Detroit Golf Club

What Detroit Golf Club does

Detroit Golf Club is a privately held, member-owned golf and country club founded in 1899 in Detroit, Michigan, operating across 219 wooded acres on the city's north side at 17911 Hamilton Road. The club operates two distinct 18-hole golf courses designed by Donald Ross — the North Course and South Course — placing it among fewer than 20 clubs in North America to feature two separate Ross designs. The property is anchored by an Albert Kahn-designed Old English clubhouse completed in 1916 housing three dining venues (Ross Grille, Champions Grille, and seasonal Patio Dining), a professional shop, swimming pool, three tennis courts with pickleball, a fitness center, and event facilities accommodating up to 300 guests.

The club operates under an equity-based, invitation-only membership model with multiple categories (Class A, Junior, Intermediate, House, Non-Resident, Corporate) and requires sponsorship from a current member for admission. Revenue is diversified across recurring membership dues, dining and banquets, professional shop merchandise (15% above wholesale), golf instruction including TPI programs, and private events. Since 2019, the club has served as host venue for the Rocket Mortgage Classic — Detroit's first-ever PGA Tour event — with the 2026 tournament confirmed as the final year at DGC. The club has invested $25.6M+ over 2020-2026 in capital improvements, most notably a $16M North Course restoration led by architect Tyler Rae and NMP Golf Construction (completed ahead of 2026), alongside a $4.5M clubhouse renovation (2020) and $5.1M Champions Grille transformation (2023).

The club operates the Caddie Scholarship Foundation (501(c)(3) established 2001) and serves as a nominating club for the Evans Scholars Foundation, awarding scholarships to approximately 20 caddies annually. The Rocket Classic has returned over $10 million to Detroit since 2019, including $6M+ toward closing the city's digital divide via the Changing the Course initiative. Detroit Golf Club is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors with no external parent or investor ownership, and its legacy includes Major Championship professionals Horton Smith (1934, 1936 Masters) and Walter Burkemo (1953 PGA Champion).

Name

Detroit Golf Club

Legal name

Detroit Golf Club

Website

https://detroitgolfclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Detroit Golf Club is a private, member-owned golf and country club founded in 1899 in Detroit, MI, operating two Donald Ross-designed 18-hole courses, an Albert Kahn clubhouse, and host of the Rocket Mortgage Classic PGA Tour event (2019-2026), serving an invitation-only equity membership across Detroit's professional sector.

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 & Club Fitting Retail (CRAMAGAA)

Keywords

• Private golf club
• Golf course facilities
• Membership club
• Event hosting venue
• PGA tournament host

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit, MI

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Equity-based membership by invitation with multiple categories including Class A, Junior, Intermediate, House, Non-Resident, and Corporate memberships.
2. Event Hosting: Hosting of the Rocket Mortgage Classic PGA Tour event with ticket sales, clubhouse passes, corporate hospitality, and VIP experiences. Clubhouse passes range from $150-300 per day with four-day passes at $720.
3. Private Events: Wedding receptions, corporate events, and private functions accommodating up to 300 guests with full-service event planning.
4. Professional Shop: Golf equipment and apparel sales at 15% above wholesale pricing, with demo days, club fitting, regripping services, and club bag storage.
5. Dining Services: Three dining venues including Ross Grille, Champions Grille, and seasonal Patio Dining with live entertainment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Detroit Golf Club operates a private, members-only golf club built around two 18-hole Donald Ross-designed courses (North and South) on a 219-acre property in Detroit, anchored by a 1916 Albert Kahn-designed clubhouse. Members and their guests access multiple dining venues, a professional shop, golf instruction, a swimming pool, tennis and pickleball courts, a fitness center, and event facilities for weddings and corporate gatherings. The club also hosts the Rocket Classic PGA Tour event annually and operates a caddie scholarship program.

Product overview

Detroit Golf Club is a private golf club offering two 18-hole Donald Ross-designed courses (North and South), one of fewer than 20 clubs in North America with two distinct Ross designs. The club provides a comprehensive suite of amenities including three dining venues (Ross Grille, Champions Grille, and Patio Dining), a fitness center with TPI programs, swimming pool with swim team, three tennis courts with pickleball, professional shop, and comprehensive golf instruction. Event hosting capabilities include weddings and private events for up to 300 guests. The club operates the Caddie Scholarship Foundation for member caddies' education. As home of the annual Rocket Classic PGA Tour tournament, the club recently completed a $16 million North Course restoration led by Tyler Rae.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Membership
• Professional Shop
• Golf Instruction
• Clubhouse Dining (Ross Grille, Champions Grille, Patio Dining)
• Fitness Center
• Swimming Pool
• Tennis & Pickleball
• Weddings & Private Events
• Rocket Classic (PGA Tour Event)
• Rocket Classic Clubhouse Passes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tyler Rae (Golf Course Architect)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading the $16 million North Course restoration project. Tyler Rae and his team were retained in November 2022 to address golf course infrastructure needs, specifically drainage and irrigation. The restoration honors Donald Ross's original 1914 design while modernizing for the next generation.
• NMP Golf ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolf course construction partner for the North Course restoration. Completed comprehensive infrastructure work including completely new irrigation systems, full-scale drainage replacement with main drain lines up to 18 feet deep, and reconstruction of greens, bunkers, bridges, and cart pathways.
• Evans Scholarship FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDetroit Golf Club is one of the top contributors to the Evans Scholars Foundation, the largest privately funded college scholarship program in the U.S. The club serves as an Evans Nominating Club, recommending outstanding high school caddies for scholarships.
• ShinolaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTournament partner that donated a Shinola clock installed at Detroit Golf Club in 2019. Shinola is described as a proud part of the fabric of Detroit, complementing the club's community ties.
• Comcast BusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the 2026 Rocket Classic Connecting Community Champions program, which supports local community 501-c-3 organizations with 100% of donated funds going directly to charities plus additional benefits.
• Delta DentalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Delta Dental Pro-Am held during Rocket Classic Community Day on July 29, 2026, offering complimentary access to the pro-am and youth clinic.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Medinah Country Club: Distinguished Illinois private club with three 18-hole courses, historic clubhouse, and a track record of hosting major championships (US Opens, PGA Championships), making it a strong functional comparable for a tournament-experienced two-course Ross-era private club.
• Indian Hills Country Club: Private Michigan country club also offering full golf, dining, pool and tennis amenities to a professional membership base; comparable full-service private club operating model in the broader Detroit metro area.
• Detroit Athletic Club: Elite private city club in Detroit serving business leaders with comparable amenities (dining, fitness, social), serving overlapping executive-class members in the same local market and competing for similar prestige-driven clientele.
• Country Club of Detroit: Historic Grosse Pointe Farms private club serving overlapping Detroit elite demographics and competing for the same Class A membership base with similar full golf, dining, and social programming.
• Congressional Country Club: Historic Maryland private club with two championship courses, host of multiple US Opens and PGA Tour events, featuring blue-chip membership base and significant capital reinvestment in club facilities.
• Scioto Country Club: Historic Ohio private club anchored by a Donald Ross 1916-designed course and host of the 2024 U.S. Senior Open; directly comparable as a Ross-heritage private club investing in restoration while pursuing tournament-host revenue.
• Oakland Hills Country Club: Nearby Bloomfield Hills, MI private golf club also featuring classic Donald Ross-designed course architecture and host of major USGA events; directly comparable as a premier Detroit-area private membership club with historic championship pedigree.

Broad incumbents

• Pebble Beach Company: Iconic coastal multi-course golf resort and event host (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, US Opens); broadly comparable as a private-affiliated tournament-host golf operation combining heritage, hospitality, and elite event visibility.
• Pinehurst Resort: Premier multi-course golf destination in North Carolina with multiple historic courses, large clubhouse, lodging, and resort amenities - relevant broader incumbent comparable showing the scale of operation DGC could aspire to via its own multi-course Ross heritage.
• Augusta National Golf Club: The gold-standard private golf club - comparable model as a highly selective, equity-based private club that monetizes a single iconic annual tournament alongside membership dues; aspirational comparable for DGC's tournament-driven brand strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DGCGolfClub
• Facebookfacebook.com/DetroitGolfClub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/detroit-golf-club
• Instagraminstagram.com/detroitgolfclub/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Detroit Golf Club