Old Warson Country Club

What Old Warson Country Club does

Old Warson Country Club is a private, member-owned country club located in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1953 and opened in 1954. The club operates an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Willie Park, Jr., spread across 184 acres, and was the first golf course in the United States to be recognized by the National Audubon Society as a bird sanctuary. Membership is strictly capped at 300 and is granted only by invitation, requiring sponsorship and board approval — a model that has produced a persistent waiting list and a highly selective membership base drawn from the St. Louis business and civic elite.

The club's core offering centers on championship golf, fine dining, and social programming, supplemented by hosting major USGA-sanctioned events including the 1971 Ryder Cup, the 2009 U.S. Women's Amateur, and the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. Revenue mechanics are typical of elite U.S. private clubs: a combination of initiation fees (assessed on membership turnover), recurring annual dues, minimum F&B spend, golf and ancillary fees, and event-driven revenue. The club does not publicly disclose pricing, but comparable elite St. Louis-area clubs operate in the $10M-$25M annual revenue band. Operations are led by General Manager Kristen Cooper and Golf Professional Steve Houg, supported by a staff of 51-100 employees.

The business model is fundamentally a scarcity-engine: the 300-member cap and fixed acreage preclude volume growth, so all financial improvement must come from price (dues/initiations), service intensity, and event monetization. There is no M&A pipeline, no geographic expansion, and no membership growth lever — making this a stable, mature, cash-generative private club whose investment thesis (if it were investable) is essentially defensive wealth preservation and dues escalation rather than growth.

Name

Old Warson Country Club

Legal name

Old Warson Country Club

Website

https://oldwarson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Old Warson Country Club is a private, invitation-only country club in St. Louis, Missouri, operating a Willie Park, Jr.-designed 18-hole championship course on 184 acres, serving a membership capped at 300 with golf, dining, and social amenities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Country Club Services

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

Keywords

• Private country club
• Championship golf course
• Club membership
• Golf and dining
• Private social club

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Old Warson Country Club operates an 18-hole championship golf course on 184 acres of rolling terrain, supported by year-round clubhouse dining across multiple venues, social and recreational amenities, and a golf pro shop. The club is private and member-owned, with membership limited and accessed by invitation only. The club also serves as a host venue for major amateur and professional golf championships.

Product overview

Old Warson Country Club is a family-oriented private country club offering an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., spanning 6,901 yards from the back tees with deceptive greens. The club provides year-round dining across multiple venues (casual/informal sections including Trophy Room, Ryder Cup Room, Patio, and formal sections including Main Dining Room, Warsonian Room, Conway Room), social and recreational activities, a golf pro shop, pool area, and locker facilities. Membership is exclusive and by invitation only, with a limit of 300 members. The club has hosted major championships including the Ryder Cup (1971), U.S. Women's Amateur (2009), U.S. Mid-Amateur (1999), and Senior Amateur Championship (2016).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Club Membership Exclusive, invitation-only private membership capped at 300 members; candidates must be sponsored by an active member and approved by the Board of Directors. Provides access to golf, dining, social, and recreational facilities.
• Championship Golf Course Access

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• National Audubon Societynotable recognitionOthersOld Warson Country Club was the first golf course to be recognized as a bird sanctuary by the National Audubon Society. The 184-acre property with the Noroton River winding through it creates a rich natural habitat that earned this distinction.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bellerive Country Club: Private country club in Town & Country, Missouri (St. Louis metro) that has hosted the 1965 U.S. Open, 1992 PGA Championship, and 2018 PGA Championship. Same metro, same elite championship-hosting pedigree, same private member-owned model.
• Algonquin Golf Club: St. Louis-area private country club whose founding members (Hayes and Rarick) also organized Old Warson, with shared St. Louis private-club DNA. Direct comparable for membership model, geography, and customer profile.
• Conway Farms Golf Club: Lake Forest, Illinois private club that hosted the 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2019 BMW Championship and the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Comparable Midwest private member-owned club with sustained tournament-hosting relationships.
• Cherry Hills Country Club: Cherry Hills Village, Colorado private club that hosted the 1960 U.S. Open (Arnold Palmer's comeback win), 1938 U.S. Open, 2005 U.S. Women's Open, and the 2005 BMW Championship. Comparable championship-pedigree private member-owned club.
• Winged Foot Golf Club: Mamaroneck, New York private club that has hosted six U.S. Opens, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Women's Open, and the U.S. Amateur. Comparable championship-pedigree private member-owned club.
• Hazeltine National Golf Club: Minnesota private club that has hosted the Ryder Cup (2016), U.S. Open (1970, 1991), PGA Championship (2002, 2009), and U.S. Women's Open (1966, 1977). Closest comparable for a Midwest private club with sustained major-championship hosting.
• Medinah Country Club: Chicago-area private country club that has hosted three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, the Ryder Cup, and the 2006 and 2019 BMW Championship. Comparable elite private club with multi-major championship hosting pedigree.
• Scioto Country Club: Columbus, Ohio private country club that hosted the 1926 U.S. Open, the 1968 PGA Championship, and the 2013 Presidents Cup. Comparable member-owned private club with major-championship hosting history.
• Oak Hill Country Club: Rochester, New York private club that has hosted three U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships, the Ryder Cup, and the Senior PGA Championship. Comparable elite private member-owned club with deep championship-hosting legacy.
• Crooked Stick Golf Club: Carmel, Indiana private club that hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup, the 2005 U.S. Women's Open, and the BMW Championship. Comparable Midwest private club hosting Ryder Cup and USGA championships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/116188698401955
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/old-warson-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 Old Warson Country Club