Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel

What Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel does

Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel operates a single integrated hospitality site on the Suffolk Heritage Coast at Thorpeness, near Leiston in eastern England, combining an 18-hole par-70 championship golf course with a 36-bedroom hotel and multiple food-and-beverage outlets. The course was designed in 1922 by five-time Open Champion James Braid and is playable 365 days a year, supported by on-site greenkeeping infrastructure including a borehole and water recycling system. The hotel offers five room categories (Classic, Superior, Golf View, Patio, and Braid Lodge), dining venues Ogilvie's Restaurant (tee-view grill house), Braid's Bar, and seasonal Afternoon Tea, plus the family-oriented Jiggers nine-hole miniature course on the Meare.

The property generates revenue across six streams: (1) visitor green fees and DBB golf break packages, (2) hotel accommodation bookings, (3) annual and points-based golf memberships, (4) PGA coaching from three professionals, (5) food and beverage including event catering, and (6) corporate events for 2-50 delegates. Distribution combines direct website and phone bookings, third-party OTAs (Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Your Golf Travel, Golf Breaks, Off Peak Luxury), corporate direct sales, and influencer-led content marketing via YouTube personalities Peter Finch and The Jazzy Golfer. The business is operated as a trading division of The Hotel Folk Limited (company number 03098213), a private Suffolk hospitality group that owns seven hotels in the region, enabling cross-property membership benefits and shared marketing.

Operationally, the venue targets four primary customer segments: golfers (members and visitors), leisure guests on coastal breaks, corporate and business clients, and families/junior golfers via a £95 junior membership and Jiggers mini golf. The site has accumulated environmental credentials including BIGGA regional awards (2004-2005), STRI awards (2011-2012), Suffolk Carbon Charter Gold (2012) and Bronze (2023), and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Recent activity centers on incremental coaching capacity (a third PGA hire in late 2024), refreshed seasonal packages for 2026, and continued community event programming such as the annual Regatta and charity golf days.

Name

Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel

Legal name

The Hotel Folk Limited

Website

https://thorpeness.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel is a Suffolk-based hospitality venue operating a James Braid-designed 18-hole championship golf course, a 36-bedroom hotel, dining outlets, and coaching services, serving golfers, leisure guests, corporate clients, and families as part of The Hotel Folk group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Resort and Country Club Hospitality

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910), Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Golf & Leisure Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAH), Golf Clubs & Tournament-Host Clubs (Professional/Elite Golf Clubs) (MPAKABAE)

Keywords

• Golf course operations
• Hotel accommodation
• Golf coaching services
• Corporate event venues
• Hospitality services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leiston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Green Fees: Visitor green fees for 18-hole championship course, playable 365 days a year. Rates vary by season and time of day.
2. Hotel Accommodation: 36 en-suite bedrooms across main hotel, Lakeside building, and Braid Lodge. Room types include Classic, Superior, Golf View, and Patio rooms.
3. Golf Membership: Annual memberships (Full £1495, age-related tiers), Jubilee Flexible points-based membership (100-300 units), and Junior membership (£95). Includes unlimited play, member rates, and discounts.
4. Golf Coaching: PGA Professional coaching services including individual lessons, group clinics, golf schools, and junior coaching. Provided by Christine Langford, Daniel Skriabin, and Harry Mills.
5. Food and Beverage: Ogilvie's Restaurant (tee-view), Braid's Bar, Afternoon Tea service, Sunday Roast, and event catering. Full bar service with local Adnams drinks.
6. Corporate Events and Functions: Meeting rooms (Library for up to 10, Lakeside Suite for up to 50), team building activities, private dining, and corporate golf days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel operates a 36-bedroom hotel alongside an 18-hole par 70 championship golf course designed by James Braid in 1922, playable 365 days a year. The venue offers multiple dining outlets (Ogilvie's Restaurant and Braid's Bar), PGA professional coaching, golf memberships, stay-and-play golf break packages, corporate event facilities for 2-50 delegates, and seasonal packages including Christmas and New Year breaks.

Product overview

Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel operates as a single-property hospitality venue combining an 18-hole championship golf course designed by James Braid in 1922 with a 36-bedroom hotel and multiple dining outlets. The core offering centers on the par-70 coastal heathland golf course, complemented by hotel accommodation across five room types (Classic, Superior, Golf View, Patio, and Braid Lodge), two restaurants (Ogilvie's Restaurant and Braid's Bar), and leisure facilities including Jiggers mini-golf. Additional revenue streams include golf membership programs (Annual, Jubilee Flexible, and Junior), golf coaching from three PGA professionals, golf break packages, corporate event hire, and seasonal programming such as Christmas and New Year packages, Afternoon Tea service, and the annual Regatta event. The property is dog-friendly andwelcomes both golfers and leisure guests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 18-Hole Championship Golf Course

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 100 UK golf course ranking
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Peter Finch (YouTube Golf Influencer)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with PGA Professional and YouTube sensation Peter Finch (200,000+ subscribers) for exclusive video and social media content filmed at Thorpeness. Includes instructional videos, equipment reviews, and travel vlogs released over 8-week period in July-August 2019. Followers had chance to win exclusive prizes including stay & play golf break for four people.
• The Jazzy Golfer (Jasmine)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with Jasmine (The Jazzy Golfer) for content creation and promotional activities. Partnered for head-to-head challenge match at Thorpeness in September 2019. Jasmine is presenter for European Tour and Ladies European Tour, and official presenter for 2019 Solheim Cup.
• Suffolk Sandlings ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership working with Suffolk Sandlings Project to conserve and enhance the local environment around the golf course and SSSI area.
• Suffolk Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Suffolk Wildlife Trust to ensure the club works in harmony with the local environment, supporting wildlife conservation efforts.
• English NatureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with English Nature to ensure golf course operations support rather than harm local natural environment and conservation efforts.
• AdnamsminorOthersLocal Suffolk brewery and distillery. Adnams products served in bar (Copper House Dry Gin used for Pink Gin cocktails). Adnams tours and experiences promoted as nearby attraction.
• The Hotel Folk GroupcoreOthersParent company operating 7 hotels in Suffolk region (Thorpeness, Brudenell, White Lion, Swan at Lavenham, Crown at Woodbridge, Crown & Castle). Shared membership benefits, cross-promotion, and loyalty program across all properties.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club: Historic Kent links with Open Championship pedigree. Comparable as a high-prestige UK coastal championship course with F&B and member/visitor revenue mix, though without Thorpeness's attached hotel; useful for benchmarking premium green-fee pricing.
• Trump Turnberry: Luxury Scottish coastal golf resort with multiple championship courses, hotel, spa, and F&B. Comparable as a destination coastal golf property with year-round play and a multi-revenue model, though at a meaningfully higher price point than Thorpeness.
• Slaley Hall: Northumberland golf and leisure resort with hotel, spa, F&B, and event facilities. Comparable as a UK regional multi-revenue golf destination with similar member/visitor/corporate mix, providing a benchmark outside the coastal segment.
• The Grove: Hertfordshire luxury golf and hotel resort combining championship golf, spa, multiple F&B outlets, and corporate events. Comparable in offering breadth (golf + hotel + F&B + events) but at the higher end of the market, useful for premium-segment benchmarking.

Direct peers

• Hunstanton Golf Club: Norfolk coastal championship course comparable in setting and design philosophy to Thorpeness. Both are traditional British links/heathland courses with F&B, membership, and visitor green-fee models, making Hunstanton a useful pricing and demand benchmark for East Anglian coastal golf.
• Saunton Golf Club: Devon-based championship links with on-site accommodation and clubhouse F&B. Directly comparable as a coastal championship course with similar revenue mix of green fees, memberships, accommodation, and event hosting.
• Prince's Golf Club: Kent coastal championship course hosting Open Championship qualifying events. Comparable to Thorpeness as a UK championship links-style course with lodge accommodation, F&B, memberships, and event hosting for high-spending golf tourists.
• Woodhall Spa Golf Hotel: UK golf resort combining championship heathland/parkland courses with on-site hotel accommodation, F&B, and coaching. Closely comparable business model to Thorpeness: course-led destination with attached rooms, retail, and member/visitor dual revenue model.
• St Mellion International Resort: Cornwall-based golf and leisure resort featuring championship courses, hotel rooms, and spa/F&B. Comparable as a UK regional golf-resort destination combining on-site accommodation, dining, memberships, and corporate events with seasonal demand patterns.
• The Brudenell Hotel: Sister property within The Hotel Folk group located in Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast. Directly comparable as a coastal Suffolk hotel operated under the same management, loyalty scheme, and cross-promotion platform, making it the closest direct peer for benchmarking occupancy, F&B, and group-wide guest behavior.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thorpenesscouk

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel