Free Guide to Understanding Troon Golf

What Troon Golf Is and How It Operates

Troon Golf is one of the largest golf course management companies in the world. Founded in 1990, the company manages and operates more than 300 golf courses across North America, Europe, and other international locations. Understanding what Troon Golf does helps explain how it shapes the golf industry and what you might encounter when visiting a course under Troon management.

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Troon Golf operates through several distinct business models. Some courses are owned by Troon directly, while others are owned by municipalities, private clubs, or individual investors who contract with Troon to handle day-to-day operations. This means a course might have "Troon Golf" associated with it without Troon owning the property outright. The company handles everything from staffing and maintenance to pricing strategies, membership programs, and marketing for the courses it manages.

The company generates revenue through multiple streams. Golf course operations produce income from greens fees (the charge to play a round), membership dues, cart rentals, and food and beverage sales at on-course restaurants and bars. Troon also operates subsidiary companies that provide specialized services, such as golf instruction through its Troon Academy division, real estate services, and technology platforms that golfers use to book tee times and manage their handicaps.

Troon's parent company, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), acquired a majority stake in Troon Golf in 2017 for approximately $1.75 billion. This investment allowed the company to expand its management portfolio and invest in modernizing courses and technology. KKR is a major private equity firm, meaning Troon operates with an emphasis on operational efficiency and financial performance alongside golf operations.

Practical Takeaway: When you interact with a Troon-managed course, you're dealing with a professionally-run operation that uses standardized systems. This typically means consistent technology platforms for booking, predictable fee structures, and similar service standards across different properties, though each course maintains its own character and community identity.

Troon Golf's Business Model and Course Management Structure

Troon Golf's core business centers on managing golf courses on behalf of owners who want professional expertise without having to develop that knowledge internally. This management arrangement has become increasingly common in the golf industry because operating a golf course requires specialized knowledge in turf management, club operations, revenue management, and member relations. By partnering with Troon, course owners reduce their operational burden and often achieve better financial results.

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The company implements what's known as a "standardized operating system" across its properties. This means courses under Troon management use the same booking software, similar accounting procedures, comparable pricing strategies, and aligned marketing approaches. A golfer who visits two different Troon-managed courses in different states might notice familiar systems and processes, even though the courses themselves differ in layout, difficulty, and setting. This standardization allows Troon to achieve economies of scale—buying supplies in bulk, sharing best practices among course superintendents, and deploying technology efficiently across the portfolio.

Troon Golf organizes its operations into regional divisions, each overseen by regional managers who supervise multiple courses within a geographic area. These regional leaders work with individual course general managers to ensure performance meets company standards while respecting local market conditions and community needs. A course general manager at a Troon property typically supervises a staff that includes a golf course superintendent (responsible for turf and grounds), a head golf professional, a club manager, and various support staff in maintenance, food service, and administration.

The financial model works by establishing management contracts with course owners. Troon typically receives a percentage of revenue, a base management fee, or a combination of both. In some cases, Troon guarantees a minimum payment to the owner while retaining excess profits beyond that threshold. This incentive structure aligns Troon's interests with the owner's—the better the course performs financially, the more Troon benefits. However, it also means Troon must balance maximizing revenue with maintaining the course's reputation and member satisfaction.

Troon has also developed what it calls "Troon Advantage," a system that provides courses with marketing templates, software solutions, operational guidelines, and performance benchmarking against similar courses. This allows even smaller or newer courses to benefit from the company's accumulated knowledge without losing their individual identity.

Practical Takeaway: Understanding that Troon brings professional management means you can generally expect a course operated by Troon to have modern tee time booking systems, consistent maintenance standards, and business practices aligned with industry norms. However, each course retains control over pricing, membership policies, and local service decisions.

Troon Golf's Technology and Member Services Platforms

Technology forms a central component of Troon Golf's modern operations. The company has invested significantly in digital platforms that affect how golfers interact with courses, book tee times, manage handicaps, and receive communications. These technological innovations represent one of Troon's most visible offerings to golfers who visit or join its managed courses.

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The primary booking platform used by many Troon-managed courses is based on Troon's proprietary systems or partner solutions that integrate with the company's operational framework. Golfers typically use these platforms through a website or mobile app to reserve tee times, select their preferred course, choose foursome formats, and pay fees. These systems often display real-time availability, pricing for specific tee times, and course conditions. Some systems implement dynamic pricing, meaning rates fluctuate based on demand—premium times like Saturday mornings command higher fees while slower periods offer reduced rates.

Troon's handicap management services connect to organizations like the United States Golf Association (USGA) and England Golf, depending on location. Handicap systems allow golfers to maintain an official measure of their playing ability, which courses use to establish fair competition in tournaments and handicap-based events. Troon provides course rating information that feeds into handicap calculations, ensuring these numbers remain accurate and comparable across different courses.

The company also operates Troon Academy, a golf instruction platform that connects golfers with teaching professionals at Troon-managed courses. The system allows golfers to book lessons, track progress, and access instructional content. This represents Troon's effort to serve golfers beyond just course access—the company wants to be involved in the full golfer experience, from booking to playing to improving their game.

Communication platforms integrated with Troon's management system allow courses to send notifications about course conditions, maintenance schedules, weather delays, and special events. Members and regular golfers receive alerts about course closures, upcoming tournaments, or special promotions. These systems aim to keep the golfing community informed while creating additional revenue opportunities through targeted marketing of events and services.

Troon's technology infrastructure also includes business intelligence tools that analyze course performance data. General managers can examine rounds played, revenue per round, membership retention rates, and other metrics to make data-driven decisions about pricing, marketing, and operations. This analytics capability helps courses identify trends and adjust strategies before performance declines significantly.

Practical Takeaway: When interacting with a Troon-managed course, you'll likely encounter modern booking systems and digital communication channels. Familiarizing yourself with the course's specific technology platform helps you navigate tee time reservations more effectively and stay informed about course conditions and events.

The Economic Impact of Troon Golf on the Golf Industry

Troon Golf's scale and operations influence broader trends in the golf industry. With more than 300 courses under management, the company's decisions about pricing, member retention, course conditioning, and marketing significantly impact how golf operates in North America and internationally. Understanding Troon's economic role provides context for changes golfers observe in their local courses.

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The golf industry has faced significant challenges over the past two decades. According to the National Golf Foundation, the number of golf rounds played in the United States peaked around 2000 at approximately 518 million rounds annually. By 2021, that figure had declined to around 483 million rounds—roughly a 7 percent overall decline, though with significant year-to-year variation. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, rounds actually increased temporarily as people sought outdoor recreational activities, but the long-term trend has been downward. This decline reflects several factors: an aging golfer population, difficulty attracting younger players, increased competition from other recreational activities, and rising costs of golf.

Troon Golf has responded to these industry trends by consolidating courses and implementing efficiency measures. When Troon takes over management of an underperforming course, it often implements strategic changes: raising prices to