Scott Ferrell • January 13, 2025

The Rise of Golf-Only Clubs

A Return to the Roots of the Game

WRITTEN BY: SCOTT FERRELL

A View of St. Andrews Course by Simon Edge

As someone who has spent decades immersed in the world of golf and high-end golf course development, I’ve been fascinated to see the resurgence of golf-only clubs. These exclusive spaces, focused solely on the game, are making a strong comeback, offering something uniquely pure and deeply connected to the roots of golf.


What Is a Golf-Only Club?


When people think of private golf clubs, they often picture full-service facilities that include tennis courts, swimming pools, banquet halls, and an extensive food and beverage operation. At their core, though, these clubs have always revolved around the golf course, which serves as the anchor and main attraction.


A golf-only club takes that concept and distills it down to its essence. There are no tennis courts, no pools, no large-scale catering operations—just golf. It’s a singular focus on the game itself, and for many golfers, that’s exactly what they’re looking for.


Golf’s Historical Roots


To understand the appeal of golf-only clubs, you have to go back to where it all began: Scotland, the birthplace of golf. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews is perhaps the purest example of this concept. Founded nearly two centuries ago, it has always been about the game and nothing else.


Over time, clubs began adding amenities to broaden their appeal, turning into multi-purpose facilities that catered to families and social activities. That shift made sense for a lot of reasons, but for me, this return to golf-only clubs feels like a throwback to the roots of the game—a focus on the course, the camaraderie, and the experience of playing.


Why Golf-Only Clubs Are Growing in Popularity


There’s no single reason for the rise of golf-only clubs, but I see it as a combination of practical and emotional factors.


From a business perspective, golf-only clubs make financial sense. In traditional country clubs, amenities like pools and tennis courts are often financial drains. They don’t generate revenue, and the costs of maintaining them are covered by membership dues. By focusing exclusively on the golf course, you remove those financial liabilities while retaining the primary revenue driver.


On the emotional side, golf-only clubs appeal to those who are deeply passionate about the game. Golf has a unique way of getting into your blood, and for many of us, it’s more than just a hobby—it’s a way of life. When people have the means to build or join a golf-only club, it’s often about fulfilling that passion.


COVID-19’s Unexpected Impact


I can’t talk about this trend without mentioning the impact of COVID-19. The pandemic brought a surge of interest to golf. It was one of the few activities people could safely enjoy outdoors, and as a result, the number of players and rounds played skyrocketed. For the first time in years, new golf courses are being built, and existing ones are undergoing significant renovations. COVID didn’t just reignite interest in the game—it redefined its role in many people’s lives.


Designing for the Passionate Golfer


At Kawonu Golf Club, we’re embracing the golf-only concept fully. Our course, designed by Andrew Green, reflects the minimalist, pure approach that today’s passionate golfers crave. We’re fortunate to have an exceptional site, and Andrew’s philosophy of letting the land dictate the design is a perfect fit for what we’re creating.


Golf-only clubs also tend to attract highly skilled players, which can influence course design. While Kawonu will be accessible to a range of players, it will naturally appeal to lower-handicap golfers who appreciate a more challenging course. The absence of residential real estate—another hallmark of many traditional clubs—frees us to focus entirely on creating an unforgettable golf experience.


A Sense of Community and Camaraderie


One of the things I love most about golf-only clubs is the sense of community they foster. Golf is a game of camaraderie, and these clubs provide a space where people can bond over their shared passion for the sport. Whether it’s a group of friends traveling to play historic courses in Scotland or a foursome coming together at Kawonu, the connections forged on the course are unlike anything else.


The Future of Golf-Only Clubs


The rise of golf-only clubs is more than just a trend—it’s a reflection of the evolving priorities of golfers. In the past, clubs often relied on celebrity architects or real estate development to attract members. Today, the focus is shifting back to the course itself and the quality of the experience it offers.


At Kawonu, we’re embracing that shift. We’re not just building a golf course; we’re creating a place where people can immerse themselves in the game they love. For me, that’s what golf has always been about—unforgettable experiences, shared with others who feel the same way about the sport.


If you ask me why this trend is gaining traction, I’d say it’s because golf-only clubs speak to something fundamental about the game. They strip away the distractions and bring us back to what matters most: the challenge of the course, the beauty of the surroundings, and the joy of playing a game that truly lasts a lifetime.

Kawonu Golf Club Is Becoming One of America’s Most Intriguing New Golf Destinations

By Athlon Sports • July 1, 2026
The latest construction milestones at South Carolina’s Kawonu Golf Club reveal more than progress; they offer the clearest glimpse yet of a private golf experience rooted in timeless architecture, thoughtful design and an unwavering commitment to the game. Every now and then, a new golf course comes along that quietly captures the attention of architecture enthusiasts long before a single scorecard is signed. Kawonu Golf Club is becoming one of those places. Nestled on more than 290 acres outside Greenville, South Carolina, the private, golf-only club has steadily built momentum over the past year without relying on flashy announcements or celebrity fanfare. Instead, it has allowed the land, the design team and a clearly defined vision to tell its story. Two recent construction milestones—the beginning of course grassing and the unveiling of the clubhouse complex—suggest that story is entering an exciting new chapter. For golfers who appreciate great architecture as much as great golf, these aren’t simply construction updates. They’re the first tangible signs that one of the country’s most anticipated private clubs is beginning to emerge from the landscape. Anyone who has ever watched a golf course being built knows the most important work often happens out of sight. Before fairways turn green, countless hours are spent moving earth, shaping contours, installing drainage and laying irrigation. It’s essential work, but it requires a bit of imagination to see what the finished product will eventually become. That changes once grass begins to take hold. Since breaking ground in April 2025, Kawonu has completed much of the heavy construction across the property. With shaping and irrigation now largely complete, crews have begun sodding and grassing the championship layout, moving methodically from greens and tees to fairways. The transformation may seem cosmetic to the casual observer, but in reality it marks one of the most significant milestones in the life of any new golf course. Andrew Green, whose reputation has skyrocketed through acclaimed restoration work at some of America’s most revered clubs, has said grassing is the stage where golfers finally begin to understand the rhythm of the routing. Instead of isolated construction zones, the individual holes begin connecting into a cohesive journey across the property. That’s particularly exciting at Kawonu, where Green has routed the course through rolling meadows, mature hardwood forests and the Reedy River corridor rather than forcing the landscape to conform to a preconceived design. Everything we’ve learned about the project suggests the land remains the star of the show. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.

Andrew Green’s Next Chapter Arrives With Two Very Different New Golf Courses

By Athlon Sports • June 9, 2026
After years restoring some of American golf’s most important venues, Andrew Green is nearing a new milestone with Firefly in Tennessee and Kawonu Golf Club in South Carolina. Andrew Green’s name has become almost shorthand for one of the most important movements in modern golf architecture. When a historic course needs to remember what it once was without becoming frozen in time, Green has become one of the industry’s most trusted voices. His restoration and renovation work has touched major championship venues, PGA Tour stages and some of the country’s most studied clubs. But the next chapter is not about restoring someone else’s original intent. It is about seeing Green’s own intent come to life. Over the next year, two very different projects will move from construction story to playing experience. Firefly, a new luxury golf community in Spring Hill, Tennessee, is preparing to open an 18-hole championship course and 9-hole short course in fall 2026. Kawonu Golf Club, a private, golf-only club near Greenville, South Carolina, is moving through grassing and grow-in toward a 2027 opening. Together, they create one of the more compelling architecture stories in American golf. Same architect. Same belief in land, strategy and restraint. Two completely different assignments. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.