Downes Crediton Golf Club

What Downes Crediton Golf Club does

Downes Crediton Golf Club is a privately held, members-owned golf club operating an 18-hole parkland course on the historic Downes Estate in Mid Devon, approximately five miles from Exeter. The club was founded in 1972 on 87 acres of land from the Downes Estate and opened its full 18-hole layout in June 1976, with its 50th anniversary marked in 2026. Core infrastructure includes a course playable year-round (with summer and winter hole configurations), a clubhouse housing a restaurant and bar seating up to 80 guests with views over the 18th green, a pro shop staffed by PGA professionals, and a Trackman 4 Swing Studio with a Panasonic projector enabling simulator practice, custom fitting, gapping, and virtual play on courses such as Pebble Beach and St Andrews. The club holds SafeGolf accreditation and is a signatory to the R&A Women in Golf Charter.

The club generates revenue from six distinct streams: annual and monthly membership subscriptions across roughly a dozen tiers (Full Adult £925/year, Joint £1,750, Intermediate £115-£785, Junior free-£100, 80+ £450, CASC £490, Social £48, Flexible/PlayMoreGolf £350); visitor green fees (£25-£45 depending on holes and time, with twilight from 4pm at £35); society and corporate packages for groups of 8+ (£45-£59 per person across Ace/Birdie/Eagle/Albatross tiers); Swing Studio hire (£7.50-£15 per half hour) and PGA lessons (£35-£50); pro shop hardware and apparel sales (Nike, Ping, Footjoy, Under Armour, Glenmuir); and clubhouse F&B open seven days a week, where members receive up to 20% off drinks and 10% off food. Reciprocal arrangements with seven Devon-area clubs and PlayMoreGolf network access extend member value, while 14 local tee sponsors provide supplementary marketing visibility. Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer through the club's own website (with intelligentgolf-powered online tee and studio booking), phone, email, and on-site visits; no third-party reseller or app channel exists. Governance is by an elected Board of Directors (Chairman Nick Walker, Club Captain Stewart Cowling, and Directors of Finance, Marketing & Membership, Greens, and Bar & House); the General Manager role is currently vacant.

Name

Downes Crediton Golf Club

Legal name

Downes Crediton Golf Club

Website

https://downescreditongc.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Downes Crediton Golf Club is a privately held, 50-year-old members-owned golf club operating an 18-hole parkland course, Trackman 4 Swing Studio, pro shop, and clubhouse restaurant in Mid Devon, UK. It serves individual members, visitors, golf societies, and corporate groups through memberships, green fees, society packages, lessons, and F&B.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Club and Sports Hospitality Services

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Golf Apparel Retail (Men’s/Women’s/Youth) (CRAMAGAD)

Keywords

• Private golf club
• Golf course memberships
• Society golf days
• Golf coaching services
• Sports hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Crediton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: The club generates primary revenue through annual and monthly membership subscriptions. Membership categories include Full Adult (£925/year), Joint Adult (£1,750/year), 2nd Club (£615/year), Overseas (£515/year), Rural (£690/year), Intermediate (age-based pricing from £115 to £785), Junior (free to £100 depending on age), CASC (£490/year), 80+ (£450/year), and Corporate (POA). Social membership is also available at £48/year. A flexible PlayMoreGolf membership option is offered at £350/year for infrequent golfers.
2. Green Fees and Visitor Play: Revenue from non-member green fees for 18-hole and 9-hole play. Adult visitors pay £45 (18 holes) or £25 (9 holes), with reduced rates for County Card holders (£30/£20) and member guests (£27.50/£15). Twilight golf is available from 4pm for £35. The club offers buggy hire at £30 per buggy.
3. Society Packages: Golf societies (minimum 8 players) can book various packages: Ace (18 holes + coffee/bacon roll) at £45, Birdie (18 holes + 1 course meal) at £49, Eagle (18 holes + coffee/bacon roll + 1 course meal) at £55, and Albatross (18 holes + coffee/bacon roll + 2 course meal) at £59. Society packages include use of the Swing Studio for additional activities.
4. Swing Studio: Revenue from simulator use at £7.50 per half hour (members) or £15 per half hour (visitors), plus professional lessons at £30-£50 depending on professional and member status. Gapping and club testing sessions are available at £30 (members) or £40 (visitors). Studio membership is available at £300 for the year.
5. Pro Shop: Pro shop sales of golf equipment and apparel. Brands stocked include Nike, Ping, Footjoy, Under Armour, and Glenmuir.
6. Food and Beverage: The clubhouse restaurant and bar generates revenue from food service (seven days a week) and bar sales. Playing members receive up to 20% discount on drinks and 10% on food purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Downes Crediton Golf Club is a private members' golf club operating an 18-hole parkland course in Crediton, Devon. The club offers membership categories, visitor and society green-fee play, a PGA-led tuition offering through a swing studio with Trackman 4, a pro shop, and on-site restaurant and bar facilities.

Product overview

Downes Crediton Golf Club offers a unified club experience centered on its 18-hole parkland golf course on the historic Downes Estate. The core product portfolio includes the main golf course, visitor tee time booking, and membership programs (full adult, joint, junior, intermediate, social, and flexible PlayMoreGolf memberships). Supporting services include a Swing Studio with Trackman 4 simulator technology for practice and virtual course play, a Pro Shop with equipment and professional lessons, and a Restaurant & Bar facility. Society packages (Ace, Birdie, Eagle, Albatross tiers) and buggy hire provide additional revenue streams. The club also offers reciprocal golf arrangements with partner clubs across Devon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Golf Club Membership
• Visitor and Society Golf Days
• Swing Studio and PGA Golf Coaching
• Pro Shop
• Restaurant and Bar

Quantifiable outcome

• Golf Club Of The Year For 2021 - voted by Your Golf Magazine readers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PlayMoreGolfcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlexible membership holders can use their membership to play all PlayMoreGolf courses across the UK. This partnership enables access to a network of partner clubs for members who travel or want variety in their golfing locations.
• Okehampton Golf ClubminorOthersReciprocal golf arrangement: Downes Crediton members pay £10 green fee at Okehampton. This provides members with access to another local course at reduced rates.
• Sidmouth Golf ClubminorOthersReciprocal golf arrangement: Downes Crediton members pay £15 green fee at Sidmouth.
• Honiton Golf ClubminorOthersReciprocal golf arrangement: Downes Crediton members pay £25 green fee at Honiton (1 x 4-ball per day).
• Enmore Park Golf ClubminorOthersReciprocal golf arrangement: Downes Crediton members pay £15 green fee at Enmore Park (book max 10 days in advance).
• Trethorne Golf ClubminorOthersReciprocal golf arrangement: Downes Crediton members pay £20 green fee at Trethorne.
• Holsworthy Golf ClubminorOthersReciprocal golf arrangement: Downes Crediton members pay £20 green fee at Holsworthy.
• Launceston Golf ClubminorOthersReciprocal golf arrangement: Downes Crediton members pay £20 green fee at Launceston (not Tues/Thurs/Sun AM).
• England GolfcoreOthersOfficial affiliation with England Golf, the governing body for golf in England. Members receive county and national levies through England Golf affiliation.
• Devon GolfcoreOthersOfficial affiliation with Devon Golf, the county golf union. Club participates in Devon County Competitions through Ladies' teams.
• The R&AcoreOthersOfficial affiliation with The R&A, golf's governing body. The club is a signatory to the R&A Women in Golf Charter, committing to promote women in golf.
• SafeGolfcoreOthersSafeGolf accreditation, demonstrating the club's commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in golf.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stover Golf Club: A Devon-based private members golf club near Newton Abbot offering 18-hole play, membership subscriptions and society days. Highly comparable in scale, geography, and operating model to Downes Crediton.
• Saunton Golf Club: A Devon-based members golf club operating two 18-hole courses on coastal land. Closely comparable to Downes Crediton in operating model — member subscriptions, visitor/society packages, F&B and pro shop on-site, 18-hole parkland-style layout — but at meaningfully larger scale.
• Honiton Golf Club: A Devon members club and reciprocal partner of Downes Crediton. Closely matched in operating model — annual memberships, pay-as-you-play visitors, and society packages.
• East Devon Golf Club: Members club at Budleigh Salterton in Devon with cliff-top course and traditional clubhouse. Comparable membership tiers, society and visitor play offering, and Devon regional positioning; overlaps significantly with Downes Crediton's member and visitor segments.
• Trevose Golf Club: A Cornish members club with on-site accommodation, F&B and a full membership-and-visitor operating model. Comparable on Southwest UK regional positioning, subscription tiers, visitor play, and ancillary F&B revenue — though with more tourism exposure.
• Sidmouth Golf Club: An East Devon members golf club and reciprocal partner of Downes Crediton. Comparable in scale, member-tier pricing approach and Devon geography, with similar reliance on subscriptions plus visitor/society play.
• Okehampton Golf Club: An 18-hole members golf club in Devon and a reciprocal partner of Downes Crediton. Directly comparable in single-course members club operations, visitor green-fee structure, and Devon member base.
• Exeter Golf and Country Club: A multi-facility private members club near Exeter (~5 miles from Downes Crediton) combining golf with broader country club amenities including F&B, fitness and events. Directly comparable on subscription-based members club with golf as the anchor product.

Broad incumbents

• The Belfry Hotel & Resort: UK multi-course golf resort owned by KSL Capital, with three courses including The Ryder Cup's Brabazon. Overlapping on golf-course operations, membership/subscription revenue, F&B and golf retail, but at significantly greater scale and institutional ownership.
• Wentworth Club: An elite Surrey-based members club owned by Reignwood with three courses. Comparable as a members club operating golf courses, F&B, simulators and events; a much larger and more premium reference point for downstream valuation and brand benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CreditonGolf
• Facebookfacebook.com/Downescreditongc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/downes-crediton-golf-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Downes Crediton Golf Club