Staff WriterThere’s something brewing in the world of private clubs—and it’s got Southworth’s name written all over it. In fact, this Boston-based, family-run outfit with a portfolio stretching from Cape Cod to the Caribbean is rewriting the script on what it means to belong.
You could say Southworth has become a quiet revolutionary in private golf clubs, prioritising long-term values over flashy exits, and people over pretension.
A Legacy Built on “No A-holes” and Community
Founded back in 1991—before yoga pants and kombucha were country club staples—Southworth was built on a simple idea: create private clubs where members and staff genuinely want to spend time.
Not just for the golf (though the courses are world-class), but for the kind of community where respect is currency and the only club rule worth remembering is “no a-holes allowed.” Yes, really. It’s written into the contract. It might sound like a cheeky motto, but that mantra underscores a serious commitment to an atmosphere of kindness and inclusion.
Now under the stewardship of President Tommy Southworth and Managing Principal Matt Deitch—lifelong friends who grew up watching their fathers build the business—Southworth is doubling down on its core values with a fresh, forward-facing twist.
Tommy’s father, David Southworth, founded the company; Matt’s father, Joe Deitch, remains the Chairman. If there were ever a golf-flavoured version of “Succession,” this might be it — minus the drama, plus a Mini Member Council where kids get a real say in how their club is run.
The next generation isn’t just at the helm; it’s in the clubhouse making suggestions for the pizza night menu.
World-Class Courses with a Human Touch
With a multimillion-dollar investment plan in full swing and new projects in the pipeline, Southworth’s communities are brimming with curated experiences and top-tier amenities. Crucially, each club in the Southworth portfolio offers its own distinct flavour:
Willowbend (Cape Cod, Massachusetts):
A 27-hole stunner nestled among Cape Cod cranberry bogs and rolling terrain. Its three nines (two designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and one by Bruce Besse Jr.) weave through 14 working cranberry bogs and glistening ponds, serving up a New England golf paradise.
Willowbend’s championship layout has proven its pedigree by hosting events like the Massachusetts Open and state amateur championships in recent years.
Yet beyond the scorecard, members love the laid-back vibe — think clambakes by the 18th green and kids catching fireflies after those evening rounds.
Renaissance (Boston’s North Shore, MA):
A Brian Silva signature course that channels golf’s Golden Age of architecture while keeping the atmosphere decidedly modern.
Renaissance’s 18 holes are as artful as they are enjoyable — a “modern classic” that even won New England Golf Course of the Year.
The club embraces a fun-loving ethos: there’s a new 19th hole pub on site (fittingly named “The Boot,” nodding to the region’s shoe-factory heritage) where you can celebrate a birdie or laugh off a triple-bogey.
It’s the kind of place where families linger for lawn games and legendary burger nights after the last putt drops.
Meredith Bay (Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire):
Proof that a Southworth community doesn’t even need a golf course to thrive. Set on the shores of New Hampshire’s largest lake, Meredith Bay is a four-season playground of its own.
Residents and members enjoy lake life at its finest — from a marina and kayak launch for summer fun, to a cosy “Sugar Shack” where families boil maple syrup in the fall.
There’s an outdoor pool and even a rustic cabin dubbed the “Love Shack” stocked with board games for unplugged family time.
It’s resort-style living with a camp-like soul, where s’mores and sunset paddles fit right into the private club experience.
Creighton Farms (Aldie, Virginia):
Just outside Washington D.C., Creighton Farms boasts a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course so acclaimed it was honoured as one of the best new private courses of the year by Golf Magazine when it opened in 2008.
This layout winds through the rolling Virginia countryside, pairing Presidential-length challenge with capital-class beauty. (In true Nicklaus fashion, it’s a track that can charm you one moment and chastise you the next.)
Creighton Farms has also become a hub for big events: Jack Nicklaus himself hosts an annual invitational here that has raised $14 million for children’s charities, and the club has seen its fair share of PGA legends strolling its fairways.
Despite the prestige, everyday life at Creighton Farms isn’t stuffy — you’re as likely to find members enjoying a casual summer concert on the lawn as you are to find them fine-tuning their swings at the high-tech indoor/outdoor training centre.
Machrihanish Dunes (Argyll, Scotland):
A true links golf adventure on Scotland’s west coast, designed by David McLay-Kidd to let nature call the shots.
Machrihanish Dunes was the UK’s first-ever GEO-certified course for its environmentally sensitive design, and it shows — the course seems to spring organically from the wild dunescape.
Here, six greens perch along the Atlantic Ocean and the rest of the holes romp through windswept grasses and rugged terrain that Old Tom Morris himself would’ve approved of.
It’s equal parts beauty and beast: one moment you’re marvelling at the Hebridean sea views, the next you’re praying your ball isn’t lost to a mischievous gust of wind.
The club village features lovingly restored historic hotels and cosy cottages, making it a true golf retreat.
(Also, bragging rights: Machrihanish Dunes just launched an invitation-only private club experience for those lucky enough to call this corner of Scotland a second home.)
The Abaco Club (Great Abaco, The Bahamas):
Perhaps the crown jewel in Southworth’s collection, The Abaco Club offers something exceedingly rare: the world’s first tropical links course.
Designed by Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie, this championship course looks like it was plucked from Scotland and dropped on a turquoise Bahamian bay.
Pot bunkers and firm, fast fairways meet swaying palms and ocean breezes – a combination that delights and tests in equal measure.
Since the day it debuted, Abaco’s course has been ranked the #1 golf course in The Bahamas, and it regularly welcomes rising pros for the Great Abaco Classic, a rollicking Korn Ferry Tour event each winter.
When golf’s over, members unwind on the club’s pristine private beach or swap stories at the cliffside bar, watching for the green flash at sunset. It’s Paradise — with a proper backspin.
Despite their far-flung locales, all these Southworth clubs share a common DNA. With championship-calibre golf and top-notch facilities, yes, but more importantly, a refreshingly unpretentious culture.
Southworth has even introduced a novel reciprocity program across its portfolio: a member at Willowbend, for example, can hop down to Abaco or across to Machrihanish and feel right at home, instantly welcomed by fellow Southworthians.
It’s not uncommon to see families planning vacations to each other’s communities, trading Cape Cod cottage tips for Bahamas snorkelling spots.
In the Southworth world, your membership is a passport to a network of golf getaways — and friendly faces — wherever you go.
Fun, Forward Thinking – and Family at the Core
Southworth’s dedication to the community goes well beyond the golf course. They’ve added some not-so-secret weapons to their leadership team in recent years, including a Director of Sustainability (to ensure the club’s footprints are as thoughtful as the fairways) and a Director of Member Experience, whose sole mission is making sure everyone from toddlers to retirees gets more than just a tee time.
That “experience-first” mentality shows up in all kinds of creative programming: think “Golf ‘Fore’ Beginners” clinics that help newcomers (especially women and juniors) take their first confident swing, or glow-in-the-dark family golf nights that turn the back nine into a mini-golf carnival under the stars.
Southworth clubs are as likely to host outdoor movie nights, cooking classes, or father-daughter dances as they are traditional member-guest tournaments. The vibe is decidedly more “memory-making” than “members-only.”
Perhaps the most compelling feature of the Southworth experience is its human touch. It’s the kind of warmth and welcome that can’t be built into square footage or sculpted into bunkers.
Tommy Southworth and Matt Deitch have been vocal about “The Southworth Way” – an ethos that prizes connection, integrity and genuinely good times over the old stuffy country-club norms.
In practice, that means encouraging high-fives and first-name hellos, fostering inter-generational friendships, and explicitly rejecting any hint of elitist snobbery. (Remember that “no jerks” rule? They meant it.) It’s a culture where the staff are as valued as the members, and where a great attitude matters more than a great handicap.
Through its “Southworth Gives” philanthropy arm, the company has also shown that doing good and living well aren’t mutually exclusive.
Southworth-led events and tournaments have raised millions for local charities over the years – from food banks in Massachusetts to environmental causes in the Bahamas.
At each club, members frequently rally together for charity drives, junior golf fundraisers, and community projects, reinforcing that sense of shared purpose.
And if the kids of the Mini Member Council have their say, expect even more family fun – more pizza nights, bounce houses, and waterslides at the pool.
The New Definition of Private Club Luxury
In an age where exclusivity often masquerades as luxury, Southworth is offering something far rarer: authenticity, generosity, and good old-fashioned fun.
These private clubs aren’t about flashing status; they’re about fostering friendships and lifelong memories. Yes, you’ll find immaculate courses, beautiful clubhouses, and all the high-end trimmings you’d expect at top-tier clubs.
But you’ll also find kids running around in swimsuits after a day at the lake, couples dancing to live music on a clubhouse lawn, and team leadership joining you for a casual drink at the bar.
Southworth has quietly revolutionised the private club experience by reminding us why we fell in love with clubs in the first place: a sense of belonging.
It turns out, when you mix world-class golf with a genuine community spirit, you get a membership that means more than access to a course — it means a place in a family. And that, my friends, is a club worth joining.
