Golf and Country Club Cologne

What Golf and Country Club Cologne does

Golf- und Land-Club Köln e.V. is a private members' golf club (eingetragener Verein / registered association) founded in 1906 on Cologne's horse racing track, making it one of the first golf clubs in Germany. The club is headquartered at Golfplatz 2, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach (Refrath), where its core asset—an 18-hole championship parkland course designed by Germany's most famous golf course architect, Bernhard von Limburger—sits among the forests of Refrath. The course, featuring strategic tree lines, water hazards, and gently undulating terrain, is self-described as one of the best facilities in Germany, and the club grounds also include a modernized practice area with 20 artificial turf tees, 12 hitting boxes, floodlit facilities, and dedicated pitching, chipping, and putting greens.

The business is organized around five revenue streams: recurring membership fees (individual, spousal, family, and time-limited tiers with age-graded youth categories from age 5 through 28), one-time green fees of €140 per 18-hole round (restricted to weekday pre-1 PM play with an HCPI 36.0 handicap requirement), pro shop sales operated by partner Golf und Günstig OHG (carrying Callaway, Ping, Mizuno, Titleist, Galvin Green, FootJoy, Ecco, and others, plus fitting and repair services), gastronomy operated by Crème de la Paran GmbH (modern crossover/Mediterranean cuisine, Tuesday–Sunday), and tournament/event fees spanning weekly club tournaments (Herrengolf, Damengolf, Seniorengolf, Rabbit, After Work), club championships, and the newly acquired 2026 VcG Köln Open (a Pro Golf Tour / German Swing event with €40,000 prize fund). The club also operates a youth development pipeline starting at age 5 and fields twelve competitive teams across ladies, men's, age-class (AK 30/50/65/75), and youth squads competing in the German Golf League (2. Bundesliga), GVNRW-Liga, Regionalliga, and Bezirksliga. Three PGA of Germany-certified professionals—Head Pro Thomas Riechert, Jens Bümming, Torsten Giedeon (15+ years across European/Senior/South African/Asian Tours), and 2026 addition Zita Arndt—deliver instruction using TrackMan radar and video analysis. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the club's WordPress website, PC CADDIE member portal, social media (Facebook, Instagram), an internally produced golf podcast (Be good! Golf'n Talk), and the club's own tournament calendar.

The technology stack is conventional (WordPress, PC CADDIE, COPTR, Google Analytics/Fonts, social plugins), with no proprietary AI or data product. Governance rests with a Vorstand (board) led by President Jan Kunath and Club Manager Achim Lehnstaedt; ownership and control reside with the collective membership, and the club has no external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The enterprise carries 11–50 employees across professional staff, secretariat, and contracted service operators (pro shop and restaurant).

Name

Golf and Country Club Cologne

Legal name

Golf- und Land-Club Köln e.V.

Website

https://glckoeln.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Golf- und Land-Club Köln e.V. is a private members' golf club founded in 1906 in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, operating an 18-hole Bernhard von Limburger-designed championship course and serving families, competitive amateurs, youth, and senior golfers via memberships, green fees, pro shop, gastronomy, and tournament hosting including the 2026 VcG Köln Open.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

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

Keywords

• Private golf club
• Championship golf course
• Golf memberships
• Golf training services
• Competitive golf leagues

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergisch Gladbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees across multiple tiers including individual, spousal/family, and time-limited memberships with and without entry fees. Age-based categories for children (up to 12), youth (13–18), young adults (19–21), and junior/student (22–28).
2. Green Fees: Day visitor green fee of EUR 140 for the 18-hole course, payable by cash, EC card, or credit card. Driving range use included with green fee.
3. Pro Shop: Pro shop operated by Golf und Günstig OHG offering clubs, clothing, shoes, accessories, and trollies from brands including Callaway, Ping, Mizuno, Titleist, Ticad, Jucad, Galvin Green, Brax, Rhönisch, Daily Sports, Glenmuir, Alberto, Footjoy, and Ecco. Services include demo club loans, fitting sessions, and repair services.
4. Gastronomy: Club restaurant and bistro operated by Créme de la Paran GmbH, open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 AM, closed Mondays. Modern crossover cuisine with Mediterranean influences, using exclusively high-quality fresh products.
5. Tournament Entry Fees: Fees for competitive events and tournaments including club championships, VcG Köln Open, and regular weekly club tournaments such as Herrengolf, Damengolf, Seniorengolf, Rabbit tournaments, and After Work events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Golf- und Land-Club Köln e.V. is one of Germany's oldest private golf clubs, founded in 1906, operating an 18-hole championship parkland course designed by Bernhard von Limburger in the Refrath forests near Bergisch Gladbach/Cologne. The club offers tiered memberships (ordinary, family, youth, student, country, senior), PGA-certified professional training, twelve competitive league teams, on-site pro shop and gastronomy, and hosts tournaments including the VcG Köln Open on the Pro Golf Tour.

Product overview

Golf- und Land-Club Köln e.V. is a private golf club offering a unified set of services centered around its 18-hole championship golf course designed by Bernhard von Limburger. The core product is the golf course itself, complemented by ancillary services including a Pro Shop operated by Golf und Günstig, clubhouse gastronomy run by Créme de la Paran, professional golf training by PGA-certified instructors, youth development programs, competitive team golf, tournament hosting (including the VcG Köln Open), and various membership tiers. The club also provides practice facilities and guest access programs. The integrated ecosystem combines golf sport, hospitality, retail, and education services into a comprehensive club experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ordinary Membership (Ordentliche Mitgliedschaft)
• Family Membership (Familienmitgliedschaft)
• Youth Membership (Jugendmitgliedschaft, ages 5-18)
• Student Membership (Studentenmitgliedschaft, ages 19-27)
• Senior Membership (Seniorenmitgliedschaft)
• Country Membership (Landmitgliedschaft)
• Green Fee / Day Guest Playing
• PGA-Certified Professional Training
• Junior Golf Development Program
• Competitive League Teams (12 teams)
• Tournament Hosting (VcG Köln Open / Pro Golf Tour)
• On-Site Pro Shop
• Club Gastronomy

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• LacosteminorOthersListed as a partner of the Golf- und Land-Club Köln. Lacoste is a French premium apparel brand known for its polo shirts and sportswear.
• Köln Bonn AirportminorOthersListed as a partner of the Golf- und Land-Club Köln. Köln Bonn Airport (Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH) is the primary airport serving the Cologne/Bonn metropolitan region.
• Gaffel KölschminorOthersListed as a partner of the Golf- und Land-Club Köln. Gaffel is a traditional Cologne (Kölsch) beer brand brewed in Bonn, Germany.
• MeurinminorOthersSponsor of the VcG Köln Open 2026 tournament hosted at the Golf- und Land-Club Köln. Meurin is a German wine and sparkling wine producer.
• HLFH (Heinrich L，一道 Haan?)minorOthersSponsor of the VcG Köln Open 2026 tournament.
• Pfeifer HoldingminorOthersSponsor of the VcG Köln Open 2026 tournament. Pfeifer is a German family-owned industrial group.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Düsseldorfer Golf Club: Established NRW member club with 18-hole championship course and traditional clubhouse operations. Comparable on regional premium positioning, family-oriented programming, and league participation across multiple age classes.
• Golf- und Land-Club Berlin Wannsee: One of Germany's most prestigious traditional member golf clubs, also founded in the early 20th century and sharing the 'Golf- und Land-Club' naming convention. Directly comparable on heritage positioning, 18-hole championship parkland course, family and youth programming, and tiered membership structure — and is explicitly referenced as a former employer of GLC Köln's Zita Arndt.
• Frankfurter Golf Club: Historic German member club referenced as the PGA training ground for Zita Arndt. Comparable on premium member-only positioning, traditional 18-hole parkland course, and full PGA-certified instruction staff — making it a near-direct comp for GLC Köln's target member profile.
• Golf Club St. Leon-Rot: Top-tier German member club hosting Solheim Cup and other elite international events. Comparable on dual 18-hole championship setup, professional training infrastructure, and tier-1 tournament economics that GLC Köln is beginning to access via the VcG Köln Open.
• Golf Club Margarethenhof: Listed among Thomas Riechert's former clubs; a premium German member club with comparable full-service operations including course, instruction, and hospitality — useful for benchmarking similar PGA-led instruction programs.
• Golf Club Hubbelrath: Leading NRW-based member golf club, host of the European Open on the DP World Tour. Direct comparable on regional competitive positioning, premium member-club structure, and elite tournament-hosting capability in the same German market as GLC Köln.
• Golf Club Bonn-Godesberg: Regional Rhineland member club explicitly cited as the PGA training ground of Head Pro Thomas Riechert. Comparable on regional member-base profile, 18-hole course, and tradition of professional instruction.
• Münchener Golf Club: Prestigious southern German member club with a classic 18-hole championship parkland course, comparable tournament and league presence, and similar member-club etiquette. Provides a near-direct comparable on premium positioning and breadth of competitive teams.
• Hamburger Golf Club: Germany's oldest golf club (founded 1906), paralleling GLC Köln's centennial heritage. Operates an 18-hole championship course with elite tournament hosting and traditional member-club structure — the closest heritage comp in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Golf- und Country Club Seddiner See: Larger German member club operating two 18-hole courses and broader resort-style amenities. Comparable in serving the premium German member-golf segment with a wider amenity footprint — useful as a broader benchmark for upsell opportunities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Golf and Country Club Cologne