Verulam Golf Club

What Verulam Golf Club does

Verulam Golf Club is a private members' golf club incorporated as The Verulam Golf Club Limited, operating from a single 18-hole, par-72, 6,429-yard parkland course at 226 London Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire. The course was designed by James Braid in 1905 and formally opened on 27 April 1912; the club is historically significant as the home club of Samuel Ryder, who served as Captain when he first presented the Ryder Cup trophy in 1927. Membership categories are largely closed with waiting lists in operation, and revenue is generated across nine streams: membership subscriptions (Full, 6-Day, 5-Day, Intermediate, Junior, Long Distance, Social and Academy tiers), green fees, pro shop and custom fitting, individual and group tuition, corporate memberships (£1,615 p.a. plus VAT, 3-member minimum), private events and functions in the Samuel Ryder Function Suite and meeting rooms, food and beverage, junior academy programmes, and competition entry fees for in-house opens. The club's technology stack runs on the intelligentgolf v10.1.2 platform for membership, tee-time booking and competition management, complemented by a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor, SAM PuttLab, Boditrak pressure mat and Golf Genius interactive scoring software. Go-to-market is primarily direct: visitor tee-time booking is self-serve online; society and corporate packages are sold through the Operations Manager; weddings, parties and meetings are booked via the Events Coordinator; and PGA-led coaching, custom fitting and retail are sold through the on-site pro shop and joelsaundersgolf.co.uk. Four PGA professionals and a small management team support operations, with no external parent, no venture funding, and ownership held by the membership.

Name

Verulam Golf Club

Legal name

The Verulam Golf Club Limited

Website

https://verulamgolf.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Verulam Golf Club is a private 18-hole members' golf club in St Albans, UK, founded in 1905 on a James Braid-designed course and known as the Home of the Ryder Cup. It serves individual members, corporate members, societies, visiting golfers, junior academy players, and private event clients across golf, coaching, retail, and hospitality revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Members Golf Club

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

Keywords

• Private golf club
• Golf membership
• Golf course access
• Golf coaching services
• Club fitting

Headquarters

HQ city

Hereford

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: Annual membership subscriptions across multiple categories (Full, 6-Day, 5-Day, Intermediate, Junior, Long Distance, Social, Academy). Members receive a bar card giving 15% discount on drinks and bar food. Membership year runs 1 August to 31 July. Additional affiliation fees charged for Herts Golf and England Golf.
2. Green Fees: Visitors pay green fees to play the course. Summer green fees range from £60 (Monday visitor) to £80 (weekend after 1:30pm). Buggy hire available separately at £35 for members and £40 for visitors per 18 holes.
3. Pro Shop Sales & Custom Fitting: The professional shop sells golf equipment and apparel from brands including Callaway, PING, TaylorMade, Mizuno, Titleist, Cleveland, Srixon, LAB Golf, J.Lindeberg, Under Armour, Odyssey, and FootJoy. Custom fitting sessions are charged at £60 per session. Pro shop headed by PGA Head Professional Joel Saunders.
4. Golf Tuition & Coaching: Individual and group lessons delivered by PGA professionals. Individual lessons range from £45 (40-min with PGA Professional) to £80 (60-min with Head Professional). Junior group classes at £10 for members and £15 for non-members. Holiday camps at £40-£45 per day.
5. Corporate Membership: Corporate memberships sold to businesses at £1,615 per person plus VAT annually, with a minimum of three company members. Includes playing rights, clubhouse access, and 15% discount on food and bar purchases via bar card.
6. Private Events & Functions: Revenue from weddings, parties, christenings, and meetings held in the Samuel Ryder Function Suite and Spike Bar. Weddings accommodate up to 110 guests for silver service dinner or 150 for buffet. Christmas events include shared party nights at £59 per person and private hire. Meeting rooms available on day delegate or half-day delegate rates.
7. Junior Academy & Membership: Samuel Ryder Golf Junior Academy provides structured coaching pathways for juniors aged 4-18. Includes weekly group classes, holiday camps, individual tuition, and Academy memberships (Practice Membership at £120/year adults, £50/year juniors; Graduate Membership Pathway at £673-£1,346 per year).
8. Competition Entry Fees: Open competitions charge entry fees per team: Senior Open £172.50, Ladies Weekday Open £230, Junior Open £35 (visitors) / £25 (members), Ladies Weekend Open £90-£110, Senior Better Ball Open £230, Samuel Ryder Trophy £145, Captains Charity Day £220 per team.
9. Society & Corporate Golf Packages: Society packages sold to groups of 12+ on weekdays. Summer packages (April-October) range from £90 (The Abe Mitchell - Monday-Thursday) to £105 (The James Braid - Friday), including green fees, meals, and optional Golf Genius scoring upgrades.
10. Food & Beverage: Clubhouse bar and restaurant generating revenue from food and drink sales. Members receive 15% discount via bar card. Includes bar snacks, fine dining meals, breakfast, lunch, and event catering. Newly refurbished bar with 12 varieties of gin.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Verulam Golf Club is a private members' golf club founded in 1905 in St Albans, UK, offering access to an 18-hole James Braid-designed parkland course alongside PGA-led coaching, custom club fitting, a pro shop, food and beverage, and venue hire for weddings, corporate events and society days. The club is historically significant as the home of the Ryder Cup, with Samuel Ryder donating the trophy in 1927.

Product overview

Verulam Golf Club is a traditional members' golf club offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services built around its 18-hole James Braid-designed parkland golf course established in 1905. The core offering comprises the golf course itself, professional coaching and custom fitting services (Samuel Ryder Academy), and event venues (Samuel Ryder Function Suite for weddings and private hire). Supporting services include Society Golf Packages (Abe Mitchell, Samuel Ryder, James Braid), Academy Membership pathways for beginners, meeting and conference facilities, a Pro Shop, and various clubhouse dining options. The club is historically significant as the Home of the Ryder Cup, where Samuel Ryder first presented the trophy in 1927. Membership categories range from full 7-day to social memberships, with structured progression pathways through the Academy programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Samuel Ryder Junior Academy: Junior golf coaching programme designed by PGA Professional Coaches for young golfers aged 4-18, offering group classes, holiday camps, and individual tuition.
• Verulam Pro Shop

Products and services

• Private Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Amateur course record of 67 and professional course record of 66
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Foremost GolfcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoel Saunders is a member of Foremost Golf, the largest golf buying group. Through this network, the pro shop has access to all major golf club brands and offers a price match guarantee. Joel was named Marketing Professional of the Year in 2015 through this affiliation.
• CallawaycoreTechnology or IntegrationJoel Saunders is a Callaway brand ambassador with access to the largest array of upgraded shafts ranging from Graphite Design AD-I to Oban Kyioshi and Tenseis. Custom fitting for Callaway clubs available at the pro shop. Full range of Callaway equipment stocked and sold.
• PINGcoreTechnology or IntegrationApproved custom fitting specialist for PING golf clubs. PING putters also stocked. Full fitting and equipment services available.
• TaylorMadecoreTechnology or IntegrationApproved custom fitting specialist for TaylorMade clubs. TaylorMade putters also stocked. Equipment sold at the pro shop with next-day delivery available.
• MizunocoreTechnology or IntegrationApproved custom fitting specialist for Mizuno golf clubs. Mizuno putters also stocked. Equipment available at the pro shop.
• L.A.B GolfcoreTechnology or IntegrationApproved custom fitting specialist for L.A.B Golf putters. The studio is one of only a handful of official LAB Golf putting centres in the United Kingdom. Wide range of L.A.B Golf putters stocked.
• Odyssey (Callaway)coreTechnology or IntegrationOdyssey putters stocked and fitted at the pro shop, including custom fitting services using the studio's Foresight GC Quad and SAM PuttLab technology.
• Foresight SportscoreTechnology or IntegrationThe golf studio uses the Foresight GC Quad launch monitor for custom fitting sessions and coaching. This technology captures club head speed, horizontal club path, smash factor, dynamic loft and lie, and impact location data with tour-proven accuracy.
• SAM PuttLabcoreTechnology or IntegrationSAM PuttLab is used for putter custom fitting and coaching at the golf studio. It is described as the world's most accurate and comprehensive putt analysis and training system, providing detailed analysis of putting stroke parameters with easy-to-understand graphic reports.
• Hatfield Lexus Junior Golf LeagueminorOthersJunior members of Verulam Golf Club have the opportunity to represent the club in the Hatfield Lexus Junior Golf League and Ver League, providing competitive match play experience.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ganton Golf Club: Members' golf club in Yorkshire and former Ryder Cup/host venue. Comparable UK heritage members' club model with elite championship pedigree, clubhouse, and competitive tournaments.
• The Berkshire Golf Club: Private members' club in Ascot with two 18-hole courses. Comparable to Verulam as a UK premium heritage members' club offering top-tier golf, clubhouse dining, and corporate/society packages.
• Sunningdale Golf Club: Historic private members' golf club in Berkshire with two 18-hole championship courses. Comparable as a heritage UK private members' club with waiting lists, professional coaching, and high-end F&B/events.
• The Wisley Golf Club: Private members' golf club in Surrey, England, operating multiple courses plus a clubhouse. Closely comparable as a UK premium private members' club offering memberships, F&B, events, and reciprocal arrangements.
• Woodhall Spa Golf Club: Members' club in Lincolnshire with two 18-hole courses plus hotel. Comparable multi-course members' club with strong coaching and event hosting similar to Verulam's diversified offering.
• Foxhills Club & Resort: Private members' club and resort in Surrey with 18-hole and 9-hole courses, extensive event venues and F&B. Comparable on membership model, events business (weddings, meetings), coaching, and corporate entertainment positioning.
• North Hants Golf Club: Private members' club in Hampshire founded in 1904, the year before Verulam. Closely comparable founding era, members-only model, and southern England private-club profile.
• Royal Liverpool Golf Club: Links members' club in Hoylake and Open Championship rota venue. Comparable UK heritage private members' club with elite championship credentials.
• Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club: Links members' golf club in Kent and former Open Championship venue. Comparable to Verulam as a UK heritage private members' club, with limited visitor access and tournament pedigree.

Broad incumbents

• Wentworth Club: Large private members' club in Surrey with three courses, hotel, spa, and major events (BMW PGA). Comparable as a UK private members' golf club, but materially larger scale and broader amenity mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/verulamgc
• Facebookfacebook.com/HomeofTheRyderCup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verulam-golf-club-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Verulam Golf Club