These are boom times for the sale of minority stakes in indoor golf franchises.
On Friday afternoon, the TGL announced that the LAGC will receive a new minority stake from Ilitch Sports and Entertainment. The ownership group behind the Detroit Tigers and Red Wings will join an ownership group that includes Reddit founder and majority owner Alexis Ohanian and a host of minority owners, including Serena and Venus Williams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alex Morgan, Michelle Wie West, Shonda Rhimes and Good Good Golf.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but several fascinating components of Ilitch’s investment in the TGL were announced. As part of Ilitch’s investment in the LAGC, IS+E will “serve as LAGC’s sponsoring agency and act as an extension of LAGC’s internal team” – a move that effectively multiplies the LAGC franchise’s sales efforts as its second season kicks off in January.
The decision will allow IS+E to “leverage its network and expertise in sponsorship sales, brand development, data analytics, broadcast and media” to help grow the LAGC brand.
The Ilitch family’s investment in LAGC comes at an interesting time for TGL, which begins its second season in January at the Sofi Center in Palm Beach Gardens. The indoor simulator golf league debuted in 2024 with surprisingly strong TV numbers on ESPN, bringing golf to primetime weeknights for most of the PGA Tour season. Last week, the league announced a slew of changes aimed at improving the league’s competitive product in its second year, including dramatically expanding the size and shape of the putting green.
The announcement also comes at an interesting time for the Illitches. The Illitch family’s investment in the TGL is notable because of who it is not in conjunction with: Motor City GC, owned by the Ford family, also known as the old stewards of the other major sports organization from Detroit, the Lions.
In addition to owning and operating the Little Caesars fast-food chain, the Illitches retain controlling interests in both the Tigers and Red Wings, and operate the majority of their businesses from Detroit. They are believed to have a strong relationship with the Fords, including in their shared financing of a Arena district in the center around the turn of the century.
“LAGC reimagines the way fans experience golf,” said Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Illitch Sports and Entertainment, in a press release. “Joining LAGC puts us at the center of that transformation.”
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