McConnell Golf is in negotiations to acquire the club in the eastern part of the state. “We have shown interest and have been in negotiations with the club, its board and members with a subsequent membership vote to sell to be held mid-month,” says Christian Anastasiadis, Chief Operating Officer of McConnell. Wilson’s 18-hole course plays more than 6,600 yards and the site also has an event center that hosts weddings and receptions.

A prominent owner of golf courses across North Carolina is nearing the purchase of another country club, this time in the eastern part of the state, Triangle Business Journal reported.

McConnell Golf is in negotiations to acquire Wilson (N.C.) Country Club, said Christian Anastasiadis, Chief Operating Officer of McConnell. The course sits on the northern edge of Wilson, Triangle Business Journal reported.

“We have shown interest and have been in negotiations with the club, its board and members with a subsequent membership vote to sell to be held mid-month,” Anastasiadis said. “It is to note that not until the membership votes in favor, all is speculation and no further details can be shared at this time.”

Wilson Country Club first opened in 1915 on the site that is currently home to Willow Springs Country Club, Triangle Business Journal reported. The club became so popular that it moved to its current location in 1973 to accommodate a larger membership base. The current course was designed by William Byrd and underwent a renovation in 2005 to improve the putting surfaces and modernize the course. The grounds also have an event center that hosts weddings and receptions. The 18-hole course plays more than 6,800 yards.

Want to join a top country club in Raleigh-Durham area? It will cost you 40% more. Bringing Wilson Country Club into McConnell Golf’s already expansive portfolio would give the company another valuable asset, Triangle Business Journal reported.

McConnell Golf – founded by John McConnell – started in 2003 with the purchase of Raleigh Country Club and has grown steadily through the years to become one of the largest golf course operators in the region, Triangle Business Journal reported. The company boasts properties in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.According to its website, McConnell Golf’s North Carolina properties include:
• The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh;
• Treyburn Country Club in Durham;
• Brook Valley Country Club in Greenville;
• Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro;
• The Cardinal by Pete Dye in Greensboro;
• Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington;
• Country Club of Asheville in Asheville;
• Old North State Club in New London; and
• Providence Country Club in Charlotte.

Notably, members of one of McConnell Golf’s courses have the ability to play other courses within the McConnell Golf network, Triangle Business Journal reported. The company has more than 7,600 members across its portfolio, according to a letter written by John McConnell in the company’s spring issue of its magazine where he detailed the company’s robust growth over the past decade.

“In the past 10 years, our revenue growth has been 213 percent while monthly dues have increased by 194 percent with all the new acquisitions and membership additions,” McConnell wrote.

The golf business has taken off since the pandemic began in 2020 as more people seek outdoor activities, Triangle Business Journal reported. Private clubs have seen membership interest climb fast, with waiting lists filling up.