The business of golf is far stranger and more diverse than most people realize. Beyond resorts and traditional management companies lies a hidden world of corporate-owned golf courses that trace their origins to employee perks, branding experiments, real estate strategies, and occasionally pure coincidence. We researched the most surprising examples across the country and created the definitive top ten list of unexpected golf course owners in America.
10. Penske Corporation
Golf Facilities:
• Brickyard Crossing, Indianapolis, Indiana
Penske is synonymous with racing and transportation, which is why it feels so unbelievable to find out they also own a golf course. Not just any golf course, but one with four holes inside the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Penske maintains Brickyard Crossing because it enhances the fan experience, supports corporate hospitality, and reinforces the Speedway’s iconic status. Still, you would not expect your race team owner to also run a golf course.
9. Kohler Company
Golf Facilities:
• Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Blackwolf Run, Kohler, Wisconsin
• Other Kohler resort courses in Kohler, Wisconsin
If you have ever washed your hands, you probably know Kohler. What most people don’t know is that the same company behind your faucets and sinks also owns one of the most famous golf courses on the planet. Herb Kohler believed world class golf could elevate Wisconsin tourism and reflect the craftsmanship of his brand, which is how Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run became reality. It is genuinely shocking that a bathroom fixture company built a Ryder Cup venue.
8. Goodyear
Golf Facilities:
• Goodyear Golf Club, Danville, Virginia
Goodyear makes tires. Goodyear also owns a golf course. That alone is surprising, but the backstory makes it even better. The company created Goodyear Golf Club as a recreation benefit for workers at its large manufacturing plant in Danville. The course became a central part of the local community and still exists as a legacy of Goodyear’s investment in employee life. No one expects their tire brand to double as a golf course operator.
7. Pernod Ricard
Golf Facilities:
• Whiskey Ranch Golf Course, Fort Worth, Texas
Pernod Ricard is the global spirits powerhouse behind brands like Jameson and Absolut, yet it also owns a golf course at Whiskey Ranch. The company created this to be an immersive brand destination where visitors can tour the distillery, attend events, and tee it up at a course that reinforces the TX Whiskey identity. It is one of America’s most surprising combinations: golf and whiskey production sharing the same address.
6. Chevron
Golf Facilities:
• Crane Country Club, Crane, Texas
Chevron is the last company anyone expects to show up in a conversation about golf, yet the energy giant owns the land beneath Crane Country Club in West Texas. The story is unusual compared to other corporate owned courses. Chevron’s presence in Crane dates back nearly a century, when the region became a significant center of oil production. The company retained ownership of large land parcels in the area, including the property that eventually became the town’s golf course. Today, Chevron still owns the land, but Crane County operates the course for local residents.
5. United Auto Workers
Golf Facilities:
• Black Lake Golf Club, Onaway, Michigan
When people think of the United Auto Workers, they imagine union halls and assembly lines. They do not imagine a championship-style golf course in northern Michigan. The UAW created Black Lake Golf Club as part of its large education and conference center so members could enjoy affordable resort-style recreation. It is one of the most surprising ownerships in American golf.
4. MetLife
Golf Facilities:
• Reynolds Lake Oconee, Greensboro, Georgia
• Several other golf facilities across the United States
MetLife is known for insurance and Snoopy commercials, not for owning luxury golf communities. Yet MetLife owns multiple golf properties, including the highly regarded Reynolds Lake Oconee. These aren’t marketing props. They are long term real estate investments that generate steady income and sit on valuable land. Few people realize their life insurance provider is also in the premium golf property business.
3. Sanyo Foods
Golf Facilities:
• Yorba Linda Country Club, Yorba Linda, California
• Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, Solana Beach, California
• Tustin Ranch Golf Club, Tustin, California
Sanyo Foods is one of the top ramen and instant noodle providers in America, which makes it all the more shocking that they also own several golf courses. The reason is tied to Japanese corporate culture, where golf is a major relationship building tool. The company uses its courses for corporate hospitality and business development while also treating them as strategic real estate assets. Still, it is wild to think your cup of noodles and your tee time might come from the same company.
2. International Monetary Fund
Golf Facilities:
• Bretton Woods Recreation Center, Germantown, Maryland
The IMF, the global financial organization that supports international monetary stability, is probably the last organization anyone would associate with golf. Yet it owns a sprawling employee recreation center that includes a nine hole golf course. The property was created to provide wellness, community, and family activities for IMF staff who relocate from all over the world. It remains one of the most unexpected golf properties anywhere in America.
1. L. L. Bean
Golf Facilities:
• Maine Golf Center Freeport, Freeport, Maine
L. L. Bean is all about outdoor gear, cozy flannels, and catalog adventures, so most people are stunned to learn the company also has a connection to a golf course. Employees receive discounted access to Maine Golf Center Freeport, and the company supports the facility because it fits its mission of promoting outdoor recreation and healthy lifestyles. The idea that your favorite boot maker also helps run a golf center captures exactly why this list exists.