A private equity firm is seeking to become the new owner of Firestone Country Club in Akron, according to media reports.
KSL Capital Partners is in talks to purchase Invited Clubs, a portfolio of more than 150 golf clubs including Firestone and Silver Lake Country Clubs locally, for about $3 billion including debt, Reuters reported. Invited Clubs is owned by Apollo Global Management. The group has two other Ohio properties — Quail Hollow Country Club in Concord Township and Heritage Golf Club in Hilliard.
An Invited Clubs spokesperson declined to comment on the deal via email, stating, “We don’t publicly discuss company ownership and/or capital strategy and structure. Invited Clubs remains focused on delivering exceptional experiences for our members and continuing the strong performance across our portfolio.”
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The Akron Beacon Journal could not reach KSL for comment. A representative for Apollo declined to confirm the media reports or provide further comment.
Invited, which was previously known as ClubCorp, purchased Firestone Country Club in 1981.
KSL owned Invited once before, having purchased it in 2006 for $1.8 billion, according to Reuters. Apollo has owned Invited since 2017, when it purchased it for an enterprise value of $2.2 billion, the news outlet said.
Firestone Country Club is ranked No. 1 among Golfweek’s Best Public-Access Courses in Ohio and has cemented itself as a destination for professional and hobby golfers. It hosted top pros beginning in 1954 with the Rubber City Open and served as the venue for an annual stop on the PGA Tour, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which ended in 2021. It was the site of Tiger Woods’ iconic “shot in the dark” in 2000.
The South Course at Firestone hosted three PGA Championships in the late 20th century — 1960, 1966 and 1975 —the last of which saw Jack Nicklaus capture his 13th of 18 major titles.
It continues to host senior golfers in PGA Tour Champions with the annual Kaulig Companies Championship. Hudson-based Kaulig Companies’ four-year deal with the tournament runs through 2026, Forbes reported last June.
What exactly the deal means for Firestone Country Club remains to be seen. Representatives from the PGA Tour and Kaulig Media, a subsidiary of Kaulig Companies, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@usatodayco.com or on X @pwilliamsOH.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ohio’s Firestone Country Club, former PGA Tour site, could have new owners soon
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