To support the 2026 U.S. National Golf Study and offer advisory services to member courses
Chicago, IL — Greenlight Advisors announced today that American Golf, one of the largest and most influential golf course management companies in the United States, has joined the Greenlight Advisors Certified Partner Program and will serve as an Advisory Partner to the expanding U.S. Golf Study, the industry’s leading performance benchmarking initiative.
As part of the collaboration, Paul Ballam, Senior Vice President of American Golf, has been appointed to the Greenlight Advisors Advisory Board, where he will help guide the strategic development of the U.S. Golf Study and the continued advancement of the GolfClubBenchmarks.com performance intelligence platform.
The partnership aligns closely with American Golf’s national growth initiative, which focuses on strengthening operational performance, enhancing asset value, and accelerating best-practice adoption across its nationwide portfolio of golf facilities. Through this initiative, American Golf continues to invest in data-driven strategies designed to improve financial performance, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
As part of the partnership, American Golf will begin integrating its facilities into the GolfClubBenchmarks.com platform, enabling its leadership team to compare key financial and operational performance metrics against state, regional and national benchmarks and integrate that data into its strategic planning.
“American Golf has long been recognized as one of the most respected operators in the industry, managing a large and diverse portfolio of golf facilities nationwide,” said Mike Suglich, CPA, Founder and Managing Director of Greenlight Advisors and GolfClubBenchmarks.com. “Their decision to align with the U.S. Golf Study and incorporate benchmarking across their organization reflects a strong commitment to operational transparency, continuous improvement, and industry leadership. We are honored to welcome American Golf as a Certified Partner and to have Paul Ballam join our Advisory Board.”
Developed by Greenlight Advisors, the U.S. Golf Study has emerged as one of the industry’s most comprehensive benchmarking initiatives, providing golf course operators with comparative insights across key performance pillars including financial performance, operations, and capital asset management. The study enables participating facilities to evaluate performance against their state, regional and national benchmarks and identify the operational strategies used by top‑quartile “Best‑in‑Class™” operators.
Through its role as an Advisory Partner, American Golf will contribute operational insights and leadership perspective to help shape the continued evolution of the study as it expands participation among public, municipal, resort, and private golf facilities across the United States.
“Managing golf facilities is a complex business that requires continuous innovation, and the most powerful tools for driving smarter decisions are stronger data and more effective benchmarking,” said Paul Ballam, Senior Vice President of American Golf.
“The U.S. Golf Study and the GolfClubBenchmarks.com platform represent an important step forward for the industry because they create a common framework for understanding performance. When operators, owners and municipal decision-makers can clearly see how their financial and operational metrics compare to their peers—and more importantly to the best operations in the country—it changes the conversation from intuition to strategy. Benchmarking gives leaders the ability to identify opportunities faster, allocate resources more effectively, and ultimately deliver a better experience for golfers.
American Golf believes the future of the golf industry will be shaped by collaboration and shared insight across operators. By participating in the platform and supporting the continued growth of the U.S. Golf Study, we hope to help accelerate innovation and operational excellence across the industry.”
Greenlight Advisors’ Certified Partner Program brings together leading golf course management companies, industry service providers, and strategic industry partners, including the NGCOA, NGF and PGA of America, committed to advancing performance transparency and best practices across the golf sector.
ABOUT GREENLIGHT ADVISORS
Greenlight Advisors is a golf industry advisory firm specializing in financial, operational, and performance benchmarking for golf course owners and operators. Through its GolfClubBenchmarks.com platform and the national U.S. Golf Study, Greenlight Advisors provides data-driven insights that help golf facilities measure performance, identify best practices, and strengthen long-term financial sustainability.
ABOUT AMERICAN GOLF
American Golf Corporation is one of the most experienced and innovative operators in the golf industry today. With over five decades of proven expertise, American Golf manages a diverse portfolio of public and private golf courses across the United States. As a trusted partner to municipalities, private owners and developers, the company delivers sustainable operations, elevated hospitality experiences, and strong community engagement. American Golf is also a pioneer in subscription-based golf access programs that have redefined value and flexibility for today’s golfer.
MEDIA CONTACT
Mike Suglich, CPA
Founder & Managing Director
Greenlight Advisors
GolfClubBenchmarks.com
