Affinity Management
Professional management and advisory firm for private clubs, country clubs, golf courses, and equestrian centers, offering turnkey management, consulting, and subscription content across 26 states plus international engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersKeswick, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Affinity Management does
Affinity Management is a professional services firm founded in 1997 that specializes in the management and consulting of private clubs, country clubs, golf courses, and equestrian centers. Headquartered in Keswick, Virginia with an additional presence in Charlottesville, Virginia, the firm operates across 26 states plus international engagements with approximately 23 employees. The company was co-founded by David R. Swales and Damon S. DeVito (deceased 2023).
The firm's core offerings fall into three streams: turnkey managed services, advisory engagements, and content products. Under turnkey management, Affinity assumes full operational responsibility for a club and is compensated via a base management fee plus a performance fee. Advisory services are delivered on hourly or project-based terms to club boards, owners, asset managers, and lenders, often for distressed or transitioning properties. Content products include "The Affinity Report" subscription newsletter, web conferences, and white papers. Named managed properties include Ferncroft Country Club, Musket Ridge, Historic Equity Country Club, Silver Spring, Willow Run, Wild Pines, Bull & Bear, and Meadow Creek.
The business model blends recurring managed-services revenue with episodic advisory work and a small subscription content stream. The firm reports no proprietary technology platform and no AI/ML capabilities, relying on professional expertise and operational relationships as its primary value drivers. Strategic partnerships (Acumen Golf, MembersFirst, LPGA Symetra Tour affiliations) extend the service surface, and the firm has executed at least one property acquisition (Ferncroft, 2006) and one bank-assisted acquisition (Musket Ridge from PNC Bank, 2011).
Affinity Management firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Affinity Management
- Legal name
- Affinity Management
- Website
- https://affinitymanagement.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Professional management and advisory firm for private clubs, country clubs, golf courses, and equestrian centers, offering turnkey management, consulting, and subscription content across 26 states plus international engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Affinity Management is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Keswick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Affinity Management business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Turnkey/Professional Management Services: Full-service club management engagements where Affinity manages all club operations. Fees consist of base management fee plus performance fees based on achievement of revenue or income targets. Engagement terms typically 3-5 years.
- Advisory/Consulting Services: Project-based or hourly consulting on membership, marketing, HR, finance, food & beverage, and other club management areas. No minimum engagement size.
- The Affinity Report (Paid Newsletter): Biweekly paid newsletter delivering industry data, trends, anecdotes and predictions. Includes Club Conversations bonus content and access to The A List members-only website. $150/year regular price, promotional $99 for charter subscribers.
- Web Conference Archive Access: Full web conference archive available only to paid subscribers of The Affinity Report.
- White Papers: Independently published white papers on club management topics. Most are free. Some premium content may require subscription.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | The Affinity Report paid subscription |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | White papers |
| Other | Monthly | Turnkey Management fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Affinity Management product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Affinity Management is a professional services firm that provides full-service turnkey management and advisory consulting to private clubs, country clubs, golf courses, and equestrian centers. Turnkey engagements (typically 3-5 year terms) cover daily operations, staffing, financial reporting, and strategic planning. Advisory engagements are project- or hourly-based and cover membership growth, marketing, HR, finance, food and beverage, and rebranding. The firm also publishes a paid newsletter, free newsletter, and educational content for club industry professionals.
Product overview
Affinity Management offers a integrated portfolio of professional club management and advisory services for private clubs, golf courses, country clubs, and equestrian centers. The core offerings consist of Turnkey/Professional Management (full operational control) and Advisory Services (consulting engagements). Supporting these are content products including the free Memberandum newsletter, paid The Affinity Report newsletter ($99/year), and The A List private members-only website. Educational offerings include Web Conferences (periodic industry discussions) and White Papers on key topics. The company also provides Free Tools (downloadable management resources) and documented Client Case Studies demonstrating measurable results. Founded in 1997, the firm operates in 26 states plus international engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Memberandum: Free biweekly newsletter delivered by email to subscribers, covering industry wisdom and actionable tips for club management.
- The Affinity Report
- The A List
- Club Conversations
Products and services
- Professional Management / Turnkey Management
Quantifiable outcome
- Every past turnkey client realized quantifiable benefits within first month exceeding annual fees for entire year
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Affinity Management
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Affinity Management technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Affinity Management partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Acumen GolfminorAffinity formed strategic alliance with Acumen Golf for golf business development and management services.
- LPGA Symetra TourcoreMusket Ridge Golf Club hosted the Challenge at Musket Ridge tournament in August 2012. Partnership with Symetra Tour (Road to the LPGA) to showcase future golf stars and raise funds for women and children's programs.
- Frederick County Commission for Women (FCCW)corePartnership with FCCW to run the Challenge at Musket Ridge LPGA Symetra Tour event, raising funds for programs supporting women and children in Frederick County.
- Rock 'N' Renew FoundationcorePartnership for Bokashi composting program at Musket Ridge. Foundation provides expertise and oversees the composting operation. Connected program with Valley Elementary School green team for educational outreach.
- Valley Elementary SchoolminorPartnership through Rock 'N' Renew Foundation to provide connection for school's 'green team' and organic gardening efforts using Musket Ridge's composting output.
- Boston Lobsters (World Team Tennis)minorFerncroft Country Club serves as home venue for Boston Lobsters World Team Tennis franchise.
- Celebrity Marketing, Inc. (CMI)minorCMI provides celebrity support during Ferncroft Jr. Golf Classic fundraising tournament pairing golfers with celebrities. Helped make junior scholarship program possible.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Affinity Management competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- McMahon Group: McMahon Group is a club industry consulting firm that provides strategic planning, facility planning, and member research to private clubs, country clubs, and golf clubs. It is a direct peer on the advisory/consulting side of Affinity's business.
- KemperSports: KemperSports manages golf courses, country clubs, and hospitality venues with a focus on operational excellence and course conditioning. It directly competes with Affinity in private club and golf course management, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.
- Troon: Troon is the largest third-party golf and club management company in the world, providing turnkey management, advisory, and operational services to private clubs, daily-fee courses, and resorts. It is the most direct scaled competitor to Affinity's combined advisory and turnkey model.
- Billy Casper Golf (now part of BrightView Golf): BrightView Golf (formerly Billy Casper Golf) is one of the largest golf course management companies in the U.S., providing turnkey operations, consulting, and advisory services to public, private, and resort courses. It competes with Affinity's management and consulting business.
- Arcis Golf: Arcis Golf manages a portfolio of private, resort, and daily-fee golf clubs and country clubs across the U.S. It is a direct competitor to Affinity's turnkey management practice and overlaps on membership-growth and operational turnaround engagements.
- Heritage Golf Group: Heritage Golf Group owns and manages upscale private country clubs and golf clubs, with a similar dual owner-operator and third-party management model to Affinity. It competes for the same member-owned club acquisition and management opportunities.
Others
- Jonas Club Software: Jonas Club Software provides club management software (accounting, POS, membership, tee-time) to private clubs. Affinity partners with MembersFirst on website solutions and could use Jonas as a complement; relevant as a tech-vendor peer in the club services stack.
- National Golf Foundation: The National Golf Foundation is the industry research and advocacy body for golf in the U.S., publishing participation data that informs Affinity's advisory work. Affinity received an NGCOA (NGA-affiliated) award in 2012 for innovative golfer-embrace programs.
- Club Managers Association of America (CMAA): CMAA is the professional association for club managers and a key channel and credentialing body that Affinity engages with through speaking, content, and certifications. Not a direct competitor but shapes the buyer ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Invited Clubs (formerly ClubCorp): Invited Clubs operates over 200 country clubs, golf clubs, and city clubs across the U.S. As the largest owner-operator of private clubs, it competes with Affinity's turnkey management offering and overlaps significantly on member-owned club services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Affinity Management social profiles
Digital presenceAffinity Management financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Affinity Management leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Affinity Management funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Affinity Management M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Affinity Management
What does Affinity Management do?
Affinity Management is a professional services firm that provides full-service turnkey management and advisory consulting to private clubs, country clubs, golf courses, and equestrian centers. Turnkey engagements (typically 3-5 year terms) cover daily operations, staffing, financial reporting, and strategic planning. Advisory engagements are project- or hourly-based and cover membership growth, marketing, HR, finance, food and beverage, and rebranding. The firm also publishes a paid newsletter, free newsletter, and educational content for club industry professionals.
Is Affinity Management a public or private company?
Affinity Management is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Affinity Management founded?
Affinity Management was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Affinity Management based?
Affinity Management is headquartered in Keswick, United States, in the North America region.
How does Affinity Management make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Turnkey/Professional Management Services are the primary driver. The others are advisory/Consulting Services, the Affinity Report (Paid Newsletter), web Conference Archive Access and white Papers.
Who are Affinity Management's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are McMahon Group, KemperSports, Troon, Billy Casper Golf (now part of BrightView Golf), Arcis Golf and Heritage Golf Group. Others are Jonas Club Software, National Golf Foundation and Club Managers Association of America (CMAA). Invited Clubs (formerly ClubCorp) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Affinity Management have an API?
No public API is recorded for Affinity Management.