The Golf Boom's Secret Architects: How 8AM Golf is Reshaping the Game
So, golf’s been on fire, right? Been booming for a good decade now. And you know who’s been right in the thick of all that cash and action? This guy, Hoyt McGarity. He’s the president and CEO of 8AM Golf. And let me tell you, they’re not just dabbling. They’re building something big.
Founded back in 2018 by Howard Milstein, 8AM Golf isn’t just one thing. It’s a whole damn holding company. We’re talking 15 different businesses under their umbrella. You’ve got the media stuff – GOLF.com, GOLF Magazine. Then there’s the equipment side, like True Spec Golf and Miura Golf. And get this, they even opened up the Bounty Club in Nashville. Oh, and who’s a partner on that? None other than Justin Timberlake. Yeah, that kind of deal.
McGarity recently sat down for a podcast, “The Deal,” with Jason Kelly and Alex Rodriguez. He spilled the beans on their whole strategy, what they’re investing in, and where he thinks this whole golf thing is headed. It’s pretty eye-opening. Here are the six big takeaways you need to know.
How 8AM Golf Went From Six to Fifteen
McGarity laid it out pretty simply. Back in 2018, 2019, they had maybe six companies. It wasn’t really a “holding company” yet; they just owned them. But then they had this idea: “Okay, we need a place to house all this.” So, 8AM Golf was born. Since then, it’s been all about snagging the best of the best in the golf world. They’re not messing around with second-rate stuff.
Think about it. They’re literally in every corner of the game. Hospitality? Check. Equipment? You bet. Media? Obviously. Events? Yep. Travel? They’re in that too. They’re pretty much everywhere except for a dedicated apparel company. They sell a ton of apparel through their online shops, sure, but owning a brand? Not yet. Their closest thing might be PAYNTR shoes, which they recently bought a stake in. That’s their way of dipping their toes into the apparel pond, I guess.
The thinking here is solid, though. Once you have a few good investments, why not surround them with more great investments? Even if they’re in different areas, they can all help each other out. McGarity thinks they’ve nailed this, creating what might be the very first golf holding company. And it makes sense. It’s like building a damn ecosystem.
What Kind of Companies Catch Their Eye?
So, what makes a company a good fit for 8AM Golf? McGarity said they look for “unique, best-in-class products.” Stuff that’s a cut above the rest. They’re picky. Really picky. He reckons no one has looked at more golf companies than they have in the last decade. He’s seen it all, from tiny startups to multi-billion dollar giants.
But it’s not just about the product. They’re super particular about the people running the show. The CEOs. The operations folks. Do they click? Do they fit the vibe? They want to surround their existing businesses with stronger ones. When you get that consistency and those synergies flowing between everything, that’s when you start seeing the real magic happen. And McGarity claims they’re seeing that every single day now. It’s about building a cohesive unit, not just a random collection of businesses.
Building a Dream Course in Music City: The Bounty Club
Here’s a story that shows how far they’ve come. McGarity admits he never thought they’d own a golf course, let alone build one from scratch. He said it was a childhood dream, growing up in the golf business. And then, bam! They opened the Bounty Club in Nashville.
This whole thing goes back to 2021. They were already deep in the design business, knew a lot about golf course architecture. Nashville, though? It was a bit starved for good golf. Then Justin Timberlake, with his Tennessee connections, stepped in. They found this killer property, completely off-market, around Memorial Day 2021. And now it’s open. They just had their first member-member event, and they’ve only been open a little over a month. McGarity was just sitting there, thinking, “Holy hell, this actually happened.”
It’s a private club, and they’ve got about 140 members right now. Most of them are national – about 100 aren’t even from Tennessee or Nashville. And they’re growing. It’s pretty damn impressive to hit that number so quickly. They haven’t decided on a final cap, but they’re leaning towards 150 to 160 members. The location is insane, too. Only 12 minutes from downtown Nashville. You can’t beat that. And with Nashville exploding, people love going there. They just got lucky with this incredible piece of land so close to everything.
The Bounty Club Vibe: Fun Over Everything?
So, what’s the deal with the Bounty Club’s atmosphere? McGarity explained they had to figure out where they fit. And it wasn’t a tough call, especially with Justin Timberlake involved and the Nashville location. They wanted a world-class championship course, no doubt. But they also wanted it to be *fun*.
Justin’s big thing? He always preached: you can have an amazing golf course with a terrible vibe, or an okay course with an incredible hang. And if you nail both? You’ve hit the jackpot. That’s the goal. It’s about creating a place where people want to be, where they have a blast, even if their golf game is a total disaster. Because let’s be honest, golf can be frustrating as hell sometimes. Having a great atmosphere makes all the difference.
The New-Age Golf Boom: Simulators and Younger Players
McGarity is seeing something big with the younger generation. He was at T-Squared Social the other day, a place with simulators and other games. It was lunchtime in St. Andrews, Scotland – not exactly buzzing. But in this place? University kids were hammering golf balls into screens, playing darts, just hanging out and having fun with the sport in a totally different way than we might have back in the day. We didn’t even have simulator golf back then, not really.
This boom in simulator golf is massive. It’s bringing in a whole new crowd. And honestly? It’s a lot less intimidating to hit a golf ball 10 feet into a screen than to go out and chase it around a 7,000-yard golf course, especially if you’re a beginner. McGarity travels a lot and sees it everywhere. He mentioned Golfzon in Korea – it’s one of the biggest golf companies in the world, and it’s basically just in Korea. They have more locations there than Starbucks. It’s always been huge in Asia, and now it’s taking off here. It’s definitely sparking interest in golf for a younger generation who might not have been drawn to the traditional game.
What's Next for 8AM Golf? More Growth. Always More Growth.
So, what’s the game plan for 8AM Golf? Slow down? Not a chance. They’ve acquired three businesses in the last four months alone. They’re constantly partnering up, making investments. McGarity sees no reason to hit the brakes.
As long as they’re making money and doing the right things, they’re going to keep expanding. He fully expects to bring in more partners. That’s probably the next logical step. But first, you have to prove yourself, and they’ve definitely done that. They’ve got a solid brand now, a proven track record. And get this: they’re constantly getting approached by all sorts of people – private equity firms, celebrities, you name it – all asking, “How do we get involved in this?” McGarity wants to see continued growth. He’s got zero intention of slowing down. This golf boom is far from over, and 8AM Golf plans to be at the forefront of it all.
If you want to hear the full interview with McGarity, you can find it here. And for more on 8AM Golf, you can click here.