Company Overview

Clubessential Holdings most prominently owns both Clubessential, the leading provider of full-suite membership and club management solutions to country, golf, city, yacht, and other private clubs, as well as sister company foreUP, a leading provider of cloud-based software for public golf courses. Both specialize in helping facilities and operators make data-driven decisions and deliver exceptional member or guest experiences.

Clubessential Key Facts:

• Serves over 1,300 private clubs nationwide
• Backed by Battery Ventures
• Provides integrated technology and embedded payment solutions
• Offers comprehensive business intelligence tools
• First provider of location-based marketing suite in the private club industry

foreUP Key Facts:

• Modern, cloud-based, comprehensive golf management system
• Trusted by more than 2,300 golf courses
• Accessible software on any device, from anywhere
• Started in 2012

Strategic Vision

“In the growing experience economy, providers must increasingly modernize their technology to capture consumer spend and attention,” said Randy Eckels, CEO of Clubessential Holdings. “We strive to empower customers in the recreation management industry with solutions that attract, engage, and delight community patrons.”

Clubessential Key Programs and Services

• Full-suite membership management solutions
• Location-based marketing suite with geofencing capabilities
• Mobile applications and CRM systems
• Single-source payment processing
• Tournament management software
• Golf course maintenance software

foreUP Key Programs and Services

foreUP’s platform emphasizes “Building the future of golf by empowering the courses that run it” through eight core service areas:

• Business Intelligence with AI-powered dashboards and real-time performance monitoring
• Tee Sheet Software with revenue-optimized booking and automated reminders
• Golf Course Point of Sale system with inventory management and sales tracking
• Golf Course Maintenance solutions with effortless task management and efficiency
• Branded Mobile Apps that put golf courses directly in players’ pockets
• foreUP Tournament Management powered by BlueGolf for registration and live scoring
• Comprehensive Billing solutions with guest portals and automated payments
• Food & Beverage management systems with customizable layouts and intelligent reporting

Recent Developments

In 2024, Clubessential made two significant acquisitions:

• RecDesk, a leader in SaaS software for recreation management
• ASB taskTracker, intuitive golf course maintenance software

In 2022, the company:

• Launched the Private Club Industry’s first location-based marketing suite
• Acquired BlueGolf, establishing new standards for tournament registration and management
• Formed its Golf and Club Technology business unit

Business Model Innovation

Clubessential Holdings has revolutionized the golf and private club industry through its dual-brand approach, combining Clubessential’s private club expertise with foreUP’s public golf course solutions. This comprehensive strategy creates a unified technology ecosystem that serves the entire spectrum of golf facilities, from exclusive private clubs to accessible public courses. The holding company’s integrated platform leverages data analytics and personalization capabilities across both brands, enabling facilities to deliver precisely targeted communications and services to members and customers. Through sophisticated business intelligence tools and AI-powered dashboards, golf facilities can now make data-driven decisions that were previously impossible, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. The platform’s ability to track performance across all touchpoints – from tee sheets and food & beverage to retail and maintenance – creates a holistic view that enables continuous improvement and strategic planning. This integrated approach has proven particularly effective in improving customer retention and engagement, as facilities can better anticipate and respond to user needs and preferences while maximizing revenue opportunities.

KEY TAKEAWAYS