Legendary golf course company files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Golf continues to beryllium a fashionable information athletics for millions of Americans, arsenic a record-setting 47.2 cardinal Americans property 6 oregon supra played play on-course oregon off-course successful 2024, according to the National Golf Foundation.

The sport's popularity was evident this week arsenic world-renowned play marque Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. revealed that it signed an statement to merchantability a 60% involvement successful its Topgolf and Toptracer concern to backstage equity funds managed by Leonard Green & Partners for astir $1.1 billion, according to a Nov. 18 statement.

Topgolf Callaway operates implicit 100 Topgolf high-tech driving ranges, with restaurants and bars.

The play manufacture hasn't been a implicit success, however, arsenic respective play businesses person filed for Chapter 11 extortion successful 2025. Among the bankruptcy filings was PinSeekers DeForest, a DeForest, Wis., rival of Topgolf, which filed for Chapter 11 successful February 2025. The institution operates a Pinseekers hybrid-golf amusement venue.

Among the notable play people bankruptcy filings this twelvemonth person been Meadows Country Club successful Sarasota, Fla., which filed for Chapter 7 liquidation successful July, Business Observer reported.

Also, Wohali Land Estates LLC's play people and luxury location task successful Coalville, Utah, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy successful August with astir $13 cardinal successful debt, The Park Record reported.

And present 1 of the biggest names successful the play manufacture is filing for bankruptcy.

Nicklaus Companies LLC, the iconic golf-course decorator and developer of play and existent property communities, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy extortion aft losing a $50 cardinal damages judgement successful a suit filed against the institution by founder, erstwhile co-chair, and play fable Jack Nicklaus.

The Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., debtor and 11 affiliates filed their petition successful the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware connected Nov. 21, listing $10 cardinal to $50 cardinal successful assets and $500 cardinal to $1 cardinal successful liabilities.

Nicklaus Companies filed for bankruptcy to support its employees, clients, and concern operations arsenic it proactively addresses its semipermanent funded indebtedness and different liabilities, the institution said successful a statement.

The debtor listed its largest unsecured creditors successful its petition, including Integrato LLC, owed implicit $47,000; Flow Dynamics LLC, owed implicit $36,000; Golf House Spa, owed implicit $35,000; Meridian Air Charter, owed implicit $32,000; Generational Equity, owed $20,000; Jeffrey Kao, owed implicit $16,000; and Bank Rate LLC, owed implicit $5,000.