This Ultra-Exclusive New Golf Club Membership Promises to Put You on the World’s Best Courses
Private golf club construction is in a boom phase and the appetite to play the latest and greatest–along with the classic courses–is stronger than ever. Destination private clubs are also popping up all over the US, from Florida to Texas and a few parts in between. Roving private golf clubs aren’t exactly new, but they aren’t common either. Based in Nebraska, Dormie Network gives members access to seven courses in its roster across the country and Escalante Golf recently added Canyata Golf Club—a private retreat with only 5,000 rounds played on it in the last 20 years—to its Icon Membership portfolio of 9 courses, and has designated Canyata as the home of that membership.
But what if there was a club that wasn’t so much a physical space as a network of golfers able to help you play some of the best places in the world? And what if that club also had its own line of apparel and special events for its members? That’s the operating premise of the Redan Club, a new private membership club with no official home course that also offers members concierge-level service and Italian-made apparel.
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One of the key forces behind Redan is fashion designer Jon Buscemi, who first made his name at Oliver Peoples and then later founded the footwear brand Gourmet, followed by his own eponymous brand, Buscemi. (If the names sounds familiar, Jon is cousin to actor Steve Buscemi.) Perhaps one of the highlights, publicity-wise, was his diamond-encrusted sneakers that sold for $132,000. After selling his company to a private-equity firm, Buscemi started playing golf. “It’s the old story. I made a birdie,” he says. “I got hooked.”
Buscemi became obsessed with the game and dipped his toes into several golf businesses. He helped his friend Stephen Malbon start a successful clothing brand, one that has been a true disruptor in golf apparel, then invested in Greyson, another golf-apparel brand. FootJoy golf shoes asked him to collaborate on its line of Premiere Series shoes.
The idea of a golf brand was percolating, but after he met his future co-founder and CEO Andrew Pavoni, the idea clicked of creating a members-only golf brand. Buscemi is candid about his love for fine dining, well-made clothes, luxury cars, and exclusive golf clubs. Redan seeks to marry all of those in one neat package and deliver it to its members through an app that includes several categories encompassing the good life.
There are official Redan Club events that feature golf, private dining, luxury accommodations and transport such as the one for this week’s Masters Tournament or, later this year, when Redan will host members at Cabot Citrus Farms in Florida for three days, where a concierge will take care of all members’ needs.
Many of Redan’s garments from Italy feature more timeless looks such as crewneck sweaters, twill chinos, and stylish, reversible jackets—not a piece of “technical” fabric to be found. Then there are special collaborations with some of golf’s great companies such as specialty putter Bettinardi. But they also include Tiffany, which long ago had a presence in the game. Members also enjoy dining at exclusive restaurants.
Beyond giving members access to curated experiences, connecting like-minded individuals is also a goal of the new model, Buscemi says, something that was lacking in the private-club market. Instead, he wanted to build something more like Soho House in terms of culture and aesthetic. The roster includes the most famous clubs in America and England and that will give Redan members a chance to play those highly sought-after courses. So far, Redan has drawn more than 100 members, including early adopters like Ken Griffey, Jr. and Michael Jordan.
For those types of opportunities, you fill out a request via the app, noting you’ll be in Long Island next week and are hoping to play X Private Course. Buscemi uses the analogy of staying at a luxury hotel and asking the concierge for a reservation at a hard-to-get spot. “They may come back and say, ‘We inquired and couldn’t accommodate, but here are several other Michelin-star restaurants where we’d be happy to book you a table.”
With country-club rosters across the country jammed up, an upscale, mobile destination club could be well timed. With his designer credentials and love of the good life, Buscemi’s discerning eye is what could make Redan’s business model different in the current high-demand, private-club market.
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