Rock Creek Park Golf Course

What Rock Creek Park Golf Course does

Rock Creek Park Golf Course is a 9-hole public municipal golf facility located at 6100 16th St. NW within Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC. The course, designed by early 20th-century architect William Flynn (also responsible for Shinnecock Hills and Cherry Hills), plays to a Par 65 at 4,961 yards; the back 9 is currently closed for safety renovations, leaving the front 9 and a 5-hole loop (holes 10, 11, 15, 17, 18) available. The land is owned by the National Park Service and the course is stewarded by National Links Trust (NLT), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with Troon providing day-to-day operational management under the playDCgolf umbrella that also covers East Potomac Golf Links and Langston Golf Course.

The business generates revenue through four streams: greens fees (regular $19-$24 per 9-hole round), equipment rentals (carts and clubs at $5-$14), on-site snack bar sales, and the playDCgolf Academy for golf instruction. A tiered pricing model offers discounted rates for military, seniors (60+), and juniors (5-18), and Family Tees are available to lower the barrier for beginners. Tee times are booked through GolfNow and the playDCgolf/Gallus Golf mobile app; lessons are scheduled via uSchedule. The Academy, founded in 1989 as GolfDC Academy and Capital City Golf School, serves over 4,500 students annually across the three DC facilities.

The target customer base is intentionally broad and horizontally segmented: general public golfers, seniors, military (active, retired, reserve, veterans), juniors aged 5-18, and beginners. The Academy's certified instructors (including USGTF- and PGA-certified staff) provide private lessons, group lessons, junior leagues, and summer camps. Reflecting the NLT mission, 100% of revenue is reinvested into the historic courses and the nonprofit's accessibility mandate rather than distributed as profit. The course is essentially operating as a community-impact asset under a public-nonprofit-private (Troon) partnership, with growth tied to the timing of back 9 restoration and the reach of the Academy platform.

Name

Rock Creek Park Golf Course

Legal name

playDCgolf

Website

https://playdcgolf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rock Creek Park Golf Course is a 9-hole public municipal golf course in Washington, DC, operated by National Links Trust and Troon under the playDCgolf brand, serving general public, senior, military, and junior golfers with discounted access, equipment rentals, and Academy instruction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Golf Course

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

Keywords

• Public golf course
• Golf instruction
• Municipal golf
• Golf equipment rental
• Youth golf programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Greens Fees: Core revenue from golf course access fees. Players pay green fees based on 9-hole or 5-hole loop rounds, with pricing varying by day of week. Discounted rates available for military, seniors (60+), and juniors (5-18 years).
2. Equipment Rentals: Revenue from riding carts, push carts, and rental golf clubs. Carts available for 9-hole and 5-hole rounds; rental clubs include a $10 junior set option.
3. Golf Instruction/Lessons: Academy lessons provided by certified instructors including Max Salas (USGTF certified, PGA Certified Member). Private and group lessons offered at the facility.
4. Snacks & Beverages: On-site snack bar serving basic golfer staples including candy, chips, soda, water, and beer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rock Creek Park Golf Course is a 9-hole public golf course (Par 65, 4,961 yards) inside Rock Creek National Park in Washington, DC. It sells tee-time access, equipment rentals (clubs, pull carts, power carts, single-rider carts), on-site Pro Shop merchandise and snacks, and golf instruction through the playDCgolf Academy.

Product overview

Rock Creek Park Golf Course is a historic public golf facility operated by playDCgolf under the National Links Trust and Troon management. The company offers a unified golf experience combining the 9-hole Rock Creek Park Golf Course (with 18-hole and 5-hole loop options), an on-site pro shop, and golf instruction through the playDCgolf Academy. Golfers can book tee times, purchase merchandise, and schedule lessons through integrated online booking platforms. The course features a putting green, snack bar, and equipment rentals including riding carts, push carts, and rental clubs. No driving range is available at this location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rock Creek Park Golf Course (9-Hole Public Course)

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Links Trust (NLT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Links Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting affordable, accessible golf at municipal courses. NLT was chosen by the National Park Service to be the long-term steward of the three DC public golf courses including Rock Creek. NLT has committed to a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment in restoration and rehabilitation.
• National Park Service (NPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Park Service owns and oversees the land on which Rock Creek Park Golf sits, as part of Rock Creek National Park. NPS works with National Links Trust on restoration plans and environmental assessments for the course.
• TrooncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTroon is the leader in club management, development, and marketing. NLT partnered with Troon to manage the courses during the term of the lease, initially under the Honours Golf operating brand. Troon provides operational expertise, technology platforms, and marketing support across all three DC golf facilities.
• Troon (Job Opportunities)minorOthersJob applications for Rock Creek Park Golf positions are processed through Troon's UltiPro recruitment system.
• GolfNowminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGolfNow is used as a tee time booking platform, allowing customers to reserve tee times online.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Golf Corporation: One of the largest operators of public golf courses in the U.S. Comparable in managing amenity-light, public-access municipal-style courses with similar pricing tiers and customer outreach.
• Billy Casper Golf: Wider golf management company operating public and municipal courses across the U.S. Relevant comparable because Rock Creek's operations are managed by Troon under a similar management-agreement model for public courses.
• Kemper Sports: Major U.S. golf and club management company operating public and private courses. Comparable as a peer operator for municipal golf stewardship and management contracts similar to Rock Creek's NLT/Troon arrangement.

Regional players

• Needwood Golf Course: Montgomery County, MD public golf course in the DC metro area. Comparable as a municipal/public course serving the same regional population with similar affordability-focused pricing and league programming.
• Andrews Air Force Base Courses: Military-affiliated public golf in the DC metro area. Comparable customer overlap given Rock Creek's explicit military discount program and shared DC-region golfing audience.
• Henson Creek Golf Course: Public golf course in Fort Washington, MD, serving the DC metro market. Comparable scale and customer base to Rock Creek as a value-priced, public-access facility in the Washington region.

Others

• National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA): Industry trade association for golf course owners and operators. Relevant ecosystem peer as a representative body for public/municipal operators, advocacy, and industry benchmarks relevant to Rock Creek's municipal business model.

Direct peers

• Langston Golf Course: Third course in the NLT/Troon DC municipal network. Historic 18-hole public course sharing the playDCgolf brand, booking platforms, and Academy resources with Rock Creek — directly comparable on governance, pricing, and customer base.
• East Potomac Golf Links: Sister course under the same National Links Trust / Troon / playDCgolf umbrella in Washington D.C. Operates a public 18-hole layout with driving range, foot golf, and mini golf — the most direct operational and brand-level comparable to Rock Creek.

Emerging players

• Topgolf: Largest off-course golf entertainment operator. Comparable in competing for beginner, junior, and casual recreational golfers in the DC metro area, albeit via a fundamentally different tech-driven entertainment model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/playDCgolf
• Instagraminstagram.com/playdcgolf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rock-creek-park-golf-course

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Rock Creek Park Golf Course