Jackson Kahn Design
Jackson Kahn Design is a boutique golf course architecture firm founded in 2009 by Tim Jackson and David Kahn, serving elite private golf clubs, country clubs, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals across the United States with full-service design, renovation, and construction oversight for projects ranging from $100K remodels to $35M new builds.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersChapel Hill, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Jackson Kahn Design does
Jackson Kahn Design (JKD) is a privately held, boutique golf course architecture firm founded in 2009 by Tim Jackson and David Kahn, operating as Jackson Kahn Golf Course Design, LLC. The firm provides full-service golf course design, renovation, and remodeling services to elite private golf clubs, country clubs, and ultra-high-net-worth individual owners across the United States. Project engagements range from $100,000 remodels to $35,000,000 new constructions, and the firm claims over $600,000,000 in cumulative completed project experience. Co-founders Jackson and Kahn bring 14 combined years of experience from the Tom Fazio design team along with educational backgrounds in Agronomy and Landscape Architecture, which forms the foundation of JKD's three-pillar design philosophy (Playability, Aesthetics, Details).
JKD's core business model is professional services revenue derived from design fees and construction oversight on bespoke golf course projects. The firm operates with a lean core team of 5 (the two co-founders, two design associates, and a Head of Growth) and pursues a highly consultative, enterprise field sales motion targeting private club boards, ownership groups, and management companies. Projects are sourced through industry reputation, word-of-mouth, and portfolio visibility rather than paid marketing. Complementing the core design practice, JKD has developed three branded sub-brands: JKD Gear (branded merchandise), The Vault (artwork sales with proceeds donated to the ForeBatten Foundation), and The Workshop (an online community platform for golf course design enthusiasts). The firm also maintains a strategic partnership with GS Pro to extend its design presence into golf simulator software. Notable signature projects include Scottsdale National Golf Club (The Other Course and The Bad Little Nine), the Dunes Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club (ranked #77 in Golf Digest's 2025 Top 100), Conway Farms Golf Club, Hayden Lake Country Club, and the Bootleggers Lair Estate Short Game Learning Preserve.
Jackson Kahn Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Jackson Kahn Design
- Legal name
- Jackson Kahn Golf Course Design, LLC.
- Website
- https://jacksonkahndesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Jackson Kahn Design is a boutique golf course architecture firm founded in 2009 by Tim Jackson and David Kahn, serving elite private golf clubs, country clubs, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals across the United States with full-service design, renovation, and construction oversight for projects ranging from $100K remodels to $35M new builds.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Jackson Kahn Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Golf Course Architecture & Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131)
- SIC
- Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
Keywords
Where Jackson Kahn Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chapel Hill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Jackson Kahn Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Golf Course Design & Renovation Services: Full-service golf course architecture including conceptual planning, design, and construction oversight for private clubs and individual owners. Revenue derived from professional design fees and project management, ranging from small remodels to major new constructions.
- The Vault - Artwork & Sketch Sales: Digital and physical sales of concept sketches, prints (framed and unframed), and other products showcasing JKD's design artwork. 100% of profits donated to ForeBatten Foundation supporting Juvenile Batten Disease research.
- JKD Gear - Merchandise: Branded merchandise including casual hoodies, hats, and apparel sold directly through the JKD Gear storefront.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Jackson Kahn Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Jackson Kahn Design is a boutique golf course architecture firm offering end-to-end course design, renovation, remodeling, and construction-oversight services for private golf clubs and ultra-high-net-worth individual course owners. Projects span from $100,000 remodels to $35,000,000 new constructions, with cumulative completed project experience exceeding $600 million across varied U.S. environments. The firm also operates ancillary storefronts for branded merchandise (JKD Gear) and concept artwork (The Vault), and an online design community (The Workshop).
Product overview
Jackson Kahn Design is a specialized golf course architecture firm co-founded by Tim Jackson and David Kahn in 2009. The firm operates as a single unified design practice offering golf course design, renovation, and remodeling services across a spectrum from $100,000 remodels to $35,000,000 new constructions. Their portfolio includes signature designs such as Scottsdale National Golf Club (featuring 'The Other Course' and 'The Bad Little Nine'), the Dunes Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club (#77 Golf Digest Top 100), Conway Farms Golf Club, Hayden Lake Country Club, and Fay Ranch. The firm also operates complementary branded offerings including JKD Gear (branded merchandise), The Vault (concept sketch storefront supporting ForeBatten Foundation), and The Workshop (an online community platform with design groups for collaboration). Through a strategic partnership with GS Pro golf simulator software, the firm's designs are also available in the virtual world.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- JKD Gear: Branded merchandise including casual hoodies, hats, and tees.
- The Vault
- The Workshop
- The Bad Little Nine
- The Other Course
- Short Game Learning Preserve
Products and services
- Golf Course Design Services
- Practice Facility Design
- JKD Gear
- The Vault
- The Workshop
Quantifiable outcome
- Golf Digest Top 100 ranking - #77 (2025) for the Monterey Peninsula CC Dunes Course
Companies that use Jackson Kahn Design
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Jackson Kahn Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
Jackson Kahn Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Jackson Kahn Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Robert Trent Jones II: Multi-generational golf architecture firm with deep experience designing both elite private courses and high-profile resort/public courses. Comparable in scope of services across new construction and renovation, though broader in client base than JKD's elite-only positioning.
- Rees Jones: Established golf course architect known as the 'Open Doctor' for major-championship renovations. Comparable in focus on renovations and remodels of existing elite courses, the core of JKD's smaller-project segment.
- Tom Fazio Design: The premier American golf course architecture firm where JKD's founders spent 14 combined years training. Directly comparable in focus on elite private club commissions and aesthetic-driven design philosophy, and the firm whose pedigree underwrites JKD's market positioning.
- Gil Hanse Golf Design: Specialist golf course architecture firm recognized for restorations of classic courses and design of award-winning new builds (e.g., The Loop at Streamsong). Directly comparable in boutique scale, elite private club clientele, and emphasis on strategic, ground-golf design philosophy.
- Coore & Crenshaw: Boutique, highly regarded golf architecture firm founded by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, focused on minimalist, natural-looking course design for elite private clubs and resorts. Closely comparable in size, customer profile (high-end private clubs), and design-led differentiation strategy.
- Renaissance Golf Design (Tom Doak): Tom Doak's boutique architecture firm known for minimalist, walking-only course designs that consistently appear on Golf Digest Top 100 lists. Highly comparable in boutique structure, elite private club focus, and reputation-driven business model.
- TGR Design (Tiger Woods): Tiger Woods' boutique golf architecture firm focused on premium daily-fee and private clubs. Comparable in boutique scale, premium positioning, and celebrity-name-driven brand differentiation strategy.
Regional players
- Lohmann Golf Designs: Smaller boutique golf architecture firm focused primarily on practice facilities, short-game areas, and private course designs in North America. Comparable in scale and practice-facility focus to JKD's Bootleggers Lair short-game preserve work.
Others
- Cabot: Golf-focused real estate developer that commissions top architects (including Coore & Crenshaw, Ben Cowan-Dewar) for its destination courses. Represents the buyer side that engages firms like JKD and an adjacent ecosystem participant in the elite golf design market.
Broad incumbents
- Jack Nicklaus Design: The largest golf course design brand globally, having designed nearly 500 courses worldwide. Overlaps with JKD on premium private commissions but operates at vastly greater scale with broader client base (municipal, resort, residential, and elite private).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Jackson Kahn Design social profiles
Digital presenceJackson Kahn Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Jackson Kahn Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Jackson Kahn Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Jackson Kahn Design 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 Jackson Kahn Design
What does Jackson Kahn Design do?
Jackson Kahn Design is a boutique golf course architecture firm offering end-to-end course design, renovation, remodeling, and construction-oversight services for private golf clubs and ultra-high-net-worth individual course owners. Projects span from $100,000 remodels to $35,000,000 new constructions, with cumulative completed project experience exceeding $600 million across varied U.S. environments. The firm also operates ancillary storefronts for branded merchandise (JKD Gear) and concept artwork (The Vault), and an online design community (The Workshop).
Is Jackson Kahn Design a public or private company?
Jackson Kahn Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Jackson Kahn Design founded?
Jackson Kahn Design was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Jackson Kahn Design based?
Jackson Kahn Design is headquartered in Chapel Hill, United States, in the North America region.
How does Jackson Kahn Design make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Golf Course Design & Renovation Services are the primary driver. The others are the Vault - Artwork & Sketch Sales and JKD Gear - Merchandise.
Who are Jackson Kahn Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Robert Trent Jones II, Rees Jones, Tom Fazio Design, Gil Hanse Golf Design, Coore & Crenshaw, Renaissance Golf Design (Tom Doak) and TGR Design (Tiger Woods). Lohmann Golf Designs is listed as a regional player. Cabot is listed as an others. Jack Nicklaus Design is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Jackson Kahn Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Jackson Kahn Design.
What industry is Jackson Kahn Design in?
Jackson Kahn Design's product category is Golf Course Architecture & Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design. Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 1700.