How Whitmoor Country Club’s heirs overcame an expensive setback and found the right partner in Concert Golf.
It’s the traditional story of a family ownership sale with an unexpected turn of events.
Four grown children inherit Whitmoor Country Club, a successful, upscale private club near St. Louis. After taking control, they realize that the costs of maintenance and the intricacies of club management are a significant drain on their way of life.
So, they chose to pursue a quiet sale to Concert Golf Partners, before encountering an unthinkable setback—the club’s Olympic-sized pool had buckled two feet out of the ground.
“A pool is a component of a club that each family uses,” said John Hofman, a Whitmoor member for 35 years. “It’s a very important aspect of any club. When it was broken, it felt like the club was broken.”
The Whittaker family believed that their promising deal to sell the club was in peril, until Concert Golf presented a creative solution—they would pay to replace the pool with their team of construction experts and with their capital.
It made sense, as Concert is known for continually reinvesting in its portfolio of clubs to enhance and elevate them for years to come. In addition, Concert Golf is very selective in the clubs it acquires, and Whitmoor represented a highly coveted private club in a key target market.
“Concert Golf took responsibility for the pool problem, and still closed the deal fast, with all cash,” said Greg Whittaker, principal owner, Whitmoor C.C. “We knew that we had found the right buyer and successor for our Whitmoor members and staff.”
Following the purchase, Concert made $2.85 million of capital expenditures for upgrades to the pool, golf course, clubhouse and other amenities at Whitmoor.
Read more to find out the whole story.
In 1977, long before the club was built, Bob and Shirley Whittaker launched Whittaker Homes. Eventually, they built it into one of the largest homebuilding companies in the Midwest. Bob had a strong passion for golf, and he later developed four top St. Louis clubs, led by Whitmoor.
Whitmoor Country Club was Bob and Shirley’s pride and joy. For 35 years, they owned and operated the private upscale club in Weldon Spring, Missouri, where they served their members.
The premier, full-service club is a fixture in the community. From 1988-2022, the family’s personal touch was a way of life. Their mantra was heartfelt: “Let our family take care of your family.”
Whitmoor’s North and South courses were designed by Karl Litten in 1988. His architecture incorporated both the natural rolling terrain of St. Charles County, as well as numerous native areas. There are 10 lakes between the two championship courses, and the meandering creeks that connect them come into play on several holes.
The surrounding community offers residents a unique blend of luxury living and recreational amenities. In step, the average home sales price in the past year is over $1 million, according to local real estate data (July 2024).
After Bob passed away, Shirley stepped down from the golf business. The club’s legacy was passed on to their four children: Brothers Greg, Tim and Rob Whittaker; and their sister, Kelly Vetter.
The gift became more than they bargained for, so the siblings explored selling the club. They were approached by potential buyers, but only encountered tire kickers and local noise.
“The golf business was more my dad’s dream,” explained Greg Whittaker, owner of Homes by Whittaker. “All the kids, we had our thing. We probably would have never sold the club, if dad hadn’t passed away.”
Still, the family rode it out for years, before they finally decided to sell Whitmoor at the end of 2022.
“Management of a private club took up a lot of my time,” explained Greg Whittaker, principal owner, Whitmoor C.C.
Greg Whittaker had conversations over the years with Concert Golf Partners, but the timing was never quite right. Eventually, the family pursued a quiet sale to Concert, which would minimize disruption to the club members and staff.
“In the Whittakers’ case, they had a booming 3,500-home residential development underway nearby that was the best-selling community in the Midwest, and they wanted to focus on that,” said Concert Golf Partners CEO, Peter Nanula. “So, they chose to leave the golf club to experts they could trust.”
After the family decided to enter into negotiations with Concert Golf, the pool became unhinged. The pump broke, and the pool rose off the ground.
Whitmoor’s insurance company denied the claim, and Whittaker felt stuck. He estimated the price to replace the pool at between $1 million-$2 million.
While there was also a much smaller pool on the property, replacing the broken Olympic-sized pool was paramount for member satisfaction and use.
“My first thought was, ‘They’d better get this pool fixed,’” said Rob Geil, a Whitmoor Member for seven years. “For my wife and kids, that’s their summer.’”
What would typically be a deal killer for most buyers injected life into the negotiations and led to the sale.
“Concert came in and invested in the aquatic facility, and it has been awesome,” said Whittaker. “Good on Concert for making it all work out.”
Whittaker was also impressed with Concert Golf’s willingness to both maintain continuity in the staff and invest in facility upgrades.
“Based on my personal experience, Concert Golf Partners is in a much better position to take the facility and make it what it should be,” said Greg Whittaker. “They can put a lot more resources into improvements to make the club better and stronger for the future.”
Coupled with other capital improvements, such as improved maintenance equipment for the golf course and clubhouse renovations, including a revitalized Trophy Room for banquets and events, Concert’s upgrades have led to a notable increase in member satisfaction.
“Everyone is telling us how nice it is what Concert did,” said Whittaker. “What a great thing for the Members. We definitely couldn’t have done it on our own.”
It stems from Concert’s vision, as the company has a willingness to spend to buy the very best clubs in the United States, and elevate the member experience through continuous re-investment and high-end service. For example, Whitmoor Country Club provides its members and their families with quality recreation and social experiences, so that lifelong, lasting friendships are established and enjoyed.
“I didn’t know what to expect before Concert took over,” admitted Geil. “My experience has been great. We were all a little skeptical at first, but the money they put in and everything they’ve done has been great.”
“They know how to run a business,” said Whitmoor Member, John Hofman. “They are really good at it. I talk to members of other clubs in St. Louis that sold to other entities. They are not as happy as our members are with Concert Golf.”