Handling complex club transactions can be challenging and, in many ways, celebrating the success of your clients can feel equally challenging and at times unnatural.

For all the right reasons, seldom do such celebrations recognize and truly appreciate each of the obstacles and challenges clients encounter along their path to success.

Indeed, during last year’s successful sale of The Clubs at St. James Plantation, the ownership group scrutinized several options which each brought forth a great deal of complexity. The ownership group was looking for a buyer with a focus on the members and on the long-term sustainability and success of The Clubs. In February of last year they found that in Troon, the largest golf management company in the world, who had managed The Clubs for the previous 12 years.

The transaction ranked among the biggest sales of 2018 and the largest in the private club sector according to Golf Inc. Magazine in their January/February 2019 edition.

For the ownership group, the sale was a tremendous accomplishment and an exemplar of visionary strategic leadership. For GGA, we were humbled by the opportunity to support such a dedicated ownership group during the process and were thrilled with the outcome as it aligned with the quantitative and qualitative aspirations of the owners.

Notably, GGA Partner Derek Johnston was recently recognized as an Adviser of the Year in Golf Inc.’s May/June 2019 magazine for his support on this transaction, the success of which was informed by the deep expertise of Craig Johnston, Director of GGA’s Transaction Advisory practice.

About GGA Transaction Advisory

At GGA we welcome every opportunity to assist our clients in maximizing return on capital and pride ourselves on deliberate consideration of both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of every transaction.

GGA’s core Transaction Advisory services include:

• Buy and sell-side advisory
• Investor exit strategy development
• Business valuation and modelling
• Due diligence (commercial, financial and operational)
• Developer-to-member transition planning and facilitation

Follow these links to learn more about Derek Johnston, Craig Johnston, and GGA’s Transaction Advisory practice.

A special thank you to Jack Crittenden, Jim Trageser, and Keith Carter at Golf Inc. Magazine, the leading news source for golf course developers and owners worldwide.