private golf club in Ooltewah, TN designed by Pete Dye, host of the 1991 PGA Championship. Comparable heritage-tier private club in Tennessee with similar tournament pedigree and premium dues structure.
• WindRiver Golf Club: Private golf club in Lenoir City, TN offering championship golf, dining, and member amenities. Comparable East Tennessee private club in the same regional market tier as Holston Hills.
• Tennessee National Golf Club: Private golf and lifestyle community in Loudon, TN designed by Greg Norman. Comparable Tennessee private club targeting full-family country club lifestyle with comparable amenity breadth.
• Cherokee Country Club: Private country club in Knoxville, TN offering golf, dining, tennis, and family amenities on a comparable membership basis. Direct competitor for the same affluent Knoxville-area member pool with overlapping amenities and pricing tier.
• Gettysvue Polo, Golf & Tennis Club: Private member-owned club in Knoxville, TN offering golf, tennis, pool, dining, and social amenities. Comparable product offering and price tier targeting affluent Knoxville families.
• Black Creek Club: Private golf community in Chattanooga, TN with a Fazio-designed course and full club amenities. Comparable regional Tennessee private club competing for similar member demographics within the McConnell Golf network's regional footprint.
• Fox Den Country Club: Private country club located in Farragut near Knoxville, TN with an 18-hole championship course, dining, pool, and tennis. Competes for the same regional member demographic with similar full-service amenity positioning.

Regional players

• Kiawah Island Club: Premier private member-owned club on Kiawah Island, SC, host of multiple USGA and PGA events. Comparable heritage-rich private club with tournament pedigree; operates in a different geography (coastal SC) so direct member-pool overlap is limited.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/holstonhillscc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5TrpUw5uH6VFooTiYZICjw
• Facebookfacebook.com/holstonhills
• Instagraminstagram.com/holstonhills
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holston-hills-country-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Holston Hills Country Club