Staff WriterWhen Steve Willy and Whitney Crouse founded Bobby Jones Links 25 years ago, they didn’t come charging into the golf management world with PowerPoint decks and corporate swagger. No, they just… showed up. A couple of clubs, a few bright ideas, and a lot of blind faith.
“We just jumped in with a few clubs and felt our way,” Willy says, reflecting on their humble beginnings.
“Over the years, we learned what we needed to do, solving the problems our clients presented us, and added the systems, resources, and expertise to deliver solutions.”
Today, Bobby Jones Links isn’t just another name in golf management. It’s a firm handshake, a trusted partner, and a 5-iron you can count on.
And the men behind it—Willy, a seasoned PGA member with three decades under his belt, and Crouse, the company’s strategic brain and resident data whisperer—have managed to stay the course by remembering the one thing most others forget: people matter.
Willy’s résumé spans every flavour of golf property—private, semi-private, daily-fee, resort—and he’s lived through every operational headache imaginable.
Crouse, meanwhile, brings a wealth of experience building and running courses, not to mention writing golf books and holding a seat on the National Golf Course Owners Association board. They’re not just in the business; they’ve helped shape it.
And yet, their most enduring discovery is as straightforward as a tap-in par: say what you’re going to do, then do it.
“We’ve had to be consistent so that people can count on us,” Willy says. But he’s quick to add that consistency doesn’t mean uniformity. Each club has its own quirks, and ownership agendas can be as varied as a range bucket on a Sunday morning.
Nowadays, the headaches are familiar. Food and beverage operations that need CPR. Top-line revenue growth that won’t budge.
And private clubs, well, they’ve evolved. “A key element to growing membership is knowing that a membership buying decision is no longer made by just men,” Willy explains. “It now requires the approval of the whole family, particularly spouses.”
The solution? A full-court press on member engagement from day one. That means onboarding the whole household, creating year-round experiences, and closely monitoring who’s showing up—and who isn’t.
Public and municipal courses? A different beast, but no less nuanced. Crouse rattles off the essentials: keep the place looking sharp, ensure the pace of play is brisk, train your staff to actually smile, and reward your regulars.
“Player development programs, men’s and ladies’ associations, loyalty rewards, social gatherings open to all—it all adds up,” Crouse says. “Being flexible and nimble to the needs of our clients has been paramount to successfully retaining clients for years.”
But beyond balance sheets and tee sheets, Bobby Jones Links has also taken a swing at something bigger: community revitalisation. Case in point—the Bobby Jones Golf Course and John A. White Golf Course in Atlanta. Both are now community cornerstones thanks to BJL’s non-profit model.
“You can’t overestimate what impact a public golf course can have on its surrounding community,” Crouse explains. “Junior programs, affordable access, great amenities—it brings people together. Even the food and beverage offerings can elevate a neighbourhood’s sense of pride.”
It’s not just PR fluff either. The company’s longevity hinges on something most firms outgrow: giving a damn.
“We really do spend more hands-on time interacting and strategising with our clients,” says Crouse. “We’re not a big-box management company.”
That service-first mentality is more than lip service. BJL hired a trainer who worked with Chick-fil-A and The Ritz-Carlton to reimagine hospitality from the ground up. “If a 16-year-old at Chick-fil-A can say ‘it’s my pleasure’ and mean it, so can we,” Crouse adds.
The result? A corporate culture where employees treat each other—and their guests—with care, not just compliance. They’ve even built an in-house leadership centre to ensure it stays that way.
And looking ahead? Willy’s not looking to build a golf empire. “Sometimes companies grow rapidly and lose that personal touch,” he says. “I don’t ever see us operating hundreds of clubs. But growing four or five a year? That allows us to do it the right way.”
If Bobby Jones Links proves anything, it’s that slow, steady, and service-driven can still win the race. In an industry full of noise and nickel-diming, they’ve chosen trust, tenacity, and the occasional tip of the flat cap to tradition.
And frankly, golf’s better for it.
