The American
country-club market.
Private club revenue is structurally more stable than most hospitality businesses. The largest share typically comes from dues and assessments — recurring charges paid by members whether or not they use the facilities — which creates a revenue floor that hotels, restaurants, and public courses do not have. The balance arrives from greens fees, dining, pro shop sales, locker rentals, and initiation fees, each of which fluctuates with membership demand and the playing calendar.
Employment patterns follow a similar seasonal logic. Full-time staff manage year-round operations — golf course maintenance, clubhouse administration, food and beverage management — while seasonal headcount tracks the playing calendar, sometimes doubling summer staffing at northern clubs. The Form 990 captures a single employee count at the filing date, which typically understates peak seasonal staffing but remains the only consistent measure across the industry.
Where the clubs are
States by revenue
Revenue distribution
Movers
Median revenue over time
○ Final year is partial — fewer clubs have filed for that period yet.
When America's clubs were built
We read every 990 so
you don’t have to.
Twice a quarter we send the people who run private clubs the parts worth knowing — new filings, compensation movement, and the occasional eyebrow-raiser — drawn straight from the public record, with citations.
Scale vs. efficiency
Where the money is
States with fewer than 5 clubs omitted.