The Jewel Golf Club

What The Jewel Golf Club does

The Jewel Golf Club is a single-location, public-access 18-hole championship golf course in Lake City, Minnesota, situated on 800 acres of Mississippi River valley bluffs and designed by three-time US Open winner Hale Irwin as a "Hale Irwin Limited Design." The course features five sets of tee boxes, a three-stage practice facility, a fully appointed golf shop, and the on-site Bluffside Bar & Grill restaurant, and is professionally managed by KemperSports Management, Inc. Revenue is generated from six streams: per-round public green fees and cart rentals, recurring memberships routed through General Manager Paul Byron, the Bluffside Bar & Grill restaurant, full-service tournament and banquet hosting for groups of 8 to 144+ players, equipment rentals, and practice-facility range balls.

Distribution is direct-to-consumer via separate ezlinksgolf.com tee-time portals for public and member customers, phone reservations, walk-in traffic, and a direct sales channel (handled by AGM Travis Heitman) for tournaments, corporate outings, and banquets. The club targets individual public golfers, members, corporate/group event buyers, and private event hosts across customer segments including men's, women's, and couples' leagues. Marketing channels include Facebook, Instagram, an E-Club email newsletter, and website content.

The property has accumulated a sustained set of industry recognitions, including 2025 NGF #1 ranking for Staff & Customer Service, 2025 NGF #2 for Course Conditions, 2025 NGF #4 for Food & Beverage, 2024 NGF #4 for Net Promoter Score, Golfers' Voice Awards in 2025 and 2026, Golf Advisor Best of State Course in Minnesota (2020), Golfweek's Best Public Courses (2021), and repeated Minnesota Golf Association championship hosting (MGA Players' Championship 2017-2018, Senior State Open 2019, MPGA Public Links 2019, MGA Senior Four-Ball 2022, MGA Amateur Four-Ball 2024, and the 2020 Minnesota Women's State Open). The on-site team is small (11-50 employees) and operates under KemperSports' hospitality and golf-operations playbook.

Name

The Jewel Golf Club

Legal name

The Jewel Golf Club

Website

https://jewelgolfclub.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Jewel Golf Club is a public 18-hole championship golf course in Lake City, Minnesota, designed by Hale Irwin, offering green fees, memberships, tournaments, Bluffside Bar & Grill dining, and banquet spaces to public golfers, members, and corporate/private event hosts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Golf Course

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 Equipment, Apparel & Pro Shop Retail (CRAMABAG)

Keywords

• Public golf course
• Golf club membership
• Tournament hosting
• Banquet venue
• Golf instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Golf Green Fees: Revenue from public green fees for daily play, with pricing varying by day of week and time of day. Senior rates available for individuals 60+ years. Includes cart rental options.
2. Memberships: Annual and recurring membership programs offering benefits such as priority tee times, member-only booking portal, and potentially discounted rates. Contact directed to General Manager.
3. Food and Beverage: Bluffside Bar & Grill restaurant generates revenue from lunch and dinner service, offering a full menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads, entrees, and desserts. Open 7 days a week from 10:00AM-8:00PM.
4. Tournament and Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting golf tournaments, corporate outings, and banquets. Services include tournament coordination, customized scorecards, catering, and venue rental for events in the dining room, Hale Irwin Room, and patio.
5. Equipment Rentals: Rental clubs available on a first-come, first-served basis, reservable when booking tee times.
6. Practice Facility and Range Balls: Revenue from driving range balls purchased in the golf shop. Driving range opens 30 minutes prior to first tee time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Jewel Golf Club operates an 18-hole Hale Irwin-designed championship golf course open to the public in Lake City, Minnesota, spanning 800 acres of Mississippi River valley bluffs with five sets of tee boxes. Its commercial offerings include pay-as-you-go green fees, annual memberships, golf tournaments and corporate group outings, golf instruction, club and range-ball rentals, a golf shop, banquet and event spaces, and the on-site Bluffside Bar & Grill restaurant. The property is professionally managed by KemperSports Management, Inc.

Product overview

The Jewel Golf Club is a single-location public golf resort offering a championship golf experience built around its Hale Irwin Limited Design course. The core product is the 18-hole golf course with five tee boxes, complemented by tee time booking services, tournament and group event coordination (8-144+ players), golf instruction, and club rentals. On-site amenities include Bluffside Bar & Grill restaurant (American cuisine with terrace/patio dining), a golf shop, and banquet/event spaces (Dining Room, Hale Irwin Room, and covered patio) for up to 80 guests. The club also offers membership programs and organizes a Women's Golf League. The venue is managed by KemperSports Management, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bluffside Bar & Grill: The club's full-service restaurant and bar featuring terrace and patio dining with panoramic views of the golf course and Mississippi River Bluffs.
• Hale Irwin Limited Design

Products and services

• Hale Irwin Limited Design Golf Course An 18-hole championship golf course designed by three-time US Open Winner Hale Irwin, routed through 800 acres of Mississippi River valley bluffs with five sets of tee boxes accommodating golfers of any ability level. Open to the public for daily play, leagues, and instruction.
• Membership Programs Annual/recurring golf memberships providing priority access and member-only benefits, including a dedicated tee time booking portal at thejewelmem.ezlinksgolf.com. Inquiries are handled by General Manager Paul Byron.
• Golf Tournaments and Group Events Full-service tournament and group event hosting for 8-144+ players, including customized scorecards, digital live scoring via Golf Genius App, prize credits, cart signs, food and beverage, and shotguns for 100+ players. Custom pricing by season, day, time, and services.
• Banquet and Event Spaces Venue rental for celebrations and gatherings in the Dining Room (up to 80 guests), Hale Irwin Room (up to 40-52 guests), and covered patio (up to 40 guests), supported by catering from Bluffside Bar & Grill.
• Bluffside Bar & Grill Full-service restaurant and bar offering American cuisine (burgers, sandwiches, salads, entrees, desserts, Fish Friday, Prime Rib Saturday) with terrace and patio dining overlooking the golf course and Mississippi River Bluffs. Open 7 days a week, 10:00AM-8:00PM.
• Golf Instruction Professional golf instruction services for players seeking to improve their game, delivered on-site at The Jewel Golf Club.
• Club Rentals Rental golf clubs available on a first-come, first-served basis, reservable when booking tee times; supports golfers without their own equipment.
• Golf Shop A fully appointed on-site golf shop offering equipment, apparel, and accessories; also sells driving range balls (range opens 30 minutes prior to first tee time).
• Public Tee Time Reservations Online tee time booking for the general public via ezlinksgolf.com, available up to 14 days in advance; phone reservations also accepted. Includes cart rental and senior (60+) pricing options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2025 NGF #1 Ranked Premium Golf Course Staff & Customer Service
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KemperSports ManagementcoreOthersThe Jewel Golf Club is managed by KemperSports Management, Inc., a professional golf course and hospitality management company. KemperSports handles all aspects of property management including operations, marketing, and guest services.
• ezlinks golf (Golf Channel Solutions)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe club uses ezlinksgolf.com platforms for online tee time booking, with separate portals for public and member reservations. Powered by Golf Channel Solutions for booking technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Edinburgh USA: Brooklyn Park, Minnesota public championship course designed by Arnold Palmer with event and banquet capabilities. Comparable as a Minnesota premium public course with similar tournament and event hosting profile.
• TPC Twin Cities: Premium public-access daily-fee course in Blaine, Minnesota, designed by Arnold Palmer. Comparable as a high-end Minnesota public course offering tournaments, memberships, and F&B in the same regional market as The Jewel.
• The Wilderness at Fortune Bay: Tower, Minnesota resort course with full-service amenities, banquet/event facilities, and restaurant. Comparable Minnesota premium public course with a similar full-service hospitality model.
• Rush Creek Golf Club: Maple Grove, Minnesota public 18-hole course with banquet facilities and restaurant. Comparable premium Minnesota public course competing for the same Minneapolis-St. Paul metro golfer and corporate outing wallet.
• Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort: Biwabik, Minnesota resort with two championship public courses (The Legend, The Quarry). Comparable as a regional Minnesota premium public golf destination with lodging-adjacent amenities and championship pedigree.

Others

• KemperSports: Parent operator managing The Jewel; broader portfolio includes other public and private golf facilities. Relevant as the operating company whose playbook, technology stack (ezlinksgolf), and management talent run The Jewel's daily operations.

Emerging players

• Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: Bandon, Oregon destination golf resort with multiple public links-style courses. Comparable as a multi-course public destination golf property, though geographically distinct and at a different scale than The Jewel.

Broad incumbents

• Whistling Straits (Destination Kohler): Destination golf resort in Kohler, Wisconsin with championship public courses (Straits and Irish). Comparable as a Midwest premium public destination course with banquet/event infrastructure, though at significantly larger scale.
• Erin Hills: Erin, Wisconsin public championship course and U.S. Open venue. Comparable as a Midwest premium public course with major championship hosting history, similar to The Jewel's state-level championship credentials.

Regional players

• Eagle Valley Golf Course: Woodbury, Minnesota public course. Comparable Minnesota public golf facility competing for Twin Cities metro golfers, though positioned at a more accessible price point than The Jewel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jewelgolfclub
• Instagraminstagram.com/thejewelgolfclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-jewel-golf-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Jewel Golf Club