Baker Thompson Leads Bold Expansion at Broomsedge

Broomsedge Golf Club in Rembert, South Carolina is entering a new chapter as Baker Thompson assumes control and outlines an aggressive hospitality expansion aimed at redefining the region’s private golf experience.

New Leadership Structure at a Rising Sandhills Venue

Recent coverage indicates that Broomsedge Golf Club has shifted its leadership model, with golf developer and financier Baker Thompson becoming managing partner and chief executive. Public reports describe the move as an acquisition of the club that places Thompson at the center of long-term strategy, with original majority owner Cody Sundberg remaining involved in a senior role. The change formalizes a transition from a startup golf project into a more fully capitalized destination with defined plans for growth.

Thompson’s arrival links Broomsedge to a broader network of high-profile modern golf developments. Published features note his long association with developer Michael Keiser Jr., including work on The Lido and Sand Valley, projects that helped popularize a “welcoming private club” concept. That background is seen by analysts as a signal that Broomsedge will emphasize high-level architecture and conditioning while still offering curated access for non-members.

The club, which sits in South Carolina’s Sandhills northeast of Columbia, has already drawn early acclaim. Golf industry rankings have identified Broomsedge as a standout among recent private-course openings, and it has been cited as a runner-up in national “Best New Private” lists for 2025. That recognition provides a platform for the new leadership team as they turn from course grow-in to a more hospitality-focused buildout.

Public information suggests that the ownership reshuffle does not alter Broomsedge’s boutique scale. The membership remains intentionally limited, with early members drawn from serious amateur players and architecture enthusiasts. Instead of adding volume, Thompson’s mandate appears to be deepening the on-site experience and broadening revenue through lodging and guest programs.

Hospitality Expansion Anchored by New Cottages

The next phase at Broomsedge centers on a significant hospitality buildout designed to keep golfers on property for multi-day stays. Existing planning documents and media coverage describe a series of on-site cottages that will sit close to the practice facilities, clubhouse and opening tee, allowing visiting groups to walk from front door to first shot. Early projections point to the first wave of accommodations arriving in the middle of the decade, complementing the course’s move from preview play to full operation.

Concepts for these units emphasize comfort and privacy rather than resort-scale sprawl. Designers are expected to thread structures into the course’s sandy, pine-studded landscape, maintaining the minimalist aesthetic that has made the routing notable. The accommodations are being positioned as “well appointed” but understated, aimed at small groups of golfers rather than broad family tourism.

Plans for a more robust food and beverage program are emerging alongside the lodging. Reports suggest that Broomsedge will add a full-service culinary operation timed to coincide with expanded cottage capacity around 2027. That evolution would take the club from a golf-first venue with limited offerings to a stay-and-play environment in line with other modern destination clubs.

For South Carolina’s tourism mix, the shift adds another layer to the state’s golf portfolio. Coastal markets around Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head have long dominated visitor attention, but Broomsedge’s hospitality plan underscores growing interest in inland Sandhills retreats built around fewer rooms, higher daily spend per guest and immersive golf itineraries.

A ‘Welcoming Private Club’ Model in Practice

One of the most closely watched aspects of Broomsedge under Thompson is its embrace of a “welcoming private club” approach. Articles in Golf Digest and other outlets describe a structure in which the club maintains a core private membership while reserving limited tee times for non-members through a controlled request process. Since opening to preview play in 2024, Broomsedge has permitted a small amount of outside play via an online inquiry system, balancing exclusivity with curated access.

This model draws inspiration from select private courses in the United Kingdom and Ireland that allow visitor tee times on designated days. At Broomsedge, observers note that the approach is positioned as a way to share the course with traveling golfers and architecture fans without undermining the member-centric culture. The new cottages are expected to dovetail with that strategy, giving approved guests the option to stay on site rather than day-trip from nearby cities.

Industry analysts point out that this hybrid framework may offer financial and cultural advantages for clubs in emerging golf regions. Modest volumes of outside play and overnight stays can help support maintenance standards and staff retention, particularly in rural settings where purely local membership might be limited. At the same time, controlled access helps preserve course conditions and pace of play, priorities that early reviews often cite as strengths at Broomsedge.

For travelers, the result is an experience that feels more intimate than a large resort but more accessible than a fully closed private enclave. The club’s communications and early visitor reports highlight a relaxed atmosphere, wide fairways and strategic green complexes that reward repeat rounds, all features that align with the welcoming-but-discerning identity Thompson has advocated in past projects.

Positioning Within South Carolina’s High-End Golf Boom

Broomsedge’s leadership change and hospitality push come amid a rapid buildout of high-end golf in central South Carolina. In recent years, nearby private clubs such as Old Barnwell and Tree Farm have drawn attention from serious players, while a new multi-course public destination known as Candyroot is being developed roughly an hour to the north. Together, these projects are transforming the Sandhills corridor into one of the most closely watched golf regions in the United States.

Within that cluster, Broomsedge occupies a distinctive niche. Course architecture commentary emphasizes the layout’s minimal earthmoving, sprawling fairways and absence of maintained rough, with turf blending into native broomsedge grass and other Sandhills vegetation. That aesthetic, paired with the club’s compact membership and emerging cottage village, positions Broomsedge as a low-density retreat rather than a large-scale resort or real estate play.

Regional tourism observers note that the Sandhills surge mirrors patterns seen earlier in destinations such as Bandon Dunes in Oregon or the Sand Valley region of central Wisconsin, where a critical mass of acclaimed courses encouraged golf travelers to cluster multiple rounds in a single trip. As Broomsedge expands its lodging and culinary offerings, it is likely to feature prominently in itineraries that link several private and semi-private venues across central South Carolina.

The economic implications for surrounding communities could be significant. Visitor itineraries that once focused on the state’s coastal resorts are increasingly incorporating inland stays, bringing new demand for transportation, off-course dining and supporting services. While Broomsedge itself is not being developed as a large public access resort, its elevated profile under Thompson’s stewardship may help draw broader attention to a previously under-the-radar part of the state.

What Traveling Golfers Can Expect in the Coming Years

For golfers planning future trips, the immediate takeaway is that Broomsedge remains a selective but increasingly structured option within the South Carolina travel landscape. The club continues to operate as a private facility with a compact membership, yet publicly available information shows that the leadership team intends to maintain some form of limited outside play, particularly for small groups willing to navigate the club’s inquiry process and premium green fees.

As the cottage program comes online and the expanded food and beverage operation opens, likely around 2027, visitors can expect a more complete on-site experience. Instead of pairing a single day at Broomsedge with off-property lodging in Columbia or Sumter, traveling groups may be able to book two or three nights on the course itself, using the club as a base for a focused golf retreat.

The leadership shift also suggests a continued emphasis on course refinement. With Thompson at the helm and original developers still engaged, observers anticipate ongoing tweaks to playing corridors, mowing lines and native areas as the turf matures. Early course reviews already cite variety, width and demanding green complexes as defining traits; further fine-tuning could solidify Broomsedge’s standing in national rankings as the grow-in period concludes.

In a state known for its crowded coastal scorecard, Broomsedge’s next act offers something different for well-traveled golfers: a low-key, architecture-led club deep in the Sandhills, now backed by experienced leadership and a clear hospitality blueprint that aims to keep visitors on property longer, spending more time on the fairways and under the tall pines of central South Carolina.