The Golf Business

What The Golf Business does

The Golf Business is a B2B trade media business serving the UK golf industry. It publishes a monthly print magazine delivered to approximately 97% of UK golf clubs, alongside a companion website, thegolfbusiness.co.uk, that attracts more than 50,000 unique visitors per month and a social media following of more than 50,000 across LinkedIn, X, and Facebook. Its audience comprises golf club managers, owners, committee members, PGA professionals, and course managers, while its secondary monetisation audience is golf industry suppliers seeking advertising access to those decision-makers. The publication was launched in 2017 by Union Press and was acquired in 2022 by HDID Media, which has since become part of ClearCourse, a multi-title UK publishing group.

Its product portfolio centres on three connected assets: the print magazine, the website with embedded editorial content and archives, and an email newsletter. The underlying technology is a digital publishing platform supporting content management, audience subscriptions, and direct magazine delivery logistics to UK clubs. Coverage spans industry news, strategic insight, best-practice case studies, and commentary on trends, threats, and opportunities affecting UK golf clubs.

The business monetises through three revenue streams: annual magazine subscriptions with tiered geographic pricing (£97 UK, £114 Europe, £153 Rest of World for twelve issues), advertising sales to golf suppliers in both the print and digital channels, and email newsletter subscriptions. Distribution combines direct magazine delivery to nearly all UK golf clubs, online subscription sales for international readers, and a sales-led advertising motion. The business operates from a single Manchester headquarters with approximately 15 employees, including an Editor and a Business Development Executive overseeing the advertising pipeline.

Name

The Golf Business

Legal name

The Golf Business (published by ClearCourse)

Website

https://thegolfbusiness.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Golf Business is a UK B2B trade media brand publishing a monthly print magazine delivered to approximately 97% of UK golf clubs and a companion website with over 50,000 monthly unique visitors, serving golf club managers, PGA professionals, and course managers while monetising through subscriptions and supplier advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Annual subscription model providing 12 print issues of the magazine delivered to golf clubs and individual subscribers across the UK and internationally.
2. Advertising Revenue: Revenue generated from advertising enquiries in both the magazine and online platforms, targeting the golf club industry with products and services.
3. Email Newsletter: Email newsletter subscription service providing industry news and updates to subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Golf Business is a B2B trade media brand for the UK golf industry, anchored by a monthly print magazine delivered to approximately 97% of UK golf clubs and a companion news website (thegolfbusiness.co.uk) with more than 50,000 monthly unique visitors. It produces original news, features and analysis for golf club managers, owners, committee members, PGA professionals and course managers, monetised through annual print subscriptions, email newsletter subscriptions, and advertising sold to golf industry suppliers.

Product overview

The Golf Business is a unified media offering consisting of a monthly print magazine (The Golf Business Magazine) and a companion website (thegolfbusiness.co.uk). The magazine is Britain's biggest B2B golf club publication, delivered to approximately 97 percent of UK golf clubs. The digital platform provides up-to-date news stories and in-depth features, while an email newsletter delivers content to subscribers. The portfolio targets golf club managers, owners, committee members, PGA professionals, and course managers to discuss industry trends, threats, and opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Golf Business Magazine Britain's biggest B2B golf club magazine, published monthly and distributed to approximately 97% of all UK golf clubs. Provides news, features, analysis and strategic insight on industry trends, threats and opportunities for golf club managers, owners, committee members, PGA professionals, and course managers.
• The Golf Business Website Leading UK B2B website for the golf industry, attracting more than 50,000 unique visitors each month. Delivers up-to-date news stories and in-depth features for golf club decision-makers and PGA professionals, and serves as the digital platform for the brand's advertising inventory.
• The Golf Business Email Newsletter

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ClearCourseparent companyOthersClearCourse acquired The Golf Business in 2022 (through HDID Media acquisition). ClearCourse is a publishing and media company that owns the publication and provides operational support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Club Golfer (NCG): UK-focused golf media brand covering club-level golf news, reviews, and travel. Direct competitor in the B2B/club-golfer segment with overlapping audience of club managers and members, and similar B2C/B2B monetization through subscriptions and advertising.
• Sports Management: UK-based B2B trade publication covering the sports, leisure, and recreation industry. Comparable as a niche B2B trade media title serving sports facility operators and managers, with overlapping advertising base in recreation and club industries.
• Greenkeeper International (BIGGA): Official monthly publication of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association, serving a UK golf industry niche. Direct peer in B2B golf trade media, targeting course managers and greenkeepers within the same UK golf club ecosystem.
• Golf Inc. Magazine: US-based B2B trade publication covering the business of golf, including course operations, development, and management. Closest international analog in B2B golf trade media, addressing course owners, operators, and managers with similar editorial and advertising model.

Regional players

• Club Management Magazine (CMAA): Official publication of the Club Management Association of America, serving club managers and operators in the US. Strongest international B2B club management media peer, but geographically focused on the North American market rather than the UK.

Emerging players

• HowDidiDo: UK golf club management software and member engagement platform serving a high share of UK golf clubs. Comparable distribution to The Golf Business's audience and competes for the same club manager attention and advertising budget, but as a SaaS provider rather than publisher.
• Foremost Golf: UK golf retail and PGA professional services group, with significant content and marketing reach to UK club professionals. Adjacent in audience (PGA professionals, club managers) and competes for advertising spend in the UK golf trade media market.

Broad incumbents

• Today's Golfer (Bauer Media): Major UK consumer golf magazine and website published by Bauer Media, one of the largest UK magazine publishers. Comparable in audience overlap with UK golfers and clubs, but operates as a broader consumer publication with a much larger parent and diversified revenue base.
• Golf Monthly (Future plc): Long-established UK golf magazine and digital platform owned by Future plc, a major publicly listed UK media group. Competes for the same UK golf audience and advertising spend, but as part of a much larger, diversified media portfolio.
• Golf World: Historic UK golf title (originally founded 1938) covering consumer golf, equipment, and tour coverage. Competes for the same UK golf audience and advertising market but operates as a general-interest consumer golf publication rather than a B2B trade title.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thegolfbusiness

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 The Golf Business