Green Circle Leisure

What Green Circle Leisure does

Green Circle Leisure is a private UK hospitality company that operates, develops, and manages a portfolio of golf courses and ancillary leisure venues in the North West of England, primarily through long-dated public-private partnerships with local authorities. The company runs four core venues — Allerton Manor Golf Club (Liverpool, since November 2015), Kirkby Valley Golf Club (since 2015), Sherdley Park Golf Club (St Helens, since June 2018), and Formby Hall Golf Resort — under 150-year institutional leases with Liverpool City Council and St Helens Council, with Knowsley Council as planning authority for Kirkby Valley. The portfolio offers par 71-72 parkland and championship courses, multiple dining venues (The Old Stables Restaurant, Fletcher's Sports Bar, The Park Bar & Kitchen, The Valley Bar & Kitchen), event and wedding spaces, golf shops, and a Formby Hall spa that won Resident Spa of the Year at the 2019 North West Beauty Awards. The company differentiates on a 'luxury-standard at pay-and-play prices' positioning, restoring Grade II listed heritage buildings (the Allerton Manor stable block won an LABC North West Building Excellence Award) to create venues that compete with private members' clubs on amenity while remaining accessible to the general public.

The business model combines six distinct revenue streams: green fees and pay-and-play golf (transactional), food and beverage across multiple on-site restaurants and bars (transactional), weddings and corporate events (transactional), golf club memberships (recurring), and a planned hotel and spa offering at Allerton Manor and Formby Hall. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Green Circle Developments, provides in-house construction and landscaping services that build and remodel championship-standard courses, evidenced by work at Allerton Manor and Sherdley Park. Committed investment totals approximately £36.5M across the Allerton Manor masterplan (£15M), the Kirkby Valley masterplan (£20M), the Sherdley Park clubhouse refurbishment (£1M), and associated plant and machinery (£500k). Technology dependencies are limited to third-party SaaS tools — Intelligent Golf for tee-time scheduling, Purple Wi-Fi for guest connectivity, and ResDiary for restaurant reservations — with no proprietary software. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer at the venues, supplemented by a small sales team (led by Golf Sales Executive Lois Astley) for memberships, corporate events, and weddings, and by tender processes for local authority partnerships. Customers include individual golfers and diners, families, corporate hospitality clients, and three named local authority partners; the company is founder-led by CEO Michael J Hanlon with 51-100 employees, an Operations Director (Craig Coley), and a recently appointed Group Director of Golf (Ross Astley, January 2025).

Name

Green Circle Leisure

Legal name

Green Circle Leisure Limited

Website

https://greencircleleisure.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Course Operations & Leisure Hospitality

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910), Landscaping Services (561730)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Hotels & Motels (7011), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Golf Resorts (THAGACAH), Athletic Field & Golf Course Groundskeeping (IMAIAIAH)

Keywords

• Golf course management
• Public golf operations
• Leisure hospitality services
• Clubhouse dining events
• Golf course development

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Green Fees and Golf Play: Revenue from golfers playing the company's golf courses at Allerton Manor, Sherdley Park, Kirkby Valley, and Formby Hall through pay-and-play pricing model. The company emphasizes affordable access for all.
2. Food and Beverage: Revenue from multiple dining venues across properties including The Old Stables Restaurant, Upstairs at The Manor (events), Fletcher's Sports Bar, The Manor Street Kitchen, The Park Bar & Kitchen, and The Valley Bar & Kitchen.
3. Events and Functions: Revenue from hosting weddings, corporate events, celebrations, and other private functions at multi-purpose event spaces across the clubs.
4. Hotel and Spa Services: Planned revenue from boutique hotel accommodations (66-bedroom hotel at Allerton Manor) and spa services at Formby Hall. Formby Hall offers luxurious rooms with spa facilities and has won Resident Spa of the Year at North West Beauty Awards 2019.
5. Golf Course Development Services: Green Circle Developments provides construction and landscaping services for golf course transformations, evidenced by work at Allerton Manor and Sherdley Park. This includes championship-standard course development.
6. Membership Fees: Revenue from golf club memberships at the various facilities, with active sales efforts managed by Golf Sales Executive Lois Astley to grow membership bases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Green Circle Leisure operates and manages a portfolio of four golf clubs and leisure venues across North West England (Allerton Manor, Sherdley Park, Kirkby Valley, and Formby Hall), offering pay-and-play golf, dining, events/weddings, memberships, and planned hotel/spa services. Through its Green Circle Developments division, it also delivers golf course construction, remodelling, and landscaping services. Its model combines direct-to-consumer leisure operations with long-term public-private partnerships with local authorities managing municipal golf assets.

Product overview

Green Circle Leisure is a leisure development and management company operating a portfolio of golf clubs and leisure venues across the North West of England. The company operates four core golf club brands: Allerton Manor Golf Club (South Liverpool), Sherdley Park Golf Club (St Helens), Kirkby Valley Golf Club (Kirkby), and Formby Hall Golf Resort. Each venue offers golf, dining, events, and hospitality services. Supporting the club operations is Green Circle Developments, providing construction and landscaping services to transform golf courses to championship standard. The portfolio includes driving ranges, adventure golf attractions, academy facilities, multiple dining venues (restaurants, bars, event spaces), and plans for hotel and spa facilities. The company partners with local authorities to revitalize municipal golf courses while maintaining affordable public access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Green Circle Developments: Construction and landscaping specialists capable of transforming golf courses into Championship standard courses. Evidence of this can be seen in the course transformations of Allerton Manor and Sherdley Park.

Products and services

• Allerton Manor Golf Club Multi-award winning golf club in South Liverpool operated on a long-term institutional lease with Liverpool City Council. Features a par 72 championship course, multiple dining venues (The Old Stables Restaurant, Upstairs at the Manor, Fletcher's Sports Bar, Manor Street Kitchen), event spaces, and planned 66-bedroom boutique hotel and spa development. Targets golfers, families, diners, event hosters, and corporate clients.
• Sherdley Park Golf Club 71 par parkland golf course set in mature woodlands of Sherdley Park in St Helens, operated under a 150-year lease with St Helens Council. Features Mackenzie greens, tree-lined fairways, The Park Bar & Kitchen dining venue, and a refurbished golf shop. Includes a £1 million clubhouse refurbishment completed in May 2019.
• Kirkby Valley Golf Club 72 par parkland golf course founded in 1928, operated by Green Circle since 2015. Features tree-lined fairways with River Alt running through it. Includes The Valley Bar & Kitchen restaurant and event space, with a £20 million masterplan development approved including championship course, academy course, driving range, and adventure golf.
• Formby Hall Golf Resort

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 anticipated new jobs from Allerton Manor transformation development
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Knowsley CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Knowsley Council serves as the planning authority for Kirkby Valley Golf Club masterplan. Partnership developed with Liverpool City Council (landlord) and inclusive consultation with members, golfers, and wider community to provide integrated sporting and leisure facilities.
• International Design Group (IDG)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 November 2023Leading international golf architects engaged to design the masterplan vision for Kirkby Valley (£20 million investment) and previously for Sherdley Park course remodelling. IDG has designed award-winning courses and golf destinations across Europe, North America, and Asia.
• Brock CarmichaelminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Renowned Liverpool-based architecture firm engaged to design the proposed 4-star boutique hotel at Allerton Manor Golf Course. Firm developing designs to save and restore remaining facades of the original Grade II listed Manor House.
• St Helens CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2018Green Circle appointed in June 2018 by St Helens Council to manage and operate the loss-making Sherdley Park Golf Course on a new 150 year institutional lease. Council retains ownership while Green Circle provides investment and operational expertise.
• Liverpool City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2015Long-term partnership with Liverpool City Council to operate and transform municipal golf courses. Green Circle appointed to manage Allerton Manor Golf Club (November 2015) and Kirkby Valley Golf Club (2015). The partnership involves significant private investment to transform loss-making council assets into thriving community leisure destinations while maintaining public accessibility.
• Hill Dickinson LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal advisors to Green Circle Leisure. Listed as part of the Green Circle Consultants team providing specialist counsel.
• Roman Summer AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPlanning consultants engaged by Green Circle Leisure. Listed as part of the Green Circle Consultants team providing specialist counsel.
• Ratcliffe Groves PartnershipminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitects engaged by Green Circle Leisure. Listed as part of the Green Circle Consultants team providing specialist counsel.
• Ecology ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEcology consultants engaged for comprehensive habitat survey and ecological strategy recommendations. Undertook habitat survey with recommendations to increase habitats for local wildlife.
• Graem Ives Heritage PlanningminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHeritage consultants engaged by Green Circle Leisure for heritage planning matters, particularly relevant to Grade II listed building restoration at Allerton Manor.
• John Dixon and Associates LTDminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInterior design consultancy engaged by Green Circle Leisure. Listed as part of the Green Circle Consultants team providing specialist counsel.
• Harry Larry GaryminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBranding and design agency engaged by Green Circle Leisure. Listed as part of the Green Circle Consultants team providing specialist counsel.
• TorominorOthersGolf course maintenance machinery provider. Toro equipment has been at the forefront of Green Circle Leisure's investment in Allerton Manor Golf Club (5 years) and Sherdley Park Golf Club, continuing into the next stage of development.
• Ross Astley (Former Employer)minorOthersPrior to joining Green Circle, Ross Astley (now Group Director of Golf) led the Golf Business within Champneys Golf and Spa Group and worked with partners including Ferrari, Aston Martin, BMW, Manchester City FC, and Manchester United on corporate golf events.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Macdonald Hotels & Resorts: UK hotel group operating multiple golf resorts across the country with integrated spa and F&B offerings. Directly comparable multi-site golf-resort model and is named in Green Circle's leadership recruitment history.
• QHotels: UK-based hotel and golf collection operating championship golf courses attached to 4-star hotels. Direct comparable in the multi-site UK golf-resort space and in serving both leisure golfers and corporate event clients.
• Champneys: Luxury UK health spa and golf resort group operating destination resorts with golf, spa, and hospitality. Closest luxury-resort comparable and explicitly named as Ross Astley's prior employer, signalling direct talent overlap.
• The Celtic Manor Resort: Welsh destination resort operating multiple golf courses, a hotel, spa, and large-scale event/conference facilities. Comparable integrated golf + lodging + events model at premium price points.
• De Vere (formerly De Vere Venues): UK portfolio of country house hotels, many with championship golf courses, focused on events, weddings, and corporate hospitality. Directly comparable to Green Circle's multi-purpose event/golf venue model.
• Burhill Group: Long-established UK golf club and leisure operator managing multiple clubs and associated hospitality venues. Direct comparable in the multi-venue UK golf/leisure operator space.
• Hand Picked Hotels: UK collection of country house hotels, many featuring golf, spa, and event facilities. Comparable multi-property UK operator in the golf-attached luxury hospitality space.
• Crown Golf (BGL Group): UK's largest owner-operator of golf clubs with a multi-site pay-and-play and membership portfolio. Closest direct peer in operating many golf clubs as a unified portfolio at the mid-market price point.

Broad incumbents

• Troon Golf: Global golf course management and hospitality company operating hundreds of courses worldwide. A broader incumbent that operates similar third-party-managed golf and hospitality venues and represents a potential exit/investment partner at scale.
• Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club: Marriott-branded UK golf resort with championship course, hotel, spa, and event facilities. A broad incumbent comparable in attaching a championship golf course to a hotel and event business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Green Circle Leisure